Backpacking, More Than Just An Experience, It’s life-changing.

If you have not tried backpacking yet, then it is about time you gave this travel approach a shot, it can be life-changing. It may be that you prefer to prioritize your convenience every time you go abroad or visit a domestic tourist hot spot, but to the avid traveller, comfort travel is hardly an ‘experience’.

How can you see the sights and wonders of a place if you limit yourself to your hotel room, swimming pool or to a nearby posh restaurant? How can you embrace the local culture if you do not venture out into less modernized areas to get a taste and feel of the past, or interact with natives to understand their way of life?

If you like the thought of a life-changing travel experience but have no clue where to begin, you could do worse than grabbing a copy of Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travelist: The 500 Best Places on the Planet…Ranked

In a word, or five, backpacking is the art of budget travelling. It is basically ‘travel’ without the comfort and luxury most other travellers prefer.

There are many benefits to being a backpacker, not least a significantly lower travel investment and a chance to enjoy a more personal experience of the country’s historical spots, culture and people. In fact, you soon come to realise that you gain more by actually spending less.

How many of us here have secretly hoped to travel far and wide, but unfortunately do not have enough financial backing to pursue such a lifestyle? Travelling can be costly on the surface. Money will always be a consideration. However, if you are a keen backpacker, you know for a fact that there is more to travelling than just draining all your savings to fund your expeditions.

Here are four of the benefits of being a backpacker:

1. The Joy of Learning Whilst Backpacking

If there is anything that backpacking can guarantee, it is that you will learn something from start to finish. Trekking parts of the world you have never been to before, you get to see, feel and immerse yourself in stuff you could not find or experience in the four corners of your home. Besides learning about the places you have travelled to, you also learn more about yourself – what types of food you like, whether you are good at reading maps or how well you can overcome language barriers (particularly in places that hardly speak English). Regardless of what you discover along the way, this approach to travelling can make any trip worthwhile.

2. Life-changing With The Development of Inner Strength

The thing about backpacking is that you don’t only learn more about yourself, but you also come to understand every discomfort, every burst of triumph and every person you meet, which can also lead you to a better understanding of who you are and life in general. You have to rely on yourself every step of the way (even if you travel with a backpacker group) and thus develop a sharper survival instinct. No backpacker will ever want to fall apart while in the midst of a journey. You need to be resilient if you want to have a real adventure.

3. Authentic Cultural Experience

What better way to experience a country’s culture than through backpacking. Many people post pictures of having dinner in a luxury restaurant or swimming in a hotel pool abroad. While they may look elegant and sophisticated, there is not a hint of culture and history in those common urban activities.

Restaurants may serve delicious local dishes, but we know for a fact that much of the taste has been “edited” for commercial purposes and this can hardly be described as ‘life-changing. If you want to have a first-hand experience of native culture, then do not be afraid to buy food from the street stalls or ordinary stores, whilst paying close attention to hygiene less you want to spend your time in the bathroom, if you catch my drift.

Rather than go straight to souvenir shops where prices are doubled, you may want to visit workshops or museums instead. Do not limit yourself to hotel gift shops and restaurants. Historical sites and natural spots should be high on your backpacking list.

4. Free Exercise

One of the perks of being a backpacker is that you do not stand still. There is hardly a dull moment because you are always on the move. Yes, it can be tiring if you are not used to it but once you get the hang of things, you will realize that backpacking actually helps increase your physical stamina and endurance. You get the best of both worlds, an enjoyable budget travel expedition, with all the perks of exercise.

Before I sign off and begin preparations for my next expedition, It’s worth mentioning a couple of things. Backpacking can be exhilarating and in some cases life-changing but to fully enjoy all of the many benefits, you need to do your own due diligence.

“Failure to prepare is preparing to fail” as someone very wise once said. It’s not just a case of throwing some clothes in your rucksack and away you go, no, you need to plan ahead. Where exactly are you going, where are you staying and how long for ? These are important details to iron out before you set off. If you’re crossing borders, are you going to need Passports or Visas ?

Let’s not forget money, it’s probably not going to be the best idea to carry large wads of cash with you but make sure you keep a couple of debit cards safe but handy along with your identity papers. When you’re stuck in the middle of the Himalayas, it’s not easy to pop back home to pick up something you forgot to pack. Let’s not make this a life-changing experience for all the wrong reasons.