Anyone gone back packing on their own?
Discussion
I want to see the world before I get too old, really like the idea of spending 4-6 weeks in New Zealand, then onto Canada and anywhere else that pops into my head. Unfortunately I've got no one who is interested in coming with me, but thats alright as I'm quite happy to do it myself.
Not sure what the best route to take it, strictly youth hostels, or maybe rent a camper van? Quick look at prices shows £60 a day for anything with a shower and toilet, thats £1800 for the month!
I just like the idea of me, my camera, and the great outdoors.
Not sure what the best route to take it, strictly youth hostels, or maybe rent a camper van? Quick look at prices shows £60 a day for anything with a shower and toilet, thats £1800 for the month!
I just like the idea of me, my camera, and the great outdoors.
I did 4 months on my own hitching around Mexico and Guatemala. You'll meet up with other people on the way and hitching takes you to places you might not have gone to with people that you would not otherwise have met. I have never had any problems hitching - just smile and you'll get a lift from someone although I did spend the best part of 6 hours on the edge of a small town in Baha California waiting for a lift. Normally no more than 30 minutes.
L.F.
L.F.
I did 4 months around China and south east Asia back in 2008. Found it very easy to get around and find beds/food except in rural China. I've been around NZ and Australia too and I'd say it will be very easy to travel alone and you'll meet plenty of interesting people. Just be social, go out for meals and beers with people in the hostels/campsites/attractions etc.
I had the same problem and got fed up of waiting watching other people settle down whilst I had this constant itch to travel. In the end I booked up a load of flights and I head away in May.
You'll need a serious budget in order to travel for any period of time in Canada, USA, Oz or NZ. I was reading that a conservative budget (staying in the cheapest hostels, eating in, not doing much etc) in Austrailia will set you back £2300 a month. Conversely, South America is ~£1k a month and S.E. Asia slightly cheaper.
If you want inspiration, get on Twitter and start following people who are already out there - I did and it's partially what persuaded me to say "sod it" and just go.
You'll need a serious budget in order to travel for any period of time in Canada, USA, Oz or NZ. I was reading that a conservative budget (staying in the cheapest hostels, eating in, not doing much etc) in Austrailia will set you back £2300 a month. Conversely, South America is ~£1k a month and S.E. Asia slightly cheaper.
If you want inspiration, get on Twitter and start following people who are already out there - I did and it's partially what persuaded me to say "sod it" and just go.
9 months on my own.
North America - Peru - Chile - Argentina - Chile - Easter Island - French Polynesia - New Zealand - Australia - Bali - Singapore.
A bit daunting when you're on that first flight, but dead easy once you're out there.
Don't for a minute think you'll actually be on your own, there are hundres of people all doing the same thing - all following similar routes and paths.
Go for it - its still the best thing i've ever done.
Wouldn't bother with a camper van - it'll limit your oppurtunities for meeting other people.
I did the USA by Amtrak which was a great, different interesting way to get around.
South America by bus (very cheap and quite luxurious in some areas)
Hitched / car shared / returned auto rentals / Bus in Aus and NZ
eta: I think the prices quoted in the post above are rather high.... £2300 per month in Aus???? Thats £77 quid per night. Which is quite frankly a ridiculous amount.
You won't need more than £30 per night for a single room in a hostel unless things have gone up ALOT since i was there in 2005, less for a shared room, of course it costs more if you want to do more but i still think £77 quid a day is excessive. If you're going to party when i was there a box of cheap wine came in at about $12 - which gets the night of to a good start!
North America was expensive and the dollar has increased in value since i was there.
South America is dirt cheap - except in the tourist traps - think Cusco and Machu Pichu in Peru, Argentina is an amzing country.
North America - Peru - Chile - Argentina - Chile - Easter Island - French Polynesia - New Zealand - Australia - Bali - Singapore.
A bit daunting when you're on that first flight, but dead easy once you're out there.
Don't for a minute think you'll actually be on your own, there are hundres of people all doing the same thing - all following similar routes and paths.
Go for it - its still the best thing i've ever done.
Wouldn't bother with a camper van - it'll limit your oppurtunities for meeting other people.
I did the USA by Amtrak which was a great, different interesting way to get around.
South America by bus (very cheap and quite luxurious in some areas)
Hitched / car shared / returned auto rentals / Bus in Aus and NZ
eta: I think the prices quoted in the post above are rather high.... £2300 per month in Aus???? Thats £77 quid per night. Which is quite frankly a ridiculous amount.
You won't need more than £30 per night for a single room in a hostel unless things have gone up ALOT since i was there in 2005, less for a shared room, of course it costs more if you want to do more but i still think £77 quid a day is excessive. If you're going to party when i was there a box of cheap wine came in at about $12 - which gets the night of to a good start!
North America was expensive and the dollar has increased in value since i was there.
South America is dirt cheap - except in the tourist traps - think Cusco and Machu Pichu in Peru, Argentina is an amzing country.
Edited by Dan_1981 on Sunday 6th March 11:12
BigMonk said:
Not sure what the best route to take it, strictly youth hostels, or maybe rent a camper van? Quick look at prices shows £60 a day for anything with a shower and toilet, thats £1800 for the month!
I looked at this a while back. I liked the sleeper van idea NZ$ 49 (GBP 22) a day.Just use the shower and toilet facilities on a campsite
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCqqUtqiFf8
Mind you you could just hire a car and buy a tent out there
Dan_1981 said:
eta: I think the prices quoted in the post above are rather high.... £2300 per month in Aus???? Thats £77 quid per night. Which is quite frankly a ridiculous amount.
You won't need more than £30 per night for a single room in a hostel unless things have gone up ALOT since i was there in 2005, less for a shared room, of course it costs more if you want to do more but i still think £77 quid a day is excessive. If you're going to party when i was there a box of cheap wine came in at about $12 - which gets the night of to a good start!
I thought the same, but someone pointed out that when you were there it'll have been a favourable exchange rate (£1 to $3 or something), now it's £1 to $1.50. Similarly, things have gone up in price - combine both and the relative price has rocketed. The prices I saw quoted were for food, travelling etc not just a hostel room.You won't need more than £30 per night for a single room in a hostel unless things have gone up ALOT since i was there in 2005, less for a shared room, of course it costs more if you want to do more but i still think £77 quid a day is excessive. If you're going to party when i was there a box of cheap wine came in at about $12 - which gets the night of to a good start!
Having said that, it's Internet talk I read so who actually knows...
In some countries you can also find temporary work...teaching English is probably the most common, so if you have any kind of degree, take a copy of the certificate with you.
I have mainly travelled in Asia, and sometimes the 1 month trip has turned into a year or more, and I've brought more money back than I took with me.
I have mainly travelled in Asia, and sometimes the 1 month trip has turned into a year or more, and I've brought more money back than I took with me.
To teach english, do you not need to know the language of the county you are in?
My plan is to get a rough guide of where I want to go, what hostels to stay at and what to do in the area. Then get a one way ticket over there, and just progress through the list as and when I please.
do you think taking an expensive slr camera is a daft thing to do incase it gets bumped in the outdoors or stolen? perhaps a tiny pocket cam is best? also can anyone share with me a list of bare essentials to take with em.
My plan is to get a rough guide of where I want to go, what hostels to stay at and what to do in the area. Then get a one way ticket over there, and just progress through the list as and when I please.
do you think taking an expensive slr camera is a daft thing to do incase it gets bumped in the outdoors or stolen? perhaps a tiny pocket cam is best? also can anyone share with me a list of bare essentials to take with em.
No, you normally don't need to speak the local language. Often a teaching assistant will be provided for you IF any translation is needed (or smacks round the ear for schoolkids 
). Private lessons for conversational English are also a lucrative sideline, plus Business English for companies.
In most situations the students are usually looking to improve upon their existing spoken English, rather than learn the basics.
I would recommend you research on the internet and buy a copy of the Lonely Planet Guide for each area of the world you plan to travel in. They are excellent, and will save you lots of money and time. Initially you could borrow them from your local library.
I have worked all over the world in occupations as diverse as driving heavy construction plant, to tunnelling, teaching, acting and... modelling.
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). Private lessons for conversational English are also a lucrative sideline, plus Business English for companies.In most situations the students are usually looking to improve upon their existing spoken English, rather than learn the basics.
I would recommend you research on the internet and buy a copy of the Lonely Planet Guide for each area of the world you plan to travel in. They are excellent, and will save you lots of money and time. Initially you could borrow them from your local library.
I have worked all over the world in occupations as diverse as driving heavy construction plant, to tunnelling, teaching, acting and... modelling.
.
[url]
|http://thumbsnap.com/FYV0sryD[/url]
.
Edited by grahamw48 on Monday 7th March 19:47
BigMonk said:
To teach english, do you not need to know the language of the county you are in?
My plan is to get a rough guide of where I want to go, what hostels to stay at and what to do in the area. Then get a one way ticket over there, and just progress through the list as and when I please.
do you think taking an expensive slr camera is a daft thing to do incase it gets bumped in the outdoors or stolen? perhaps a tiny pocket cam is best? also can anyone share with me a list of bare essentials to take with em.
Firstly, do it! I spent 11 months in Oz and a month in NZ in 2002, mostly on my own, and loved every minute of it. It is a bit daunting going into a hostel for the first time but as long as you're not a complete cretin I guarantee that you'll make friends and have a laugh, most people seemed to either be travelling on their own or as a couple (either BF and GF or just friends) so, as cliched as it may sound, everyone's in the same boat.My plan is to get a rough guide of where I want to go, what hostels to stay at and what to do in the area. Then get a one way ticket over there, and just progress through the list as and when I please.
do you think taking an expensive slr camera is a daft thing to do incase it gets bumped in the outdoors or stolen? perhaps a tiny pocket cam is best? also can anyone share with me a list of bare essentials to take with em.
It's wise to have a rough game plan for when you're out there in terms of what you want to do and where you want to go, particularly if you're out for a month or two, but try to have a degree of flexibility if possible as the people you meet will have their own tales to tell and their own dos and don'ts, especially with things like hostels. It's easy enough to book up things like that on the hoof, so don't fix too many things before you set out.
As for taking a DLSR, most hostels should be able to keep things safe for you if you don't want to keep things laying around a dorm and I did hear of thefts but, TBH, as long as you're discrete you'd be unlucky to be a victim. If you're unsure it's probably best not to take it and take a compact instead, you want to enjoy your trip rather than be worrying about you personal belongings all the time. Other than that, I'd travel as light as possible, keep it simple. I ended up sending a box full of stuff back home after the first few weeks as it was too much hastle carrying it all around, anything you forget you'd be able to buy where ever you are, and hostels have washing machines so as long as you've packed according to the weather you're expecting you'll be fine
ETA a BIG bonus of travelling on your own is that you're your own boss, you can do what you want when you want to. Do not underestimate this! And (cliche alert!) it did me the power of good doing my own thing for a year, it was a genuine life changer.
Edited by CardShark on Monday 7th March 23:01
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