http://www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com/486.html

i'm doing this or a variation of it before i die

ideally within the next 10 years

9/12/2006 7:59:11 PM

I'd love to do something like this.

9/12/2006 8:02:11 PM

cool

not that expensive really...

9/12/2006 8:03:06 PM

$50k is not realy that much when you consider how awesome this is

this is the kind of chapter i want in my life story

"hey grandkids, did i tell you about the safari i went on in africa? yeah we flew around on private jets all over the world and saw some of the most famous shit ever. i'll tell you about the pyramids next weekend when you come"

national geographic has a bunch of other trips that are MUCH less expensive but this trip is the granddaddy of them all

[Edited on September 12, 2006 at 8:05 PM. Reason : erkjklrjt]

9/12/2006 8:04:58 PM

the trip to antarctica is pretty baller

9/12/2006 8:07:44 PM

I better get to kill a dinosaur...

9/12/2006 8:07:45 PM

24 days???? FUCK THAT

You can by an around the world ticket for less than $4000 (actually around $3000 if you don't want Africa or Easter Island) and have up to a year to use the whole ticket. Even if you spend $100 a day, which would be quite a lot, that still puts your whole trip for a year at $40,000. Shit take the extra $10,000 and take the most posh luxury cruise to Antarctica for a few weeks. I just wish more people knew about ATW tickets, it's a shame really.

9/12/2006 8:08:09 PM

Quote :

"this is the kind of chapter i want in my life story "hey grandkids, did i tell you about the safari i went on in africa? yeah we flew around on private jets all over the world and saw some of the most famous shit ever. i'll tell you about the pyramids next weekend when you come""

50K isn't that much, when you consider all that...but it's still a hell of a lot more than I have now

As far as safari, two days ANYWHERE in africa is insufficient for sightseeing, much less to call it a safari. That there was only one day in Morocco and two in Tanzania were the first things to catch my eye

And I prefer putting plans together. Planning trips is fun

9/12/2006 8:08:53 PM

i agree with ^

open jaw tix are not that hard to come by for a decent price

9/12/2006 8:10:13 PM

i love planning trips too

but i'm really attracted to the idea of taking a trip thats all planned out. dont have to worry about meals or where you're sleeping

of COURSE you pay extra for that & of course you can plan a trip alone for a lot less

one of the things i regretted most about my month in europe was that i didnt know enough about what i was seeing to REALLY appreciate it. with these tours you get some genuis leading you around, educating you and answering all your questions

I WANT TO TAKE ALL THESE TRIPS!

9/12/2006 8:12:31 PM

If you want a safari i will hook you up with my roomates aunt and uncle, they run a business in zimbabwe (sp)

9/12/2006 10:30:38 PM

i really want to travel around the world for as cheap as possible. you know, working on freight ships, and backpacking and stuff.

9/12/2006 11:53:51 PM

50k will get you a 126 World Cruise. with Silverseas..this includes all entertainment aboard the boat, all the booze on the boat, and lectures about the places you visit from famous people. Fuck a 26 day plane ride

9/13/2006 12:02:09 AM

That'd be pretty cool, but that price is ridiculous.

9/13/2006 12:06:09 AM

I would be down with the cruise, its totally out of this world, no worries. When you came back you wouldnt be worth a shit

9/13/2006 12:21:28 AM

Psssh, I'm not paying 50k to see horseshit. We have the greatest land under our soles. I'd rather visit some country, I enjoy seeing, then saving like 40,000.

9/13/2006 12:29:29 AM

Quote :

""hey grandkids, did i tell you about the safari i went on in africa? yeah we flew around on private jets all over the world and saw some of the most famous shit ever. i'll tell you about the pyramids next weekend when you come" "

grandma, can you tell us about global warming, aids, and the war on terror

9/13/2006 12:33:26 AM

Quote :

"one of the things i regretted most about my month in europe was that i didnt know enough about what i was seeing to REALLY appreciate it. with these tours you get some genuis leading you around, educating you and answering all your questions"

I hope you have the ability to read and understand things on your own... did you go to college middle school?

All you need is a Lonely Planet guide, and you are all set. Those guides are great; they provide enough doses of history, geography, and interesting/unknown/quirky facts and anecdotes.

I went to Turkey for 16 days in July, and with the Lonely Planet guide, I got all the info I wanted and more. And besides, it is a lot more fun to interact with the locals than to listen to some boring guide and feel like an elite (read: ignorant and haughty) tourist who is too good to learn on his own and mingle with the locals.

9/13/2006 4:25:13 AM

Quote :

"ignorant and haughty"

I think you have that covered for us OEP

9/13/2006 8:35:14 AM

Quote :

"Even if you spend $100 a day, which would be quite a lot,"

uhhh good luck finding a non-shit hole in europe to sleep at and eat and get tickets to whatever for 100...

9/13/2006 8:45:22 AM

A booklet is never EVER a comparison to a real life guide. How can you compare the two?

$50,000 is cheap for getting an around the world tour and visiting everything with a professional guide and additional people.

Your $3000 cost fails to mention it's in coach with the screaming children and stinky people etc. A private jet means you are waited on and not annoyed. I really like that idea.

Special occasion dinners, exotic places and tours... are you fucking mad? I'd pay $50,000 for that kind of trip. It's something noone else can compare to.

ITINERARY: 24 DAYS
Day 1—Washington, D.C.
We begin this extraordinary adventure with a welcome reception at National Geographic Society headquarters, followed by dinner.
Mayflower Hotel (D)

Day 2—Lima, Peru
This morning, our private jet takes us to Lima. Enjoy a curator-led tour and special dinner at the private Rafael Larco Herrera Archaeological Museum.
Swissotel (B, L, D)

Days 3 and 4—Cusco/Machu Picchu, Peru
Travel to Cusco by local flight, and explore the Plaza de Armas and the Sacsayhuaman fortress overlooking the city. Continue on to Machu Picchu, the ancient Inca citadel. Abandoned by the Inca and only rediscovered in 1911, Machu Picchu is one of the world's greatest archaeological sites.
Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel; Hotel Monasterio (B, L, D)

Days 5 and 6—Easter Island, Chile
Travel 2,300 miles off the coast of Chile to Easter Island, an open-air museum of ancient stone villages, sanctuaries, and giant statues called moai. Resident archaeologist Edmundo Edwards explores the island's treasures with you.
March: Hanga Roa Hotel or Taha Tai Hotel (B, L, D)
October: Hanga Roa Hotel, Iorana Hotel or Taha Tai Hotel (B, L, D)

Day 7—Apia, Samoa
Visit Vailima, Robert Louis Stevenson's former home, and take a scenic drive by seaside villages. Enjoy a traditional welcome ceremony and a fiafia, a colorful performance of Samoan dance and song.
Aggie Grey's Lagoon, Beach Resort & Spa (B, L, D)

Day 8—Cross the International Date Line
Depart for Australia and lose a day crossing the International Date Line. (B, L, D)

Days 9 and 10—The Great Barrier Reef, Australia
The Great Barrier Reef is home to 1,500 species of fish, 400 types of coral, and more than 200 species of birds. Enjoy bird-watching, snorkeling, and swimming.
Sheraton Mirage Resort or Sea Temple Resort & Spa (B, L, D)

Days 11 and 12—Angkor, Cambodia
Fly to Siem Reap and transfer to Angkor. Survey Angkor Wat's massive temple complex, and visit the royal city of Angkor Thom and the extraordinary Bayon Temple.
Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor (B, L, D)

Day 13—Chengdu, China
Travel to Chengdu for dinner and overnight before flying to Tibet.
Kempinski Hotel Chengdu (B, L, D)

Days 14 and 15—Lhasa, Tibet or Xi'an, China
Depart by local flight to Lhasa. Visit the Jokhang Temple, the region's oldest and most revered temple, and explore the colorful Tibetan markets. The next day, visit the fabled Potala Palace and the nearly 600-year-old Sera Monastery. Alternatively, you may choose to travel to Xi'an, China, to view the famour terra cotta warriors.
Lhasa Hotel (B, L, D)

Days 16 and 17—Taj Mahal, Agra, India
Return to Chengdu by local flight and continue on our private jet to Agra. See the majestic Taj Mahal, and admire its form in the reflecting pools.
Oberoi Amarvilas (B, L, D)

Days 18 and 19—Serengeti Plain, Tanzania
Fly to Kilimanjaro Airport and transfer to small aircraft, which whisk us over to the Serengeti Plain. Embark on several game drives to see the great abundance of zebras, wildebeests, lions, leopards, cheetahs, and other wildlife, and meet with famed paleontologist and zoologist, Meave Leakey.
March: Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge (B, L, D)
October: Serengeti Sopa Lodge (B, L, D)

Days 20 and 21—Luxor, the Pyramids, and the Sphinx, Egypt
Explore the wondrous Temple of Karnak, Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of the Kings, the tomb of Queen Nefertari, and the Luxor Temple. The following day, fly to Cairo and visit the Pyramids and the Sphinx at Gîza.
Sonesta St. George Hotel (B, L, D)

Days 22 and 23—Marrakech, Morocco
Arrive in Marrakech and transfer to our hotel. The next day, visit the Koutoubia Mosque, the tombs of the Saadian kings, and the Dar Si Said Museum of Moroccan Arts. Wander through the Medina and the open-air market of Djemaa el Fna. Enjoy a gala farewell dinner in a traditional Moroccan tent in the Sahara.
Sofitel Marrakech (B, L, D)

Day 24—Washington, D.C.
Return to Washington, D.C., and connect with your flight home. (B)

9/13/2006 1:43:16 PM

dude it's 50,000 dollars. that is a lot of money to be spending for less than 30 days.

9/13/2006 1:48:06 PM

I'd spend 50 Large on a trip way before i'd spend it on a car like most of you wolfweb types.

just not this trip.

9/13/2006 2:02:56 PM

heh didn't you buy a ~35k car? then shortly sell it afterwards to buy a SUV?

9/13/2006 2:04:32 PM

I love people who come onto the wolfweb to make fun of wolfwebbers. Especially the ones who have been here a lot longer than everyone else. And I'd rather own a house, then a car, before I drop $50,000 on a trip.

9/13/2006 2:05:43 PM

yeah, buying that car was a mistake. But at least i got it out of my system. I don't see myself buying a flashy car ever again.

the SUV cost a little more than half of the G35, (20k), but is a key part of our traveling.

9/13/2006 2:08:45 PM

this is an interesting concept, and seeing as its National Geographic, the tour guides would be quality. however, i would have to be one or more of following things to do this:


1) baller as fuck

2) really crunched for time, i.e. terminal illness or an incredibly time consuming profession that begets the said baller status

3) your typical consumerwhore who only follows the beaten path


as of now, i am none of the above, but could become any or all of the the above in the undiscovered future.

btw, there are some places that don't apply to #3, but overall it seems you don't venture far enough off the beaten path to get a taste of any of the places' nuances and simple delights.

9/13/2006 2:12:48 PM

I'd want one day of rest/chill time between each day of travel/see time.

You'd be busted as a mofo by day 10 if you REALLY tried to make the most of 10 days straight and all that flying.

9/13/2006 2:19:53 PM

Quote :

"I love people who come onto the wolfweb to make fun of wolfwebbers. Especially the ones who have been here a lot longer than everyone else. And I'd rather own a house, then a car, before I drop $50,000 on a trip."

but the trip will make your quality of life better and will make you happier overall.

experiences trump possessions in the happy department (some study backs this up)

that said, private jet, tours, some free time, all your food, all your lodging, and most of your other access fee's paid for is well worth 50k....

9/13/2006 2:47:14 PM

Quote :

"1) baller as fuck"

why? 50k is the cost of 2 good new cars.... just buy a used car and save for 5 years - 50k easy....

9/13/2006 2:49:22 PM

i have only ever driven used Hondas

and it would be $100k (wouldn't do something like this without the little lady)

to save aggressively, own a decent home, keep the impending family adequately supported, and spend $100k on one vacation (not to mention, living and working in the USA where month long vacations are basically nonexistent), would more than likely pretext baller status

9/13/2006 3:55:10 PM

i would give up buying new clothes, shoes, jewelry, etc for two years to save for a sweet ass trip like this

i'd much rather take amazing trips around the world than to live in a sweet ass house and drive a new car

experiences make you who you are, not the things you own

i definitely want to take a national geographic led vacation at some point--- this one, as i said, is the granddaddy-- the best of the best

there are plenty of other trips they offer for like $3k

and the comment about be not being able to read tour books--- tour books are fine, but i like to ask a lot of questions and last time i checked, a book cant talk back to you. i also like the interaction of a tour guide. tour books are fine if thats your thing but i prefer something a little more unique

9/13/2006 7:03:29 PM

ripoff

9/13/2006 7:07:37 PM

^^

I've done my fair share of traveling, and I have to agree with you in that traveling really does impact your life overall. I've also noticed that people don't like listening to stories about traveling abroad, because they are put-off by their own feelings and desires. It's kind of odd, because I end up wanting to talk with other people who have also traveled alot, because they seem to be the only other people who genuinely want to listen to what I've experienced. People just perceive you as talking about what you own, except, it's about the places you've gone and the people you've met, which is completely different, and not petty at all. What can you do?

[Edited on September 13, 2006 at 9:27 PM. Reason : -]

9/13/2006 9:23:54 PM

24 days is waaaay too short for that price.

9/13/2006 9:33:10 PM

Quote :

"i really want to travel around the world for as cheap as possible. you know, working on freight ships, and backpacking and stuff. "

either that or or around the world on a motorcycle.

as far as the national geographic trip, too fast and too expensive. it would be a nice overview, and i'm sure the target audience are people who have a lot of money and not a lot of spare time. and of course its national geographic so they know their shit

9/13/2006 9:47:27 PM

Quote :

"i would give up buying new clothes, shoes, jewelry, etc for two years to save for a sweet ass trip like this i'd much rather take amazing trips around the world than to live in a sweet ass house and drive a new car experiences make you who you are, not the things you own i definitely want to take a national geographic led vacation at some point--- this one, as i said, is the granddaddy-- the best of the best "

very well put

9/14/2006 9:37:26 AM

Quote :

"working on freight ships"

you don't 'work' on those just really cheap fare, but it's boring as fuck...

9/14/2006 9:38:38 AM