Backpacking sounds adventurous and exciting. What does it mean? Backpacking is low-cost or budget travelling mostly to other countries independently with all your belongings in a backpack which can be easily carried by you over a long distance and/or for a long time. Backpacking is generally for a longer duration than your average vacation. It is not the usual holiday and therefore you will need to take care of certain things both from a financial and non-financial perspective.

Here are some backpacking tips –

• Decide on a country that is affordable – Choose a country as per your budget. Nepal and Thailand are good backpacking destinations that are not expensive. On the other hand, backpacking in Japan is a more expensive affair.
• Decide on a basic itinerary – Decide on your travel schedule. Since backpacking is a long journey, you may not decide everything but it helps to have a schedule and book bus tickets or train tickets in advance to get cheaper options. You might also want to book accommodation in hostels beforehand.
• Travel Light – You would be carrying your backpack on your own in a true backpacking vacation. Moreover you would be walking or hiking a lot. It is therefore important to travel light. Check the weather and carry clothes accordingly. Carry clothes that have multiple uses like a big scarf or a stole. It does not really make sense to carry a lot of make-up, accessories etc.

• Leave all valuable stuff at home – You will be on the road most of the time. You might hitch rides with strangers. So it is better to leave all your expensive accessories, gadgets, jewellery at home.
• Ensure you do not run out of money – You will be in a difficult situation if you run out of money. Keep money in 2-3 different pockets in your bag/clothes. Do keep an international debit or credit card with you. But at the same time, do not flash your money. Keep your wallet hidden. Keeping money in more than 1 place will also ensure that in case of some misfortune like theft, you have cash readily available.
• Choose budget accommodation – There are youth hostels in most countries. They are generally in prime places and neat and clean. You will also meet like-minded people there. You can also try couch surfing which means trying to find accommodation in someone’s house. You can also camp in some places. These are great ways to have budget accommodation.
• Safety – Most big cities will have medical stores and doctors. You only need to have a medical kit in place with basic stuff like painkillers, bandaids, sunscreen and some medicines for stomach related illness. You should take a travel insurance policy which will cover unfortunate events like loss of baggage, accidents etc. There are also special policies that can be taken in case you will participate in adventure sports.
• Stick to your budget – At the start of the travel, decide on a budget and ensure that you stick to it. You can be on budget by eating local food, taking public transport and even trade for stuff by doing errands. These things will also make your experiences richer.

Backpacking is a great way to travel, explore and learn about the customs, traditions and lives of people of a different country. Keep our money tips in mind and have a great trip.

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