GUIDES
PRE-DEPARTURE PLANNING FOR LONG TERM TRAVEL
“A journey of a 1,000 miles begins with one small step”.
But where do you begin? Whic h steps do you take first? It may all feel more like one giant leap to get your long term backpacker adventures started.
So you have previously been flicking your way through this magazine drooling over all the photos and stories of exotic and far flung destinations. You long to be there right now sitting on the white beach, the hot sand slipping between your toes, watching the crystal blue ocean lapping onto the shore. While the cold grey sky is pouring outside, summer never seems to appear and you hate your job. Then why aren’t you there? These were my thoughts 6 months ago before I started my 5 month trip to South East Asia.
A myth is that you need lots of money to go to a tropical island. Flight to Bangkok 400 euro apx., bus to Ko Chang 4 euro, bungalow on beach 8 euro. Years from now will you remember the money you spent on a drunken greasy take-away or will you remember the time you spent several nights on an exotic island in Asia for the same money? Yes it can be that cheap. If you cut back on taxi’s, take away’s and some other luxuries at home you will be amazed at what you can save.
One of my dreams was to spend several months backpacking around Asia. For several years I put it off, until now. So for all you budding backpackers and armchair travellers out there, there are a few things that might help you to get on your feet and stepping in the right direction.
| MAKE THE DECISION AND SET A DATE | Back to top
You’ve heard it a million times before ‘the hardest part is making the decision’ well it’s true! I had been talking about going backpacking again for years, blabbing to my friends but not getting anywhere except a 2 week holiday. Well several months ago the rat race bit me in the arse and I finally jumped up and said “that’s it, I have had it!” I asked myself what is really stopping me from going? Why am I putting off my dreams year after year when this is what I really want? So that evening I put a date on my travels and decided to just scrape enough together and what ever I have by then I’ll just go. The fact is, looking back I could have easily done this year’s ago. However you tend to get caught up in things, your job, the new car, you’ve just moved house, your credit card bill, the dog ate your backpack. Sound familiar?
Work out roughly what countries you want to travel to and for how long. You don’t have to stick to this but it will give you an idea about how much you will need. I worked out quite a large budget of 25 euro per day. This allowed me to stay in en-suite air con rooms most of the time, eat out 3 times a day, drink like a fish, by a laptop in Phnom Penh, splash out once in a while and still have money left over. However you can survive on much less than that. Have a look at www.passplanet.org for a run down on costs per country within Asia. Your main expenses are tickets, insurance and injections. I would highly recommend getting a one way ticket into Bangkok and going on from there. My flight cost 334 euro from Dusseldorf with LTU. Around the world tickets are restrictive and expensive most people I have met didn’t utilise all the stopovers they had on the ticket or wished they hadn’t bought it. There are many budget airlines within Asia you can easily book if necessary while overland travel is much cheaper and more interesting.
Talk to as many people as possible maybe they have been there before and could help you out with contacts, a place to crash, or suggestions on where to go. If it is family, friends or colleagues subtly suggest for your next Christmas or birthday gift you would like a donation to your travel fund or a guide book of your destination. Don’t get a south east Asia guidebook they are too heavy and expensive instead just get one on ‘Thailand’ and buy a second hand or photocopied versions of your next destination when you need it costing a fraction of the price in Asia.
| PACK - MONEY TICKETS PASSPORT | Back to top
Pack as little as possible!! Do NOT be tempted into purchasing clothes, electronics or any handy travel items you might think necessary. EVERYTHING is available for the backpacker in Khao San Road, Bangkok for a fraction of the price, even malaria tablets from a Boots chemist and yes all the toiletries are cheaper there as well. MBK is a vast department store with hundreds of stalls selling cheap clothes, backpacks, sandals, phones, mp3’s, camera’s etc.
So the last thing to do is experience new adventures, explore new places and learn about new cultures. Remember to always respect your new environment and the culture you have chosen to immerse yourself in.