RTW Trip Planning

Hey there, I've just started planning my trip for next year, and am currently in the process of working out roughly where I want to go.

My current thoughts are:

Fly from London to Mexico City end of March
Mexico - 6 weeks (April)
Guatemala - 4 weeks (May) - including a Spanish course
Honduras - 4 weeks (June - including a diving course in the bay islands
Ecuador - 2 weeks (July)
Peru - 6 weeks (July / August) - including Inca Trail
Bolivia - 4 weeks (September)
Argentina - 4 weeks (October)
Australia - 1 week (October)
Indonesia - 5 weeks (November)
Phillippines - 5 weeks (December)
Vietnam - 4 weeks (January)
Laos - 4 weeks (February)
Cambodia - 2 weeks (March)
Thailand - 1 week (March)
Fly back from Bangkok to London

I know the answers to lots of these are really quite subjective, but still thought it was worth asking more experienced travellers their opinions on a few points:

1. I'm presuming a OneWorld explorer will be the best RTW ticket to use as I'm visiting south america? On that ticket are the only flights from SA to Aus via Santiago? Or is Buenos Aires an option too?

2. Is there anywhere there where people think I'm not spending long enough (or even too long)? - I want a balance between getting to see a fair amount of places but not rushing around all the time. Are there any countries in the areas I'm going to that are real highlights but I'd be missing out? (BTW, I know 1 week is very short for Australia & Thailand - these are the countries I've travelled around a fair amount before so they are intentionally brief stops)

3. Any obvious weather issues? I'm particularly thinking re. the timing of diving in Honduras and the Indonesian leg.

Any other comments or suggestions welcome, thank you!

Edited by: lockedintheattic

I can't speak to the amount of time you're spending most of those places, as I haven't been to most of them... but 4 weeks seems like a really long time in Honduras, even if you're doing the diving course. I spent 16 days there (including 7 days diving in Utila) and that was plenty. I didn't meet anyone who said "wow, only 16 days, that's not long enough here" either (which is something you would get in a lot of places). You'll need a few days for the diving (lets even round up and say a week in case you stay longer to do more diving after your course). Give yourself a couple days in La Ceiba if you want to do the "Jungle Lodge" thing, and definitely go to Copan (take at least a few days there. I went last and wished I had gone earlier and cut some 'beach time' off of Roatan). Roatan is nice if you want to lay on a beach, but it's a bit more expensive than the rest of the country. If you really want to take your time on things, you may want 3 weeks. But with how many places you want to go, even that 3rd week may be better spent elsewhere.

The only reason I'd say it may be worthwhile to spend the full 4-weeks is if you're going to do an adventure into La Moskitia. I did hear that was amazing, but it was out of my price range and time frame.

Thanks Nicole, that's really helpful - and seeing as I think i may need to get down to San Jose, Costa Rica, to get my flight to Ecuador, spending a bit less time in Honduras will be quite handy. I must admit, I am tempted by La Mosquitia, but suspect it's probably out of my price range too, unless I can join up with a bigger group.

Australia is a long way from anywhere else just to spend one week. If it were me, I'd either drop it, or spend more time there.

Thanks Bob - i figured that getting from South America to South-East Asia would require me to go via Australia or New Zealand, so can't see any way round that really, unless there are flights from South America that I can use as part of a RTW ticket direct to Asia that I don't know about.

I know it's a long way, but I just plan to spend the week relaxing in one place rather than travelling around.

I would personally remove three weeks of your Mexico leg and at least one week off Honduras and add these on to Aurstalia and Thailand to allow you three weeks in both instead of 1 week. Always remember that you will loose at least 2 days in each country traveling to / from the airport and finding accomodation upon arrival. This would mean 5 days in Australia and in Thailand!

Thanks Gilles, but you missed the bit in my original post about Australia and Thailand - I've travelled a fair bit in both before so don't want to spend any more time in either. I'm just planning to rest for a week in Melbourne and catch up with some mates in between SA & SEA, and I'm only going to Thailand essentially to fly back home from Bangkok, as that's the most appropriate place for me to do that from.

Although I will be cutting back on Honduras to spend more time in Peru.

Fair enough.

Have a great trip!