15 backpacking tips by graham hughes

He is a bit loud and annoying but he is impressive.

20 Backpacking Tips by Graham Hughes (or How To Travel The World On The Cheap)

20. Avoid expensive countries

19. Travel light

18. Purchase a decent guidebook

17. Bring a laptop

16. Unlock your mobile phone

15. Travel insurance

14. Debit card

13. Mega cheap flights

12. Be creative! (lend museum lockers, ask to use hotel amenities and so on)

11. Blag a student card

10. Overland it!

9. Sneak in*

8. Have a good story

7. Eat street food

6. Drink with the locals..(or skip drinking altogether & choose to be healthy, sober & conscious (˘⌣˘ ))

5.Avoid countries that demand visas 

4. Bargain and bargain hard

3. Don't get ill

2. No souvenirs!

1. Couch surf

All tips were taken from Graham's very loud and noisy video here.

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*A tip from my own sister while at the Stonehenge: tickets to see the Stonehenge is £8 per adult so if you just want to get close enough for a good shot (BTW visitors aren't allowed to get close enough to touch the stones anyway), skip the fee by cutting across a sheep farm and you will come close enough for a great close up of the entire formation.

Weird and Wonderful I

Some weird and wonderful tools for future travels~

Peeing device for ladies. Practical for camping, hiking or on-the-go travel and keeps you dry and hygenic. Plus points for being easy to use, easy to clean and carry.

©  SheWee

Portable electronic device charger. One of my favourites as it runs entirely on solar energy. Doubles as a flashlight too! © Waka Waka Light

Weird and Wonderful II coming soon!

Travel Planning Sites - Part 1

The Internet is my best friend when it comes to planning my travels. These are some sites used on my most recent trip.

Schedule & Activities

www.utrip.com
Thumbs up: The site is very detailed and takes into account all aspects of your travel.
Thumbs down: They only cater for travels in some European countries (booo)

Packing

upl.codeq.info
Thumbs up: Looong and detailed explanation about which items you need / can leave behind.
Thumbs down: May miss out on some personal preferences. (Example: They missed out thermal inner wear for winters below  10°C, which is something I would need)

Finally, some good packing videos for those who have medium to small sized luggage :)

Tip: Your actual best friend to plan travels should be someone who travels the most similar to you. The Internet actually comes second ;)

Stay tuned for part 2!

Long Airport Transfers

Longest airport transfer experienced: 16 hours in Hong Kong

Most recent long haul: 7 hours in Abu Dhabi :(

I always underestimate the effect of a long haul, especially at night time......

Big mistake. 

These hauls can get you bored, irritated, restless and also worsen your jetlag. So here are some tips* on facing long transits comfortably :)

1. Cash*

When I left UK, I had finished my pound currency and didn't prepare any cash for the flight haul, since I thought I could survive without it. Bad idea! Cash is always essential, even if a little, for emergency cases. 

2. Charged phone or tablet

I emphasize "charged". Otherwise, never board without a charger in your hand luggage.

3. Meals

Plan your meals so that you have breakfast, lunch and dinner on time. Pack food or find out suitable places* to eat at the airport you are heading to. Otherwise you will be stuck for 7 hours surviving on crisps!

4. Cozy spot

This depends a lot on the facilities of the airport. For me, I find multi-faith rooms a blessing. There I can sit, sleep, lie down, eat, drink, basically do anything in private (just remember to keep clean to respect others)

5. Clothing

I sometimes forget how cold it can get when staying long hours in an airport. If you're on a commercial flight and they hand you a free blanket, remember to take with you (most airlines won't mind this)

6. Company

Most important of all, try your best to travel with a friend. Having an actual person to talk to instead of looking through Twitter is always a better choice when travelling <3

*Refers to travellers on a budget, not family holidays or luxury holidays where you usually prepare plenty of money for shopping and dining ;)