The travel corner of the internet spews out endless vlogs, destination blogs, and self-titled tourism guides telling you what hotspots you should and shouldn’t miss. Contrasting opinions spark arguments over the best backpack, how many shoes you should bring, which cities to avoid, which countries are too dangerous or too gentrified, and the best places to eat, drink, and sunbathe.
This newsletter is just another average voice in that endless, digital void.
I shout my opinions and experiences into the abyss, hoping someone might benefit from my travel mistakes and learnings. But I’m also painfully aware that, as a white british woman, my voice isn’t particularly unique or special. So, with this being said, take everything I advise with a pinch of salt. By all means, save the odd hostel recommendation or use my posts to help narrow down what you might want to do when backpacking—but don’t take my (or anyone’s) word as gospel.
Long and short of it, I thought it’d be fun to pull together some of my hottest takes for you to roast. Feel free to copy me, disagree, or do the complete opposite—ngl it would be so boring if we were all travelling the same way.
1. Don’t blindly follow travel content creators or journalists
Over-tourism is real and has devastating effects on local communities and the environment. Just because a place is all over your For You Page doesn’t mean you’ll enjoy visiting. The same goes for cafes and restaurants.
My advice? Research a destination using a mix of sources. Sure, check out influencers, but also look at tourism board websites, guidebooks, Google Maps, or—ideally—ask locals when you arrive. Don’t expect to copy and paste someone else’s holiday and have the best time ever.
2. You don’t all that baggage
Unless you’re climbing a mountain, trekking through the jungle solo, or snowboarding, you probably don’t need that much stuff. I swear by packing fewer, multi-functional items that are lightweight and easy to layer.
Two pairs of shoes are plenty (one pair of trainers, one pair of sandals).
No denim.
Sweat-wicking gym clothes that work in both hot and cold weather.
Hair straighteners? Forget it.
Makeup and toiletries? Go as minimal as possible—soap bars and minis are your best friend. Or just buy stuff on arrival.
And don’t forget: launderettes exist worldwide, bring less and wash more.
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3. Never skimp on safety
I’m all for sticking to a budget, but there are times to save and times to spend. I learned this the hard way in the Philippines.
After a long travel day from Vietnam, we arrived in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, exhausted. Instead of hopping into one of the taxis waiting outside, we decided to walk to our accommodation—it was only 15 minutes away.
For context: it was late at night. We were two young women, each carrying a 60L backpack, with no working SIM card. We ended up walking through a rough area, past strip clubs where drunk men leered and catcalled us, before cutting through dark residential streets where we were chased by territorial dogs. Not ideal.
Was it worth saving £10 on a taxi? Absolutely not.
This one especially applies to women and solo travellers—don’t cut corners when it comes to safety. Stay at hotels that are located in safe central areas, avoid walking around places you aren’t familiar with at night and always have a working phone.
4. Know what kind of tourist you are
After a few backpacking trips, I’ve realised that tourists tend to fall into categories.
The sun-worshippers: their dream holiday involves lying by the pool, sipping margaritas.
The classic backpackers: stay in social hostels, tick off the major sights by day, and play beer pong by night.
The adventure seekers: You’ll find these guys summitting mountains, wild camping on moorlands or, lost in jungles. (I’m leaning more and more towards this group these days.)
Whatever your flavour of travel, own it. It’s your money, your time, and your experience. The real challenge? Travelling with friends or family who have different tastes. My advice? If necessary, split up for a day—let your girlfriend read by the pool while you go solo bungee jumping.
5. Leave room for spontaneity
I love nothing more than planning out my trips, researching every spot I want to visit, saving restaurants on Google Maps, and making itineraries. But some of the best travel moments happen when you don’t have a plan.
Say yes to dinner with someone you just met at the hostel. Sign up for that cooking class you found on a random flyer. Spend an afternoon reading in a café instead of cramming in another tourist attraction.
It’s impossible to predict how tiring a travel day will be or how long you’ll want to spend wandering a castle ruin. My approach? Have a rough list of activities saved on Google Maps but only pre-book things that truly need it, like a scuba diving course or a museum that sells out weeks in advance.
6. Learn the language
To my continuous embarrassment, I don’t speak another language (I attempted Vietnamese, xin lỗi, but it didn’t last long). I’m currently trying to learn Spanish and plan to take classes after finishing uni.
That said, I think we’re all capable of learning a few basic phrases before visiting a country. Hello, Goodbye, Please, Thank you, Toilet.
You’ll need all of these, even if you’re just on a weekend city break. Don’t be that person shouting in English at double volume to some poor, confused waiter.
(If you take any advice from me, let it be this one.)
Disagree? Agree? Let me know what you think.
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Great tips, especially the point about leaving some room for spontaneity