The ugly truth about backpacking

Can you put up with your guest house crawling with cockroaches? Being ripped off five times in one day? Twentyfour-hour journeys on cramped rickety old buses? If the answer is no, then backpacking isn’t for you.

A lot of people picture backpacking as glamorous, exciting and one non-stop adventure but the ugly truth about travelling is that it’s hard work. Travelling takes one hell of a lot of perseverance and there will be times when your patience is really, really tested, not to mention the times when you feel like packing up and going home.

A lot of travel websites out there will sell you into a life of travel without giving any mention to the negatives. But what will make you a better traveller is hitting the road with your eyes wide open. This article is here to do just that – open your eyes to some of the not-so-great aspects of travel so that when you come across those inevitable bumps in the road (and yes, they will happen), it won’t be as much of a surprise…

Are you ready? Here goes…

Locals can spot a traveller a mile off, and unfortunately for you, many will view you as a walking ATM, despite being a backpacker with a rapidly dwindling bank account. The best way to avoid being ripped off is by keeping street smart: read up on common scams in the areas that you’re heading to so you know what to look out for. Make sure that you keep small denominations of cash with you to avoid the classic “no change!” response, and always negotiate up front with taxi drivers.

Worrying about your cash is inevitable when you’re a backpacker; when you’re not earning it’s surprising how quickly your funds will dwindle away, so be smart with your cash from day one! Create a budget and stick to it – no exceptions! If you don’t you might find that you have to cut your trip short because you haven’t enough cash to last the long haul…

Travelling isn’t one thrill after another. Sometimes you will hit up a new town and you’ll find there won’t be anything to do. Sometimes you’ll be in a crazy busy city, and you’re funds will be so low that you have no choice but to stay in. Understanding that travelling has its downtime will help you to accept this when it happens.

I have yet to meet a traveller who hasn’t had a bout of illness on the road – whether that be a cold, sickness, diarrhoea or something else. Travellers’ diarrhoea is practically inevitable. The best way to protect yourself is by stocking up on adequate medication before you leave.

Hot showers, baths, toilet roll (a toilet at all for that matter!), a comfy bed and clean sheets. You’ll be surprised by the little things that you will miss when you’re on the road.

Everyone gets home sick, it’s just that not everyone admits it. Don’t be ashamed of feeling this way – it’s not weak or pathetic – it’s natural! Don’t be scared to confide in other backpackers about how you feel, chances are that they will know exactly what you’re going through. Keeping in touch with friends and family will help – let them know what you’re up to and keep up to date with what’s happening at home; this way you won’t feel quite so far away.

Whether you’re travelling solo, with friends or as a couple there will be times when you feel lonely. And why wouldn’t you?! You are thousands of miles from home without your support network, in a country that isn’t familiar to you. It’s natural to feel lonely – don’t beat yourself up about it.

What?!?! Yes, I said it. If you’re a long-term traveller then you will have those times on the road when you just don’t want to travel anymore. If you have been moving from place to place to place for months on end of course you are going to feel like this! Travelling is exhausting, and sometimes you just need to spend a longer period of time in one place to recuperate and just s-l-o-w down!

Poverty is hard to face. If you are heading to a third world country then be prepared to see how the other half live – this is not always easy to witness. When a legless child comes to you begging in the street you will realise just how lucky you are.

OK, so I am the first one to hold my hands up and admit that there are some not-so-great things about travelling, but you know what? It’s all worth it. The times when you have so little money that you’re eating pot noodles in your dorm room and swigging cheap wine from the bottle; the times when you realise that you just paid five times what a taxi journey should have cost; the times when you can’t face another 20-hour bus ride. These are the things that you will look back on and laugh about. The difficult times on the road are what will make you come home a better and stronger person – and isn’t this the reason that you wanted to travel in the first place?

Do you agree with Emma? Have your say in the comments below.

Hey! I’m Emma, a backpacker with a serious case of itchy feet! I’ve been on the road for nine years and counting; journey with me as I cover every continent in the world and report the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Here’s to living a life less ordinary…

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