Completed all 6 continents, now just hoping for the best. IST-SYD was indeed overbooked as people here had said. In fact, they offered 600 EUR compensation to anyone willing to take the next flight. I would have taken it, but didn't want to risk the challenge getting messed up in any way.
Full challenge itinerary:
IST-RMO 17 Jul, RMO-IST 22 Jul (5 night stay in Chisinau)
IST-KWI 03 Aug, KWI-IST 07 Aug (4 night stay in Kuwait City)
IST-TUN 31 Aug, TUN-IST 05 Sep (5 night stay in Tunis)
IST-GRU 08 Sep, GRU-IST 18 Sep (10 night stay in Sao Paulo including a side-trip to Iguazu Falls)
IST-EWR 25 Sep, IAD-IST 08 Sep (6 nights in New York City, 7 nights in Washington, unfortunately a 'government shut down' that started on the day I arrived to Washington destroyed some of my plans)
IST-SYD 22 Oct, SIN-IST 11 Nov (7 nights in Sydney, 7 nights in Kuala Lumpur, 6 nights in Singapore) - though of course SIN-IST is irrelevant for challenge, just wanted to visit Malaysia and Singapore to make the most of such a long flight
Total cost of flights ~3500 USD, total cost of accomodation ~4000 USD
Final notes on challenge destinations, ranked from most to least preferred:- Iguazu Falls - this was the highlight without a doubt and would likely never have gone there if not for this challenge, due to how distant it is. So thank you THY for making me see this place, it really blew me away. Absolutely magical and easily tops the list
- New York City - the iconic American city where skyscrapers block your view of the sky, where cuisine from every corner of the world is available, and my visit coincided with the New York Film Festival as a bonus, allowing me to see premieres of certain films. A bit chaotic with odd characters on the streets and a poorly maintained metro system, but a quite unique city that I enjoyed.
- Sao Paulo - a mesmerising mega-city, with a skyline that seemingly never ends which reminded me of Tokyo when viewed from above. Some decent sights and especially good cuisine for cheap
- Sydney - enjoying it a lot so far, not too many sights but has a chill vibe, the Opera House/Harbour Bridge area is gorgeous, QVB is a gem, and the public transport system is elite, the ferries are excellent and remind me of the ferries in my home city.
- Washington - the best museum I've ever been to (Udvar-Hazy) - while technically not in Washington, I'd still count it as such as it's just one metro line from the centre of Washington. The National Mall area with the memorials, monuments and museums is excellent. Had other plans like a Capitol tour, National Library tour and going up the Washington Monument, which were all wiped out due to the government shutdown, which soured my experience a bit. Also the train from New York City to Washington was pretty much completely empty (maybe because of the government shutdown?), and the train had giant seats - easily the most comfortable, relaxing train ride I've ever been on
- Chisinau/Pridnestrovie - a somewhat run-down city, but it had its pockets of charm. Took a day trip to the unrecognised state of Pridnestrovie - only recognised by the Russian Federation. It felt like a country frozen in time, with magnificent Soviet monuments and buildings in Sheriff, and a beautifully preserved Ottoman fortress in Bender. Has the world's biggest wine cellar which was a fun visit as well, very cheap ticket and you even get a wine bottle at the end.
- Tunis - didn't get to see much outside of the Medina due to food poisoning on Day 2. Still, the chaos of the Medina with people flowing through the tight streets like a river, the attractions in/near the Medina and the restaurants in the Medina were decent enough. The grand mosque was also quite unique.
- Kuwait City - some cool buildings/structures and extravagant malls, otherwise not really anything to it. And going during the August heat may have been a mistake - it's pretty much unwalkable. Taxis were cheap though, at least.