Backpacking

Travel is a fantastic form of escapism. You can take yourself of into another world and experience cultures you never dreamed existed. Stepping out into the souks of northern Africa or wandering through the golden temples of Asia give a real attack on the senses and it’s a sensation that makes you feel completely alive!

Many people think travel has to be an expensive hobby, but it’s possible to go backpacking on a tight budget and still have a fantastic time. Backpacker travel is one of the best ways to travel around the world, seeing and experiencing everything it has to offer, without breaking the backpacking budget. You can get cheap flights all over the world these days and by always keeping your eye out for great, cheap backpacking deals you can see beautiful places, meet wonderful people and not break the bank.

And don’t think that you need 6 months or a year to go backpacking. A backpacking trip can last just a week or two and that will still allow you to see plenty of stunning sights. Don’t be deceived into thinking that because you only have a two week break from work you have to go on a beach holiday and stay in the same place for the duration. You can be on a plane and arrive in a different continent before you know it, trekking into the South American jungle or winding through the bohemian back streets of Eastern Europe. By taking two weeks at a time, you can work your way through all the countries in the world and sample every backpacking wonder that’s out there

Top Backpacking Destinations is here to show you all these fantastic places to travel and to whet your appetite for the backpacking experience! We’ll tell you what’s good, what’s bad and feed you all the best backpacking tips along the way. Read about them all, pick your favourite spots and get your next holiday booked. Only this time, pick up your backpack, grab the essentials and soak up as much as you can with the time you have.

Gap Years

Often, the seed of many people’s travel passion is going on a gap year. It’s an opportunity to escape from education and live the easy life, something most teenagers are desperate for! But gap years don’t just have to come after school, many people take sabbaticals from work or want another break following university and head out to see the world.

Whichever of these is the reason for taking a gap year, it is undoubtedly a fantastic experience and usually leads to a serious case of the travel bug. This is what happened to me; i’d never been interested in travel before my gap year in Honduras and since i’ve come back and i haven’t been able to stop.

The great thing about gap years is that you have so many options available to you. From teaching English in a village school in Central America to going on a booze fuelled break around South East Asia, there’s something for everyone. If it’s charity projects that you’re after then there are plenty of well structured programmes which you can participate in, or you can make it an activity break and coach sports in numerous exotic destinations around the world.

And who’s to say you can only have one? Why not squeeze one in after school, one after university and a sabbatical from work! Just be careful, because once you catch the travel bug, it’s very hard to shake it off.

Backpacking Essentials

So you’ve booked your backpacking trip, you’re budget’s planned and you’re ready to go. But what are the backpacking essentials you can’t afford to forget? Below are a few top backpacking tips and things to remember before you head out on the road:

Research: Before you leave it’s so important to have a plan. You might change this plan after just one or two days but just having an idea in your idea in your head means you can highlight the things that are most important to you to achieve on your backpacking trip.

Budget: Getting your budget sorted is also crucial before you leave. And this doesn’t just mean saving up a certain amount of money ahead of your departure, you need to be aware of the currencies in other countries so you can split your budget accordingly and have enough money left when you get towards the end of your adventure. It’s no good spending all your money in Thailand where it goes a long way and having none left for Brazil which is super expensive!

Equipment: Getting the right backpacking gear is another key element of a successful backpacking trip. That isn’t stuffing your bag full with everything you can possibly think of as you’ll be able to pick up nearly everything you need on the road. The most important thing is to have a really good backpack (i recommend one that opens like a suitcase – it’s hard to get everything out a hole at the top!) some strong shoes and a safe place to keep all you documents.

Oh, and one last thing – set up a great travel blog so we can all read your backpacking tips!

Travel Blogging

Travel blogs are becoming more and more common these days as blogging becomes more and more accessible and straight forward. It makes sense that if you’re going on an extended trip you keep a record of all the incredible experiences you have along the way and a travel blog is a fantastic way to do that.

With blogging platforms like wordpress and blogger available for free, keeping a travel blog is a no brainer when you set off on your backpacking adventure. Not only is it a marvellous keepsake once you return home (if you ever do!), but it also allows family and friends who are back at home in the office keep up to speed with your travels. It will also save your little fingers typing out the same travel story 20 different times to each individual person!

There are also so many other people out there who are interested in your stories and your opinions on the places you visit. This backpacking blog was born as i wanted to tell people about the places I have visited on my backpacking trips and share the experiences i had in so many fantastic destinations. And travel is one topic that you’ll never get bored of reading about! There are so many destinations, so many opinions and so many attractions that no matter how many travel and backpacking blogs appear it will never get boring. Hopefully you agree while you’re reading this one!

Travel Destinations

There is an abundance of fantastic travel destinations around the world so it's hard to know where to start when you set out on a backpacking trip. Do you head to somewhere off the beaten track straight away or opt for a more common tourist destination which may be less demanding but also less stimulating?

Top Backpacking Destinations aims to provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision and have a fantastic time on the road, whether you’re on a round the world trip, gap year or just away for a few weeks on holiday. Take a look at the travel destinations pages for a variety of travel guides across all the major continents:

• Africa
• Asia & Australasia
• Europe
• North & Central America
• South America

Whatever trip you decide on, you’re sure to be able to find something perfect for you in amongst all these amazing holiday destinations. Choose the depths of the Amazon if you want some alone time where you can be at one with nature. If you feel the need for a tourist destination in every sense of the word then head for a city break to Paris or Barcelona where you won’t be disappointed. This is the rewarding thing about travel; there's a perfect destination for everyone, you just need to find yours!