How to travel responsibly

Being a responsible budget traveler

provided by StepUpTravel.org

Tourism in developing countries can be both a blessing and a curse – each individual leaves his or her mark upon a place.

Small decisions that we make along the way as travelers insure that future travelers find a place as welcoming and magical as we did.

Travel and tourism should be planned and executed as a means of individual growth and development. When practiced with an open mind, it is an awesome source of self education, mutual tolerance and for learning about the diversity and wonderful nuances that make our planet such an interesting place.

Everyone has a responsibility for creating and promoting responsible travel and tourism. Governments, business and communities must shoulder their share of the load, but as a budget traveler you can support this in many ways that make a huge difference:

1. Open your mind to other cultures and traditions. It will transform your trip and you will earn respect and welcome of the local people. Be tolerant and respectful, making sure to observe social and cultural traditions and practices.

2. Respect human rights. Exploitation in any form conflicts with the fundamental purpose of travel.

3. Help preserve natural environments. Leave things the way you found it – or better.  Protect wildlife and habitats and do not purchase products made from endangered plants or animals….this includes animal products, novelty insects, etc…

4. Respect cultural resources. Activities should be conducted in a way that respects the artistic, archaeological and cultural heritage of a place.

5. Support the local economy – they need it. Purchase local handicrafts and products using the principles of fair trade. Bargaining for goods should reflect an understanding of a fair wage – don’t fall victim to traveler scams, but that merchant probably needs the difference more than you do.

6. Get up to date about the destination’s current health situation prior to departure and be assured that your health and personal security will not be threatened. Make sure that you have the means to remain healthy and happy before you arrive in a new place.

7. Learn as much as possible about your destination and take time to understand the customs, norms and traditions in an effort to avoid accidentally offending the local population.

8. Learn the local laws so that you do not accidentally break them. Refrain from all trafficking in illicit drugs, arms, antiques, protected species and products or substances that are dangerous or prohibited.

Responsible travel is not complicated.  Getting into the mindset that you are going to leave a place in better shape than you found it by doing your part and encouraging others, will ensure that the doors will be kept open for future budget travelers!

Traveling Alone

Traveling Solo?

“Borrowed” from VagabondingLife.com

A jolt of unexpected excitement vibrates through my body.  I struggle to keep it my secret.

I am sitting cross legged on a sandy bamboo mat, watching another masterpiece of a West Thailand sunset dismiss an island day.  The owner of the restaurant is making his rounds lighting torches which pop and crackle around us with puffs of gray smoke.  I steal a glance at my mysterious new friend.

I have only known my new companion for a few hours.  She is friendly, Dutch, and quite beautiful.  She has also just taken my hand for the first time.

Fate, luck, Celestine Prophecy….whatever label you give it, something brought us together randomly and since we are both vagabonding, we know that this luxurious feeling won’t last forever.  Our encounter was doomed before it started and with each day that we spend together, we know that one morning will be the last.  The Devil will be waiting for 2 promised souls when the fun is over.

Knowing that we will owe a debt in tears in a few shorts days only makes the encounter that much stronger and more magical.  In travel, you build relationships at light speed compared to the methodical navigating of social protocols at home.  When you are backpacking, there simply isn’t time for games.  From the onset, there is a silent and mutual agreement that the road always takes precedence over emotion.

One day you both know that you will be divorced in exchange for a cardinal direction….you ponder momentarily, then you both fork over your hearts.

This has happened to me more than once, and some of the encounters have defined my entire trip to a country, even changed me as I stepped off the plane back in America months later.

Good or bad, I believe that none of these life changing connections with people would have been possible had I been traveling with someone from home.  I probably would have just eaten dinner with my traveling mate and made no efforts at starting a conversation with the solo traveler.

The most common question I see about vagabonding in email and my backpacking forums is about money.  The second most common question usually relates to “How can you travel alone?” or “I could never do that” or “I’m trying to find someone to go with….”

It may feel safer to partner up with someone from home, and I’ll admit that there were times I would have sawed off fingers for a familiar face, but you may be cheating yourself.  I watched many people traveling in pairs or groups simply stick to themselves in a little bastion of cliquey comfort and safety, barely noticing the new culture or people around them. Many times they didn’t even look happy.

As a loner, I feel that I received an entirely different trip experience in the same place.  I also feel that my trip had more resounding spiritual benefits rather than just “entertainment” value.  I had time to know myself.

Whatever your travel style is, shake up your comfort settings at some point and give it a try.

In many countries on the backpacking circuit (especially if you look different than the locals) you may have to TRY to be alone!  So many times I only wanted some time to myself for reflecting and updating my journal when a stranger sat down and started asking the usual questions….”Where are you from?”, “Where have you been?”, “How long are you traveling?”…..

It does not matter how introverted you are, it is impossible not to meet new people when you are traveling alone.  Plus, as a bonus, there is no debate on where to go next, where to eat, where to stay….for one of the first times in your life you are truly free.

As expected, I told my new friend goodbye and watched as she walked across the plank to a rumbling diesel ferry.  All I was left with was an email and a lifetime memory…..but when I felt my rucksack biting into my shoulders, I knew that it was time to move on.  With every adventure that ends, a new one is not far away.

The sadness of the goodbye melted and suddenly I was smiling.  No doubt she was sitting on her boat doing the same.  The road always wins.

Meet the Author:

Greg Rodgers is the editor of this specimen of a travel site and left Corporate America to begin traveling in 2005. He’s been happily living from a rucksack since!

10 ways to keep your backpack safe

(photo courtesy of www.mytravelbackpack.com)

Keep your backpack safe

While traveling in Egypt this past December, I had a porter mistakenly pick up my bag as I was waiting at a security checkpoint. My heart sank when I cleared the metal detector and realized that it was gone. This was just before coming home for Christmas and inside were both my journal and camera. For 2 agonizing hours I mourned the loss as my ferry crossed over to Sharm el Sheikh. As I was leaving the boat, I was lucky enough to have the bag returned by an honest German divemaster. The close call opened my eyes to what it would feel like to suffer such a loss, and now I travel with a little more caution than before.

In general you can travel anywhere and avoid being robbed. A little common sense goes a long way. However, thousands of budget travelers ARE robbed every year while on the road. Unfortunately we do draw a lot of attention to ourselves, and by some local standards we are considered “rich”. It does not just happen in developing countries, professional thieves reside all over the world.

Fortunately, the trick for not letting it happen to you is simple – don’t present an easy target. Unless you happen to come across a thief that just wants a challenge, more than likely they will pass and move on to an easier victim. Here are some easy tips for not becoming one of the unlucky ones:
1) When riding a bus, try to sit on the same side as your bag that is stored underneath in the cargo hold. If you are awake, watch out the window at stops which are not yours to make sure no one takes it as they exit.

2) While sleeping in airports, make a “leash” out of parachute cord or clothesline. Connect your wrist to the bag while it is under your seat or sitting beside you in case you fall asleep.

3) Consider your country’s relations with the country you are traveling before sewing your flag patch on the outside of your bag. When a thief has to choose between dozens of bags, it may make you stand out.

4) Carry a small bicycle combination chain lock in the top of your bag. Attach it to support bars when it is stored on an overnight train, or to the bed frame when it is in your hotel.

5) Put small combination locks on outside pockets. In a crowded area it may be impossible to feel a deft hand unzipping and reaching inside while it is on your back.

6) Consciously pack bulk things on the back side of the bag rather than valuable items. If your pack is slashed by someone with a razor while you wear it, all they will get is a handful of dirty underwear. This makes sense for not putting weight away from your body and for padding the contents inside as well.

7) Carry less! Its true, a fat rucksack is a fat target. Also, you will not be tempted to leave it behind so much if the bag is less of a burden.

8 Don’t look like a target. Leave the Rolex, Raybans, and expensive sandals behind. If you present an image of wealth, someone will be very interested in your bag.

9) Avoid carrying bags that declare what is inside. Any thief that sees “Lowepro” knows that an expensive camera probably resides inside. The same thing goes for using laptop bags as a daybag. “IBM” on the outside will probably have their mouth watering. Sew a patch over the logo or put some duct tape over it to make it look less appealing.

10) Treat your travel backpack like your best mate. While you travel, it is your home. Always be aware of where it is and try to keep it close. I personally get the best night’s sleep when I have my bag under me as a pillow. If a thief can manage to get it then, he or she is welcome to everything inside!

Organic Farm Work

WWOOF: Organic Farm Work

Written for Startbackpacking.com by Steven Hermans

WWOOF stands for Willing Workers On Organic Farms. It is an international organization with branches all over the world set up to bring together farmers and people who wand to live and work on an organic farm.

I had heard of organic farm work through a friend of mine who had worked on an organic farm in Australia and I decided to try it out for myself on a recent trip to Bulgaria.

The idea is that you work for food and board (usually half a day, it depends on the arrangements you make with your host) and live with the family. There are different ways of getting in touch with farmers depending on the country you want to work in.

Many national organizations publish a book with all contacts for organic farm work that you receive when you become a member for a small fee.

I had already made arrangements with my organic farm hosts prior to coming to Bulgaria. It proved to be quite easy and quick to get in touch with them and agree on a date.

Linda and James were a British couple who decided to get out of the rat race and leave the fast-paced, consumerist society of England behind them, instead opting to start a small organic farm in a rural village in the heart of Bulgaria.

I was a bit nervous coming from the train at the run-down train station of Gorno Bote, seemingly abandoned by all but a limping dog and a cloud of mosquitoes.

Anxiety filled my body and brain. I didn’t know these people at all and suddenly I was going to live and do organic farm work with them 24/7. Was this going to work? It didn’t sound like a good idea, but my fears quickly withdrew when we met. Linda and James were very warm and welcoming from the start.

Their house was a beautiful old lime and earth building on the outskirts of town. We had a traditional Bulgarian meal that evening before we went to bed. There was a separate bedroom next to theirs that I had completely to myself. The next day we set to work.

An organic farm, even if it is a small one, always provides work. The beans and the tomatoes needed sticks to keep them upright, a new plant bed for sowing herbs had to be dug, the blueberries needed to be picked, and there was always weeding to be done… Even though we agreed I could take time off whenever I wanted, I ended up doing a lot more work than planned.

Not because they forced me to or because I felt morally obliged, but because I enjoyed it so much. Work and life intertwined here, it never felt to me like I was doing a job. We were always working together, so it was a good thing we got along so well. I realized it could have been completely different, but this was perfect.

The weekends I spent going to the nearby city or exploring the surrounding valleys. I was learning a great deal about living a sustainable life and organic farming. A couple of times I even went with some of our neighbors to help them out in the fields, turning the hay or milking their goats. I learned some Bulgarian and I made friends in the village.

I got to see what it was really like living in the countryside. I was not a tourist only there to admire the landscape and to witness the folklore. I was an actual part of the community.

People knew my name and asked me to come to the bar in the evening, or come to church with them on Sundays. I found my way into the local gossip circuit, which proved surprisingly exciting. More than anything else, it was this feeling of healthy, honest, simple living that made me stay in Gorno Bote two weeks longer than I had planned.

I found organic farm work to be a great alternative to ‘normal’ backpacking because it gives you the chance to really experience living in a rural setting, which is more difficult as an itinerant traveler. For a city person like myself it was ideal: I could live a green and healthy lifestyle and I could actually do something useful that didn’t involve a keyboard.

I sowed peppers, watched them sprout and eventually ate them; it felt like such an achievement to me. At the same time, I have to recognize that I was very lucky meeting two people who I got along with so well. It is a drawback that you are never sure if you will like your host. But it’s worth the risk.

For more information on supplementing your trip with organic farm work, visit http://www.wwoof.org

Discuss WWOOF experiences in the backpacking forums.