Before leaving on my 3-month backpacking trip I wrote a Pre-Departure Checklist and I felt it was only appropriate that I write a follow-up on my time abroad. Here is a list of 10 things I learned, realized I did or did not need, and wish I would have known ahead of time!
1. PACKING
The most surprising unnecessary pack that I made was a multi-country outlet converter. The hostels I stayed at almost always had plug-ins that fit a typical American plug. I did not need the converter in Thailand or Cambodia, but China and Indonesia it did come in handy sometimes. Also, outlet converters could be found at many corner stores (for a high price) if you found that you needed one. On the other end of the spectrum, my most missed item was quality lotion. This may seem silly, but that’s exactly what I thought to myself when packing. I just took a few small hotel travel-sized lotions which we all know are a bit more moisturizing than water. This is just a simple luxury that I wish I would have invested in when packing. Another tip would be to not over pack, because laundry places are found on every corner! They will wash, fold, and return your laundry to you in as little as a day for only $1-$2. I also wish I would have packed medicine to aid in food poisoning recovery such as electrolyte tablets to help with rehydration. And finally, a lifesaving find before leaving on my trip were packing cubes. If you are backpacking, you need these!!
2. THE PEOPLE YOU MEET
I left on this trip imagining all the locals I would meet as I traveled to new cities and countries. I imagined language barriers and learning about other cultures. Upon returning home and reflecting I was sad that I didn’t have as many of these interactions as I thought I would. However, this was not bad, just different. Instead I met a plethora of other backpackers who were in a similar place as me in life. It was sooo interesting meeting these eclectic individuals from all over the world that shared a passion for travel like me. I came home with a bunch of new friends and it is the neatest feeling knowing that I have friends living in so many different countries now. They know I would be here for them if they visited Texas and I know they would have my back if I visited their hometowns too!
3. WIFI
Such a trickster. This is advertised at pretty much all hostels, but finding one that actually works or isn’t spotty is like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Quite unlikely! This is great for disconnecting but hard if you are blogging or keeping social media updated. Also, wifi may be your only line of communication back home if you are avoiding an international phone plan. If you have an iPhone 6 or newer it is free to use your phone internationally when connected to wifi. Older iPhones can also be used for free when texting or using data in wifi; however, phone calls will charge international rates. (Found this out the hard way!) Fun Fact: outside of America many people refer to wifi as wee-fee! I thought they were joking for a good amount of time until they told me I was the one saying it funny.
4. HOSTEL PICKING
It’s all about balance here. There are so many nice options out there from cheap to moderate pricing. Hostelworld.com is very helpful in providing pictures and reviews which should make your decision easier. The key is to pick a nice enough one that you are getting a good, clean stay, but a “chill” enough one that the atmosphere is still lively. The really nice hostels typically lack the friendly backpackers which is crucial when traveling alone!
5. CREDIT CARDS
I was so excited to rack up points with all the traveling I’d be doing, so I purchased a Chase Sapphire card before my trip. Little did I know… you cannot use credit cards at 98% of places in Thailand, Cambodia, and Indonesia (unless you are staying at high-class resorts). So do not expect to rack up points on your travels in these parts of Asia if you are backpacking. Also, huge piece of advice – take multiple cards on your trip! As I’ve just mentioned almost no hostel, restaurant, or tour company will take a card as payment. This means you will be using a debit card to get cash out at ATMs. If your one debit card gets stolen, lost, or eaten by an ATM you will have no money. This happened to both myself and my travel friend. The solution? Have a second debit card on hand or have credit cards with a pin already set up. Credit cards must have a pin to withdraw from an ATM, so set this up with your bank before you leave!
6. SCHEDULING
This is something you learn along the way, but it is a fine balance between planning and spontaneity when mastering the travel style of backpacking. Planning your days can sometimes be quite an extensive task, but thankfully you’re not working during this time so what else do you have to do with your day?! Backpacker friends upon arrival at a new city become a great resource when planning. They can fill you in on all the deals and best tours in the area. Pinterest was also a lifesaver that led me to countless helpful blogs on what to do in each new city I arrived in. It is important to buy some tickets ahead of time (especially for the night train tickets in Thailand if you want certain seating/bunks – and you will want the bottom!!). Other tours that you care immensely about doing should be bought in advance to avoid sell out. Other than this, it is also crucial to not over plan in order to allow spontaneous trips with new backpacker friends you meet along the way. The up side to this spontaneous schedule is that you make more friends and you don’t even have to plan out your day since they’ve typically got a group together and have it all arranged!
7. SCHEDULING
To piggyback the last point, sometimes you get so busy between your own plans and not missing out on other people’s plans that you forget to relax. You forget that the trip is your own and you need alone time too. Whether that be time to read, blog, pray, sleep, exercise, or do some solo-exploring it is needed and it can be really hard to get wrapped up in all the activities and not take this time for yourself. You will have FOMO, but I found that it was worth it and I wish that I had taken advantage of this time even more than I did.
8. BUDGETING
That word still makes me cringe because even though I tried so hard, I still went over. Yes, it was still the cheapest place ever to travel long-term, but I didn’t budget well for all the “travel fails.” These would include unexpected visa costs (everything is more expensive for Americans haha), scams on cab rides or tour prices, ATM fees when pulling cash out, fees on cash advances if you end up needing to use a credit card to withdraw from ATMs. And in my case, food poisoning, which caused me to miss a pre-purchased night-bus ticket which resulted in extra costs of a hotel room that night and plane ticket the next day once I had recovered and needed to expedite my travel to the next city. My other bout of food poisoning costs me extra as well since I opted for my own private hostel room that night. (Trust me, you should budget for this… no one wants to be in an 8-person dorm with an attached bathroom with paper thin walls as they are hurling all night or in a top bunk when you can’t even walk.) On a more positive note, another un-budgeted item I had were souvenirs. Since I was backpacking I did not plan to pick up items along the way to cram in my already tiny pack, but I changed my mind when I found the coolest (and cheapest) handmade jewelry store in Pai, Thailand. Jewelry was the perfect souvenir since it packed well!
9. TRAVEL APPS
I grew to love and rely on a few trusty apps while traveling abroad. Learning how to use Google Maps “Offline” mode was the most useful of them all! When navigating the streets of a new city you will not have wifi and probably won’t want to waste all your data on your phone plan. The solution is Google Maps offline mode where you can look up a destination prior to your exploration (while in wifi) and the app will continue to lead you to your destination even as you leave wifi. This is helpful when navigating streets by foot, moped, or even in the backseat of a cab it can provide you peace of mind that your driver is taking you to the right place and not kidnapping you (haha). My next most used app was XE Currency which also has an offline mode that allows you to convert currencies with a couple clicks all while not connected to wifi! And finally, a VPN app (I used WhaleVPN) can be helpful and sometimes crucial when using your phone. In China you cannot access social media sites without using a VPN. In other countries, such as Thailand, it is not so critical, but provides peace of mind when joining a sketchy wifi signal in public. The VPN will protect your devices from hackers that steal your sensitive information and passwords from your phone via false wifi!
10. CABS
Always request the meter be turned on before entering! Bangkok especially comes to mind when referencing this topic, but it is important in many other Asian cities and countries. In Bangkok most taxis will accept this request unless it is traffic hour and you are leaving a tourist area such as Khao San. Don’t give up though! It may take 3 tries, but you will find a cab that will turn on their meter for you and trust me it will save you a lot! The next important tip is to have the address you are headed to saved on your phone since you will not be in wifi to look it up online (most likely). Screenshot addresses and even map views to help the driver. Show him your phone and negotiate a price before entering the cab. Typically, they are pretty fair if you can find one who will use the meter. Tuk Tuks are another mode of transportation in Thailand, but are more for experience and less cost-effective. In Bali, try Uber for the cheapest option. It is super frowned upon by actual cab drivers because it is so cheap and takes away from the tourism income the economy is fueled by. But if you’ve got a long-haul trip say from Ubud to Canggu and are willing to be secretive in snagging an Uber it will save you a ton! And when given the option, always moped! Favorite way to travel for sure, but not always the smartest in a high-traffic city. Be smart! FYI: the mopeds in Bali are heavier and less user-friendly than Thailand. So I recommend hiring a moped driver if you’d like to try this in Bali.
And the question everyone asks – KOH TAO, THAILAND – was my favorite place. You can read about here or I can summarize it: Sun, Sea, $8 beach massages, and $4 moped rentals. Paradise on the Cheap!
Wander On,
SK
Thanks. Great advice SK!