Backpacking Manual

On your adventure, the world is your oyster. You can head anywhere you want, even places that begin with the letter C. Try the Caribbean or China, for example.

There are so many different islands to explore in the Caribbean. There are many hotels in St. Lucia with different restaurants, water sports and yoga retreat. There is plenty to keep you occupied for at least two weeks. If you get restless then jump on a ferry or plane and visit another island.

In China, if you start off in the south, say Hong Kong, you can travel through Macau into Guangzhou. Do not spend too much time in Guangzhou as your lungs may collapse from air pollution but escape into the countryside by catching an overnight train to Guilin. From Guilin, take a small boat to Yangshuo. You will be sailing between mountains that look like they have been picked out of classic Chinese paintings.

Yangshuo is a gorgeous village, has lots of houses with traditional blinds, settled between the aforementioned mountains. Rent bikes and cycle into rice terraces and over streams. In the centre of town, bars and clubs light up out of beautiful Chinese buildings, inviting you in to dance the night away.

Next, travel up to Chongqing and take a cruise all the way to Shanghai. Enjoy the east coast of China with visits thereafter to Hangzhou, Qingdao and Beijing.

Before you go backpacking, ensure you have set up a Skype account before leaving and have added as many friends and family as possible. You won’t regret this time as backpackers always get homesick at some points.

Keep at least one credit or debit card separate from your cash. You never know when someone will steal your wallet or bag but it definitely happens. I lost my wallet with lots of cash in it on Turtle beach last year, you do not make the same mistake. Getting stuck with no money in a foreign country is really unfortunate.

Prepare a plan as loose or tight as you like but one that includes names of possible/booked hotels, activities to do in places and transportation opportunities. This time spent will save you an enormous amount of time later on. Writing phrases in foreign languages will be helpful too!

Bring a notebook with you to scribble in when you have some time (on a long distance train or ferry). Do not forget a pen too. My tip of the year is to bring cellotape, which is the most versatile tool on a backpacking holiday. Not only can you stick tickets, maps and other souvenirs into your notebook but cellotape is a handy when fixing a raincoat or ripped banknote.

If you are brave enough, you will try a vast array of foreign food on your travels. Eating local food is cheaper than eating western food when abroad. The food is different and nothing like anything you will get back home. Definitely go out of your way to chat to locals and find the party. Drinking and eating will continue until early hours of the next day.

In the Caribbean, join the locals for a “lime” which basically means to hang out. People go liming around at different places: often houses, on the beach or in shacks. Each hang out spot will have beer and dark rum on the go. Warning: the rum is not drunk by shots but full glasses. The snacks eaten could be meat balls, BBQ ribs or jerk chicken / fish. Each restaurant will have its own speciality. Meat-free options include fried plantain or banana and rotis.

There are wonderful local restaurants and bars in St. Lucia, where is a romantic Caribbean honeymoon destination, that will welcome you and friends for a lime all night. As long as you are open minded and relaxed, you will not go hungry or thirsty! These experiences are exclusive to the Caribbean so make the most of it while you are there!

In your backpack, you should take toilet roll in a zip lock bag and store it in an easily accessible place in your bag. That is my number one tip. You never know when you will need some. Before your roll runs out, buy some more. You do not want to be stuck without it, ever.

Take a hand sanitizer. You may not be visiting countries or cities that have soap dispensers in bathrooms and the last thing you want is to get ill on holiday – you will end up remembering some places for all the wrong reasons.

More essential toiletries include a towel, travel shampoo & conditioner, a toothbrush and toothpaste. Take a plastic bag with you that is big enough to fit all these items in, along with fresh clothes. Showers may not have any place to store your clothes where they will stay dry but by hanging them off the shower door in a plastic bag, your clothes will be fine.

Take a number of passport photograph copies with you. You never know when you will need to produce one for visas, tour groups or hotel bookings etc.

Take sports gear as you never know when you will spontaneously join a yoga retreat.

Final tip: a bottle opener. Enough said.

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