Planning Packing Money Other Destinations Links
Planning ———————————————————————————————————————
Backpacking involves: travelling around one or more countries; carrying your possessions in a bag on your back; living on a small budget.
Common reasons for doing it include: to experience different cultures; to feel a sense of independence; to meet new people; to learn and develop skills; to have fun.
Flexibility and adventure are fundamental aspects of backpacking so don't overly plan whilst at home; just make a short list of places to see and things to do.
Over-estimate your costs when planning your trip and save money longer / harder rather than miss out on special and unique experiences whilst you’re away.
The advantage of buying an all-in-one round the world plane ticket is that they normally work out cheaper than buying tickets as and when you need them; the disadvantage is that you remove a lot of flexibility from your trip.
The advantage of buying one way tickets, as and when you need them, is that you gain a huge sense of freedom / adventure; the disadvantage is that it’s difficult to calculate in advance how much the tickets will cost.
Use country specific travel forums on the internet to find up-to-date information and unbiased reviews on destinations.
Guidebooks aren't essential as you can find plenty of free travel information / advice from local people, hotels and other backpackers; however, if you do want one, ‘Lonely Plant’ and ‘Rough Guide’ are the most popular ones.
Check the annual weather conditions of destinations whilst making your travel plans as even countries with reputations for good weather have poor seasons.
Check with your doctor as to which vaccinations are needed for your chosen destination(s) and remember that you can have immunisation shots even if they're not officially required.
It's recommended that you take out travel insurance for the duration of your trip, without it, in many countries, you'll be unable to receive medical attention in the case of illness or an accident.
Ensure that you have enough spare pages in your passport for the duration of your trip and that it doesn’t expire for at least 6 months past the date you intend to return home.
A visa is an official stamp in your passport that allows you to visit a particular country for a specified length of time; in countries commonly visited by backpackers, they're generally available on arrival, so no advance planning is needed.
If visas are not available on arrival then you should plan to get one beforehand from the destination country’s embassy in another country.
Scan and email to yourself, copies of your: passport, plane tickets, visas, credit card numbers and travellers cheques, so that you can refer to them if you lose the originals whilst travelling.
Packing ———————————————————————————————————————–
A backpack size of between 30 and 40 litres is recommended for the majority of travellers; look for one that opens at the front, has zippers down to the bottom and netting / straps on the front and sides.
An additional smaller bag / rucksack for use during days trips is also recommended.
Most backpackers find that they take too much with them and later regret having to carry the extra weight around with them; therefore, instead of packing full your backpack at home, buy items as and when you need them.
Baggage allowance on flights is normally 20kg main luggage and 7kg hand luggage.
The average backpacker should need: 2/3 t-shirts, 1 long sleeved shirt, 1 lightweight fleece, 2 pairs of trousers, swimwear, 3/4 pairs of underwear and 2/3 pairs of socks.
Sticking to a few dark or neutral colours means that you can mix and match your clothes, and that dirt / stains won’t be easily visible.
For footwear, it’s recommended that you take one pair of lightweight trainers, some flip-flops, and a set of flat, smarter sandals.
A backpacker’s wash bag should consist of a toothbrush, a razor, and travel size versions of soap, shampoo, toothpaste and deodorant.
A first-aid kit should include: painkillers; bandages; sterile syringes; TCP; diarrhea remedies; travel sickness pills; mosquito repellent.
Taking ear plugs will help you sleep in noisy accommodation and when travelling around on buses and planes.
A lock is useful for securing your backpack, hostel locker or hotel door.
Take a good torch with you; ideally a headlight and a compact LED one.
So long as your cell phone has international roaming enabled, you should be able to use it whilst backpacking.
Whether or not you need to take a sleeping bag depends on the climate of your destination(s) and the quality of the hostels / hotels you intend to be sleeping in.
Money ————————————————————————————————————————-
US$ are generally the currency preferred by money exchangers, though the Euro is well respected and should also be accepted.
The best way to get money whilst travelling is to use your bank card from home in a foreign banks ATM (money will come out in local currency); traveller's cheques are best used in moderation, as back up to an ATM card
Credit cards are useful for larger purchases and can be used to obtain cash advances in most banks world-wide; with a credit card protection plan, if you lose any of your cards whilst you’re away you only have to make one free call to cancel all of your cards.
It's advisable that the cash you set off with from home be enough to last you for your first week, though only carry a small amount of it in your wallet at any given time (with the rest hidden in various places in your backpack).
If you’re accommodation isn’t very secure, keep all of your important documents, and most of your money, in a money-belt that can be worn beneath your clothing.
Knowing what the exchange rate is before you arrive in a country lessens the chance of you being getting ripped off on your first taxi fare and first night’s accommodation.
Always agree on a price for a service before the service has been provided as this lessens the chance of being charged an inflated price.
Other ——————————————————————————————————————-
English is an international language and will be spoken at airports, embassies and on backpacker trails; however, in your host country's language, try to at least learn: hello, thank you, no thank you, how much?, 1-10.
When travelling to a new country, book ahead for your first night's accommodation (many hotels / hostels / guesthouses that accommodate backpackers' take reservations through the internet prior to arrival) and try to arrive in daylight.
Local travel agents are readily available on backpacker routes and are useful for arranging flights, visas and day trips.
Overnight buses and sleeper trains are ideal for backpackers and offer a cheap way to cover moderate distances.
Long in-country distances can be covered with internal / domestic flights; they are generally cheap, safe and can be booked on the day.
Cheap internet cafes / shops are common in countries that are popular with backpackers; consider setting up a free internet blog to keep your family and friends up-to-date with your travels.
You can extend a backpacking trip by visiting a country in which there is a demand for people to teach English as a foreign language.
Volunteer programs (such as building projects, conservation or aid work) normally welcome backpackers.
Destinations —————————————————————————————————————
In the Pacific region, try travelling around Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.
Northern Asia’s most popular backpacking destinations are China, Japan and Mongolia.
Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka make up the Southern Asia backpacking trail.
In South East Asia, consider Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand, as possible destinations.
Egypt and Morocco are North Africa’s best travelled places.
East Africa’s Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia are popular with backpackers.
Gambia, Ghana, Mali and Senegal form the West Africa backpacking route.
Travellers to Southern Africa favour Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.
In the Middle East, consider visiting Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey.
Central America’s most travelled destinations are Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua.
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Peru, are recommended for backpacking in South America.
Planning Insurance Packing Money Travelling Destinations Links
www.the-backpacking-site.com : General travel information. Extended packing advice. Reviews of travel destinations.
www.travelindependent.info : In-depth travel advice. What to Pack. Where to go. Pre-trip considerations.
www.solotravel.org : Travel tips. How to save and budget money. Backpacker stories.
www.backpackerheaven.com : General travel information. Tips and advice. Backpacker FAQs.
www.lonelyplanet.com : Destination reviews. Country specific travel forums. Buy travel guidebooks.
www.travelhealth.co.uk : Health related travel information. What vaccinations are required. Risk of diseases.