1983 was a landmark year for loads of reasons. McNuggets were invented. Mario Brothers was released on Nintendo. But, by far and away the most earth-shattering thing to happen was the arrival of TNT on London’s streets. Ever since the mag launched, we’ve been lugging our filthy backpacks and sweat-crusted thongs all over the globe. So to celebrate our birthday, we’re giving you the ultimate to-do list for today’s traveller, complete with tick boxes. Good luck!
1. Van tour ❑
This Antipodean rite of passage has been popular for decades, but it would’ve been a very different Europe that TNT readers drove their banged-up VWs through in 1983. They’d have seen the Berlin Wall intact, for one. The route traditionally starts in Pamps and ends at …
2. Oktoberfest ❑
… which remains an essential stop today, whether you’re Van Touring or not. However, back in ’83 you’d have been downing steins at the world’s biggest beer fest in a different country – the Federal Republic of Germany, separated from the German Democratic Republic by a wall that didn’t fall until 1990.
3. Jordan ❑
Exploring the ancient city of Petra, bobbing about in the Dead Sea, partying in the glam clubs of Amman … Jordan should be on every traveller’s to-do list. The country was involved in scuffles over the West Bank back in the Eighties but renounced its claim to it in 1988.
4. Anzac Day, Gallipoli ❑
Anzac Day was hit by various controversies in the Eighties, with ceremonies being targeted by feminists and anti-war protesters. Towards the end of the decade, however, there was renewed interest in commemorating the occasion and the numbers of Aussies and Kiwis flocking to Gallipoli has steadily risen ever since. It was only in ’85 that the name ‘Anzac Cove’ was officially recognised by the Turkish government.
5. Hogmanay ❑
Scotland’s three-day celebration to see in the New Year is a party you’ve got to tick off your list, Edinburgh in particular doing it up right with torchlight processions, live bands and the New Year’s Day Loony Dook (thousands take a dip in the freezing Forth Estuary to numb the hangover). We believe the Scots enjoyed a wee dram and taking their ‘taps aff’ in the Eighties, too.
6. Sailing Croatia ❑
Sailing the sparkling Adriatic on a yacht and ogling ancient architecture in the likes of Dubrovnik is a bona fide bucket list experience today. Not so much in the Eighties, however, when Yugoslavia still existed and was in the throes of the economic meltdown that preceded the devastating Yugoslav wars that kicked off in 1991.
7. Balkan road trip ❑
Overlanding through the Balkans offers some of Europe’s best off the beaten track experiences, from watching the divers leap off the Old Bridge in Mostar, Bosnia (see P66), to untouched beaches on the Ionian Coast of Albania. It would’ve been a brave tourist who visited the latter in 1983, however, thanks to its tumultuous period as the world’s first ‘atheist state’ before the shit hit the fan in the region in the early Nineties (see above).
8. Scandi-Baltic route ❑
Driving through Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to Finland is a brilliant budget break that immerses you in some of Europe’s most stunning cities (Tallinn in particular is an incredible blend of medieval and modern). However, in ’83 the Baltic countries remained Soviet Republics. A campaign of civil resistance began in the late Eighties, including the ‘Baltic Way’ in 1989, a two-million-strong human chain stretching 600km from Tallinn to Vilnius. The Baltic states became independent in 1991.
9. Egypt ❑
There’s little to rival the manmade wonders of Egypt, but political turmoil has tourists avoiding this troubled country today. Still, Egypt has endured as a tourist destination despite many decades of upheaval – in the Eighties and Nineties there were periods of terrorist attacks against tourists interspersed with safer conditions for visitors. Tourism is one of the most important sectors of Egypt’s economy, so fingers crossed there are better times ahead.
10. Bolivia ❑
Bolivia is a wild ride, from four-wheel-driving over the salt flats of Uyuni, to an arse-clenching bus journey to the world’s highest capital, La Paz, and mountain biking down the world’s most dangerous road. It might’ve been a little too wild in the Eighties, however, which saw various violent military coups.
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11. Marrakech, Morocco ❑
An (enjoyable) tourist circus of snake charmers and carpet hawkers today, Morocco was plagued by political unrest and economic crisis in 1983 as troops continued to clash with Algerian military over ownership of the Western Sahara.
12. Trans Mongolian ❑
This epic train journey has long been a backpacker essential, though the countries at each end of the line – China and Russia – experienced some off-putting publicity towards the end of the Eighties: the Tiananmen Square massacre of ’89 and the USSR’s struggle to hold onto power (it was eventually dissolved in 1991).
13. Patagonia, Argentina ❑
A remote backpacking destination for the second half of the 20th century, Patagonia is fast gaining popularity for two main reasons: a sight of the incredible ice-blue Perito Moreno Glacier and as a jumping off point for …
14. Antarctica ❑
Small-scale tourism has existed here since the Fifties, but cruises to the seventh continent are booming right now courtesy of more operators and competitive prices (though it ain’t exactly cheap). Still, utterly worth it to experience a landscape like no other on earth. Incidentally, scientists first discovered the hole in the ozone layer from Antarctica in 1985.
15. Shark diving, South Africa ❑
In 2013, it’s a wimpy-ass traveller who doesn’t try a spot of cage-diving with great whites on a trip to South Africa. This heart-falling-through-your-ass experience is now as big a must-do as taking in the view from the top of Table Mountain and touring SA’s vineyards. But in 1983, such a thing was unheard of. The ‘great white industry’ was founded in the Seventies by an Aussie diver, but didn’t make it to South Africa until 1989.
16. Colombia ❑
Once considered pretty much the most dangerous place in the world to take a holiday, today Colombia is enjoying a honeymoon period as the place for backpackers. Though some intrepid types did follow the Gringo Trail here in ’83, conflicts between left-wing guerrilla groups and right-wing paramilitary organisations, plus the rampant drug trade, made it far from safe.
However, the past decade has seen a significant drop in civil violence and Colombia is no longer the world’s biggest producer of cocaine. Which leaves its Caribbean beaches and vibrant party towns to be explored with far less trepidation.
17. Greek Island hopping ❑
Less of a boozy bonanza for hot young things back in 1983, but no less beautiful, the Greek islands have tempted tourists with their sparkling waters and laid-back vibes for decades. A visit is cheaper and easier than ever nowadays, however, thanks to the masses of companies operating yacht flotillas.
18. New York ❑
Today, New York is one of the world’s most desired holiday destinations. But in the Eighties, it was considered an incredibly dangerous place to visit, owing to a massive spike in crime blamed on the crack epidemic that swept the city during this decade. The Big Apple has cleaned up its rep since, retaining the lowest crime rate of the US’s 25 largest cities since 2005. And probably thanks in no small part to Carrie sodding Bradshaw, too.
19. Machu Picchu ❑
Trekking to this Inca marvel in the Andes is a must-do for any self-respecting globe trotter. It was first designated a Unesco World Heritage site in 1983, though it’s a lot safer to visit these days, seeing as Peru was plunged into a lenghty civil war in 1980.
20. Dubai ❑
The United Arab Emirates has only been a country for 41 years, but the emirate of Dubai has grown up fast. In 1983, the city state comprised little more than a handful of villas, while the Dubai World Trade Centre, at 149m tall, was the lone skyscraper on main highway Sheikh Zayed Road. Fast forward 30 years and SZR is a space-age stretch of towers, presided over by the world’s tallest building, the 829.8m-high Burj Khalifa.
Dubai is now a bizarre mix of Indian expat enclaves at one end of town and ‘new money’ Westerners at the other, but seeing the result of going from barren desert to bling-bling tourist hub in 30 short years is certainly intriguing. Plus, despite being a millionaire’s playground, you can do Dubai on a budget. Find out how here: tntmagazine.com/budgetdubai
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21. Climb Kilamanjaro ❑
Climbing Africa’s highest peak should be near the top of any serious traveller’s wish list. The prospect of scaling Kili is far less daunting to the casual climber nowadays than it was in ’83, thanks to a profusion of tour operators and also the fact that it’s widely accepted to be a fairly easy ascent, the biggest danger being altitude sickness.
22. Ski Canada ❑
Well, they definitely had the Rockies back in ’83, which means Canada was as much a premier skiing destination then as it is today. The number of Antipodeans looking to take a working holiday here remains steady too. Find out how you can do it at tntmagazine.com/snowbusiness
23. Mynamar / Burma ❑
Myanmar’s government has only encouraged tourism since 1992, and even then remained a pariah, isolated from the international community for continued human rights abuses. Things have changed recently, however, after Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi announced an end to her call for a tourism boycott, upon being released from house arrest. Tourists are now flocking to see the temples and Buddhist shrines of this time-warped final frontier: go quick before it gets too popular.
24. Gorilla tracking in Uganda ❑
Uganda is often described as Africa in microcosm, and for that reason has been a favourite of tourists since the late Sixties. When TNT launched, however, holidaymakers were avoiding the country because of political instability. But the tourist industry recovered towards the end of the decade and it’s now the premier destination for gorilla tracking at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
25. Rio de Janeiro ❑
Between 1985 and 1993, hotel occupancy in Rio dropped 50 per cent as tales of widespread crime, kidnappings and the lawless favelas (see P62) scared off visitors. Today, it’s not only a backpacker essential for its raucous street parties and hottie-filled beaches (and, whisper it, favela tours), but is set to hit the tourism jackpot by hosting the World Cup in 2014 and then the Olympics in 2016.
26. Galapagos Islands ❑
An expensive but totally worth it bucket list trip, the Galapagos islands went through a rough time in the Eighties – between 1982 and 1983, 70 per cent of the islands’ marine iguanas died because of El Niño.
But improved measures to protect this one-of-a-kind ecosystem have helped to preserve the species that cannot be found anywhere else on the planet (most famously the giant tortoises, aforementioned iguanas and blue-footed boobies).
27. African Safari ❑
Visitors have been obsessed with the ‘Big Five’ for far longer than 30 years – the phrase was first coined by white hunters to denote the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot (lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, leopard and rhinoceros).
Thankfully, heading to Africa to blow the animals’ brains out is no longer quite so popular, with most folks content to snap them on camera from a 4×4. Masai Mara in Kenya and the Serengeti in Tanzania are among the most popular spots.
tntmagazine.com/best-of-africa
28. Northern Lights ❑
Chasing this natural phenomenon has been perennially popular, though today’s travellers are in luck – NASA has predicted autumn 2013 will host the best (and most frequent) natural light show for a decade. Head to Scandinavia to start the expensive – but unforgettable – chase. Or check out our guide to doing it on the cheap.
29. West Coast road trip, US ❑
California and Las Vegas have held the same glamorous allure since the latter half of the 20th century. The main difference between the trip then and now is merely one of crapper cars and more disturbing haircuts.
30. Golden Triangle, India ❑
It’s almost impossible to choose the best of India. Drift through paradise on a houseboat in Kerala? Take in the tea plantations of Darjeeling or soak up the strange spiritualism of Varanasi? Do all of those, but also do the Golden Triangle.
The Delhi-Agra-Jaipur route takes you to highlights including the Taj Mahal and the pink temples of Jaipur. India has been a favourite on the ‘banana pancake trail’ since it was called the ‘hippie trail’ in the Sixties and Seventies, but more and more folks are being brave and dipping a toe into the subcontinent’s sensory assault today (the number of foreign tourists in India increased nearly 10 per cent between 2010 and 2011 alone). So get in there.
Looking to tick some of these off your list? Visit TNT Tour Search to plan your next big adventure!
Photos: Getty; Thinkstock; Facebook; Salt Flats Tours; Edinburgh’s Hogmanay