When we hear the phrase “backpacking” all sorts of stereotypical images jump to mind. The gap year student, wandering Thailand and “finding themselves” at a moonlit beach party. But backpacking is open to so many more people than twenty-somethings looking for a break from their studies. Here are a few reasons you might like to consider backpacking on your next vacation.
Price
Holidays are expensive. Not all of us can afford Jet Charters and five-star accommodation. If you’ve been searching extortionate retreats in the Seychelles, five-star hotels in South Africa and luxury cruises around the Caribbean, you might think that these are places you could only dream of visiting. But that’s not the case. Backpacking cuts the price of visiting further afield destinations. So if you fancy the holiday of a lifetime without completely breaking the bank, backpacking might be the option for you. Once you reach your destination, try walking instead of forking out for taxis and public transport. You’ll see more of the world that way. Stay in hostels. You won’t be staying home all day every day anyway, so you only need the absolute basics of accommodation. Eat street food. Get a taste of local culture instead of limiting yourself to fine dining restaurants.
Escape the Everyday
Even if you adore your job, the nine to five gets a little dull and tiring eventually. Backpacking trips offer an acceptable, extensive break from your normal life. It’s a means of escape. Whether you go for a month or a year. Switch up the office for beach sunsets, food shopping trips for colorful marketplaces and scrolling through social media feeds for waterfalls and rainforests. Experience the strange and the alien. Push yourself out of your comfort zone and fill your boots with amazing tales to tell for years to come.
Eye Opening Experiences
When you backpack, you have freedom unlike any other kind of vacation. Everything you own is on your back. You can go where you like and do what you like. You’re not tied down to timetables and rotas. This means that you can end up seeing some unimaginable sites. Exploring can lead you to the most unique, tucked away beaches and coves. You will meet locals and immerse yourself entirely in local culture. Chances are, you will make friends as you go. The backpacking community is renowned for its friendly and welcoming nature, with people exchanging recommendations with one another.
A Taste of Local Culture
You won’t be tied to a hotel buffet and select restaurants. Backpacking means finding your food, and this can lead you to make some of the most delicious discoveries. Local cuisine will taste exactly as it should, served up on disposable plates on the street or in a tucked away cafe or family owned restaurant.
Fitness
It’s easy to become lazy when you’re sat in a swivel chair checking excel documents for eight hours a day. Backpacking forces you to become more energetic and outgoing. Everything you own is on your back, and you’ll walk further than you ever have before. You can try out new sports and extreme sports. Pushing yourself to limits that you would usually think impossible.
