As a recently married couple with fledgling careers in Johannesburg, my wife Leanne and I decided to do one last outrageous thing before assuming the responsibility of parenthood. So, we started planning a round the world trip.

We saved like crazy, sold our cars, rented out our house, got extra-thick passports, bought round-the-world (RTW) tickets, kitted out our backpacks, took a wad of traveller’s cheques, kissed our families goodbye and boarded a plane.

Westward bound...
Our tickets took us heading west around the world, with our first flight being from Johannesburg to Rio de Janeiro. The price of the tickets (R9500 each in 1997) included the following flights: Johannesburg – Rio – Miami – New York; Charlotte – Minneapolis – Denver – San Francisco; Los Angeles – Auckland – Melbourne – Sydney – Singapore; Bangkok – Delhi; Mumbai – Johannesburg.

The rest of the time we got around on buses, on foot, rickshaws, boat, rental cars and the occasional local flight. Accommodation varied widely from truly disgusting budget hotels to our tent, airport benches, friends’ homes and beachfront resorts.

After a year in Argentina as an exchange student and two subsequent trips to that part of the world, I suggested we spend a good chunk of our time in South America. Travelling in South America is reasonably priced and public transport is generally good. We arrived in Rio at Carnival time, but did not linger there as it's easy to be relieved of your possessions in this beautiful city and that wouldn't be a great way to start our trip!

The Inca city of Machu Piccu

From Rio we made our way over the next three months through Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Bolivia. Highlights of this leg were undoubtedly the Iguassu Falls and Bariloche (Argentina), Atacama Desert (Chile), a four-day trek through the Bolivian jungle, Machu Picchu in Peru, Ilha Grande (a beautiful island off the Brazilian coast), Lake Titicaca, Chiloe Island and the Pantanal. Along the way we herded cattle on horseback, ate some great meat, took many a siesta, swam in and camped next to mountain streams and had many a close call thanks to suicidal bus drivers!

Cheap sleeps
When travelling in developed countries, we unashamedly dug out the details of as many friends and family as we could, and the hospitality of these kind people dramatically reduced the cost of travelling in some of the more expensive countries.

On our seven week trip through the US, we rented cars between flights and camped or slept in cheap hotels where no host homes could be found. Some of the places that stood out (not all for the same reasons) were a secluded mountain cabin in North Carolina, a crab feast in Delaware, the coastline of Cape Cod, the Rocky Mountains, Yosemite and of course New York, Los Angeles, Disney and Las Vegas. As it turned out, we would later settle in the US and we have got to see a lot more of this beautiful country with its friendly people.

Many South Africans are familiar with Australia and New Zealand, and although we enjoyed our time in both places (especially renting a camper van and touring New Zealand), it all seemed somewhat familiar in many respects.

Exploring the East
Making our way through South-East Asia was a gastronomic adventure. In places we rented a motorbike and drove off the beaten track to find secluded beaches and quaint eateries. For next to nothing, we spent laid-back days on the tropical paradise island of Phi Phi; which has since been so devastated by the tsunami. It was here for the first time, while lazing in the lukewarm Indian Ocean, and after six months on the road, that we started longing for our own home.

The last leg of our trip was India. While this was arguably the most fascinating country we visited on this trip, as anyone who has ever been there would know, budget travelling in India can be challenging.

The simple act of taking a tuk-tuk to the nearest hotel could involve a lengthy negotiation and an even longer detour while the driver tries to take you to other hotels where he gets a commission.

India is a feast for the eye and all the senses, but often at the expense of one’s personal comfort. After taking in Delhi, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Agra and Mumbai, the many ancient and well-maintained buildings/monuments and the drama of everyday life, we were quite ready to hop on the 747 and head for Jo’burg.

A great marriage builder
Leanne and I often reminisce about aspects of our trip and occasionally nostalgically page through our photo albums. As one might imagine, we had some wobbly moments, which normally involved Leanne asking me what on earth we thought we were doing in this or that place, but all in all, it was a great marriage builder and we had no major mishaps.

We are very glad we undertook our RTW trip when we did, but we have now moved on to a different phase of our lives. We still enjoy travelling, exotic food and meeting people from all over the world, but we will probably never get to do another round-the-world epic!