Direction around the world

I'm travelling west to South America- Nz- South East Asia- India and then Home(UK). But everyone seems to travel East first! Just wondering why people do this, because due to time changes won't i get alot of my travelling time back? and am wondering why more people don't do it this way?

A RTW specialist could give you an answer about rules about RTW tickets, maybe that's one of the reasons, don't know.

Regarding the time you get back: no, that is not the case. Because:
1. It is just a matter of hours, while your RTW trip is a matter of months
2. Just imagine yourself the following theoretical thing: if you travel around the world with a constant speed, either east or west, and you will end where you started, do you think that time matters at all? You will end at the exact same time at your final destination!

One advantage though, if you don't travel to far at one leg: jetlag will be much less, if not totally absent.

Mike

It depends on the part of the world people are booking from as to the most popular direction of travel. I find in my job as a travel consultant the large majority of Australian people going on RTW trips go from East to West (which is the direction I have done all my 3 RTW trips). A lot of people I have had enquiries from in the UK choose to go West to East mainly due to Australia being the main destination on the trip and needing to work in Australia to fund the remainder of the trip. Some have other reasons but that is the most common one I have heard.

I personally recommend people do travel East to West because it does not have as much effect with regards to time changes and often means you can go with the weather a bit better than the opposite way (that does depend on the destinations and how long in each place).

I am yet to ever experience jetlag going East to West and I've got many long haul flights including two from South America to Australia. I know of people who have gone the opposite way flying the same leg I have but in reverse who have reported experiencing jetlag. Whether that is something to do with them being unhealthy or unfit I don't know but I think it is more because of going against the time zones rather than with.