So… you return from a massive adventure around the world where you lived on exotic beaches, drank cheap whiskey by the (literal) bucket loads, and explored new exciting cities, meeting and greeting new faces constantly. Then you return to a cold and miserable British summer where unemployment is sky high and you need to search under the sofa cushions just to scrape together a bus fare. It sucks.
Jaclyn’s article of …

When you first start backpacking, chances are you are not familiar with all the do’s and don’ts that come with it. For example, you might stuff your backpack with clothes just to find out that once you are there (this applies to India, South East Asia and other hot climate backpacker favorites) it’s actually very easy and cheap (often just $2 or $3) to buy comfortable clothes in the country.
But …

Melbourne is a city I’ve been to a couple of times prior to my recent long-haul backpacking trip, however family duties overshadowed any chance of wild running around the city, but this all changed when I was backpacking- I was able to decadently enjoy/drink/eat/shop (on a small scale), generally revel in all of Melbourne’s delights. And there was a hell of a lot!
It’s a massive challenge to try and cram …

Getting to grips with the lingo in a foreign country can be an interesting challenge for a traveller especially when you’re just passing through for a few days. I discovered that buying toothpaste in Ecuador is easier said than done, especially when the shopkeeper misunderstands your broken Spanish and is thrusting a packet of smoked ham in your face instead of the Colgate Whitening you desire.
Even with our globalised world …

The typical backpacker route in Malaysia often sticks closely to the Western Peninsula, what with Kuala Lumpur (KL) being a top bustling destination with its fun Chinatown and staggering sights of the Petronas Towers. However, a quick plane ride can get you to the Eastern Peninsula: Borneo. Borneo is famous for its Orangutan sanctuaries (which I highly recommend) but it’s also home to Sabah’s capital which is the diverse city …

Looking for romance? Culture? Fun? Good food and music? Diverse landscapes and plenty of historic sights? And on top of that you want to be safe while travelling? Then Europe is the place to be!
Safety
Europe is – despite a few places – a very safe continent. Political stable, no war, less religious beliefs that can make travelling (especially for women) a tough experience that needs a lot of preparation. Of …

This year, my (male) flatmate traveled through India for a few weeks. And to prepare for the trip, even this most chaotic human being on the planet spontanious contemporary made a packing list. I happened to find it in our kitchen yersterday and couldn’t help but compare it with the list I had made before travelling to Australia.
Ladies, forget about gender studies! This is where you’ll find truth about the differences between men and …

Picture this: You’re backpacking alone in a tropical exotic country, far far away from home with all its comforts, amidst language barriers that are amusingly out in full force, travelling with companions randomly met on your journey… then you wake up at 2am throwing up last nights stir-fried chicken and vegetables with a fever and feeling like you’ve been floored by a ton of bricks. And to make everything a …

I stumbled across this today on Vagablogging and really felt like I should repost here and share.
Gringo Trails is a documentary in production about backpackers and their impacts on the places they visit. Pegi Vail, an anthropologist at Columbia University, explores these impacts on locations in Thailand, Mali, and Bolivia. Though the segment on Bolivia has a positive counterpoint and it is acknowledged that, “Backpackers aren’t the bad guys,” the …

Dear Travelettes,
if you like to travel with a backpack rather than a suitcase you will know what a drag it can be to pack it the right way. Fitting everything can be tricky and leaving enough space for things you buy on the road is tough.
There are ways to maximize space and a number of rights and wrongs when it comes to putting everything in. Rather than listing everything I …