I lost my job so I took a £10 flight from Manchester airport and travelled the world for three months
- Kevin John Smith, 30, originally from the UK, visited 23 places across the globe
- READ MORE: Couple who quit jobs to travel the world share money-saving hacks
A man has revealed how he was prompted to travel the world after booking a £10 flight after losing his job.
Kevin John Smith, 30, found himself out of work and decided to book the cheapest flight out of Manchester he could find, leading him to unexpectedly travel the world and visit 23 locations.
He took a £10 flight to Carcassonne, France, with a rucksack packed with just seven t-shirts, two pairs of shorts, his camera, and the trainers and hoodie he was wearing.
He made his way across Europe from France, through Italy, Slovakia, and Austria, to name a few locations, before making his way to Turkey and then on to Egypt to see the pyramids – one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Kevin then ventured to the UAE, visiting Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Dubai, before taking a £91 flight to the Maldives.
After losing his job, Kevin John Smith, 30, wanted to see the world and spent three months going from country to country. Pictured: By the Hollywood sign in LA
Kevin travelled on to Thailand and Singapore before heading to the US and travelling to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York before heading back to the UK.
He spent three months travelling and explained that he didn’t want to stay in any place too long or get too comfortable anywhere because he wanted to remain out of his comfort zone.
Kevin said: ‘I’d always wanted to see the world. I had so many great opportunities in my career that it was hard to just leave and go into the unknown of travelling.
‘However, everything happens for a reason. I ended up losing my job, and instead of looking for another job, I packed my work rucksack and looked for the cheapest flight out of Manchester, which was a £10 Ryanair flight to Carcassonne in France.
‘I’d never ever heard of it.’
‘I spent a couple of days exploring before taking a train to Toulouse. From France, I took a £9 flight to Bergamo in Italy.
‘I wasn’t a huge fan of Bergamo, so I made my way to Lake Como and visited Lecco, Varenna and Bellagio. It was incredible and stunning.
‘Next, I went to Bratislava in Slovakia. I liked it as a place, however I ended up in a mosquito ridden hostel the first night which gave me a bad first impression.
‘So, after some exploring, it was time to move on, and I got the train to Vienna.
After his time in Turkey, Kevin really wanted to see the pyramids in Egypt, so he made his way to Hurghada and then Cairo. Pictured: Kevin on a camel in Egypt
He spent three months travelling and explained that he didn’t want to stay in any place too long. Pictured: Kevin at the Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi
Kevin was living off his savings as he had no job and had to find ways to live cheaply. Pictured: in Thailand
‘I really enjoyed my time there and spent a couple of days checking out the city. Next, I got myself a £40 ticket from Vienna to Istanbul.
‘Istanbul was an incredible place and super cheap. I loved my time there.’
After his time in Turkey, Kevin really wanted to see the pyramids in Egypt, so he made his way to Hurghada and then Cairo.
He even went inside of the pyramids, as well as experiencing camel rides with a local, but he said that the poverty in the area was on another level.
Kevin added: ‘After seeing the pyramids, I was tempted to make that the end of the trip and go home, but I looked for the cheapest ticket out of Egypt which was to Abu Dhabi.
‘During my time there, I visited the Grand Mosque and also went to Sharjah and Dubai.
‘The cheapest flight out of the UAE was from Dubai to New Deli, however, I couldn’t do that because of some issues with visas.
When in Thailand (pictured), Kevin said he had no accommodation booked but he admitted he wasn’t scared
Kevin booked the cheapest flight out of Manchester, which led him to unexpectedly travelling the world and visiting 23 locations. Pictured: Kevin in Thailand
During his adventures, the 30-year-old took a £9 flight to Bergamo in Italy. Pictured: A smiley Kevin on a coast in Italy
‘So I headed back to Abu Dhabi on a bus and found that the cheapest flight out of there was a £91 ticket to the Maldives.
‘I had no internet or accommodation booked when I arrived in the Maldives, so I got a 20p boat from the airport to Male and luckily found a place to stay for a few nights.
‘I wasn’t in the touristy parts of the Maldives, and I was getting lots of attention from locals because visitors don’t usually stay there.
‘I visited local beaches and explored the area, however, as it wasn’t a tourist-popular area, some parts were really run down.
‘The cheapest flight from Male was to Bangkok, so I made my way to Thailand.. Everywhere I was going was on a whim.
‘I had no accommodation booked in Bangkok either, but I wasn’t scared the entire trip.
‘Although at some points I felt like I was losing myself, because I was so exhausted from the travelling, and sometimes felt lonely, it was so good because I wanted a challenge.’
Kevin said that Singapore was expensive and the hostel he stayed in was ‘awful’. Pictured: Kevin in Singapore
Kevin said that when he visited Egypt (left), he went inside the pyramids but added that the poverty there was ‘on another level’
The ex-social media manager travelled across the globe, experiencing many different cultures. Pictured: Kevin in New York
Kevin went to Egypt and visited the pyramids (right), one of the seven wonders of the world. Pictured left in New York
After finding a hostel in Bangkok and making his way around the bustling city, Kevin then moved on to Chang Mai, before getting a bus to Pai.
He said: ‘Pai was so remote. There was nothing around at all, but it was stunning. It looked like something from a film.
‘I was just booking hostel day by day, as I went along. It was a lot easier to plan in Thailand because there are lots of travellers.
‘I hadn’t had any jabs or anything, because I had no idea where I was going to end up, which meant I ended up getting really sick, and I was wiped out for days.
‘After riding out the sickness, I then went to Singapore. It was so expensive while I was there, and the hostel I stayed in was awful, but I had no job and was living off of my savings so I had no choice.
‘Somehow, I managed to blag my way into Raffles Hotel to use their spa facilities, which were insane.
Kevin said that his time in Thailand was easier to plan as there are many travellers who go there. Pictured: in Thailand
Kevin also went to Singapore (left) and the Maldives, flying from Abu Dhabi for just £91. Pictured right: in the sea
Speaking of Los Angeles, Kevin said he didn’t understand ‘the hype’ around the famous city in California
While in Bratislava in Slovakia (pictured) Kevin said he ended up in a mosquito ridden hostel the first night
‘That gave me the confidence to continue blagging my way around Singapore and I managed to explore for so much less.
‘I then spent £700 on a flight from Singapore to San Francisco, and then to LA. I arrived at 1 am, and there were no hotels available, so I slept at the doors of the airport with my blanket from the flight.
‘I was freezing, and I woke up next to a homeless person. I thought to myself that this is too far now, and dangerous.
‘I booked the cheapest place I could find the next day, which was in LA near Cecil Hotel and Skid Row.
‘I did LA, but I didn’t really get the hype. So I spent £17 on a flight out of LA to Las Vegas.
‘I did all the touristy stuff there, but I was running out of money and needed to try and work my way home.
Kevin said that when he was in Singapore (right) he managed to ‘blag’ his way into Raffles Hotel to use their spa facilities, which he described as ‘insane’
The 30-year-old flew from Los Angeles to Las Vegas for just £17. Here he is pictured with the famous sign
During his time in Abu Dhabi, he visited the Grand Mosque (pictured) and also went to Sharjah and Dubai
He took a £10 flight to Carcassonne, France, with a rucksack packed with just seven t-shirts, two pairs of shorts, his camera, and the trainers and hoodie he was wearing. Pictured: with a friend in Carcassonne
Kevin visited Dubai and is pictured here smiling on the beach as he soaked up the sun and made the most of the hot climate
Kevin had $50 left in Las Vegas so he gambled at Caesars Palace and turned it into a whopping $800
‘I had $50 spare to spend and since I was in Vegas, I went to Caesars Palace to gamble.’
Luck was on his side as within two hours, Kevin managed to turn $50 into $800.
As he now had more money, Kevin flew to New York before heading back to the UK.
He said: ‘I did all the sights in New York and treated myself to a hotel. I then found a flight back to London for around £180 and then got the train back home to Manchester.
‘I arrived home in the same pair of trainers that I left in three months earlier, with the same seven t-shirts on rotation. I felt like a shadow of the person I was when I set off on my trip.
‘However, after everything I had experienced, I couldn’t stay in Manchester doing a typical nine to five and getting the bus into town every day.
‘I wanted to stay out of my comfort zone and keep making more memories.
‘So I ended up going to live with a friend in Dubai, and I have had some more amazing work opportunities. I have packed my bags and moved out to Dubai to start another adventure.’
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