h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'd just like to jump in here and say the overland tour guides, despite their crazy nicknames are (in my experience) excellent indiviuals, incredibly resourceful and able to smooth over very difficult situations ensuring all their guests have a great time.
My experience was a 6 week overland trip across China, intended to cross the Karakorum Highway and end up in Pakistan. On our meeting up on the first day in Beijing we discovered that the Karakorum Highway had just been closed for the season due to severe flooding and landslides. With less resourceful leaders this could have meant the end of our holiday but after a heated group debate we decided instead to travel to Nepal via Tibet. Our hero guides managed to arrange the appropriate permissions from the Chinese authorities and what could have been a disappointing washout eventually turned into an incredible adventure. Many people look down on these sorts of trips but I made some lifelong friends and had a wonderful trip.
My eternal thanks to Carl and Sarah if you're out there.