Wonder how to write a backpackers diary? Here is a sample. It is of my backpacking trip to Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces in Guilin, China.

Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces is located within the Longsheng County northwest of Guilin City. To get to the Rice Terraces, one has to take a bus from Guilin Main Bus Terminal to Longsheng. Bus to Guilin Main Bus Terminal can be easily spotted along the Zhongshan Zhong Road. Then you have to get down at Heping Village on route to Longsheng. The journey takes around 2 hours and the bus ticket is 22 Chinese Yuan per person. At Heping Village, you can rent a van to bring you all the way up to one of the many villages uphill.

There are a few villages in Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces Scenic Area where you can stay and see stunning rice terraces view. They are the Golden Bamboo Zhuang Village and Huanglong Yao Village just to name a few. Be sure to stay overnight at Diaojiaolou, a kind of traditional long footed house built on the mountain slope. Wake up early the next morning to hike all the way up the hill to see sunrise. It is a bit tiring but certainly a worthwhile experience. I was told by locals that the scenery of rice terraces viewed from hilltop varies according to season. This picture was taken in August, I would say during which time is the late summer.

Stunning sunrise at Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces

I always think the best way to remember one’s travel experiences is probably to keep a diary. Do you write travel journals? Do you keep a diary of your backpacking trips? If you do, then you are certainly who The Backpackers Place is looking for!

Do you write travel journals?

You are most welcomed to write your backpacking diary for The Backpackers Place. Just fill up the contact form and I will get to you as soon as possible. You will then be requested to submit a minimum 100-word article of your backpacking advice, emotion, experience, feeling, tip or anything you would like to share with our fellow backpackers. Please also submit a photo or more taken during the above backpacking trip. Please be reminded that only original and unique content is entertained and all your writings and pictures should be solely from you.

In return, The Backpackers Place will link to your blog or site, if you have one. I will be more than happy if you link back to The Backpackers Place. What do you think? Please act now! I shall put on my own version of backpackers diary in the next post.

Aren’t we backpackers supposed to be green travelers too? We share one common interest, which is to travel around the world. This world never lacks in beauty, it is just that whether you know how to appreciate or not. At the time of travel, we may have engaged in activities which can cause substantial damage to our natural environment. One example of such activities is air travel. Thus it is important for us backpackers to take a responsible attitude in minimizing the impacts on the natural environment while traveling.

Beautiful African sky

Inspired by Green Traveler Guide, here is my guide to sustainable travel and tourism as a backpacker. I shall call it Green Backpacker Guide.

1. Pack less. Follow your airline’s excess baggage policy. The less you bring, the fewer burdens you will put on your plane and the less carbon emission by your plane. According to Tourism Concern again, if the rapid growth in aviation industry continues at present rate, it will become a major contributor to global warming by 2030.

2. Fly less. Try to use land or sea transports particularly for shorter journeys. Land transports such as buses and trains as well as sea transports such as cruises and ships produce less carbon footprint than planes.

Fly less!

3. Do not take home hotel amenities. Some guesthouses and hostels do provide matches box, shower gel, soap, shampoo, toothbrush, etc to the guests. Leave them alone if you do not use them. This is to ensure that less resources being exploited to replace the items.

4. Do not buy if it is not necessary. To me, shopping is never a part of backpacking. Do not also buy souvenirs made from endangered species, hard woods or ancient artifacts such as carvings made from elephant tusk.

Last but not least, be a responsible backpacker and shows love to our Mother Nature. Do not litter in the scenic spot. Do not waste energy and water. Think green all the times. Remember, this might be your holidays, but it is their home!

One mix-up when comparing hostels with hotels is we tend to think that hostels are budget hotels. A hostel is by no means a budget hotel, so do not expect the same level of comfort in a hostel as in a budget hotel. If you are ready to sacrifice some comforts during your traveling, please read on!

Cheap accommodations at hostelbookers.com

The 2 biggest portals providing online hostel bookings for backpackers and travelers are hostelworld.com and hostelbookers.com. Let’s look at hostelworld.com first, shall we? Hostelworld.com provides online confirmed bookings for hostels and other budget accommodations. There are also packaged tours and city guides of your travel destination on their website. There is a service charge of USD2 for every booking made, but the money is donated to UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund). Hostelworld.com has been partnering with UNICEF since 2004 to help improving the lives of children living in some of the world’s poorest countries. Kudos to both hostelworld.com and UNICEF!

Began in 2003, London based hostelbookers.com provides online bookings to over 17,000 budget accommodations in more than 3,500 locations worldwide. Unlike hostelworld.com, there is absolutely no booking fees if you book your hostel with hostelbookers.com. The Backpackers Place has signed up to become an affiliate of hostelbookers.com. So, do click on one of our banners to book your hostel with hostelbookers.com starting today! There is absolutely no booking fee, no hidden cost, no service charge, thus guaranteeing you the lowest price around!

We backpackers should adhere to staying in the modest accommodation. I used to stay in youth hostels. And most probably I will keep on staying in youth hostels wherever I go traveling in the future. This post determines to bring you the differences in between youth hostels and traditional hotels as well as convinces you to stay in one in your upcoming trip.

So, what a hostel is? Hostels are budget orientated accommodation providing overnight lodging to backpackers. The concept of youth hostel was first created in 1912 by Alex Schirrmann under German Youth Movement which encouraged young people back then to concentrate on outdoor activities. Alex Schirrmann then set up the first youth Hostel in the world in the name of Altena Castle in Germany. His idea has spread rapidly worldwide and resulted in the founding of the International Youth Hostel Federation (IYHF) in 1932 in Amsterdam. It later changed its name to Hostelling International. Today, Hostelling International has more than 90 different national youth hostel associations as members. The organization also runs over 4,500 youth hostels worldwide.

Hostelling International

What are the differences in between a youth hostel and a traditional hotel, you may ask. Youth hostels run by Hostelling International promote cultural exchange, conservation of the environment, love and care of the nature and simple but quality living, among others. They are not hotels because hostels tend to be more budget orientated and do not have the same level of formality as hotels. Many hostels also have programs to share books, DVDs and other items. Unlike hotels, youth hostels encourage guests to socialize with each other. One evidence is the dormitory room commonly found in any youth hostel.

Stay tuned for I will share with you next the 2 biggest portals providing online bookings for hostels and budget accommodations worldwide!

If you cannot recall all the beautiful moments during your backpacking trip, be sure to bring a camera along. Do not bring your full gear, but just bring enough for your photographing needs. Items such as memory cards, portable tripod, reserve battery and battery charger are considered essential. You can also bring a few lens filters with you. Polarized lens filter deepens the color of blue sky as well as reduces reflections from some surfaces. A UV lens filter protects your camera lens and at the same time filters out ultraviolet light. Besides, you should also need a camera bag to store your camera and all the equipments. The camera bag should be dustproof, rainproof and convenient to bring around.

Photography Guides for Backpackers

There are a few things to take note of when shooting photos in your backpacking trip.

1. Make sure that your camera is all the time away from water, dust and excessive heat.

2. Do not aim your camera directly at the sun. This not only to protect your camera lens, but also to protect your eyes!

3. Switch off your camera if not in use.

4. Attach UV or polarized filter to protect your camera lens.

Camera lens and filters

5. Clean your camera and accessories every night after use as well as recharge your battery.

6. Photography is prohibited in some places. Be sure to abide by the rule.

You should now be able to take decent photos during your next backpacking trip. Let’s the beautiful moments live forever in you!

Backpack is always associated with backpackers. In fact, we backpackers use backpack as our luggage. What is a backpack? A backpack is a cloth sack carried on one’s back with 2 straps that go over the shoulders. Backpack comes with many names. A backpack is also known as rucksack, knapsack, packsack, or simply pack.

Backpacks for traveling purpose come in 4 categories, namely frameless, external frame, internal frame and bodypack.

Frameless Backpack. This is the simplest backpack design which is a lightweight bag with a set of shoulder straps. Frameless backpack is inexpensive and widely available. This type of bag is only suitable for light loads of not more than 5 kilograms. It consists of 1 main pocket while more sophisticated models do have extra pockets.

Frameless backpack

External frame backpack. This is a traditional type of frame backpack which uses a rigid external frame. The pack frames are made from wood, plastic and most recently light weight metals such as aluminum, titanium and other alloys. External frame backpack has large capacity and is used to carry bulky items such as tents and sleeping bags. The external frame provides more support to the backpackers and offers better weight distribution than a frameless backpack. It can carry loads up to 20 kilograms or more.

External frame backpack

Internal frame backpack. This backpack is a recent innovation. It has an internal frame of either metal or plastic which is integrated in the main pocket. With the pack frame integrated inside, this backpack proves to be more comfortable fit in activities that involve upper body movement such as hiking on rocky surfaces. The tight fit reduces ventilation though, so the internal frame backpack tends to be sweatier than the external frame backpack.

Internal frame backpack

Bodypack. A bodypack is a backpack with 2 main pockets, one on the wearer’s front side (chest) and another at the back. With balanced weight in the front and at the back, this relaxes the body, reduces effort and makes carrying of things as comfortable as possible.

Bodypack

Which backpack to use is very much depending on travel destination and preference. For example, if you plan for hiking or long distance trekking, you should bring along an external or internal frame backpack. Likewise, if your travel preference is of solely entertainment and relaxation, a frameless backpack will do the purpose.

What to Pack in Your Backpack?

Before you set out on your backpacking journey, you need to pack your backpack. Backpack is an important resource for backpackers. One has to pack his/her backpack according to different travel itinerary. What to pack in your backpack?

1. Traveling map of your destination. This is a must as you do not want to get lost in a place full of strangers to you!

Map

2. Traveling documents. Important documents such as passport, your personal identification certificate, driving license and travel visa should not be left at home.

3. Credit cards, bank cards and phone cards. Credit cards and bank cards are important in case of emergency, especially if you are short of money.

Cards

4. Mobile phone. You might want to key in the emergency numbers of your travel destination before your trip. Do not forget to bring along the battery charger!

5. Seasonal clothing. Observe the weather and temperature of your travel destination before deciding on what to wear.

6. Under clothes. You should bring at least 3 sets with you. Disposable underwear is very convenient, but not as comfortable as your cotton underwear.

7. Hand gloves. A must if you travel during the winter.

8. Cap. Wear cap during the summer to shield away from the sun and during the winter to keep warm.

9. Socks. Bring at least 3 pairs with you so that you can change during the journey. 100% cotton socks are recommended for this purpose!

10. Slippers. A pair of slippers comes handy in long distance flight as well as during leisure stroll on the street at night.

11. Personal care items and toiletries. Items such as shaver, nail cutter, lip balm, hand lotion, moisturizer, toothbrush, toothpaste, hair and body shampoo have to be brought along with you.

12. Toiletry bag. Where else to store your personal care items and toiletries? A toiletry bag should be practical and small in size though.

13. Small torch light. It should be of the size of a pen for ease to carry around.

14. Multi purpose knife. Multi purpose knife comes handy when you need to open a can, open a bottle and even cut the fruits.

15. Small water bottle. This is to bring water with you during hiking and trekking.

Multi purpose knife

16. Umbrella. This is to shield away from both the rain and the sun. Alternatively, you can bring a light raincoat with you.

The above are just some items you can pack into your backpack. Of course, you may choose to discard some items and add in your own which deemed important to you. But never forget to make sure that your backpack is as light as possible while still maintain its practicality! Have a happy journey, my fellow backpackers!

We have to take care of our styles of wearing when we go on a tour. Not only we have to dress up pretty and smart, appropriate clothing also ensures we can move about at will during the travel. Besides, suitable clothing also contributes to maintaining good state of mind as well as traveling condition.

There are a few styles of wearing when I go on a tour. Try to choose your style of wearing so that it is harmonious to the environment and surroundings. Trust me, by doing so, you will feel even more self-confident during your trip.

A. Casual style of wearing

Casual style

Remarks:
1. Casual outfit. Follow one’s inclinations. Just wear your favorite outfit!
2. Waist pouch. It is a great way to keep your important documents such as passport with you at all time. It is also used to put in some travel accessories in need all the time such as map and small torch light.
3. A pair of easy to wear shoes. Find shoes that fit well because you have to walk a lot!
4. Backpack or knapsack. A small and soft backpack will do in this case.

B. Beach vacation style of wearing

Beachwear

Remarks:
5. Bright-colored summer wear. This is to pass on the message of energetic and healthy. Wearing on bright colors also makes you feel great!
6. Apply sunscreen at least 15 minutes before you hit the waves. The sunscreen has to be at least SPF 40 and above. It must also be sweat and water resistant.
7. Wear a pair of sandals for convenience walking on the beach as well as in the waters. Wear a pair of sunglasses too to act cool! Do not forget to bring your own piece of swimwear too!

C. Long distance trekking style of wearing

Go for trekking?

Remarks:
8. Rainproof jacket. Make sure the fabric is soft and ventilate.
9. Waist pouch. This is for the sake of convenience to put in your important documents and travel accessories.
10. A pair of good quality trekking shoes, a must for trekking.
11. Concealed hood. This is to shelter you from wind, rain and to keep warm.
12. Hiking back pack. This is to easily carry all your supplies for intense trekking trips.

Now that you have all the gears you need to make it through your backpacking trip. What is next?

Those with true passion toward traveling would definitely opt for backpacking travel. Backpacking travel sets you free from rigid and tight schedule of tour group. It allows you to go wherever you want to go and to see whatever you want to see, thus engaging in the real fun of traveling around. While you are enjoying your utmost freedom, however, backpacking travel requires one to be full of energy, bravery, knowledge, skill, adaptability and many more. Because of this, there are usually lots of things to prepare when you set out on your backpacking trip.

It is necessary to plan your trip, even if you are an expect backpacker. A rookie backpacker would have to plan his or her trip the earlier the better. I usually take up to 6 months to plan my backpacking trip. The following is how I plan my backpacking trip.

Choose your destination based on your travel preference. Your travel preference options may include wilderness exploration on foot, visit to famous scenic spots, pursuing of mankind history, coming into contact with lifestyle of local people or just simply entertainment and relaxation. Whichever is your travel preference, a full preparation ensures a joyful backpacking trip ahead.

Trekking

Next you have to decide on which season to travel. Here are a few tips. Basically, natural landscape has its own unique beauty in all 4 seasons. You can choose to travel either on spring, summer, autumn or winter. But if you want to experience local folk custom, better travel when the local folk festival takes place. The golden rule is trying your best to not traveling during peak travel season!

Winter tent

After you have decided on your travel destination and travel period, it is time now to draw up your travel itinerary. I would prefer not to touch on how to draw up a meticulously prepared travel itinerary until my later post. But right now you still have at least 1 more thing to do, which is toughening up your body. Those who work for prolonged period in the office will need at least 2 months to toughen up their bodies. This is to raise the stamina, strength and toughness of their bodies before the backpacking trip.

Fitness first!