You go on at $50,000 trip touring the world by private jet. One of my oldest (and obviously, most successful and busy) friends is actually doing this next year, the deposits have already been sent in.
Join National Geographic on an unforgettable expedition, traveling in ease and comfort by private jet. While circling the globe, explore the world’s most treasured and legendary natural and cultural wonders. Visit Peru, Easter Island, Samoa, the Great Barrier Reef, Cambodia, Tibet, India, Tanzania, Egypt, and Morocco on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
* Meet with National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence Meave or Louise Leakey in Tanzania and Dr. Zahi Hawass at G?za.
* Explore 12 UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Machu Picchu, Angkor Wat, the Taj Mahal, and the Pyramids of G?za.
* Discover Easter Island’s giant moai statues and famously lost culture with resident archaeologist Edmundo Edwards.
* Delve into the natural world on game drives in the Serengeti Plain and while snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef.
This is me being jealous green with envy. 
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this is something i would love to do someday. i’m Cambodian American, I want to see Angkor Wat. wow, thats amazing!!
Jealous? Maybe envious? You said this is one of your oldest friends; so I assume that he isn’t just getting started in life. Even if you are fortunate, lucky or just good at gathering/generating weath, you can’t take your money with you. This trip is also offered though certain college alumni associations. This trip used to also include Petra (a site used in the Indiana Jones movie) in Jordan before the Middle East got so dicey.
Maybe you should include this as part of your life plan if things go well?
lol, you and the rest of us Jonathan. What about the couple on discovery’s “1000 places to see before you die”? Granted I’m pretty sure they are getting paid to do that, but it still is an awesome trip regardless for them. Hope you friend enjoys his!
also, jonathan, another cool thing to point out is that this trip is not in a dinky private jet, but actually a boeing 757!!
I’ll play Devil’s Advocate.
This is actually a FRUGAL move. By seeing a lifetime’s worth of historical and cultural landmarks, he is saving himself 12 different separated vacations.
I’m not sure that’s what I’d spend $50,000 on in terms of vacation, but it does look awesome. And there would be something great about flying on a personal jet. I’ve never even flown business class. =)
I agree with Alex, I was going to say the same thing
$50K for a private jet and hotels stay for 24 days around the world is a steal!!!
I guess you’d really have to like to travel. I don’t even really have a desire to see a lot of those places. I’m sure it’s great for some people though.
Better be able to sleep on a plane. I’m tired just thinking about it.
Day 1?Washington, D.C.
Day 2?Lima, Peru
Days 3 and 4?Cusco/Machu Picchu
Days 5 and 6?Easter Island, Chile
Day 7?Apia, Samoa
Day 8?Cross the International Date Line
Days 9 and 10?The Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Days 11 and 12?Angkor, Cambodia
Day 13?Chengdu, China
Days 14 and 15?Lhasa, Tibet or Xi’an, China
Days 16 and 17?Taj Mahal, Agra, India
Days 18 and 19?Tanzania
Days 20 and 21?Luxor, the Pyramids, and the Sphinx, Egypt
Days 22 and 23?Marrakech, Morocco
Day 24?Washington, D.C.
I want to take a year off and travel around the world, myself. I figured I could do this with about $60k in the bank. $26k for my mortgage, and the rest for travel expenses, which are amazingly low if take the right route.
My husband and I did an around the world trip from Feb. 2006-March 2007 which cost us $60,000. And while it wasn’t the luxurious trip you posted about we always had our own room and except for a handful of time our own bathroom. We even did a 7 day lodge safari in Tanzania. The trip you posted about sounds interesting but mostly about getting off a plane and seeing things and not really getting to spend much time in an area. We spent 7 weeks in Australia so I can’t imagine having 2 days. But to each his own.
Probably the better way to do this trip would be if you could work as a guide or in some other capacity for National Geographic. Then THEY would pay YOU to take a 24 day whirlwind trip aboard a 757.
How awesome would that be?
I have mixed feelings about this. While at first look this sounds like a great idea, flying for so long through different time zones and battling the resultant jet-lag and tiredness seems like a daunting prospect to me. Instead of doing everything in one shot, I think making 4-5 different trips to cover the aforementioned places might be better.
Instead of pining over someone’s else’s sheltered and expensive round-the-world private jet flight, you should prioritize international travel and cultural experiences in setting your own financial goals. You don’t have to rent a private jet and drop $50k to have amazing experiences in foreign countries that will provide a lifetime of memories.
I have always gotten more out of the dirt bag, rough it, overland travel scene than the cush, high-end, luxury trips. Better cultural experiences, better understanding of the country’s history, better food, and you feel better about your impact on the place you are visiting.
Quit gaping at someone’s else $$ trip and go out and create your own memories in whatever way you can afford and enjoy.
Jon, I think that it depends on your priorities in life. Yours currently, is to own a home. Unfortunately, we don?t have a year to spare for travel. I planned this trip with my husband because there are rare instances in life where you have the unique combination of: money, time, no kids to worry about, and your youth. We have seen our parents wait until retirement to take trips like these, but at old age you generally have health issues that prevent a trip like this from being enjoyable. Our friends and family have commented that they wish they traveled more at a younger age…especially before they had kids. We took their advice to heart and figured that we have a whole lifetime to save up for a home, but limited opportunities to have incredible adventures.
I think the point is that this trip is for people with more money than time. People who take this type of trip probably don’t want to spend time planning trips or roughing it. Plus, if everyone on this private jet spends $50 K per person, this must be a good networking opportunity for the wealthy.
I wrote this post hastily in the airport, and I don’t think I really expressed my feelings clearly. I see that the definition of jealous is “resentfully envious”. I’m just plain envious because they get to go on this cool trip. Do I plan on going on this specific cool trip, even if I had $50k? No, but that doesn’t mean that I’m better than them.
Really, I just wanted to point out that such a trip exists, and I think it’s neat! I’m really surprised by the passionate responses.
I may never buy a Porsche, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be impressed by the engineering involved. Definitely wouldn’t say no to a test drive! And just because someone owns a Porsche doesn’t mean they are necessarily pompous jerks.
Calm down everyone!!, I thought this is quite interesting to see, I did not did not know a trip like this even existed 😀
…i think its pretty neat to know such a thing exists. I never thought there was such a thing.
Some Asian airlines (like Cathay) has a $1500 deal where u can travel as much as u want around asia in a 30 day period or 60 day period (for additional charges). And you can pay a little more for add on cities. I think this is a GREAT deal. Would love to do this someday when i have TIME.
The cathay all asia pass is pretty cool – but it’s a lot more limited than it appears:
http://www.cathayusa.com/offers/allasiapass/subdefault.asp
In practice nearly all their routing goes back through their hub(hong kong) so if you want to do jakarta and bali you’ll need to go back to hong kong in between. A lot of time spent going to and fro the hub…
For me I’d need at least 5 days in jakarta and in past trips I quickly find i’m better off with point to point. And airlines like air asia are making air travel within parts of asia a lot cheaper than it used to be – like easyjet/ryanair in europe.
Have to admit that a part of me reacts to the UNESCO/private jet aspect of the trip as yuppies on vacation. Still to each their own. Hope they have a good time.
Porsche bashing though I think is fine – all porsche owners really are pompous jerks. Same for those 50 year old guys dating 20 year old women. Now that’s envy at work.
The only places I’ve been to so far on that list are Xi?an, China and Washington D.C. Man, I’ve got to get going!
it’s so funny, Travel always stir up a passionate discussion in the PF blogging world.
I love seeing the world, so I will always allocate a portion of my earnings toward traveling. No ifs or buts, and I am not going to justify or defend it either.
🙂
Well Jonathan, you are two ahead of me!!
🙂
I think this trip sounds amazing! I am envious as well. I checked out the webpage, and I think it’s pretty amazing to have the opportunity. Although I wouldn’t spend that much money on travel, I would like visit all of those places one day…
I too would be envious – sound like an awesome trip. It’d be cooler if it wasn’t on such tight schedule, but then again it would be that much more expensive. If there’s a place to blow money, I think traveling is it….
For those of you who like traveling but lack of financial resources, I recommend you to find a job overseas as a ESL teacher. In that way, you will get paid while learning about the local customs and culture.
you can do the same trip and actually enjoy it by spending way less than that and spend more time enjoying the places. of course it won’t be with NG or on a private 757. Get a global air pass and off you go.
some of you all really took this post to heart. calm down. it’s not that serious.
jonathan, i’m with you. i’m envious, too. must be nice…
Frankly, I see that as being capricious and the money would be much better spent on a new Mercedes Convertible (another capricious expense) but one I prefer. Oh wait, I already did that.
Seriously, I hope your friend enjoys his trip, not for me, but to each his own.
Just read more of the follow ups, sorry, but being a car geek I have to say that Porsches are not what they are cracked up to be. Give me an AMG Benz anytime!
having been to over half of those places, I can’t say I am jealous or envious of the deal. the deal would be doodoo for me…of course, that is highly subjective.