I hitchhiked all across Thailand/Southeast Asia :)

No, I don't think so. As far as South Africa goes: The daily entrance fee for Kruger National Park is about 25 dollars already. If you say you are not doing a safari and you don't have a car then also consider how you'll be getting around inside and to and from the park (unless you mean that you're budgeting for the safari separately). You might have to book a separate game drive (otherwise you won't really have the chance to see many animals) or separate transport to and from the bus station which will also cost money.

A campsite in Kruger National Park would be around 25 dollars per night, and that's generally how much camping costs in SA (of course there might be cheaper and more expensive places). You are generally not allowed to wild camp in SA so you would have to set up your tent in a designated place that you pay for.

I would really discourage trying to hitchhike in South Africa. Minibus taxis (not the safest) and buses might be the cheapest way of getting around, but this could still cost a few dollars.

If you are considering doing this, you could maybe do it with some really careful planning. Some tips:
* Consider visiting smaller game reserves e.g. Pilanesberg that have cheaper entrance fees.
* Try to find ride-share and/or couchsurfing websites where locals are willing to accommodate you and possibly drive you around, make friends with locals on travel websites, look for a travel buddy that you can maybe share costs with or who already knows a local etc.
* In SA consider traveling along the Garden Route as it might be easier to get from town to town and the scenery is beautiful. You could visit a smaller game reserve in the Eastern Cape, close to PE and then make your way to Cape Town
* Sign up for SA airline newsletters and look for specials as domestic flights can be very cheap sometimes

As far as I know Botswana is generally a more expensive safari destination so you could perhaps consider leaving it out. South Africa has the best infrastructure and probably the best chance of getting around and finding a place to stay. You could easily fill 45 days in SA alone, there is a lot to do and see.

Thanks - I did have a look at the Greyhound website. Hmm - might have to take shanks' pony :) either that or hitchhike, what do you think?

Gahhh it seems as if with schedule I'll be in Maramures Saturday and Sunday. It is pointless to be there then with more limited bus service? Or will even hitchhiking be difficult? My last point will be Cluj so maybe I should switch to Suceava as a base to see the monasteries and then backtrack to Maramures, before finally ending up in Iasi?!

Thanks everyone for all your help.

Thanks all. I'd rather avoid hitchhiking travelling alone as a woman (and my husband staying home would not be comfortable with me doing it either). But if push comes to shove, glad to know it's an option. I also like like the idea of minibuses.

Hi,

I have climbed Mt. Ramelau before, using a mix of public transport, hitchhiking, and walking. Getting to Maubisse from Dili is reasonably easy, though you might want to hitchhike rather than waiting for one of the few buses. From Maubisse to the turn-off to Hatambuilico (I don't remember the exactly distance, maybe about 7km?) there is a little bit of traffic, though you may well have to walk if you don't have a private vehicle. From the turn-off to Hatambuilico itself, the road is awful and traffic is very light. If you don't have a vehicle, count on walking this stretch, though you might get lucky and be able to hitchhike. You can walk from Maubisse to Hatambuilico in a day; climb Ramelau the next day, and make it back to Maubisse or Dili, depending on your luck.

Your plan to return via Balibo seems a little obscure. By the far the easiest way from Maubisse to Balibo is through Dili.

Okay, here's how you get to Paso de Cortes on your own (I've done it a couple of times). Get a Volcanes or SUR bus from TAPO (departs every 10 minutes) to Amecameca (one hour or more enroute). Walk a few blocks to the corner of Calle del Rosario and De La Constitucion (a block south of the southeast corner of the central square: combis leave on demand; 40 MXN to Paso de Cortes or 80 MXN to La Joya (prices may have changed). If you don't want to wait, hire a private taxi at the north side of the central square: 250 MXN (more or less) to La Joya. Last time I took a colectivo to San Pedro Nexapa and hitchhiked from there, but that may not suit everyone. Easier to get back with another hiker or employee returning to town.

I travelled the mentioned route, it was doable but very time consuming. From the train station in Rustavi there was a single mashrutka waiting, the driver asked around, nobody knew how to get to Sadakhlo from there by mashrutkas.

After the mashrutka driver was asking around several people I was dropped off at a junction in Rustavi where I changed on another mashrutka to the Azerbaijan border Krasniy Most. At Krasniy Most I waited quite a while and no mashrutka or shared car/taxi passed, so I finally decided to take a taxi for some miles to the Tbilisi-Sadakhlo road, where I changed to a shared taxi.
At the end of the day it was of course doable, but very time consuming. I arrived in the afternoon in Armenia, there was not a lot of mashrutka transport to Yerevan at this time of the day, I took another route and hitchhiked till Alaverdi. If you plan to head to Yerevan I guess it is better NOT to leave the train in Rustavi and get a mashrutka from Tbilisi.
Cheers

Your budget is doable, but you'll have to pay close attention to it. Your main issue is where to sleep. As I see it, you have about 8000 Yen a day, roughly. You're going to have to carefully plan where to stay, to make sure you don't blow your budget. Hostels should be fine, but if you're in a town with no hostels (or all the hostels are full), a cheap hotel room is going to be a big chunk of your budget. Are you okay with camping? Camping can be a good way to save money.

You will spend less money if you move around less. HOWEVER, overnight buses in Japan are often reasonably priced, and you save on a night's accommodation, so if you don't mind using an overnight bus sometimes to cover a lot of ground, you'll be fine.

To save money, don't use a JR pass. Use local transport: this involves regular, local trains, and also buses. You'll have to research each trip you want to do separately, and see what the best way to do it is.

I've been to most of the places on your list. Some quick comments: first, I wouldn't visit Takachiho Gorge as a daytrip from Kumamoto. If you go there, spend the night. Nagasaki is the one city on Kyushu worth seeing, and if you like nature, there are some fabulous volcanoes and scenic places on the island.

Miyoshi/Iya Valley is best visited by car. Without a car, relying on hitchhiking and camping is probably what I would recommend. The most interesting parts of the valley are very difficult to get around on the limited public transportation, and the more popular sights that are more easily accessible are much less interesting than what's further up the valley, in my opinion.

If you're interested in Japanese gardens, visit Takayama. The best traditional garden in Japan, at least that I've been to. There are many good reasons to visit Hiroshima, but seeing the garden there isn't one of them.