My Journey to Every Country in the World
#211
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Up in the Air
Programs: AC/EK
Posts: 248
hauteboy / deepbluesky, how did you travel around the islands of the South Pacific? My girlfriend will be working in Adelaide this year and I think it's a good time for me to check out that area. Any airfare or ferry deals that allow for island hopping? I've spent a lot of time googling and searching FT but haven't come up with much yet!
#212
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Austin, TX -- AA Life Platinum; QF Life Silver; UA Silver
Posts: 5,462
South Pacific is still a big hole for me other than Tonga that I visited on the QEII 15 years ago. No ferries that I know of. So it is down to basing in Fiji and doing side trips from there. Or the occasional special($$) cruise
#213
Moderator, Hilton Honors
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: on a short leash
Programs: some
Posts: 71,422
hauteboy / deepbluesky, how did you travel around the islands of the South Pacific? My girlfriend will be working in Adelaide this year and I think it's a good time for me to check out that area. Any airfare or ferry deals that allow for island hopping? I've spent a lot of time googling and searching FT but haven't come up with much yet!
#214
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,314
On the other hand, stopping for a day in Ulaanbator, how can one claim that as 'been' to Mongolia.
Flying into Kish island doesnt really qualify as "been" to Iran - but some may add that to their "list". In the end its about your personal desires as youve said.
As for chasing goals - I am now at a point where really there are few more places that I really have a burning desire to visit (after North Korea this year) - next year will probably only add 2 or 3 new countries, but still plan on using my entire 13-14 weeks vacation.
At 34, I no longer have as much freedom (or time) to travel as much as I did 5 years ago even. I guess I could aim for 150 next. But it may take a couple years.
#215
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Dubai
Posts: 3,301
I was looking at Lee's latest trip to Antarctica, a 10 day trip that cost $US70k!!! (Although sounds like he got a portion of it refunded after it went to custard).
#216
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Austin, TX -- AA Life Platinum; QF Life Silver; UA Silver
Posts: 5,462
Yep... and I was seriously debating taking that trip. Good thing I didn't as it went tits up. Though my latest trip did too.. though it was about $65k cheaper...
#217
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Dubai
Posts: 3,301
I remember reading about the English guy who 'visited' every country without flying. Going to the DMZ counted as visiting North Korea (i.e. in the building that straddles the border), and talking to a border guard on the Bhutan border counted also. He also waded half-way across some river bordering Russia, until his GPS showed he was on Russian 'soil'. Guinness records called him out on that one though (since it was illegal entry).
#218
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Up in the Air
Programs: AC/EK
Posts: 248
I remember reading about the English guy who 'visited' every country without flying. Going to the DMZ counted as visiting North Korea (i.e. in the building that straddles the border), and talking to a border guard on the Bhutan border counted also. He also waded half-way across some river bordering Russia, until his GPS showed he was on Russian 'soil'. Guinness records called him out on that one though (since it was illegal entry).
I'll be heading to the DMZ in February and am going to add it to my country list as North Korea* (the * to be removed once I visit North Korea proper!)
#219
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,314
Illegal entries dont count? Scratch Angola off my list then
#220
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Austin, TX -- AA Life Platinum; QF Life Silver; UA Silver
Posts: 5,462
Though they would be valid according to my friend's criterea 'if you can be arrested there, you've visited there'. And he got arrested in Cape Verde and Congo.
#221
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Up in the Air
Programs: AC/EK
Posts: 248
I will....that's why I said the * to be removed once I visit NK proper. Same goes for if I go to Kish Island, I'll add Iran* to my list until I visit Iran proper.
#224
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Los Angeles / Basel
Programs: UA 1K MM, AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 26,930
Why not Kish? Just because it is a SAR?
#225
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,314