Blog Archives

5 Free Things To Do In New York.

Posted on May 18, 2016 by Bemused Backpacker — 2 Comments

New York doesn’t have to be expensive with this travel itinerary stuffed with free things to see and do.

Tagged with: backpacking, budget travel, cheap things to do in Manhattan, cheap things to do in NYC, free, free events calendar NYC, free things to do in, free things to do in Brooklyn, free things to do in New York, new york, new york budget travel
Posted in Travel Lists

How To Stay Close to Your Family While Travelling.

Posted on May 18, 2016 by Bemused Backpacker — 4 Comments

If you’re looking to alleviate the occasional heartache that comes from missing your family members and friends during your travels, check out these awesome ways to remain close to far away loved ones and make the homesickness sting much less.

Tagged with: backpacking, being away from family on a gap year, best way to communicate internationally for free, best way to keep in touch overseas, family and travel, gap year, homesickness, how to keep in touch with family and friends on a gap year, keep in touch while abroad, keeping in touch with family on a gap year, staying in touch, travel, ways to keep in touch with friends when travelling
Posted in Travel Advice

Why Travel Insurance Is Essential On Your Gap Year.

Posted on May 16, 2016 by Bemused Backpacker — 26 Comments

Planning your gap year is an exciting process, full of opportunity and wonder, and the last thing you want to do is think about anything going wrong. The problem is, you need to. It is essential that you spend at least a little bit of time ensuring that you have the right insurance cover for your backpacking trip just in case the worst does happen.

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Posted in Travel Tips

Asia’s Best Backpacker Hubs.

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Bemused Backpacker — Leave a comment

Asia is one of the most eclectic, diverse and fascinating regions on the planet, and has drawn backpackers and travellers on their gap years for decades. Here are some of the best backpacker hubs and stopovers that every backpacker should include on their itinerary.

Tagged with: Asia, Asia gap year, Asia gap year route, Asia itinerary gap year, backpacking, best placs for backpackers in Asia, gap year, south east asia, South East Asia gap year, south east Asia gap year itinerary, south east asia gap year route, where should I go on my gap year, where to go in Asia, where to go in souteast Asia
Posted in Travel Lists

The Dark Truth About Orphanage Volunteering.

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Bemused Backpacker — 52 Comments

Orphanage volunteering has become a serious international child protection issue in recent years despite being a popular staple of the gap year and voluntourism industries. Here is why every backpacker should avoid the orphanage volunteering traps on their gap year.

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Posted in Responsible Travel

Slumdog Voyeur?

Posted on May 2, 2016 by Bemused Backpacker — 2 Comments

As slum tours become increasingly popular in India and elsewhere around the world, travellers on their gap year have to ask themselves is it ethical to exploit the poor to assuage some privileged curiosity? Or is it supporting a poor community and providing them with much needed tourist dollars?

Tagged with: Dharavi, India, is slum tourism in India ethical, Mumbai, slum tourism, slum tourism debate, slum tourism in India, slum tourism pros and cons, slum tours, slum tours in India
Posted in Responsible Travel

Ministry Of Coffee Review, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Posted on April 18, 2016 by Bemused Backpacker — 22 Comments

The Ministry of Coffee is a boutique hotel in the heart of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, with a high standard of amenities at a perfect flashpacker price point, it is more than reachable for any budget backpacker who wants to treat themselves for a few nights.

Tagged with: flashpacker, Indonesia, mid range budget, Ministry of Coffee, Ministry of Coffee review, where to stay in Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta
Posted in Reviews

Is India Really So Difficult For Backpackers?

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Bemused Backpacker — 8 Comments

India is constantly lauded as the ultimate travel adventure and lambasted as the ultimate gap year nightmare, often in the same breath, so what is the reality of travelling in India really like? Is it really such a harsh, unforgiving place for backpackers? This article will delve into the reality of travelling through India and give you the honest truth.

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Posted in Destinations

Is Street Food Safe When Travelling?

Posted on April 2, 2016 by Bemused Backpacker — 11 Comments

Street food in south east Asia has a reputation among those who have never been of being unclean, unsafe and the quickest surefire way to get food poisoning and spending your entire trip on the toilet. That isn’t true at all, street food is delicious and safe, and my advice as an experienced backpacker and a qualified health professional will let you know what to look out for, what to eat and how to enjoy the best food on the planet without getting sick.

Tagged with: Asian street food is it safe, backpacking, best cuisine in southeast Asia, best food cities in Asia, best food in southeast Asia, best street food in Asia, best street food in southeast Asia, everything you need to know about street food in southeast Asia, food, food poisoning, food travel, foodie travel, gap year, is it safe to eat street food in south east Asia, is southeast Asian stret food safe, popular foods in southeast Asia, sickness and travel, southeast Asia food recipes, southeast Asia for foodies, street food, travel, what is the best food in Asia
Posted in Travel Advice, Travel Health

Top 10 Things To Do In Jakarta, Indonesia.

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Bemused Backpacker — 4 Comments

Jakarta is often dismissed by many travelers as a simple stopover city, somewhere convenient to fly in an out of, but also somewhere to get out of as quickly as possible. But if you take the time to explore Jakarta, you will be very pleasantly surprised. Here are the top 10 things to see and do in Jakarta.