Trips that will change your viewpoint

Brendan Phelan from Kilkenny spent 14 months travelling because he thought it was important to take the opportunity before life got too settled. He spent most of his time in Australia with a few weeks in India and Singapore.

"One thing we found was that arriving in Asia for the first time was a real culture shock. You just won't have seen anything like it before, it's overwhelming."

Mr Phelan found a lot of people treated their time in Australia as an extended sun holiday, especially in Sydney. He recommends travelling around as much as possible and looking beyond the east coast.

Advance preparation is very important, according to Mr Phelan. "You have to research each place you want to visit so that you are not held back by requirements for visas or shots."

The Internet was a great research tool and your local library should have plenty of travel literature, Mr Phelan said.

Ms Alyson Duggan is a confirmed long-haul traveller with a passion for South America. Her latest trip was to Peru, where she spent four weeks.

Her main motivation for independent travelling is to get close to the places she visits and to learn from different cultures.

"A lot of the time you are reminded of how much hard work it is for most people to survive. You also learn how little you need and you see a very strong work ethic."

After a full year of travelling, Ms Duggan says it takes six months to adjust to being back in the Republic. "A lot of people who have been travelling have a change of career when they come back and they have a healthier view of life. But it's tough having to get used to people's expectations of you again."

She plans to keep going back to South America on extended trips. "The continent is so vast you could travel for a lifetime and not see it all.

"When you get hooked on travelling, your priorities change. I would much rather spend my earnings on a four-week trip to Peru than on a new car."

One thing that can't be stressed enough, according to both intrepid travellers, is to bring as little as possible.

"It's important to travel light and easy to buy things as you need them along the way. As well as that, you'll want to leave room for purchases to bring home," Ms Duggan said.