5 Awesome and cheap backpacking destinations across the world
Backpacking has always been a great way to travel. In Europe it has been traditional for younger people to travel from hostel to hostel for as long as I can remember. These days more and more people are backpacking around the world. Although still mostly young people you often find older people doing the same. There is just something freeing about packing your life into a single backpack and traveling. As you go from place to place, you will find many new friends and other individuals that share similar joys and experiences in backpacking travel. We have met so many great people doing this in our lives. Even if we ourselves are not backpacking any more, many of the places we go and visit have their share of backpackers. It’s wonderful to share experiences.
Thailand
Thailand is one of the Premier backpacking destinations in the word. In fact, in some of the main cities, you can’t turn around without stepping on a Backpacker. Our advice on Thailand is to avoid the beach areas. As strange as that may sound, if you head inland you will find a lot fewer tourists and a lot more beautiful scenery. Of course, you should visit the beach areas, we just suggested you don’t stay there. Thailand has amazing food, and the people are very friendly. We do suggest, however, that you be careful, as not all of the locals will welcome you with open arms if you try to cause trouble, whether it’s your fault or not. Thailand has a special branch of police specifically for making sure tourists are ok.
Canada
There are some areas and cities that are expensive in Canada, and there are many more that are very welcoming to backpackers. Montreal for instance, has a large backpacking community, and you can get a room for maybe $15 a night. There are a tremendous number of free things to do around Canada, and when you enter the backpacking Community there, you will find hundreds more. The best intelligence you will get for an area is from other backpackers on where to go and what to see.
Estonia
Estonia may not be a destination that jumps to your mind when you think about travel, but that’s because the tourists have not really found it yet. This is what makes it a wonderful destination. Your money goes a very long way for a lot of quality in Estonia. You can stay in a hotel for $10 a night, and eat world class for a pittance. The people are very friendly and love to share their culture. Estonia is also a great jump off point for Russia, Scandinavia, and other countries in the area. We think that Estonia is one of the untouched gems to visit and definitely worth the trip.
Philippines
The Philippines is one of the least expensive destinations on this list. You can stay in a backpackers room for less than $10 a night. If you don’t mind sharing a room in a dorm, it can go down to $2 a night. We ourselves have stayed in a Residence Hotel for $12 a night, and the room was so nice that we could have lived there. Food in the Philippines is very inexpensive, and there is still a lot to see. The provinces are amazing places to go. However, do be careful as some provinces are a little too close to the rebels, but if you ask there will be no surprises. Otherwise, it is very safe and the people are very helpful and friendly.
Tanzania
Tanzania is another one of those places that you don’t think of immediately when you think of travel, but for a backpacker, it is a dream. The food in Tanzania is amazing and extremely inexpensive. You can buy food off the street for as little as $1 a meal, and it is some of the best food you have ever tasted. The Visa costs about $50, but you will more than make up for that on how little you will spend on rooms and food. A room can cost between $5 and $10 depending on how much luxury you want. There is also a lot of wonderful things to see in the area and a tremendous amount of culture.
We have found that the most rewarding way to travel as a backpacker, is to make a very loose travel schedule. This way you can listen to other backpackers and take side trips without much planning and see things that you may not have known before you visited. The special Joy of backpacking is that you can pick up and go at any moment as the only thing you have for luggage is your backpack. As a side note, there are many sites online that specialize in backpacking only. Sites that give advice on what to take, and where to go. Although these days we much more prefer the five-star hotels, we have the some of the fondest memories of travel from backpacking. Give it a try you won’t regret it.
