As it’s been a year since my I started my serious travelling, I just want to say thanks to my Honourary Travel Buddies who made my travelling around the world to be more amazing than I expected. It’s true when they say that the travel experience is heightened when you are with that person. You share a bond. Memories. Laughter. Arguments. Lost. Found. And Unique. Never you would have met this person randomly in different situations that you would normally back home on a night out. You’re meeting them in a different country, different cultures, different situations.
I must confess that I was a little scared about going off on my own on my round the world travels. Would I meet anyone? Does anyone actually want to travel with me? But looking back now, I would have shaken my younger version to stop worrying. I have facts you know. During the 9 months of travel since March 2012 to now, I was only on my own for non-consecutively 16 days. It was usually mostly the flight days or bussing from one place to another. But really, I didn’t feel like I was on my own. I had the time of my life. And it was thanks to the awesome people I met and continue to be friends with from travelling.
I must have met at least 150 people during my travels and I really want to say thank you to each who brought something of themselves into my life. But there are some people I especially want to say thanks to.
Matt
I just want to say thanks to Matt for being my first travel buddy of my RTW edventures! Meeting up in Bangkok, we travelled for nearly 2 months through the whole of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia before parting ways at Saigon, Vietnam. He was a constant source of amusement for Alannah and I and I’ll never forget the day when he was in the most foulest mood upon hearing his football team lost on derby day, the same day we visited Angkor Wat at sunrise. Again, I often likened him to Karl Pilkington of An Idiot Abroad as he did come out with the most grumpy things like in Bangkok – ‘Oh I prefer the cold than the heat…’ Missing ya buddy! Looking forward to seeing you soon and you new son?!
Jon
Photo taken at Nha Trang, Vietnam
Thanks to my first American travel buddy of my travels! Meeting Jon in Chiang Mai, Thailand during Songkran, we travelled together into Laos before splitting up at Vang Vieng only to bump into each other again in Nha Trang, Vietnam until Hue, Vietnam. He required teaching, a hell of a lot teaching in the English language. He now knows the difference in the variations of pissed. Other than that, we had an amazing time in Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng and definitely in our travels in Vietnam. One thing for sure, do not mess with this guy if he comes to you to order tailored clothing in Hoi An! I hope to see him soon and I wish him success in his medical degree in USA.
Muriel
Photo taken in Siam Reap, Cambodia
I just wanna say thanks to Muriel for being the most chilled out travel buddy to have travelled with. We met up on the Thai-Laos border when Jon, Matt and I realised we needed a 4th person to get a room in Pak Beng. From then, I travelled with Muriel through Laos, experienced the Kong Lo Cave with her, and even became stranded at 4000 islands with no money! Luckily, we got to Siam Reap and had an amazing time there before parting ways. Definitely the most hippy like backpacker I’ve travelled with and I’ll never forget the time we homestayed with a Laos family and she desperately needed trousers to cover up her shorts containing holes in it, to avoid offending the family! Missing you Muriel, and I hope you have success in your degree!
Lauren and Leonie
Photo taken in Luang Prabang, Laos
I just want to say thanks for this beautiful british pair I travelled with! We met on the Thai-Laos Border, in which I refused to leave them alone when they were having trouble with their passports before getting on the slowboat to Luang Prabang. From then, we had an amazing week of culture, partying, sightseeing and laughter in Laos until Vang Vieng when we parted ways only to meet up again briefly in Sihanuokville for Leonie’s birthday! I really enjoyed travelling with them especially when we gossiped like old women and we kept putting the world to rights. I hope everything is okay with them and get back in touch seeing as we lost contact.
Alannah
Photo Taken in Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Possibly the best travel buddy that I travelled with. I did meet her at the same time I met Lauren and Leonie at the Thai-Laos border and we travelled altogether until Vang Vieng. But I really got to know her when we left Vang Vieng and continued together until Hanoi, Vietnam through Laos, Cambodia and the rest of Vietnam. I absolutely loved being with this hair-obsessing, sweaty tache attacking, and delightful woman! I’ll never forget the constant laughs we had on our journey together, particularly in Halong bay (less said about that, the better!), celebrating our ‘anniversary’ in Hue, our cooking classes, the angkor what? Bar, the horrendous hue to hanoi bus journey, and especially our inane laughing at that man in the bus station in Siam Reap holding up a water bottle and bread… Great times with you Alannah, and we must meet up again very soon.
Tom
Photo Taken in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
However so briefly, I loved spending time with you, Tom, in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. We already knew each other by name before I even started travelling thanks to GapYear.com and also as we were fellow travel bloggers. Check out his website. Meeting up, we had a fantastic tour of the capital of Malaysia, followed by our mutual love for cooking classes and also enjoying the scenery of the Petronas Towers before we ended up doing a runner! But cheers to Tom, we really helped each other out at that time and I’m especially looking forward to be meeting up with him again in May in Wales of all places!
Mark
Photo taken at Blue Mountains, Sydney, Australia
The funniest guy I ever travelled with! Meeting up in Kuala Lumpur, we developed a good friendship lasting through all of our travels together in Singapore and Australia, followed by keeping in contact in our separate travels after and back in Britain. I think he misses me too much really. However, we both could be found to be immature at the best of times and appropriately not called for and we could be heard laughing away at some inane joke that each of us will pull on the other. I think we absolutely enjoyed being in Sydney especially when I teased him for having only 1 chat up line ‘can I have your number?’ to which he would try on any poor unsuspecting girl on one of our nights out. He’s also led me on a life of crime when he caused several runners in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and again in Sydney. Unfortunately, our bromance had to come to an end in Melbourne, when we parted ways to have our separate travels in New Zealand. In hindsight, I wished I travelled with this amazing guy in New Zealand if it wasn’t for my Kiwi Experience ticket that I bought. Meanwhile, I wish him success in his new job and also for any success using his chat up line. Bless.
Smera
Photo Taken at Mossman Gorge, Australia
Absolutely loved travelling with her in Australia! We met, again thanks to GapYear.com, in Cairns where we did a trip to the Great Barrier Reef after a fantastic and memorable(!) trip to Cape Tribulation and Cooktown (remember the campervan breakdown?!) through the Outback. We then returned to Cairns and undertook a long, meandering trip in another campervan down the East Coast towards Brisbane. We found so many places to visit but one thing for sure, there were a lot and a lot of driving! We certainly had many memorable experiences together in which we bitched about the unseasonal cold and laughed plenty at too many things including the fine we received in Airlie Beach and someone interested in dogging, and our attempts to sneakily get a free parking spot to stay overnight. Smera, I still miss the pumping tap! (that had us in hysterics all the time) She’s also very inspirational due to personal reasons and she’s been my go to guy when I needed help to plan my South American adventures. We must meet up soon Smera!
Naomi and Carl
Photo Taken At Geraldton, Australia
I actually knew Naomi from school and Carl when she first started going out with him. They moved to Australia for a couple of years, and I thought I would head on over to Western Australia to check out the way of life over there. Living in Morowa, I especially enjoyed my week stay with them as I really got to see what living in the outback of Western Australia involved. More so, I helped train their dog and we had some great trips together whether it was to find wildflowers or even head on over to Geraldton. Thanks for putting up with me guys!
Daisy
Photo Taken in Perth, Australia
I first met Daisy in Birmingham, Britain in all places thanks to GapYear.com. Since then, she’s moved to Perth where she now has a job looking after short people. I met up with her again there on my Australian travels and immediately regretted it. Why? Because she tried to corrupt my moral fibre by making me watch Geordie Shore, a MUST SEE TV in her opinion. Nah, I’m kidding, I really enjoyed being with her as we checked out the sights of Perth and she even organised a birthday celebration for me…awwww. Sadly, I didn’t get to stay long and I hope I will get back to Perth someday and catch up with her campaigning for hobbits. (seeing as she, herself is one. FACT. Psssst, she’s got hairy feet).
Vicki and Claire
Photo Taken in Sydney, Australia
Another cracking pair of British Bombshells! We met in our hostel in Sydney in the common room as we were the only ones looking to hang out with people who wasn’t glued to their computer screen! Luckily, we developed a rapport and a lot of banter! However, we only saw each other in Sydney (I did see Vicki briefly in Melbourne), but we certainly developed a huge friends group in our hostel and every night we could be found partying with the Olympic Teams if we weren’t too tired from walking trails from Bondi to Coogee or even getting Manly on Manly Beach! I’m not sure where they are in the world now, but I hope they are having an ace time!
Melissa
Photo Taken At Northlands, New Zealand
I wanna say thanks to one of the most stunning travel bloggers out there, Melissa! She invited me over to stay with her for a few days, when I landed in New Zealand, to check out why she thought the Northlands of New Zealand is absolutely perfect. And I couldn’t agree with her more. She told me to take a trip to Cape Reinga and showed me around the beaches of the Northlands. I had a fantastic stay with her and I hope she continues on her fantastic travels especially when she goes back to Africa this year, NOT making me jealous! Check out her website, The MellyBoo Project.
Henning
Photo Taken at Lake Mahinapua, New Zealand
I knew I would be making a great friend from Germany in New Zealand as there are so many Germans about! But I was so pleased to have made one with Henning! We met as I jumped back on the Kiwi Experience Bus in Taupo and immediately we started hanging out. It wasn’t until we got to Wellington when we realised we had so many things in common and I suppose our friendship was compacted when we realised we were late for the bus to catch the ferry after waking up one morning. We travelled together throughout New Zealand until we arrived in Christchurch where he had to catch a flight to Australia. We had a fantastic time together despite the drunkards of the Kiwi Experience Bus and our favourite moments has to be Lake Mahinapua, Queenstown and indeed Christchurch. Good to have travelled with you mate! I hope he’s loving Thailand now!
Bente
Photo Taken at Hobbiton, New Zealand
I just want to say thanks to Bente! I first met Bente at Christchurch when we left there on the Kiwi Experience Bus to Kaikoura. We grew pretty close and we shared a mutual love for Lord of the Rings….oh yes! From unsuccessfully getting her out of bed to see the kaikoura sunrise (she threatened to kill me), going on one of the worst tours I’ve been on, to climbing Mount Victoria (twice!) and finally Hobbiton! I absolutely loved travelling with her during our brief time together and I wish I could have joined her in South America. She’s back from her RTW Travels and I wish her luck for the future.
Candice and Anna
Photo Taken At Auckland, New Zealand
I just want to say thanks to Aussie Girls, Candice and Anna for being the only people ever in my life to put me in a skirt. I met Candice first on the Kiwi Experience Bus from Auckland to Taupo but we didn’t really chat much then until I met her again with Anna in Christchurch to Wellington and then again in Auckland where we partied until the day our flights left. I know our time was very brief but you guys made a huge impression on me. I hope you are loving being back home in Melbourne.
The Fiji Guys!
Photo Taken on Mantaray Island, Fiji
Now, I just want to say thanks to everyone I met in Fiji! Katie, Claire, Helen, Karen, Andy, Lisa, Lynsey, Michelle, Edward, Lou and Meg ! I thought Fiji would be the place I wouldn’t meet anybody but you guys proved me wrong! I’ll never forget our FANTASTIC TIME on Mantaray Island! I also would like to make special mention to Michelle and Karen who came with me to Blue Lagoon Island where we enjoyed the Fijian culture there. 🙂
Auston and David
Photo Taken at Iguazu Falls, Argentina
I would like to give a great thank you to Auston and David for putting up with me alongside your RTW Travels in Argentina and Brazil! Meeting up with them in Buenos Aires, they absolutely loved being woken up early and dragged onto many a walking tour. But I made it up to them by partaking in their many wine drinking in Mendoza and far too many Caipirinhas in Brazil. They are also travel bloggers, which is how I met them. Check out their website – Two Bad Tourists. These two Americans are a complete laugh every step of the way and I really couldn’t ask for any better for travel buddies especially when their spanish came in useful! I really cannot wait to see them again when they are in Spain in the next couple of months.
So here we are, thanks to everyone who made my RTW Travels a completely Memorable one! Here’s to making new travel buddies for the next year!
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