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Hi, I'm currently thinking of taking 6 months - 1 year to travel/backpack and recharge. What do you think is the world's best city to do so? Looking specifically at following criteria:
1. COST OF LIVING - the cheaper, the longer I can stay.
2. QUALITY / DIVERSITY OF RESTAURANTS - Quality first, followed by diversity of options. Availability of some familiar food a bonus.
3. RANGE OF LIVE MUSIC and DJs - again quality and diversity.
4. INTERESTING ENTERTAINMENT AND NIGHTLIFE
5. PROXIMITY TO GOOD BACKPACKing - this city will serve as home base to other travel.
6. LAID BACK ATMOSPHERE
7. CLIMATE - don't want to spend time off trudging through snow.
8. DOG FRIENDLY.
9. GOOD PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Why are you looking for a city in which to base yourself, if your goal is travel/backpack"?
You'll need to specify whether you mean rough country backpacking, requiring lots of logistic planning and outfitting, or just places you can walk in non -urban countryside.
Music and nightlife is everywhere, in forms that may or may not suit your personal taste. And is always the most dangerous environment you will find yourself in when traveling abroad. No big city is safe at 2-am in the company of people who are drinking, and as a foreigner, you will have no street smarts, and no idea whom to trust, and probably won't even know the language.
The quality of public transportation is inversely proportional to the cost of staying there. The cheaper the living, the easier to get around without a car. So it's easy to meet both those criteria at once.
Getting a visa that will allow you to stay there for 6 months or more is problematic. Pick a city near an international border, you will have to keep leaving and coming back on a series of 30- or 60-day tourist entry stamps. If you have an American passport, even a 30-day visa can cost $100 in a lot of South American countries. Canadians free, it's called "reciprocity", and you will pay as much as their citizens pay to visit the USA. Traveling the world is no longer as easy as it was in Marco Polo's time. Your home health insurance will not cover anything, if you have an accident or sickness, but at least you will be able to afford the local medical care.
Why are you looking for a city in which to base yourself, if your goal is travel/backpack"?
Currently live in nyc and enjoy large cities. I would like to experience another city and have the time to enjoy myself that I never can find in nyc. Then spend 25% of time exploring backpacking surrounding regions, country, mountain, or urban.
question 2 on backpacking: I don't mean anything extreme or rough here. I just mean cheap travel to surrounding countries and regions. Some trail hiking maybe and some cities with cheap safe housing.
On music and nightlife, would prefer the home base city to be a safe as nyc past 2 am. Although, most times I won't be out that late. I enjoy many types of high quality music and entertainment. If there are a lot of different options which are creative and talented, I think I should be able to find something
I voted for Bangkok. Thailand hits the sweetspot of modern and developing. You can find all the first world accoutrements but still awesome backpacking.
Ya, I second macjr's vote. I've done a few mini-retirements in BKK (one 16 month stint and a couple 6 month trips and countless shorter trips) and those were without a doubt the best times of my life. Getting a little expensive nowadays, but still one of the greatest cities on the planet.
You have a lot of South American options in your poll, so looks like you are interested in the place. I would recommend six months or so and travelling around the continent. You'll eventually find what you're looking for. I personally like Medellin but everyone is different.
Ya, I second macjr's vote. I've done a few mini-retirements in BKK (one 16 month stint and a couple 6 month trips and countless shorter trips) and those were without a doubt the best times of my life. Getting a little expensive nowadays, but still one of the greatest cities on the planet.
You have a lot of South American options in your poll, so looks like you are interested in the place. I would recommend six months or so and travelling around the continent. You'll eventually find what you're looking for. I personally like Medellin but everyone is different.
How did you manage the visa situation for those extended trips? Visa runs? Yeah, Thailand is not nearly as cheap as people make it out to be if you're going for a certain standard/luxury.l, though cheaper than many places, but more expensive than many also. Poland comes to mind as country that's cheaper.
Hi, I'm currently thinking of taking 6 months - 1 year to travel/backpack and recharge. What do you think is the world's best city to do so? Looking specifically at following criteria:
1. COST OF LIVING - the cheaper, the longer I can stay.
2. QUALITY / DIVERSITY OF RESTAURANTS - Quality first, followed by diversity of options. Availability of some familiar food a bonus.
3. RANGE OF LIVE MUSIC and DJs - again quality and diversity.
4. INTERESTING ENTERTAINMENT AND NIGHTLIFE
5. PROXIMITY TO GOOD BACKPACKing - this city will serve as home base to other travel.
6. LAID BACK ATMOSPHERE
7. CLIMATE - don't want to spend time off trudging through snow.
8. DOG FRIENDLY.
9. GOOD PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
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