Favorite RTW Countries and Places

Ethiopia doesn't have sea connections... Ethiopia, Kenya and Egypt are all very different and have their own hassles. Egypt is a hassle for women but has tons to see and good tourist infrastructure. Ethiopia is a hassle in that it takes up to two days on a bus to get to many attractions, flights aren't cheap.

Both places have amazing culture and friendly people. As for friendly people there's not many people selling to tourists in Ethiopia and locals rarely speak English but they're really nice and helpful. In Egypt you have to talk to regular Egyptians, not those involved in the tourism industry.

Not many people do the Ethiopia to Kenya route on public transport. I should have listened to them, it was pretty horrible (I was in the back of a landcruiser in a metal cage with 15 other people from 11am until 4am with only two breaks). Kenya's not really a hassle aside from breaking down buses.

You can go overland from Egypt to Israel or bypass Israel by taking a ferry from Egypt to Jordan. It's possible to go from Egypt by ferry to Sudan to Ethiopia but at the time I was there I couldn't get a visa as an American (not sure about the current situation). I saw other people doing it though.

Other countries: All of SE Asia including Myanmar (although it's a dead end). Kyrgyzstan (it's on the silk road so it's not a dead end but has no sea connections), ditto Mongolia. China (although people aren't friendly in the Western sense). Uganda, Peru, Iran.

I've met someone who's been to Yemen and Oman but they spoke fluent Arabic. They said it would be difficult for a woman traveling alone and possibly difficult for anyone without some language skills. I can't speak from personal experience though.

Great info! And ... yikes! So many of the countries I really want to explore are "dead ends." I know that I'll fly some connections (Mumbai to Sana`a to Addis Ababa isn't too expensive), but hate to back-track.

Egypt was frustrating to me in that I couldn't seem to break free beyond the tourist barriers - and I speak some Arabic! It wasn't even so much the hassle as, you could never really relax. I didn't find that so much in other Middle Eastern countries.

So it sounds like Ethiopia might be another "dead end" (i.e. no way out without flying, or backtracking). Kyrgyzstan was another that sounds awesome, but it's hard to link with other places.

And Mongolia! I need to read up more on that. Good thing I have time!

I was frustrated in Egypt because even with a big winter jacket on I was getting aggressive solicitations for sex. The only thing that wasn't covered was my hair, I guess I'd do that if I went again. Sure, Egypt was super touristy but I felt like I got out of it a bit even in the touristy towns. In Luxor I walked around town at night when everyone was on their tour boats and talked to locals, even saw a wedding procession. Instead of taking a tour of the West Bank I rented a bike and took local buses. It was like I was alone half of the time and I could spend an entire day at one temple for instance. If you just sit and wait the tourist flow comes and goes and you'll eventually find yourself alone.

Like I said, Ethiopia's not a dead end at all but you're going to have to rough it. Kyrgyzstan isn't hard to link to other places at all. I came by road from China then flew to Uzbekistan (although you could go through Kazakstan or by road in the South). From Uzbekistan I went through Tajikistan back into Kyrgyzstan and China but I could have gone through Turkmenistan to Iran or Ajerbaijan or even taken the train through Kazakstan into Russia... slow travel, but not dead ends.

Mongolia is right in-between Russian and China and many people go there on the Trans-Siberean. However there's only one border crossing open to China and Russia for foreigners so that's limiting. It's theoretically possible to go to Western Mongolia and then fly to Kazakstan. You'd need visas in advance.

For what it's worth - I'm a guy, but I got non-stop solicitations for sex in Aswan also. A couple dozen a day, actually.

Yeah, Aswan was the worst.

Yemen and Oman are interesting, though Oman isn't really a budget destination.

In Yemen, the area around Sana'a is completely safe, but other bits (Marib, the North) really should be avoided at the moment. The most interesting areas are relatively safe, though: Wadi Hadramawt, the mountains between Sana'a and Mukalla, and the towns on the way down to Aden (also Socotra Island, though this is a bit more expensive). Outside of Sana'a, you'll need (easily acquired) permits. If you're interested in Arab culture, though, Yemen is far better than the rest of the Peninsula, since Yemen doesn't have the enormous guest worker population of, for instance, the UAE; old city Sana'a is by far the highlight. Tourist infrastructure is fairly well-developed. Yemen is also good in the summer, since Sana'a is in the mountains and can be 20 or so degrees cooler than Dubai or Muscat.

Realistically, you'd be flying from Oman to Yemen, though - it's a long 1000km or so from Muscat to Salalah near the Yemen border, then another (somewhat dangerous) drive to Sana'a. The cheapest route is Air Arabia via Sharjah; I flew into Dubai, then bussed into Oman, rented a car for a few days to see the more remote sights, then bussed back to Sharjah to catch my flight. If you want to visit Musandam, there are no busses that I could find patrolling the coastal UAE route through Khor Fakkan down to Oman; I was able to get a ride to the nearest Oman town from the border from a friendly local.

Oman is a bit duller - it's much more developed than my Thesiger-infused mind would have supposed. The beaches in Muscat are quite nice, and the area near Mutrah and its souks is fun to walk around. There are some interesting (though not well guided/signposted) forts up near Nizwa, and some great small towns in the Jebel Akhdar (particular Misfah al-Ibrayeen). I also had some good experiences hiking the edge of the desert out near Wahiba. English is widespread, and travel is easy, aside from the need to rent a car to visit many areas that are not well-served by public transit. If you're coming from the UAE, you'll find its easy to get around on public transit.

As for other countries, how about Brazil? South Africa (including Lesotho and, to a lesser extent, Swaziland) also might be a good fit.

Thanks for the info!

I can find decent flights Mumbai-Sana`a ... so I think I might just layover for a week in Yemen. It sounds like an amazing base.

Yeah, the way I'm thinking is, what countries need at least a month to really appreciate? I'm still trying to string together a route, and won't be able to do everything - damn weather keeps getting in the way. Frakkin snow and all. I don't know how you all deal with it.

My 'A-List 'Country list now ...
Mongolia
Kyrgyzstan
Tibet
India
Brazil
Mexico
Turkey
Indonesia
Morocco

And possibilities ...
Vietnam
Ethiopia
Kenya

Hey, add Peru and Bolivia there! Maybe Colombia and Ecuador as well.