‘Backpacking’ is a fancy word these days to which everyone wants to get associated, but it literally means to get out of your comfort zone, walking that extra mile to know and dive deeper into places and diversity that they have to offer and that too at a minimal cost.

Backpacking, as the word itself says, take all the minimum that you need on your back and start exploring.

I always believe in travelling like a local whether it be transportation or walking around the city or trying the local food from where locals eat not some fancy restaurant or a hotel, as these things makes you get into the skin of the place where you are.

It takes you more closer to the local culture and way of living. My travel history is very diverse in its nature right from the Cape Point in South Africa to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe to the Lisbon in Portugal to Seville in Spain to Verona in Italy to Bratislava in Slovakia to Hoi an in Vietnam to Chiang Mai and Koh Lanta in Thailand to Pamukkale in Turkey to St. Petersburg in Russia to Yangon in Myanmar and the list goes on.

 The first and foremost thing that I suggest is that one should travel with bare minimum, that is, essentials for the travel, rather than flooding the bags with clothes and other unnecessary things. Another important thing about backpacking is the power of acceptance. We should always remember that it’s we who are in a different land to explore, so always try to gulp in the culture and accept the way it is rather than complaining.

Try to talk to locals and go to the non touristic areas of the city to know the local life better. Walking through a city is the best way to explore it. So try walking and observing the diversity. The most important tip for backpacking is being moneywise.

Try taking the advantage of free walking tours, free museum days, good deals and discounts, try staying in hostels as they are economical and you get to meet so many new people from all the parts of the world, and try taking public transport wherever possible rather than a private one.

There are many taboos about travelling out of the country, the most common is about the food. We Indians specially cannot live without food and being a vegetarian, for me adds another dimension to this aspect, as it’s a bit difficult being a vegetarian traveller but there is nowhere in the world where you don’t get vegetarian food, it’s just that you have to look a little deeper and longer in order to find one. I found vegetarian food in a country like Uruguay which is a hardcore meat eating nation.

If at some places you don’t find vegetarian food, there are always fruits and other snacks to survive on, and gives a good detoxification also.