Comments on: The Great Untold Myth of Backpacking https://www.501places.com/2010/10/the-great-untold-myth-of-backpacking/ Sharing the world with you Sun, 08 May 2011 12:20:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Isa https://www.501places.com/2010/10/the-great-untold-myth-of-backpacking/#comment-24559 Isa Thu, 28 Oct 2010 10:13:54 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=3906#comment-24559 I love your post! I did two backpacking trips myself and what I like most about this way of travelling is just entering a plane without having planned the rest of the trip. this is freedom to me :) I love your post! I did two backpacking trips myself and what I like most about this way of travelling is just entering a plane without having planned the rest of the trip. this is freedom to me :)

]]> By: Natalia https://www.501places.com/2010/10/the-great-untold-myth-of-backpacking/#comment-23393 Natalia Fri, 15 Oct 2010 17:31:26 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=3906#comment-23393 Great post, and I laughed along - both as someone who has claimed to be a 'backpacker' and looked down on organised travel, and as someone who has managed a backpackers hostel and laughed at said backpackers who think they are 'original' or 'real travellers' or 'rugged'. Now I will even take one of those open top bus city tours (though no more, really no more organised than that). While I hate grocery shopping at home, I revel in visiting foreign supermarkets. While a mall is a mall is a mall in so many places, give me shopping for groceries where I can't read the labels over that 'hidden' backpacker beach/temple/vista any day for an authentic travel experience! Great post, and I laughed along – both as someone who has claimed to be a ‘backpacker’ and looked down on organised travel, and as someone who has managed a backpackers hostel and laughed at said backpackers who think they are ‘original’ or ‘real travellers’ or ‘rugged’.

Now I will even take one of those open top bus city tours (though no more, really no more organised than that). While I hate grocery shopping at home, I revel in visiting foreign supermarkets. While a mall is a mall is a mall in so many places, give me shopping for groceries where I can’t read the labels over that ‘hidden’ backpacker beach/temple/vista any day for an authentic travel experience!

]]> By: T. Leffel https://www.501places.com/2010/10/the-great-untold-myth-of-backpacking/#comment-23387 T. Leffel Fri, 15 Oct 2010 15:11:06 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=3906#comment-23387 Just because the funnel is there doesn't mean you have to follow the sheep down the tube. It's plenty easy to get off this treadmill and have a richer and more interesting experience. It's just that many backpackers---especially 20-something ones or gap year kids---don't bother. It's too easy to treat traveling like college, but a moving one. Just because the funnel is there doesn’t mean you have to follow the sheep down the tube. It’s plenty easy to get off this treadmill and have a richer and more interesting experience. It’s just that many backpackers—especially 20-something ones or gap year kids—don’t bother. It’s too easy to treat traveling like college, but a moving one.

]]> By: Jason https://www.501places.com/2010/10/the-great-untold-myth-of-backpacking/#comment-23114 Jason Tue, 12 Oct 2010 12:29:37 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=3906#comment-23114 Ben, A great read, and from someone who's obviously seen both sides of the coin. My thoughts on this subject are that in a way, the world is becoming smaller. For what was once, only for the truly adventurous, has in some ways become all to easy. The internet era, and cheaper air travel (god bless it), I believe has developed a new demographic. It used to be the Backpacker on the left and the Package Tourist on the right (or vice versa, i'm not taking sides). Today there seems to be three variances, The Backpacker, The Package Tourist and the Independent Traveller, with some cross over in between. I feel there now seems to be many a beaten path, across certain countries and continents using the funnel as you described above, and the truly adventurous traveller is becoming more of a minority as the years go by. Thanks Andy for a great post. (Thanks Andy for brining this to us) Ben,

A great read, and from someone who’s obviously seen both sides of the coin. My thoughts on this subject are that in a way, the world is becoming smaller. For what was once, only for the truly adventurous, has in some ways become all to easy. The internet era, and cheaper air travel (god bless it), I believe has developed a new demographic.

It used to be the Backpacker on the left and the Package Tourist on the right (or vice versa, i’m not taking sides). Today there seems to be three variances, The Backpacker, The Package Tourist and the Independent Traveller, with some cross over in between. I feel there now seems to be many a beaten path, across certain countries and continents using the funnel as you described above, and the truly adventurous traveller is becoming more of a minority as the years go by.

Thanks Andy for a great post.

(Thanks Andy for brining this to us)

]]> By: Andrea https://www.501places.com/2010/10/the-great-untold-myth-of-backpacking/#comment-23060 Andrea Tue, 12 Oct 2010 01:18:16 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=3906#comment-23060 Great post! These attitudes always amaze me. Backpackers leave home to explore the world in their own way, even if that actually means following a well trodden back-packer trail, but criticize others who choose a different way. The one-upmanship games are surely no different than vying for the corner office, a world I thought we were all so proud to have left behind. I guess people will always be people, no matter how far they travel :) Great post!

These attitudes always amaze me. Backpackers leave home to explore the world in their own way, even if that actually means following a well trodden back-packer trail, but criticize others who choose a different way.

The one-upmanship games are surely no different than vying for the corner office, a world I thought we were all so proud to have left behind.

I guess people will always be people, no matter how far they travel :)

]]> By: Andy Jarosz https://www.501places.com/2010/10/the-great-untold-myth-of-backpacking/#comment-23048 Andy Jarosz Mon, 11 Oct 2010 22:00:01 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=3906#comment-23048 Really enjoyed this post from Ben and delighted that he offered it for inclusion on 501 Places. I agree with so much of what Ben says here - we crossed the backpacker trail of SE Asia many during our month in Laos/Cambodia last year (never made it to Vang Vieng and never had a banana pancake!) and it is a path so well trodden. I never thought to draw the parallels with the standard package boozing holiday but there it is - a compelling comparison. The irony, as Emma suggests, is that to find those off-beat 'magic travel moments' (trying hard to avoid the word authentic here) it may be easier to look much closer to home than we might expect. Really enjoyed this post from Ben and delighted that he offered it for inclusion on 501 Places. I agree with so much of what Ben says here – we crossed the backpacker trail of SE Asia many during our month in Laos/Cambodia last year (never made it to Vang Vieng and never had a banana pancake!) and it is a path so well trodden. I never thought to draw the parallels with the standard package boozing holiday but there it is – a compelling comparison.
The irony, as Emma suggests, is that to find those off-beat ‘magic travel moments’ (trying hard to avoid the word authentic here) it may be easier to look much closer to home than we might expect.

]]> By: John Bardos - JetSetCitizen https://www.501places.com/2010/10/the-great-untold-myth-of-backpacking/#comment-23043 John Bardos - JetSetCitizen Mon, 11 Oct 2010 20:38:42 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=3906#comment-23043 Travel definitely has become the latest status symbol. I think a big part of it is because young travellers are unencumbered by family and career obligations that come later in life. They can't buy a fancy car but the fancy car owner probably can't travel much either. It is just a different way to keep up with the Jones' while looking like Indian Jones. Travel really is easier than ever and as the world gets more homogenized, there will be less truly exotic and authentic experiences. I am amazed by the transformation of the world in my lifetime. A shopping mall in Thailand, Hungary or anywhere else in the world looks pretty much the same as your home town. Great post! Travel definitely has become the latest status symbol. I think a big part of it is because young travellers are unencumbered by family and career obligations that come later in life. They can’t buy a fancy car but the fancy car owner probably can’t travel much either. It is just a different way to keep up with the Jones’ while looking like Indian Jones.

Travel really is easier than ever and as the world gets more homogenized, there will be less truly exotic and authentic experiences. I am amazed by the transformation of the world in my lifetime. A shopping mall in Thailand, Hungary or anywhere else in the world looks pretty much the same as your home town.

Great post!

]]> By: Ben Colclough | Tourdust Adventure Travel https://www.501places.com/2010/10/the-great-untold-myth-of-backpacking/#comment-23031 Ben Colclough | Tourdust Adventure Travel Mon, 11 Oct 2010 18:40:59 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=3906#comment-23031 I totally agree with you Emma. I've found travelling independently in Europe or even the States, generally a lot harder and consequently more rewarding than many of the backpacker havens. I guess there are less people around to do everything for you. I totally agree with you Emma. I’ve found travelling independently in Europe or even the States, generally a lot harder and consequently more rewarding than many of the backpacker havens. I guess there are less people around to do everything for you.

]]> By: Emma https://www.501places.com/2010/10/the-great-untold-myth-of-backpacking/#comment-23006 Emma Mon, 11 Oct 2010 14:53:36 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=3906#comment-23006 I love this post, and completely agree with you...... there is very little difference between backpacking and package tours. (I have experienced both ;)) I have to say though, rocking up to a small family run hotel in an Old town somewhere in Spain, and negotiating a room in rudimentary spanish is potentially less 'bland' than the backpacker 'ecosystem' you speak of. ;) I love this post, and completely agree with you…… there is very little difference between backpacking and package tours. (I have experienced both ;) )

I have to say though, rocking up to a small family run hotel in an Old town somewhere in Spain, and negotiating a room in rudimentary spanish is potentially less ‘bland’ than the backpacker ‘ecosystem’ you speak of. ;)

]]> By: Kevin May https://www.501places.com/2010/10/the-great-untold-myth-of-backpacking/#comment-22987 Kevin May Mon, 11 Oct 2010 09:37:46 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=3906#comment-22987 Great post... Whenever an article like this appears, I fondly remember reading William Sutcliffe's tome "Are You Experienced?" for the first time (when I was in Asia for 9 months. Kudos, Ben?) ;) Amazon link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Are-You-Experienced-William-Sutcliffe/dp/0140272658 Not only is it hilarious but it absolutely shatters some of the rose-tinted views of backpacking in the modern age. After reading this I never could look a fellow backpacker on the eye and not burst out laughing when they said they were travelling "to find themselves". Great post…

Whenever an article like this appears, I fondly remember reading William Sutcliffe’s tome “Are You Experienced?” for the first time (when I was in Asia for 9 months. Kudos, Ben?) ;)

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Are-You-Experienced-William-Sutcliffe/dp/0140272658

Not only is it hilarious but it absolutely shatters some of the rose-tinted views of backpacking in the modern age.

After reading this I never could look a fellow backpacker on the eye and not burst out laughing when they said they were travelling “to find themselves”.

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