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What To Pack When Backpacking (and how to fit it all in )

You’ve saved up some money, booked your flight, quit your job, and are ready to go. All you have to do is pack your bag and you’ll be on your way to your next adventure! But then you look at your backpack and wonder what exactly you need to take away with you on a multi-month trip abroad and just how you’re going to fit it all in.

How can you possibly pack to deal with every possible situation that may arise whilst you’re away?

Before you throw in half your wardrobe, remember that you will have to carry it all on your back, possibly for extended periods of time. Ask yourself whether that pair of heels are really essential in the jungles of Borneo. Here is a suggested list of what you may need; add to it anything that is specific to your travel plans but remember that some will things will be able to be bought locally.

Clothing

Try to pack the bare minimum and get used to washing clothes in the sink at your hostel or discount hotel each night.

2-3 short-sleeved shirts – these will ideally be fast-drying
1-2 long-sleeved shirts to cover your arms for warmth, as protection from mosquitoes and for modesty.
1 pair of jeans – hard-wearing jeans can be useful for a number of occasions.
2 pairs of shorts or skirts – preferably knee-length for both men and women if travelling in countries where showing too much flesh is considered taboo.

Swimwear – men’s swimming shorts can also double up as everyday shorts.

Lightweight Fleece – essential for keeping warm in cold countries, on chilly evenings and on over-air-conditioned planes.

Underwear – 3 or 4 pairs of each should suffice as long as you hand wash them whenever you get the chance – they can be stuffed in shoes to save on space.

Hiking Boots – essential if you’re going to do any form of heavy-duty hiking. Try to wear them when travelling as they are heavy and will take up a fair amount of

space in your backpack.

Flip-Flops – light and easy to squeeze into a small space, these will not only take you from beach to bar, they will be very handy in communal showers.

Essentials

Sleeping Bag – essential for any traveller, plus it can be rolled up and attached to the front of your backpack. Obviously necessary for camping but also when the sheets on your bed in that cheap hostel look a bit dodgy.

Hat – keeps your hair off your face and the sun from burning you.

Toiletries – keep these to a bare minimum – shower gel, shampoo, face wash, moisturiser, toothbrush, toothpaste.

Travel Wash – save money on laundry bills and ensure you can do a quick bit of washing wherever you are. You’ll be glad you did when you turn up at your discount hotel wearing clean clothes and looking presentable!

Travel Towel – there are some brilliant travel towels on the market which are lightweight, fold up to fit into a small space and dry quickly.

Mosquito Repellent – not only are mosquito bites unsightly and annoyingly itchy, they can also be incredibly dangerous – there are many serious mosquito-borne diseases in foreign countries so keep safe and spray repellent wherever mosquitoes are present.

This isn’t an exhaustive list but it will give you a good starting point. Don’t forget your passport, visas and tickets!

Inside Bangkok

When most people think of Thailand they think of glittering beaches, palm trees and backpackers. They don’t initially think of culture, modern urban areas and luxury city-based accommodation.

For the past few decades, since Thailand was ‘discovered’ by tourism, holidaymakers have been flocking to this South East Asian country in droves in search of exotic sun, sand and sea. Of course Thailand doesn’t disappoint on this front. Its beaches are spectacular, particularly on the west coast where sheer limestone rock plunges deep into the warm, tropical ocean below. Resorts are friendly and affordable and with the food and glimpses of temples and Buddhist shrines, travellers feel they are getting a small view into another exotic culture.

However, many people bypass its capital altogether, using it as nothing more than an entry and exit point. The rumours are true. Bangkok is smoggy, congested, chaotic and slightly crazy, but under the dirty veneer and stress-inducing traffic there is an enthralling and engaging city, full of wonderful people, colourful history and shimmering temples.

Thailand, and Bangkok more specifically wants to embrace modernity and it does so by building malls and towering glass office blocks. There are so many malls here it is hard to know where to start. Having said this, Siam Paragon and MBK are two of the biggest and best. The Siam Centre has a giant aquarium and MBK has a huge cinema and bowling complex.

However, it is also a city that remembers its heritage. There are temples and shrines everywhere as well as old houses, stately mansions and museums. The most famous temple complex is the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, home of the Reclining Buddha and Emerald Buddha. This is the most sacred place in Thailand and everything from the decoration to the symbolism is divine.

The National Museum documents Thailand’s history with vast collections of artifacts, furniture and art. It is well worth a visit and only around 50 Baht, which is roughly £1.

The National Theatre and Thailand Cultural Centre are great places to go for traditional and classical dance and music shows. The costumes of the performers are so decadent and colourful they are reason enough to go.

A cruise along the Chao Phraya River is also a must. There is no better insight into Bangkok culture.

Flight Centre offers a variety of cheap flights to Bangkok for travel throughout the year.

A New Side of Los Angeles

When most travellers consider a trip to LA - it's all about bright lights, world class shopping, celebrities and Hollywood - but did you know that there is a whole new side to the City of Angels? (And we're not talking about East Side - West Side!) Los Angeles is well known for many ground breaking cultural innovations, inspiring major literary pieces and works of art, being home to outstanding architectural achievements and offering a number of unique experiences for the nature lover. Discover a whole new side to Los Angeles.

Bookworm heaven

Pic by chillihead

If you're a literary buff - LA is certainly drool-worthy having inspired some of the greatest works of fiction in history including the likes of Raymond Chandler, Evelyn Waugh and James Ellroy. In true Los Angeles fashion, there are a number of literary tours that take you through some of the most noteworthy landmarks in the area that were frequented by your favourite writers.

*Spend some time at the LA Central Library - not only is it one of LA’s greatest architectural achievements, but a young Charles Bukowski spent many of his days holed up in its Central Reading Room.

Adventure traveller's dream come true

Come to LA at the right time of year and you can surf in the morning and snowboard in the afternoon! There are plenty of great natural landscapes to explore during the time you spend in the area. Partaking in ocean sports and hiking the nearby mountainous terrain are some of the favourite pastimes enjoyed by the locals and many visitors will revel in the spectacular scenery of Malibu Creek State Park, the Santa Monica mountains and of course endless stretches of postcard perfect beaches.

*For those who are so inclined, spend your morning surfing and then hire a car and head to Big Bear, a few hours' drive outside the city that offers the best skiing conditions in Southern California through the winter months of Nov. - Feb.

Around the Food World in a Day

Pic by VirtualErn

When it comes to cultural hot spots, LA has a diverse gathering of communities and cultures from all corners of the globe - which is a haven for gastronomists and food lovers. In addition to countless Mexican restaurants, there is a large sampling of Asian inspired cuisine due to the city's close proximity to the Pacific. Forget going round the world, there are plenty of local food tours to satisfy your palette - including the LA dumpling tour or a visit through Thai Town or Little Tokyo.

Qantas operates cheap flights to Sydney from Los Angeles and back. Los Angeles is a great starting point for those looking to travel through the rest of the States or if they're looking to make the most of their Hawaii holidays.

What side of LA do you want to see?

My Top Three Cruise Destination

I’ve been dreaming of boarding a cruise ship at least once in my life even when I was still a kid. But that seem to be a little far fetch for me during that time. I was still in school and my daily allowance is just below a dollar.

As years go by, I have never forgotten about that dream of cruising in some far flung places. I remember as I was walking along the streets of Hanoi, I noticed that most travel shops were selling some tickets for the Halong Bay cruise. I was under the impression that it would be very expensive for me until I found a shop that sold me a very cheap overnight Halong Bay cruise package. It was pretty basic considering the money that I paid for it, the boat was just ok but the experience was really amazing.

Now that I’m working (and saving of course), I’m thinking of going on a cruise adventure again. Although I still don’t know when and where, I’m just searching the internet for some information about discount cruises that I might be able to avail after a year or two.

Here are my top three picks for cruise destinations.

Scandinavia: The Fjords

Flickr Creative Commons by gorfor.

The pictures in the internet were already enough to entice me to see this majestic landscape. Now it’s just a matter of saving and getting a visa (or maybe finding a job that would send me to Scandinavia).

Amazon River

Flickr Creative Commons by L.Marcio_Ramalho.

This gigantic river is one of my top destinations in the near future. Cruising along the Amazon River is definitely a once in a lifetime experience. I’ve heard that there are a lot of boats that offer cheap cruises in the Amazon. It’s also a chance for me to see a lot of animals in their natural habitat.

Antarctic Cruise

Flickr Creative Commons by 23am.com.

I’ve told some of my friends about this idea and they said I’m crazy. They even said that there’s nothing to see there but ice (of course! and maybe some penguinsJ). Nevertheless, those comments didn’t stop me from dreaming of seeing Antarctica in the future. It seems to be a magical experience to see the southernmost part of the planet. I’m thinking of traversing the South American continent until I reach Patagonia and then hop on a boat from there to see Antarctica.

I even had a chat once with a Filipino who’s been to a cruise before in the Antarctic (and I was so envious). He told me that the easiest way to do it is to book it from a cruise company in the US, since that’s the same thing that he did. He also said that there are many discount cruises available from cruise companies in the US. After searching around for some cruise deals, I came across discountcruises . com and now I am really looking forward to planning a trip to Antarctica.

Note: This is a sponsored post but the opinion is 100% mine.

Am I Ready for Some Extreme Adventure?

I’ve travelled for sometime but never did I think of engaging into any extreme adventure. I was thinking back then of bungee jumping in Macau but then again my budget wouldn’t let me and I don’t think I have the guts to do it during that time.

The most “extreme” adventure that I had when I was backpacking was biking, yeah I know it isn’t really an extreme sport but biking side by side with huge trucks in Vietnam is.

These kinds of extreme adventure would definitely be a hell lot of fun not to mention a once in a lifetime opportunity to do something daring.

Since I’m also planning of backpacking again after a year or two, I came up with my own list of extreme adventure that I want to try when that time comes.

Hot Air Balloon Over Guillin, China

I went to Gullin last year and I just fell in love with the beautiful karsts that surrounds the area. I was just speechless as I rode a raft down the river while staring at the beautiful scenery. I saw a shop that was offering a Hot Air Balloon ride, though I didn’t bother to ask for the price since I know that I might not be able to afford it. But I will definitely go back to Guillin just to wonder at the beautiful landscape while riding the Hot Air Balloon.

Flickr Creative Commons by Alex Schwab.

Great White shark cage Diving in South Africa

I like animals and whenever I travel, I make sure that I visit the local zoo. One animal that amazes me is the Great White Shark, though I wouldn’t dare to swim near them though except if I’m in the safety of a cage. These animals are gigantic and damn scary, probably one of the greatest predator on earth and it would be such a cool experience to do that. (I’ve swam with Whale Sharks this year , though it’s definitely harmless compare to the Great Whites)

Flickr Creative Commons by hermanusbackpackers.

Skydiving in Sydney

I’ve never been to Australia before but I’m planning to visit this continent by next year and I’m thinking of doing something else aside from the usual sightseeing. There are lot of adventurous things to do in Sydney. I’m thinking of skydiving, yeah you heard me right. I want to skydive even if I’m so afraid of heights. This would probably the only activity that would give me the illusion that I’m flying. I’m sure this would be an awesome once in a lifetime experience. Check out Skydiving in Sydney if you’re interested in doing the same thing.

How about you?

Which extreme adventure are you dreaming of doing in the future?

Note: This is a sponsored post but the opinion is 100% mine.

Top Three Honeymoon Destinations for Backpackers

More and more couples are backpacking nowadays not just to see the world, but at the same time to have an experience of a lifetime that they can share together. Travel is a good exercise to get to know your partner because it entails many unforeseen circumstances that would test each other’s patience. Travel is also a good way of spending precious moments in spectacular and breathtaking places.

Here’s my suggestion for couples out there:

1. Sichuan, China: Southwest China has a lot of treasures that any couples would surely enjoy. One place that you shouldn’t miss is the breathtaking Jiuzhaigou National Park in Sichuan. Jiuzhaigou (Valley of Nine Villages) was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. You don’t need to get a Tibetan Permit anymore to get a glimpse at Tibetan culture because Jiuzhaigou is inhabited by around 130 Tibetan families and it's not part of the Tibetan region that requires a permit.

by B_cool. (flickr creative commons)

Sichuan is also the place where you could see the adorable and endagered Giant Pandas. It’s really difficult to see them in the wild and the easiest and most convenient way to see them is to visit the local conservation Panda park in Chengdu. Ask around for the Panda Card to get a free entrance to the park.

And to complete your Sichuan experience, you should make sure that you try their local cuisine which is said to be one of the best in the world.

2. Bali, Indonesia: It’s always been the talk of the town as one of the best destinations in the world. I’m not sure if it’s just overrated or not but Bali is still a place that could captivate anyones heart. Bali’s charm is not exclusively because of the beaches. The culture of Balinese is I think what draws people to visit this small enchanted island of Indonesia.

by seanmcgrath. (flickr creative commons)

Some information about Balinese Culture from Wikipedia:

“Bali is renowned for its diverse and sophisticated art forms, such as painting, sculpture, woodcarving, handcrafts, and performing arts. Balinese percussion orchestra music, known as gamelan, is highly developed and varied. Balinese performing arts often portray stories from Hindu epics such as the Ramayana but with heavy Balinese influence. Famous Balinese dances include pendet, legong, baris, topeng,barong, gong keybar, and kecak (the monkey dance). Bali boasts one of the most diverse and innovative performing arts cultures in the world, with paid performances at thousands of temple festivals, private ceremonies, or public shows.”

3. Maui, Hawaii: Hawaii has been one of the favorite destinations of couples everywhere. One of the most famous destinations in Hawaii is Maui. Maui is not only famous for its beaches and volcanic terrain but also for humpback whale-watching.

by the_tahoe_guy. (flickr creative commons)

Maui may sound expensive but same as the other places in the world, Maui also caters to all budgets. If you dig deeper in the world wide web, you’ll find a place that might accommodate your budget. If you would rather plan your trip through a travel agency such as Liberty Travel, you can find vacation packages for a variety of honeymoon destinations.

Travelling with your love one is surely an experience that no one should ever miss. It’s a memory that will surely last a lifetime.

Note: This is a sponsored post but the opinion is 100% mine.