Frustrations about the backpacker scene

None wrote:
(Miguel Cruz) wrote:
Hallvard Tangeraas wrote:
I'm REALLY frustrated this morning. I'm moving on and need the sleep,
but did I get any? Hardly.
Snotnosed kids turning the place into a children's summercamp helped
wake me up again and again, so I got 4 hours or something of sleep.
Mature young adults? haha!!!

Depends on the town, neighborhood, and hostel you're in. Usually there's
somewhere with a slightly older/quieter crowd around. Look for vegetarian
menus, prices a couple $$ more than the rest, and so on.

curious as to the "and so on."

Flowerpots, hand-painted signs, funky buildings... and so on.

miguel
--
Hundreds of travel photos from around the world: http://travel.u.nu/

maldoror wrote:
I also have same interest.. travelling and actually travelling ie
exploring things for myself even if some packaged tour might it easier
for me. I have not travelled a lot but I am hoping to go for it. You
can think of me as a starter.
Can you give me some advice about low cost travelling.. I am a student
(under 25, not old ) and I dont have huge sums to spend on it. I am
located in southern usa and for starting I will confine myself to us
only.. although your expertise is in asia and australia (as you
mentioned) but still you must be having general tips and advices.

The US is one of the world's most difficult countries for low-cost travel.
Infrastructure (hostels, public transport) is very poor and the number of
budget travelers is very low, so there's not enough critical mass to support
the development of more.

I've found that it's cheaper to go to Southeast Asia than to stay home. What
you spend on the plane ticket you'll make up in food and accommodation
costs in a matter of days or weeks. So don't let your budget keep you here.
If you can scrape up $600 for a ticket, count on spending about $5/night for
a place to stay plus $5/day for food. Compare that to $15/night for rent in
the USA (assuming $450/month) and $10/day, and you break even pretty
quickly. If your normal rent or food expenses are higher, you break even
faster.

miguel
--
Hundreds of travel photos from around the world: http://travel.u.nu/

I've found that it's cheaper to go to Southeast Asia than to stay home. What
you spend on the plane ticket you'll make up in food and accommodation
costs in a matter of days or weeks. So don't let your budget keep you here.
If you can scrape up $600 for a ticket, count on spending about $5/night for
a place to stay plus $5/day for food. Compare that to $15/night for rent in
the USA (assuming $450/month) and $10/day, and you break even pretty
quickly. If your normal rent or food expenses are higher, you break even
faster.


Assuming you're not paying home rent while you're away - ie are traveling
after you break without penalty, get out of, terminate, or reach the end of
your lease. If most of your costs are fixed (rent, car payment,
insurance....) your point still stands but make sure to differentiate
between fixed and variable costs.....

Miguel Cruz wrote:

The US is one of the world's most difficult countries for low-cost travel.
Infrastructure (hostels, public transport) is very poor and the number of
budget travelers is very low, so there's not enough critical mass to support
the development of more.

That said, there are some places you can go, if you are willing to do some
hostelling. There is a youth hostel, for example, in Philadelphia right
near Independence Hall. There is a youth hostel in Taos, New Mexico (although
the geography out there almost requires a car; you can get in and out of Taos
with bikes if you are willing to do some long bike trips, but getting to
the major southwest sites is really tough or impossible with public transport)
There is a youth hostel in San Francisco.

So it's possible to a limited extent.

Julie

I've found that it's cheaper to go to Southeast Asia than to stay home. What
you spend on the plane ticket you'll make up in food and accommodation
costs in a matter of days or weeks. So don't let your budget keep you here.
If you can scrape up $600 for a ticket, count on spending about $5/night for
a place to stay plus $5/day for food. Compare that to $15/night for rent in
the USA (assuming $450/month) and $10/day, and you break even pretty
quickly. If your normal rent or food expenses are higher, you break even
faster.

miguel
--
Hundreds of travel photos from around the world: http://travel.u.nu/

--
Julie
**********
Check out my Travel Pages (non-commercial) at
http://www.dragonsholm.org/travel.htm

Raffi Balmanoukian a wrote:
I've found that it's cheaper to go to Southeast Asia than to stay home.
What you spend on the plane ticket you'll make up in food and
accommodation costs in a matter of days or weeks. So don't let your
budget keep you here. If you can scrape up $600 for a ticket, count on
spending about $5/night for a place to stay plus $5/day for food. Compare
that to $15/night for rent in the USA (assuming $450/month) and $10/day,
and you break even pretty quickly. If your normal rent or food expenses
are higher, you break even faster.

Assuming you're not paying home rent while you're away - ie are traveling
after you break without penalty, get out of, terminate, or reach the end of
your lease.

I usually sublet, or if I'm taking a long trip (multi-month), move out and
put stuff in storage.

If most of your costs are fixed (rent, car payment, insurance....) your
point still stands but make sure to differentiate between fixed and
variable costs.....

Yup, in that case it can be harder to break even. I don't have a car, so
that's one thing not to worry about (and a few thousand extra a year to
spend on traveling).

miguel
--
Hundreds of travel photos from around the world: http://travel.u.nu/

Miguel,where do you live for $450/mo.!?A one bed here is 1000/mo.
However,I've been to S/E asia,in fact I spent 3 months there.Although
it is pretty cheap, for me it was intolerably hot {Bangkok} and a
miserable experience overall.The filth,abject
poverty,corruption,unchecked pollution,ubiquitous crime,intolerable
all-night loud-speakers ,deadly snakes,spiders and rampant disease ,made
me quite glad on my return to the U.S. to be paying $1000/mo once again.

Brian Orion wrote:
Miguel,where do you live for $450/mo.!?A one bed here is 1000/mo.

I was figuring a student sharing an apartment. The more rent you pay the
better off you are elsewhere, though.

However,I've been to S/E asia,in fact I spent 3 months there.Although it
is pretty cheap, for me it was intolerably hot {Bangkok} and a miserable
experience overall.The filth,abject poverty,corruption,unchecked
pollution,ubiquitous crime,intolerable all-night loud-speakers ,deadly
snakes,spiders and rampant disease ,made me quite glad on my return to the
U.S. to be paying $1000/mo once again.

Really? I love the heat, the crime is miniscule compared to any city in the
USA, corruption doesn't affect you if you're not running a business, and
disease is as easy to avoid as anywhere. How you managed to find deadly
snakes and spiders in Bangkok (except maybe at the zoo) is well beyond me.

I'll give you the pollution. Pretty disgusting.

Anyway, if you're not a city person, find a quiet beach island. Cheap too,
and you can opt out of all those things you complained about (other than the
delicious heat).

miguel
--
Hundreds of travel photos from around the world: http://travel.u.nu/

I've met plenty of backpackers over 25. I myself was over that age when
I was in Australia... right now it is summer there and school's out!
Backpacking is all about living it rough and exploring... if you are
adventurous, try camping, etc..

Yes, I think they still have dorms there. At least in Malaysia they
did, but with prices so low for a single room, there's just no need to
share.

But here in Australia it's a different matter -single rooms are too
expensive. At least for one person. If I'd be travelling with a friend
or spouse I'd get a double room which would be fine costwise, but just
me -no chance if I want my money to last!


I'm REALLY frustrated this morning. I'm moving on and need the sleep,
but did I get any? Hardly.
Snotnosed kids turning the place into a children's summercamp helped
wake me up again and again, so I got 4 hours or something of sleep.
Mature young adults? haha!!!
And is there such a thing as a backpacker over age 25? I haven't come
across any so far.

Just had to get that out of the system.....
Now I'm off to yet another place here on the east coast of Australia.
Hopefully with a hostel housing some more considerate and mature
people.
One can always hope....

Hallvard

On 2004-02-12 09:25:32 -0500, Juliana L Holm said:

Miguel Cruz wrote:

The US is one of the world's most difficult countries for low-cost travel.
Infrastructure (hostels, public transport) is very poor and the number of
budget travelers is very low, so there's not enough critical mass to support
the development of more.

That said, there are some places you can go, if you are willing to do some
hostelling. There is a youth hostel, for example, in Philadelphia right
near Independence Hall. There is a youth hostel in Taos, New Mexico (although
the geography out there almost requires a car; you can get in and out of Taos
with bikes if you are willing to do some long bike trips, but getting to
the major southwest sites is really tough or impossible with public transport)
There is a youth hostel in San Francisco.

So it's possible to a limited extent.

The word is" limited". I've stayed in the hostel in SF. I've been in
hostels all over Australia, UK and Europe and the one in SF is pretty
bad. The infrastructure isn't there. I've heard of ones in LA and NYC,
but considering my experience in staying at a YMCA in NYC I don't hold
high hopes...

On 2004-02-14 03:31:35 -0500, (Brian Orion) said:

Miguel,where do you live for $450/mo.!?A one bed here is 1000/mo.
However,I've been to S/E asia,in fact I spent 3 months there.Although
it is pretty cheap, for me it was intolerably hot {Bangkok} and a
miserable experience overall.The filth,abject
poverty,corruption,unchecked pollution,ubiquitous crime,intolerable
all-night loud-speakers ,deadly snakes,spiders and rampant disease ,made
me quite glad on my return to the U.S. to be paying $1000/mo once again.

I can relate a similar story... when I moved to London, UK I hated at
first. It was filthy, crowded, cold, wet, expensive, people were rude,
etc.. but it's full of outgoing people willing to talk to strangers,
nightlife, culture that simple don't exist here in North America (not
even NYC IMHO). Of course I'm back, but that is a different story...

I found Australia utterly devoid of life - landscape and people... so
that is a place I'm glad to have left.

Marcus