THE EVERYTHING you need to KNOW Tamsin King THE BACKPACKER’S SURVIVAL GUIDE Copyright © Summersdale Publishers Ltd, 2017 Research by Sophie Martin All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced by any means, nor transmitted, nor translated into a machine language, without the written permission of the publishers Condition of Sale This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser Summersdale Publishers Ltd 46 West Street Chichester West Sussex PO19 1RP UK www.summersdale.com eISBN: 978-1-78685-108-6 Substantial discounts on bulk quantities of Summersdale books are available to corporations, professional associations and other organisations For details contact general enquiries: telephone: +44 (0) 1243 771107, fax: +44 (0) 1243 786300 or email: enquiries@summersdale.com Contents Part One: Before You Go Part Two: On the Road .110 Part One: Before You Go In this chapter you’ll find everything you need to know to prepare for your exciting adventure, be it the first of many or a once-in-a-lifetime trip From choosing where to go and how to save on flights to handy hints on packing and choosing how you travel, you’ll be a holiday-planning, adventure-grabbing aficionado in no time at all! , LIFE ISN T ABOUT FINDING YOURSELF; IT’S ABOUT creating yourself George Bernard Shaw BEF OR E YOU G O THE WOrlD IS YOuR OYsTer If you have already booked your adventure of a lifetime, congratulations! Choosing where to go out of all the places in the world can often be the most difficult part of planning your trip, especially if you have to factor in a strict timescale or budget However, don’t stress if you haven’t done so yet – the best part of travelling is its flexibility Being organised is great when it comes to the preparation for your travels, but you should always allow for the possibility of extending your stay if you find a place you love or adding a few more places you want to visit to the list, so see your itinerary more like a work in progress This will help reduce the pressure while you are still deciding which hemisphere to tackle first TH E BACKPACK E R’ S S U R V I VA L G U I D E Start narrowing down your list of destinations by thinking about what your interests and hobbies are and what you want to achieve Are you a chilled-out sun worshipper? Then you might want to head straight for the beach and leave bustling cities and activity adventures for culture-lovers and adrenaline-junkies – although it’s not a bad idea to keep an open mind when you travel You might find you develop a passion for something that you wouldn’t have considered doing back home BEF OR E YOU G O To start you off, here are some top-spot lists for various types of location around the world: TOP BEACH DESTINATIONS  Nha Trang, Vietnam  Fernando de Noronha, Brazil  Ngapali, Myanmar  Whitsunday Islands, Australia  Elafonisi, Greece  Agonda, India  Ko Lipe, Thailand TH E BACKPACK E R’ S S U R V I VA L G U I D E TOP CITY DESTINATIONS  Istanbul, Turkey  Siem Reap, Cambodia  Prague, Czech Republic  London, UK  New York City, New York, USA  Tokyo, Japan  Bangkok, Thailand 10 DIFFICULT ROADS OFTEN LEAD TO BEAUTIFUL DESTINATIONS Melchor Lim 146 O N T H E R OA D Backpacker Hack: Preventing Cosmetic Calamities After a flight or a long-haul journey where your luggage is thrown about left, right and centre, you can usually rely on at least one of your toiletries exploding and making a right old mess of the rest of your bag’s contents To prevent this from happening, take the lids off each of your products, lay a strip of cling film over the openings of the bottles and screw the lids back on Voila, an extra layer of protection will hopefully stop any leakage 147 TH E BACKPACK E R’ S S U R V I VA L G U I D E TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY If you’re like most people, you’ll probably want to take photos of every spectacular view, event or person you come across Having an album of beautiful photographs to look back upon after you’ve visited somewhere special is one of the best mementos you could possibly bring back from your travels, but sitting through ten thousand blurred selfies and wonky landscapes is the stuff of nightmares for the audience of your Holiday Slideshow Extravaganza Hopefully these tips will help you make the most of your camera (or phone – they’re just as good as the real thing these days!) 148 O N T H E R OA D Respect others’ privacy Always ask for permission before taking someone’s photo Be aware that in some cultures it is considered offensive to take a person’s photograph Certain places are also off-limits for photography too, such as military or government property 149 TH E BACKPACK E R’ S S U R V I VA L G U I D E Timing is key If you want to get the perfect, artsy shot, your best bet is to head out early in the morning or just before sunset This is because the light at those times of day are just right for photography – there are pleasing shadows, soft, warm light and, if you’re lucky and up really early, you’ll also have the place to yourself 150 O N T H E R OA D The rule of thirds To make your photos of those gorgeous landscapes even more stunning, this simple rule is a photographer’s (or artist’s, if you’re sketching or painting the scene) best friend Imagine lines cutting the scene before you into three sections both horizontally and vertically, making a grid with nine squares Look for the point of interest in your picture – maybe there’s a pleasing camel in the distance, an interesting rock formation or a church spire – and position that point on one of the lines or intersections of your grid Having the horizon a third of the way up, rather than slap bang in the middle, will also benefit your composition 151 TH E BACKPACK E R’ S S U R V I VA L G U I D E Angle yourself Sure, you’ll probably take a nice photo from the exact position you happen upon your subject from It’ll definitely be a photo of your subject But what if you crouched down really low, or climbed up some steps or a wall to get a new angle on it? It might just push your snap from ‘nice’ to ‘wow’ 152 O N T H E R OA D Mix it up The views while travelling are surely one of the most awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping reasons why we ever leave home in the first place But it’s sometimes the small details that really make a trip Don’t forget to take photos of the things that make you smile, or the idiosyncratic quirks of the place you’re in – maybe it’s the handpainted shop signs, the oversized doorways or the plethora of street art that brightens up the neighbourhood You won’t want to forget them! 153 TH E BACKPACK E R’ S S U R V I VA L G U I D E Get in the shot! Sure, a collection of show-stopping, exhibitionworthy photographs of landscapes, architecture and local details will make for a gorgeous photo album But you don’t want to look back on your pics and realise it looks like a faceless travel brochure Make sure you take photos of yourself from time to time – whether it’s against a stunning backdrop or a grainy selfie with the new friends you’ve made on the night bus – so that you’ll remember it was definitely you who travelled to these places; you really were there! You’ll look back on these memories fondly in years to come 154 O N T H E R OA D Staying Safe while Abroad You’re having an awesome time with all the freedom in the world to what you want at your own pace However, don’t let the fun be spoiled by an incident that could have been prevented Here are some tips on how to stay safe: 155 TH E BACKPACK E R’ S S U R V I VA L G U I D E  Always research the area before exploring it – every country you visit will have its bad places as well as its good Make sure you know which areas to avoid or at least to be on your guard, especially at night If you read information that warns you against going somewhere, it’s best to listen to this advice and stay away from the area  Never carry lots of money on you – only take with you the cash you need for that day and leave the rest in your hostel locker Again, only carry one card on you instead of all the cards you own This way, if you are pickpocketed, there is less for you to sort out, which means less stress  Blend into the crowd – if you are visiting somewhere you know you’ll stand out, then be organised and think about how you can camouflage yourself For example, try to dress more like the locals do: if they wear long skirts or shorts, leave the hot pants at home Always wear longer tops and trousers if you plan to visit a religious building as you won’t be allowed in if you’re exposing too much skin 156 O N T H E R OA D  Be alert – it’s very easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of discovering a new place, but this is when you are at your most vulnerable as you often forget about the bag on your shoulder or the wallet in your pocket, and you probably stand out as a tourist no matter what you’re wearing Just like you would at home, remember to keep your belongings close to you, always zip up bags and surreptitiously check every so often that you still have everything on you  Have fun, but don’t anything you’ll regret – it’s inevitable that you’ll have a few nights of partying during your travels, but try to remember that you are a stranger in a country that might enforce harsher laws than what you are used to back home Never get into trouble with the police and never wander off on your own 157 TH E BACKPACK E R’ S S U R V I VA L G U I D E Bon Voyage! Hopefully you have gained some insight into what to expect when you are travelling and you’ll be more prepared for what lies ahead Travelling the world is a fantastic opportunity to see what’s beyond the borders of your own country, and you should seize every moment of this once-ina-lifetime adventure You may encounter some hiccups along the way and miss the comforts of home, but keep strong and keep going as the memories you’ll create will be some of the best you have ever had And, hey, a life without drama would be pretty dull, wouldn’t it? Stay safe, be spontaneous and, most importantly of all, have fun! 158 THROW OFF THE BOWLINES Sail away from THE SAFE HARBOUR CATCH THE TRADE WINDS IN YOUR SAILS EXPLORE DREAM DISCOVER H Jackson Brown Jr 159 If you’re interested in finding out more about our books, find us on Facebook at Summersdale Publishers and follow us on Twitter at @Summersdale www.summersdale.com ... other mustsee destinations As long as you have the budget and time to allow for it, you can redirect your compass/tailor your itinerary while you are on the road Let the travel bug bite and there’ll... comes to the preparation for your travels, but you should always allow for the possibility of extending your stay if you find a place you love or adding a few more places you want to visit to the. .. part of you is wondering whether you would prefer to experience it alone, don’t let what-ifs put you off – there are so many other lone travellers out there exploring the world that you WILL