So I’ve had a dream of traveling and have done quite a bit in the USA but only been to like 3 different countries ( Mexico, Canada, Bahamas). I want to backpack for about 4-5 months next year and possibly circumnavigate the globe. My budget will be about 30k and was hoping to visit Japan, Thailand, possibly Australia / nz and Europe. My interests mainly are history, nature, culture food etc normal traveling things. Im a 35 yr old male btw and don’t want to party too much but love a few beers in a dark pub and live music. Do you guys have any tips or advice for this ? Is backpacking feasible or should I bring more stuff ? Is there an esim that covers multiple regions or will I need a new one for each country ? Thanks for any input.
Longterm trips are possible and it's doable with one backpack. There are some specific complications that come with planning a trip featuring many countries back-to-back. Be sure to look at how many countries require a visa (including a visa that needs to be secured in advance). Be sure to check passport entry requirements (how many blank passport pages needed?) and compare to the number of blank pages in your current passport. Packing for multiple climates and multiple possible medical precautions can be complicated but still doable.
I tried to do a "circumnavigate the globe for ~4 months" trip in early 2020 but covid stopped it early. My budget was a lot lower than your planned budget but I'd also planned on fewer stops - five countries in four months with longer stays in each country. I bought the plane tickets in advance but left other details to figure out along the way.
You can do it, but might want to add an extra 10k
I’m not trying to luxury travel. Will be staying in hostels or camping when I can and cooking my own meals when possible. Thanks though.
That's not what I was suggesting. Australia and Europe will dog into that budget. But for only 5 months I think it'll be okay
True, might have to skip aus and spend more time SEA.
I would say try to plan your trip so you are in the same season on every continent. I would for example start in Australia and New Zealand in january/february (you need at least a month for each country and even then you'll probably see a fraction of big countries like Australia). Then go to Thailand in march. Then go to Japan because the weather will probably not be to hot by then. And finally visit Europe in may/june when it's spring. This makes packing a lot easier because you don't have to bring winter clothes. I did the same for my 9 month trip and had everything in my backpack.
An advice I would give is because you are covering quite big areas to prioritize the things you really want to do. I'm from Europe and I would say try to pick two or three countries and do them well. But that's all up to you and your travel style.