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Second Iteration of Planning Now that an overall framework has been developed which fits within the restrictions attached to one of the RTW tickets, it’s time to roll up the sleeves and really dig in. You should have developed loose time frames for each stop in the First Iteration of Planning.
At this point it is advisable to either have a scanner or a file drawer with some room in it. Set up file folders (either on your hard drive or in a physical file drawer) for each destination. As you research each destination, you will want to be able to save some of the more pertinent information you come across. You will occasionally come across information about other destinations which you have included on your itinerary, but which are not related to the destination at hand. The point is you want to be as organized as possible, so you can clip occasional website, magazine, or newspaper articles and file them in an organized fashion for later review. You will acquire a surprising amount of information very quickly. A scanner will allow you to scan and file those articles in electronic folders for the destinations concerned, or simply print them and store them in your physical file.
The Second Iteration of Planning involves reading in detail about each of your chosen destinations and the immediate areas surrounding them. What events are happening around the time you are there? What other countries, cities, or sites are close enough to consider traveling to while you are in the region?
For example, on my first RTW trip I landed in Bangkok at the end of February. I had until the second week of April before I headed out on the next leg of my RTW ticket. So, after researching the region, I found that it would be quite easy to head from Bangkok north to Chiang Mai, then cross over to Laos (Vientiane and Luang Prabang), on to Viet Nam (Ha Noi, Da Nang, and Sai Gon) and finally to Cambodia (Phnom Phen and Siem Reap - home of Angkor Wat). I had wanted to visit the famous Thai beaches in the south as well, but there simply wouldn’t be enough time.
Things to cover for the second iteration of planning:
Obtain guidebooks about each of your destinations or their immediate regions (for example, you can use a book about “Thailand” or about “Southeast Asia”).
Study each destination at a broad level. Read all of the information that applies to a given destination as a whole. For example, read the pages in your guidebooks that pertain to an entire country, such as cultural indiosynchracies, history, and the like. Also read the full information provided about the city you arrive in, and, if different, the city you will depart from.
Peruse your information sources to obtain information about other cities, places, and events which pique your interest but which are not necessarily on your itinerary. Highlight important information or take some notes as you go through your information sources. After you are satisfied that you have learned a sufficient amount about the region concerned, review your notes and clippings. If you have questions about what you have gathered or if you want to look into something further, use online resources and, of course, your library.
Be sure to note any festivals or events you would like to attend. You want to be sure that you can be in the right place at the right time, and you may have to tweak your itinerary a bit in order to do so.
Be sure to note any visas or special preparations you must make in order to visit a particular country or region. Some governments may require you to have Hepatitis A/B vaccinations or vaccinations for Yellow Fever. If you are planning to stay in a particular area for a long time, you may be required to submit results from an HIV antibody test. Outside of government requirements, you may need to make preparations for optional activities. If you think your plans may include renting an automobile, you will need to arrange for an international driver’s permit before leaving home. Put these sorts of issues on the front burner, and start making whatever arrangements are required as soon as you can, even though you aren’t finished with your planning yet. Some visas, permits, or vaccinations can require more than a few weeks of lead time to arrange.
Depending how you like to travel, you may develop “sub-itineraries” of places to visit during your time in the region. Some travelers like to have everything spelled out in advance; whereas others prefer to arrive at a destination with a month or two in front of them and no set plans. Both approaches are interesting, safe, and will provide rewarding experiences.
Be careful if you have ancestry from or dual citizenship in a country you are traveling to. In many countries you can be legally conscripted and face serving mandatory military or other service if you have not done so in the past. Visa expediting services, government travel advisory services, and, if you have one, your travel specialist, will generally alert you if the laws of a particular country can be construed in such a way.
If you prefer detail planning, consider leaving a week unplanned at each major RTW destination. While you are overseas, you are going to meet friends, find out about special places to visit which weren’t in the guidebooks, or just want to take a break. It is nice to have the opportunity to do so.
The Second Iteration of Planning involves the most effort from a planning standpoint and can take weeks if not months to complete. When you are through, you will have a good sense of where you want to go, what activities you want to undertake, and what your time frame in each region needs to be. You will also have increased confidence in your decision to go Round-The-World, because the excitement leading up to your departure date will surely be building.
It’s now time to go through things one more time and lock in your travel dates. That is the Third and Final Iteration of Planning. |
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During the First Iteration of Planning, our traveler decides to set out from New York in October. He plans to visit South America first, when the spring weather in the southern hemisphere is bringing things to life. He would arrive in Europe in time for European holiday festivals, and then head to South Africa to enjoy the height of their summer. He then is planning to go to India. He initially planned to go to Nepal after that; but then he realized that February / March would bring the Buddhist new year, which is marked by many festivals in Thailand and the rest of Southeast Asia. So he changed his plans to in include Bangkok and to drop Kathmandu for the time being. After Bangkok he would go to Hong Kong. He was originally then headed to Shanghai, but, realizing that his time may be running short at this point, he decided to delete Shanghai from his proposed itinerary and head from Hong Kong to Melbourne. From Melbourne he will pass through Christchurch, and then from there to Vancouver, The Grand Canyon, and home to New York.
He is now ready to do more in-depth research about each stop in his revised itinerary. This “Level 2” research will include options for visits to nearby cities, countries, and historic sites. He can now determine how much time he thinks he needs for each Major RTW destination. |
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