North America
 

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    North America

» Canada

• Visa strategy: Commonwealth nationals, US, Mexican, Cubans, EU nationals among others who can enter without visa. None of the current and planned USA visa hassle.

• Health: Use common sense when out in the wild. Make sure you have travel insurance!!! Canadian healthcare system is designed for Canadians only, so if you (a tourist) end up with a broken leg or a skiing accident, you must deposit around $500 to receive any sort of medical attention. 

• Tourist factor: 7/10, 8/10 in major cities. Many, many backpackers (book hostels, etc. weeks ahead). Expect many Japanese, Australasian, Scandinavian, British tourists. American students take advantage of the lower drinking age, particularly in Quebec. The downside is that you are bound to run into a drunk or stoned American who will treat the place like his own back-yard (sad but true)

• Accommodation: something for everyone. From Hostelling Internationals to high end hotels, cheap campsites and backpacker lodges. Prices from US$18-20 (dorms) to US$45 for singles.

  • Average cost: Staying at a campsite, cooking own food and getting around on foot/hitchhiking will run you less than $25/day. Stay at a hostel, cook in the kitchen and get around on a backpacker bus for US$40-60/day. Long term discounts are of course available.

• Food: nothing out of the ordinary, unless you end up going to Yukon or Nunavut and indulge in Arctic cuisine, vegetarians: no problems. Plentiful supermarkets, fast food joints and possibilities to cook your own.

• Drugs, cigarettes and alcohol: Legendary beer, drinking laws vary from province to province, but usually cost is very cheap. Cigarettes are heavily taxed and smoking is banned in public gatherings, nightclubs (again differs in provinces). Pot is widely available and Vancouver’s ‘pot block’ is a must see. It is still illegal though, but as long as you don’t act like an ass, even the cops won’t care. “Pot Cafes” can be found in Toronto and Vancouver. Just remember this isn’t Amsterdam so it’s not offered on the menu.

» México

 Miss at your peril: (stay away from the crowds) - 'Highlight of Independent Travel'

• Highlights: The a traditional route from the Capital South towards Central America will take in the following highlights: México City (inc. surrounding areas such as Teotihuacán), Palenque, Oaxaca and Porto Escondido - but that's only the tip of the ice berg. As a general rule of thumb the main tourist focus of the country is the Yucatán (where there's plenty to explore) and with direct flights from Europe and North America this is an obvious entry point for package tourists seeking sun/sea and backpackers heading for central America. Those who enter the country at Mexico DF the greatest temptation is to head South towards the well known aforementioned highlights and to Central America. Distances and/or limited time often put those heading this way off routes to the North and West of the capital. Discount or write off these routes at your expensive... among the less crowded highlights are: Guanajuato, a phenomenal colonial city, more Spain than Spain, great tunnels, architecture, mazes of alleys, college culture and street actors. Zacatecas, the beauty of this city at sunset can't easily be described; the food and museums are cheap and world class. The architecture is a great mix of Mexican and Moorish. Accommodation is great and seemingly hardly anyone on the circuit in Mexico gets here. San Miguel de Allende, despite the hype that its full of Americans, it rarely is. A great cathedral, wonderful cheap authentic food, perhaps the best nature preserve in all Mexico (the botanical gardens - over hundreds of acres - above town), one of the best hostel owners/hostel in Mexico, mellow street life, calm mornings, great art scene and Spanish schools await those who visit. Morelia, a colonial gem with amazing local artisans and street life, cathedrals are world class, food (try the sopa tarasca) is to die of. Another gem, abet a bit more well known is Real de Catorce, a little tiny town in the mountains of North Mexico. Very popular with the backpacker crowd due to its otherworldly landscape (the Mexican with Brad Pitt was filmed here) and Peyote usage by local Indians (and of course travellers), this little town has horseback riding (3$ US an hour) into the local mountains and deserts, a hippie market, and the place looks like a Sergio Leone/Clint Eastwood film. The journey itself is a highlight, with a bus along on the world's longest cobblestone road, into a one way tunnel through a mountain. Many thanks to Eric Beecroft for sharing some of his expert knowledge here.

• Lowlights: If you are 21 or under have limited taste, possibly American, you will love Cancún. For most it's one of those loathsome place with only novelty value and nothing (unless you have a big budget to keep you there). Playa de Carmen and Cozumel Island are not far behind. The rate of change in these places on the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan is unbelievable. See them to believe them. Large parts of the Yucatan are not so bad as to avoided. Another common complain along with the crowds and modernisation in tourist hot-spots is the simple fact that México is not a shoestring budget country when compared to Central America and long distances on buses kill a budget. On a more critical side not everyone is smitten by the highly and definitely over rated San Cristóbal de las Casas, where due to the history of up-risings and military presence in the area many of the 'cooler' travellers head to hang out and do little. San Cristóbal de las Casas is to backpackers what Cancún is to package tourists - a Mecca in México. For that reason if you don't have time to 'hang-out' or wind your way there on the bus you could happily give it a miss and spend your time elsewhere such as some of the great places listed above in the highlight section. Last, but not least the border towns of Tijuana and Cuidad Juarez (across from El Paso, Texas) are definite lowlights where trouble is extremely easy to find.

• Visa strategy: Tourist cards are issued free for 90 days at entry points for most nationalities.

• Money: ATMs are plentiful through-out much of the country and are a far more convenient way to carry money than travellers cheques. Any funds you take with you should be in USD. Credit cards can be used in some circumstances and are worth having.

• Getting around: México has a highly developed bus system with many different options and of course considering its size a large network of internal flights. Taking into consideration how developed the bus system is most will favour this rather than taking internal flights. For flying the most popular and recommended option is México City to Cancún or vice versa as this is a hell of a long way to backtrack if you have a flight out of say Cancún.

  • With regards to buses the subject could fill a web site alone. The system is both complicated and confusing and trying to understand it is impossible. Luckily you don't have to and in reality most Mexicans don't. At the end of the day anywhere you want to go there will be a bus going, you just have to find the station it goes from. Most cities have numerous stations (México DF has four). These may be split further by one for first class, one for second.. and so on. Just take it easy it is not too hard to get anywhere and buses are generally organised, clean and prompt - but no bargain.

  • There now exists three superior classes of bus plus second class buses. These are usually called Primera Plus, Futura and Ejecutiva. All these first class buses (not always all available), are excellent, but have prices about 40% higher than regular services making them really quite expensive for long journeys where you can do with the extra comfort. For most regular first class is the way to go, you still get AC, TV and a WC (for what they are worth).

  • Be aware that AC buses can get quite cool in the day and very cool at night. Have a sweater handy. Cheaper buses without AC and all the windows open are pleasant for shorter journeys. Films shown on buses are 50% of the time in English with Spanish sub-titles. When travelling over night front seats will keep you away for smelly toilets. On popular routes booking advance is often necessary and at busy times of the year (Christmas, August) very necessary, particularly in the Yucatan or in and out of México City. Due to the size of México it is more than likely you will have to do at least a few overnight trips.

  • Second class buses normally operate from a different terminal from 1st class buses and look a lot more antiquated. They call at towns and villages and use side roads that 1st class buses would never touch. For longer journeys 1st class buses are better, but on a second class bus with the windows wide open, music playing, local colour you have a great Mexican experience.

  • More info can be found in any guidebook and most major companies such as ADO (www.adogl.com.mx) and Cristóbal Colón (www.cristobalcolon.com.mx - this site has been down lately) have websites for more info, timetables and prices.

• Guide book: The new 6th edition Rough Guide is an excellent guide and my recommendation for a 'Mexico only' guide (Buy/view: in the USA (amazon.com), in Canada (amazon.ca) or in the UK (amazon.co.uk)), but so is the Lonely Planet and Footprint. The Footprint does however cover central America which may be of use to you and is therefore recommended.

• People vibe:

  • Locals: The friendliness of locals does vary dramatically especially in an out of tourist hot spots. There is a definite anti-gringo attitude around Cristóbal de las Casas and in other areas. However, on the whole if you speak Spanish Mexicans are wonderful people.

  • Other travellers: Various. Mainly European backpackers apart from on the Yucatan where the large numbers of tourists are mainly North American.

• Tourist factor: From 10/10 to 5/10. As with many countries, many spots get very crowded during the European/North American summer holidays and there is a signification increase in tourists/travellers.

• Accommodation: There is a wide range of accommodation in most places from very cheap dives to more expensive very nice rooms.

  • Hot water: In hotter areas and at the cheaper end, hot water may not always be available.

  • Average cost: From US$7 to US$30 (normally about in the middle). Found many cheap places that were very dirty and noisy so took a more expensive option. Prices are higher on the Yucatan and lower in backpacker hubs.

• Communications: Internet plentiful and good value.

• Media:

  • Books: American newspapers and magazines on the Yucatan. Elsewhere books and newspapers/magazines are in Spanish.

  • TV: Due to its proximity to American, cable TV is wide spread and always available in better hotels and in bars in tourist hot spots on the Yucatan, where sporting events are often shown. Cinemas in major cities are good quality.

• Food: México is all about food which outside of Asia has the best street food in the world. Don't be afraid just dive in. Smarter restaurants aimed at tourists can be quite expensive by comparison. The best value is always small family run places. The meal of the day or set menu (comida corrida - make sure they give you the menu with this on) as in the rest of Latin America is always the easiest and cheapest way to eat. There are many fast food restaurants, both Mexican and America and numerous supermarkets (with excellent bakeries) so eating cheap on the move is easy.

  • Vegetarians: Fine, although eating on street stalls and taking advantage of the cheap set meals of the day will be complicated and often not possible especially if you don't eat chicken.

• Hassle and annoyance factor: Limited, this is not Asia.

  • Women alone: Fine on the whole. Care is required same as everywhere.

• Drugs, cigarettes and alcohol: Fantastic Tequila and Mezcal bars, especially in Oaxaca. Great beer everywhere, but open air drinking places are not very common. Pot is plenty available in most places in particular along the pacific coast and any backpacker 'hubs'.

• Rating: 7.5/10

»   United Stated of America

Due to of the size and diversity of the United States, it has been divided up in this section into seven subsections:

• Introduction: the information which applies across the United States, such as visas;

• The North-East: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Washington D.C.;

• The South: Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas;

• The Mid-West and the Great Plains: Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Missouri, Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma

• The West: Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, California;

• Alaska;

• Hawaii.

» Introduction

• Intro: The world's dominant economy, military power and origin of so much mass culture. Its third most populous country, and fourth biggest in area. Many of the world's most exciting cities, and a good chunk of its best scenery. The people are also remarkably diverse, from the Cajuns of Louisiana to the cowboys of Montana to Little Italy in New York to the Melungeons of West Virginia or the indigenous Hawaiians. Too many closed-minded independent travellers object to American foreign policy or American mass culture, and don't bother with it. Their loss.

• Visa strategy: 3 months, available on arrival for Europeans, Australians and New Zealanders under the “visa waiver” scheme. Extensions available. Working in the US very difficult for non-Americans without special skills. The Immigration and Naturalisation Service is very inflexible and rules-bound.

  • Citizens whose countries are involved with the US in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) will need to present a biometric passport or US visa to enter the country. Further details and information on the changes to the visa system can be found at the US government visa website. Fingerprinting now in effect at many airports.

• Dangers: tiny chance of violent crime – the usual, common sense precautions apply.

• Costs: Expensive, especially for single travellers. With car hire and motels, difficult to get by on less than 100 USD/day, though sharing reduces these substantially. New York and San Francisco as expensive as they come. Of course a visit based in one city staying in a hostel will run to about 50 USD/day. It's motels and car hire (if not split) that really eat the money.

• Money: Many banks off the tourist trail refuse to take travellers cheques (too many fakes). America is covered in ATMs, which usually take all cards, generally with a 1-2 USD fee (rising to 5 USD in clubs).

• Tourist factor: 7/10 on the beaches, 8/10 in major highlights and 4/10 elsewhere

• Getting Around: It's not cheap or really easy to get around the whole country and the cost of doing so is significant for a budget traveller. Greyhound and similar buses services are the staple for many travellers. Trains are useful fro some routes, but almost always more expensive than the bus alternative. Quite simply the best way of seeing America is with a car, either hired or bought. Costs aren't too bad if sharing and the freedom you get can't be beat.

• Accommodation: Extremely high standards and high prices, even in hostels. Motels everywhere, but not really a budget option (35-50 USD/night for a single room, 10 USD more for a double, plus local taxes, except in big cities, where you can easily pay 100 USD/night for the cheapest room). Always heating and hugely powerful air-conditioning if appropriate. Hostels mostly in big cities or camping areas, usually 20-30 USD/night, and sometimes attract local beggars and winos.

  • Hot water: Always.

  • Average cost: Hostels at least 20 USD/night. Roadside motels cost at least 35 USD/night+tax for a single room, considerably more near big cities.

• Communications: Surprisingly difficult to find Internet access. The nationwide copy chain Kinko's has Internet access, but it is very expensive (20c/minute). Some foreign newspapers available in large bookstores or at airports.

• Health: The only exceptional danger is the huge cost of American health care. In one LA hospital, it cost me 235USD just to walk in the door, and would have cost me much more had I seen anyone or had anything done. Get the best insurance you can afford.

• Media:

  • Books: huge, bland, chain bookstores replacing characterful local shops, though you can still find the latter in university towns or artsy areas of big cities.

  • TV: everywhere. Most motels have 50-100 channels, some many more. Much of it is formulaic and terrible, but there are good documentaries and innovative programming on HBO.

• Reading: There a dozens of excellent reads based around travel in the USA, but probably the best place to start is On the road by Jack Kerouac. (more details: USA, Canada or UK). Also recommended are: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson; The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig

• Food: the whole gamut in New York or LA (Japanese-Ecuadorean or New Age Ethiopian are some of the more unusual). In small towns, you may be stuck with roadside diners and lousy fast food, most of it deep-fried (especially in the South). Portions famously gigantic. Don't forget that restaurant prices can seem low compared to Europe, but you have to add 15-20% tip (unless the service has been disastrous) and local sales tax onto the bill. Also, juice bars for smoothies and coffee shops everywhere.

  • Vegetarians: No problems, except maybe in rural diners, but even there you can usually find something vegetarian.

• Hassle and annoyance factor: No real hassle. Annoyances include the strictly-enforced minimum age of 21 for alcohol (except in New Orleans).

  • Women alone: as usual, avoid walking in big cities after dark.

• Drugs, cigarettes and alcohol: cigarettes and alcohol widely available. The minimum age for buying cigarettes is 18, and alcohol usually 21, and these are strictly enforced. Marijuana is widely available, especially in student towns and big cities. The penalties vary by state, and there are some savage laws – being caught with drugs near a school is very bad news indeed. If you are caught with any drugs, you can be deported and will never be readmitted.

 Miss at your peril: (okay it's well worth missing some parts) - 'Highlight of Independent Travel'

Note: Many thanks to Peter John for supplying this summary on mainland states and Michael Cain for information on Hawaii. The information here is from this author and not the site author. The views and facts expressed here are well research and good quality, but just bear in mind they should perhaps not be compared directly to other country summaries by other authors.

» Mid-West

(Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nebraska, Kansas, North/South Dakota, Illinios, Indiana, Ohio)

• Intro: Known as the nations "breadbasket", the Midwest is primarily flat and used for farming. Midwesterners are open, friendly, and straightforward. Home of Mark Twain and the Mississippi River.

  • Highlights: Chicago has Lake Michigan and an assortment of entertainment palaces including The House of Blues. Minneapolis boasts the Mall of America and all the outdoor sports you could ever want. Kansas City has awesome barbeque while St. Louis' Gateway Arch is the site to see. Des Moines has the Bridges of Madison County and a huge new Science Center and IMAX. Cleveland has Lake Erie if you're hopping the Great Lakes. Bring your camera if you're going to the Wisconsin Dells. A must see is Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo with the largest indoor rainforest in the world. Music fans can track down the Buddy Holy crash site (it's a field) and Mount Rushmore stands as one of the most impressive sights in the country.

  • Lowlights: If you're not near a city it's probably a lowlight. There are some BIG empty open spaces, but this is real America?

• Hot/cold, wet and dry: May-Sept hot, humid rainy early. Sept-April cold, dry, snow.

• Getting around: a car is virtually essential to explore outside Chicago, and the distances are so small that flying is not recommended. Greyhound busses go between cities, but are slow. Car rentals are everywhere, and often cheaper if booked in advance from abroad. Mass transit and cabs are available in cities.

• Rating: 5.5/10

» Hawaiian Islands

• Intro:

  • Highlights:

    • O`ahu: Learn to surf (summer in the south shore) or watch the pros surf the big waves (60 ft faces some days in winter in the north shore). Great Asian and Fusion cuisine. Visiting the Arizona Memorial is surprisingly powerful and moving, and should not be missed. Good public transportation. Amazing hiking trails are a quick bus ride away. Ocean Kayaking to the Moku Lua islets is a great afternoon.

    • Maui: Makena’s Little Beach is unofficially nude, and has great body surfing and a surreal Sunday sunset drumming circle / fire dance / party. Hiking in Haleakalā is otherworldly.

    • Hawai`i: Best bet for backpackers. Excellent opportunities for hiking, biking, and adventure. Stunning beauty and diversity – desert, alpine landscapes, ōhi`ā and koa forests, waterfalls in the jungle, etc. Hilo is still very local and mostly un-touristed thanks to all the rain. Hilo and Pahoa have the only budget accommodations outside of O`ahu. Hilo’s Saturday market is a major event. Must sees include Waipi’o Valley, the old plantation towns on the Hāmākua Coast, the wild jungles of Puna, and – of course – Kīlauea, the world’s most active volcano.

    • Kaua`i: Kaua`i offers a lot for the outdoors-person. The Nā Pali trail is a rugged, two-day trek to the isolated Kalalau Valley. Waimea Canyon has numerous hiking opportunities. Polihale is an huge, isolated windswept beach on the west side. Has a small handful of budget options in Kapa`a and Hanalei.

    • Moloka`i: The most Hawaiian of the islands. Few accommodations, but camping is easy. Visiting the leper colony at Kalaupapa is a haunting and unforgettable experience. There are still a few residents – it will become a National Park when the last ones pass away. Should not be missed.

• Lowlights:

  • Oahu: Any tourist bus! Polynesian Culture Center is expensive and more like a Disney-version of the islands. Luaus are expensive and not authentic – go only for the kitsch value. Food in Waikīkī is expensive and not good. Waikīkī nightlife can be trashy [but maybe that’s a highlight!].

  • Maui: There is no escape from the tourists. They are everywhere. Mega-resorts occupy the best beaches. Fewer locals than on other islands, and Maui can feel more like Marin County than Hawai`i. Few budget options. No public transport, although hitching is a bit easier than on other islands.

  • Hawai`i: No public transport, and hitching can be difficult. A car is a necessity. Kona side is over-developed and dominated by Californians. Kihei is run down.

  • Kaua`i: No public transport, and hitching can be difficult. Hard to escape the tourists.

  • Moloka`i: Not really designed for tourists.

• Dangers: Break-ins occur at isolated beaches and trailheads – don’t leave valuables in your car. Violent crime is rare, and there are less guns around than in the rest of the US. Smile and live aloha and you’ll be fine. Walk around with an attitude and people will take offense.

• Hot/cold, wet and dry: Winter’s are slightly cooler and wetter, but the islands all have their own micro-climates. Locals think that 70 degrees F is cold and will wear coats. Windward sides tend to be wet, leeward sides hot and dry. If the trade-winds die down this reverses itself. Hottest time is generally August-November. Surf season: the south swell comes between Mother’s Day and Halloween, and is the best for long boarders, beginners, and recreational surfers. The huge winter waves can come anytime between Thanksgiving and the beginning of March. Pro contests are clustered around the holidays.

• Costs:

• Money: ATM’s are plentiful. Banks can exchange Yen and Euros, but few other currencies.

• Getting around: Bus on O`ahu, rental cars on all other islands. Hitching is an option on Maui.

• People vibe:

  • Locals: Show aloha, you’ll get aloha back. Smile, say hi to everyone, make small talk … you’ll be fine. Throw around attitude, you might get beat up. It happens.

  • Other travelers:

    • O`ahu / Waikīkī – everyone under the sun!

    • O`ahu / North Shore – surfers, Brazilians, celebrities

    • Maui – Skinny guys with dreadlocks, condo owners

    • Kaua`i – Rainbow children, Gen X types, golfers

    • Hawai`i – hippies, radical faeries, Angelenos

• Tourist factor: Usually very High. O`ahu has the most tourists, but most stick to the beaten track, so that it is the easiest island by far to escape the tourists. Maui and Kaua`i see more tourists than residents, but they all have rental cars and books on “Hidden and Secret Places in Hawai`i” - and it will be virtually impossible to escape them. In Hawai`i, the tourist factor for Hilo, Ka`ū, Puna, Hāmākua, and North Kohala Districts is low. It is very, very high in North and South Kona and South Kohala.

• Accommodation:

  • O`ahu / Waikīkī – Some basic hostels in the Lemon Rd / Cartwright area

  • O`ahu / North Shore – Camping; “hostels” in Sharks Cove where you rent a room in a small plantation house; vacation rentals are a good deal if you have a group.

  • Maui – Budget options are limited

  • Kaua`i – Camping, limited budget hotels

  • Hawai`i – Hilo has hostels, Puna/Pāhoa has affordable vacation rentals if you have a group.

• Communications: Waikīkī has internet cafes.

• Health: Do not enter fresh water with open sores – schistosomiasis is common! And remember that the ocean is a dangerous place, and that the mountains and jungles are true wildernesses – even on O`ahu! People can and do get lost and die.

• Food: Plate Lunches are filling: grilled or fried meat, two scoops of rice, and macaroni salad. A healthier bet is to look for the smaller Korean, Thai, or other Asian restaurants. Tourist areas are significantly pricier.

  • Vegetarians: Easy in Asian restaurants.

• Hassle and annoyance factor: Almost none.

  • Women alone: Should have no problems

• Drugs, cigarettes and alcohol: Smoking is illegal in bars and restaurants. Drinking age is 21. Pot can be found in the countryside, but isn’t as easy to score as you’d think. Crystal meth is a serious problem in rural communities on all the islands.

• Rating:

  • O`ahu: 10/10 if you surf big waves. 8/10 if you surf recreationally. 7/10 if you escape Waikīkī and hike/kayak/paddle. 6/10 otherwise.

  • Maui: 8/10 for the rainbow children, 6/10 for the rest of us.

  • Kaua`i: 9/10 if hiking the Kalalau Trail; 6/10 otherwise (there’s just not that much to do!)

  • Hawai`i: 10/10. Kīlauea really is that amazing.

  • Moloka`i: 10/10 if you find a way to spend a couple nights in Kalaupapa – it will haunt your dreams forever – but this can be difficult to arrange! Otherwise, ?/10; the island really isn’t designed for tourists.

Many thanks to Michael Cain for contributing the above Hawaii summary.

Please find Central America info on that page. Info on The Great Plains is required if anyone wants to help out - the USA can always use some updating. Many thanks to Glen Risco and Michael Cain for their help on Maui and the Mid-West. Any others is more than welcomed.

'The tragedy of life is not so much what men suffer, but rather what they miss'

Thomas Carlyle

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