No.1- Australia
From personal experience and because It was my first place of travel, I would definitely recommend first time travellers to go to Australia. The thing with travelling down under, is that it is easy, "too easy" as the Aussies would say! First things first- they speak English, which is always a great thing when you are new to a foreign land! The second major thing is that it has already been discovered by backpackers and there wont be any major culture shocks for your first adventure. Australia is great for somebody starting out because It is the full of people from all corners of the globe who are ready to mingle, meaning you will not be short of friends. Its a great place to make plans and because it is such a huge country, you will never be short of trips to plan and sights to see. Aussies are very welcoming and Australia is a very safe place, although always practice a certain degree of caution wherever you go.
Visa's are very easy to obtain with a lot of working holiday visa's now being processed in as little as 48hours. You can get more information on applying for all types of Visas under the 'Visa Information' section on this website.
Nowadays, there are so many easy options for Australia i.e you could go as a tourist, go on a 1yr working visa, apply for your 2nd year visa, look into sponsorship visas and skilled visas. A lot of people generally go to the land down under and find themselves drawn to the lifestyle with no plans to every leave. If this is what you are looking for then Oz is certainly an easy place to go. On the other hand, I would encourage anybody to carry on travelling after being to Oz and explore other parts of the world before settling down, if this is what you had planned to begin with. You don't want to regret not seeing other parts of the world in ten years time, and who knows, you might find somewhere you thought you would never love as much as Oz.
Flights down under, compared to when I went in 2007, are very well priced and some companies have really great deals. You could even opt for a round the world trip which will help you take in more countries on your trip and fill up that passport with exotic stamps. This is a great way to save money and see as much as possible. They are pretty flexible and there are a lot of great companies linked on this website to check out.
Another highlight of Oz, is the high wages. Work is vast in Australia and the wages are really outstanding, compared to European standards. You can get a well paid job doing anything from waitressing to farm work to office jobs. The options are endless. There are so many sights to see in Australia and there is no doubt that you will need a whole year to see them all. A year sounds like a long time, but believe me it really isn't. It will fly by so fast that all you will think of is the well known saying 'time flies when you're having fun', because in Oz, it really does.
There are so many places in Australia to start in, with the most popular being Sydney, Perth and Melbourne. Common trips include The Great Ocean Road, The east coast (Sydney-Cairns) and the journey through the centre of the country- probably my favourite. Australia has so much to offer that it seems almost rude not to see as much of it as there is during your year there, especially with hostels and travel being pretty inexpensive! If you opt for two years then you will certainly do that. Travelling is about doing exactly that, work to travel don't travel to work, unless that is you're initial aim, then by all means get a job and work away, but if you are backpacking then try and take in as much of the country, culture and people as you can because this is what you will remember in 20 years... Believe me! If you are interested in this option don't hesitate to contact me for info on itineraries, ideas and options, I have travelled the whole country so I can help you as much as you need!
Jade :-)
Visa's are very easy to obtain with a lot of working holiday visa's now being processed in as little as 48hours. You can get more information on applying for all types of Visas under the 'Visa Information' section on this website.
Nowadays, there are so many easy options for Australia i.e you could go as a tourist, go on a 1yr working visa, apply for your 2nd year visa, look into sponsorship visas and skilled visas. A lot of people generally go to the land down under and find themselves drawn to the lifestyle with no plans to every leave. If this is what you are looking for then Oz is certainly an easy place to go. On the other hand, I would encourage anybody to carry on travelling after being to Oz and explore other parts of the world before settling down, if this is what you had planned to begin with. You don't want to regret not seeing other parts of the world in ten years time, and who knows, you might find somewhere you thought you would never love as much as Oz.
Flights down under, compared to when I went in 2007, are very well priced and some companies have really great deals. You could even opt for a round the world trip which will help you take in more countries on your trip and fill up that passport with exotic stamps. This is a great way to save money and see as much as possible. They are pretty flexible and there are a lot of great companies linked on this website to check out.
Another highlight of Oz, is the high wages. Work is vast in Australia and the wages are really outstanding, compared to European standards. You can get a well paid job doing anything from waitressing to farm work to office jobs. The options are endless. There are so many sights to see in Australia and there is no doubt that you will need a whole year to see them all. A year sounds like a long time, but believe me it really isn't. It will fly by so fast that all you will think of is the well known saying 'time flies when you're having fun', because in Oz, it really does.
There are so many places in Australia to start in, with the most popular being Sydney, Perth and Melbourne. Common trips include The Great Ocean Road, The east coast (Sydney-Cairns) and the journey through the centre of the country- probably my favourite. Australia has so much to offer that it seems almost rude not to see as much of it as there is during your year there, especially with hostels and travel being pretty inexpensive! If you opt for two years then you will certainly do that. Travelling is about doing exactly that, work to travel don't travel to work, unless that is you're initial aim, then by all means get a job and work away, but if you are backpacking then try and take in as much of the country, culture and people as you can because this is what you will remember in 20 years... Believe me! If you are interested in this option don't hesitate to contact me for info on itineraries, ideas and options, I have travelled the whole country so I can help you as much as you need!
Jade :-)
No.2- Thailand
Thailand is an amazing place. It is so exotic yet so approachable, which means that It is another great place for first time backpackers to go. The highlights of Thailand are how cheap it is, the beaches, the weather, full moon parties and of course its amazing culture. People tend to think that because Thailand is In South East Asia and with English not being its national language, that it is a hard place to get around, but it is the opposite. The thing that struck me was how almost every Thai person had at least a few words of English, enough for you both to communicate. In a week or two, you will find yourself speaking Thai to locals anyway so the language barrier wont seem apparent at all. The scenery in Thailand is second to none and I would encourage people to visit all the Islands i.e Koh Phi Phi, Koh Samui and Koh Phangan for full moon parties. There are tonnes of other places to see such as Phuket. Krabi down South and Chaing Mai and Pai up north. Getting around Thailand is so easy, there are tour companies everywhere and with a strong ability to haggle, you always find the best price. Thailand is relatively safe but always be cautious and don't stray away by yourself. These tips should be taken on board no matter where you go, you really can't be too careful! As Thailand is a relatively compact country, you can backpack here for any amount of time really, but give it at least two weeks. The weather is great and the sights are incredible, especially the lush green scenery up north. You can buy clothes at unbelievable prices here so pack very very light and go crazy at the markets when you arrive. Mingling is a given here as everyone is in Thailand to have a great time. You will find yourself meeting people and changing your plans to join them or vice versa. Go with the flow, that is the joy of travel and enjoy time with your new pals. Visas for Thailand are easy to obtain at the border but you should be aware of vaccinations you will need prior to travelling. You can easily change money here and a lot of places take credit card too. Check out the link below for information on Visa's for Thailand or contact me for any additional info.
No.3-Canada
By no means does Canada come 'last' in this top 3, It is definitely on par with Thailand and Australia with its approachability for first time travellers. Visas for Canada have become much more popular recently and most companies are now offering two years for some nationalities. There is no doubt that it would take all of two years to explore the ins and outs of Canada due to the huge geographical size of it. Most Popular spots for backpackers to arrive are Toronto towards the East and Vancouver over on the West. Both have their own qualities but Vancouver stole my heart and It would be my number one port of call If I was to fly back tomorrow. Canada is huge but don't let that put you off travelling it. There are tour companies that you can book tours with, Via Rail -Canadas national railway, Premier&Greyhound buses and there is always 'ride shares' which I have gone with numerous times and have loved. Have your wits about you though and do some research before looking into a ride share and don't travel on your own. I tended to travel with somebody who was taking other backpackers along too which seemed legit, and turned out to be a great experience. Buses are cheap enough but travelling by train is a bit more expensive. If you have a license you could hire a car or even buy one for the long term. Hostels are vast all around Canada and can host some great deals so do some research. Couchsurfing is very popular here and can be a great way to mingle with locals and get some inside knowledge into places. There are tonnes of great places to go and things to see in Canada i.e - Calgary Stampede, Rafting in Banff, Niagara Falls, Victoria, Quebec amongst many others. Canadians are a very friendly nation and will go to any length to help you 'oot' (Sorry I had to) so don't be afraid to ask for help there. Flights to Canada are ridiculously cheap especially to Toronto so good idea would be to start there and head West to Vancouver or North towards Montreal/Quebec City. Canada Day is July 1st so be sure to plan to be there for that as It is an amazing day full of fun. Don't be afraid to go off the beaten track to Manitoba/Saskatchewan to check out what the prairies have to offer. It might be worth couchsurfing in Winnipeg or Regina should you be here, as the locals can tell you the best places to check out around there. Being a tourist in these provinces may seem boring at first glimpse but don't judge a book by its cover, I spent a long time living with locals in a small town in Manitoba and I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Canada is getting very popular with backpackers so be sure to get there to explore the incredible landscapes before the secret is out. Contact me for more info.
Jade
Jade
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