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This article was written by Chumasande Matiwane.
Travelling is a great way to spend your time, it allows you to see what the world has to offer. If you’re a fan of travel, then you might consider going backpacking but before you do, it is key to learn some of the pros and cons of backpack traveling.
Even though backpacking allows you flexibility and an immersive travel experience, it might not be for everyone hence you need to understand the pros and cons that come with it.
Travelling outside your comfort zone is always the goal for most, and backpack travelling offers exactly that. When you’re travelling alone, you have to speak to people to find your way around.
This helps you develop your confidence quicker and helps with social anxiety as you are now forced to converse with people of different backgrounds and ethnicities. Sometimes you can even meet people on your travels who become lifelong friends, all that’s to your confidence growing.
Some people can get homesick when travelling. This homesickness tends to get worse if you travel alone. Backpacking involves you being away from home for weeks on end. Consider whether or not you’re going to be able to cope with not knowing anyone.
Everyone knows that life is not perfect and sometimes one needs away time. When you go backpacking, you can avoid all the negatives and open your mind to new possibilities. These new positive possibilities will expose us to fewer negatives.
Backpacking involves being spontaneous, this spontaneity can be scary for some. Unless you have done a lot of research and planning, sometimes with backpacking you don’t always know where you’re going to be sleeping each night. This can be nerve-wracking for some people, as you are travelling blind most time.
One of the many backpacking benefits is that it can often be a lot cheaper than a typical week-long holiday. The reason why it can be cheaper is you don’t spend thousands on 5-star hotels and other typical holiday activities. Backpacking expenses are usually limited to the things you need.
When backpacking, you won’t always be able to shower as frequently as you want. Days might go by without you having showered because you are constantly on the move, experiencing a different way of life. So if you’re used to a nice warm shower every day then backpacking might be quite challenging.
Before you add backpacking to your bucket list, weigh up the pros and cons before you make any solid plans.
This article first appeared on Garden & Home.
Also see: How solo travelling could be beneficial to you
