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The worst thing for most visitors to Vietnam is the traffic in this country, which seems to be totally chaotic and dangerous. Being actually this, it is not surprising that most visitors are scared a lot to participate in the traffic. The streets of Ha Noi and Sai Gon are crowded, motorbikes are everywhere and it seems that there is a sheer endless support of motorbikes and bikes. But there are some rules you should know, so going through the streets of Sai Gon will be fun.

Some rules for the traffic

First of all, you should know there is real survival of the fittest here. The stronger you are, the more rights you have. A bus can drive nearly without any limit through the streets of the big cities, whereas you as a pedestrian don’t have any rights. Most tourists will be pedestrians, so you should take great care: Even bicycles have more rights than you! But this is not all. Everybody can, at least when there is no police, drive as they want. Factually, there will be motorbikes driving on the pavement, driving through by a red crossing-lights and so on. But luckily, there exists also the rule, that you drive like you want but you cannot endanger others too much. A bus driver will drive fast and dangerously through the streets, but actually he also must take care not to create an accident with someone else. However, it seems not to be very fortunate to have a meeting with such a bus on the street. As a pedestrian you always should be aware of who is approaching you.
Stay calm and don’t panic!


So, how do you cross the street? It is very easy: You just go! This seems not to be a good idea with billions of bikes and motorbikes coming along, but the traffic in Vietnam behaves like a school of fishes: the traffic will flow around you. You must ALWAYS go predictably. You must go slowly and keep eye-contact with the drivers. You must go predictably. Do not stop by going over the street and don’t turn around. The motorbike drivers always must know where you are now and will be in some seconds, so they can flow around you. Traffic now only gets more dangerous, because more and more cars join the traffic and also destroy the harmonic flow of the endless motorbike stream. When you come to a crossing, or you have to cross over the street, you go to the edge and look to the left and right (motorbikes can come from all directions). Then you start walking. You never should change your velocity, so I suggest you start slowly. If you hear some horns this means someone attracts your attention and shows you. During your walk, you will have to adapt a little to the traffic, but never stop, turn back or change your direction. If you see a motorbike coming too close, surely, you have to stop a little, but then go on.
Practice makes perfect

After your arrival in Vietnam, the best is to study how the Vietnamese themselves do cross streets and try to do the same. If you worry about going, you should try to find a Vietnamese who also wants cross the street and go with him. The biggest problem is the misunderstanding between foreign and Vietnamese prediction, so you really should imitate the Vietnamese way of walking. I am always amazed how Vietnamese seem to understand what others will do, because their behaviour is for me in most cases not predictable. For sure, keeping these rules in mind, does not excuse you from paying attention. When you cross a street and see hundreds of motorbikes coming to you, it is not easy to stay calm. It will maybe take some time until you get acquainted with this situation and eventually you will cross streets and participate in the traffic like the indigenous Vietnamese.
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Mekong Delta, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City , …Sapa.

People wearing little conical hats called coolies… depending on the city grow to or the village, Vietnam can be a fairly bustling place.



1. Beware of theft.

Sorry sorry it happens there it happens there a lot. Focus. Know where you’re going. Know what’s around you. In the course of around two weeks I met for travelers that had been robbed in various different ways.

– Bag snatching. – Taking out a wad of cash, when you’re paying a motorbike taxi. – Leaving your backpack at a hotel storage space or luggage space because you’re going to take a trekking tour.- Leaving your valuables unattended while you’re searching for money to buy a drink.

I’m going to leave a link right here to my view on travel safety tips for solo travelers.

2. Counterfeit agencies.

Counterfeit agencies are companies that have a logo of reputable company on their store front. However, in no way affiliated with that company. They’re just they’re just trying to steal customers from a reputable company. Usually you can tell because they’re just so many of them do not very subtle. You’re going to have to listen to your intuition. If something sounds wrong or weird then it is. Avoid avoid.. Go to the places that feel like they’re professional. Where you feel like the people behind the desk are trustworthy.

You can’t always go by the company logo or company designs yes signs me nothing in Vietnam.

3. Getting around.
There are many ways to get around Vietnam and I am going to quickly shoot through them.

Motorcycles

The number one most popular vehicle in Vietnam happens to be motorbikes. In fact, people in Vietnam had to be skilled in the fine art of balancing things on their motorbike. You will see them transporting anything from entire families to their living room. I’ve seen dresser drawers euros refrigerators a huge stack of chicken cages. This makes motorcyclist in Vietnam skillful and a little dangerous.. Unlike other countries in South East Asia I recommend that you don’t try to learn how to ride a motorbike in Vietnam.

Hop on hop off buses!

You’ll see signs advertising for open tickets for open tours. it’s an inexpensive way to travel from city to city.

Shared vans.

The rule of thumb is that shared vans, don’t leave until they’re full. Not only seat wise, but aisles too. If a tour operator is trying to squeeze as many people as they can they will start pulling out little plastic stools and placing them in the aisles.

Others

There are VIP buses, overnight sleeper buses, and ferries and you can even fly. Want to get around the city there are motorbike taxis called Xe Oms. You can rent a motorbike or take a tour with a group. There are Xelo’s aka rickshaws. And they move very slowly and are mostly for tourists.

4. How to cross a Vietnamese Street.

A lot of travelers in Vietnam are always kind of freaked out at the idea of crossing the street and I was kind of like that at first too. Until I figured out how it was done. Actually you know what I’m not gonna waste my number four on this. Go watch my video and check out how I crossed a Vietnamese Street.
4. Budget tours!

Vietnam has the best budget tours and you’ll be spoiled by the prices.

A lot of times these tours are all-inclusive covering accommodations, tour guides, transportation and activities.

It could actually be cheaper doing a budget tour vs. doing it on your own.

5. Street food.

There sidewalk cafes that’s on the sidewalk on plastic tables and plastic chairs are lined up facing the street, as if the street were one giant television set. It’s inexpensive as well as delicious. A little on the greasy side but delicious.



Tips on street food!

Always make sure the food is prepared in front of you or come to you piping hot. Another tip I recommend is to go to a place that is well populated. That usually means the food is good and it’s relatively safe. I already have some blog posts that I’ve done, like tips on how to travel Vietnam and how to find a good budget tour without getting ripped off. I’ll leave that link down below in my description box or leave it in the little “i” icon that will pop out somewhere in the course of this video. So check it out!

If you enjoyed this video give me a thumbs up or like subscribe to this channel, and until then travel safe, smart and fun. And may the GRRR be with you!
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Vietnam isn’t the easiest destination to visit at first blush. But my friend Barbara Adam, who’s just released her guide to Vietnam, Vietnam: 100 Unusual Travel Tips, volunteered these ten tips to help you not only survive but actively enjoy Nam. Barbara has lived in Vietnam for the big end of a decade, and is based in Ho Chi Minh City with her Vietnamese husband and two kids.



1. Do Your Research
This advice is slightly hypocritical coming from me, someone who likes to travel without a guidebook and just see what happens. But for a first-timer to Vietnam, forewarned is forearmed. Work out what you want to do before you arrive, even if it’s only a vague idea. Check the public holidays — not much is open over Tet so it’s not really a good time to be traveling through Vietnam.

Also, make sure you check the distance from the airport to the town you’re flying into. Some airports, like Nha Trang’s Cam Ranh International Airport and Dalat’s Lien Khuong Airport, are about 30 km from the towns they serve. If you’ve booked a budget airline, getting to and from the airport by taxi might cost more than the flight!

2. Be Aware That Vietnam Doesn’t Do Mid-Range.

It’s a case of choose your poison. Choose the budget option and get a backpacker-ish cheap experience. Choose fancy, and pay for the privilege. There’s very little in between. This goes for hotels and tours, especially in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

3. Take Trains over Buses

Vietnam’s main train line, which links Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Minh City in the south, was built in the 1880s during French colonial rule. The train line hugs the coast, making for some spectacular views, especially through Central Vietnam.

The trains are old and a bit grotty and most carriages have a squat toilet at one end and a sit-down toilet at the other. But the beauty of taking the train is that you can get up and move around. Overnight train trips are also quite comfortable in a four-berth soft sleeper, much MUCH more comfortable than an overnight bus journey.

Vietnam has an extensive system of sleeper buses. However, the buses are designed for Vietnamese-sized bodies and have no toilets. So if you’re 1.5 metres tall and slender, you will probably feel comfortable sleeping on the narrow top bunk with your hand luggage under your knees and your shoes in a plastic bag under your head. If you’re not, you may well find them cramped and claustrophobic.

4. Don’t Sweat the Little Things

There are some travellers who seem to be a state of perpetual agitation over the possibility of being ripped off. Their anxious faces stare at the taxi meter, not what’s outside the window. They think every taxi driver is taking the scenic route (when in fact there are a lot of one-way streets in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City). They quibble about paying airport tolls, which don’t appear on the meter, and VND3,000 (13 US cents) for a wet napkin at a restaurant. They are, in short, a pain to be around.

Sure, it’s a bit confusing when you don’t know how things work. But you can’t assume everyone is out to rip you off. Some people are. But they’re usually professionals, smiling assassins, who’ll get you in a way you least expect. And they won’t ping you for 13 cents, either. So loosen up a little. Have fun. Find your sense of wonder and ditch your sense of paranoia.

5. Don’t Buy Banh Mi in Hanoi

It’s terrible. Wait til you get to Central Vietnam. Hoi An does great banh mi, so does Ho Chi Minh City.

6. Ignore Cyclo Drivers

While the cyclos (pedal-powered rickshaws) plying the streets of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City look like a romantic relic of times gone past, the reality is that the cyclo drivers of today are usually con artists. They’ll take their gran to the market and back again, and charge next to nothing. But the ones who speak enough English to engage a foreigner are usually on the make.

I had visiting friends who were royally scammed by a cyclo driver in Ho Chi Minh City a few years ago. Outside the War Remnants Museum downtown, a friendly cyclo driver offered them a city tour. He pulled out a book of written recommendations. He flirted and chatted to them in excellent English. He said it was VND100,00 for a one-hour tour. So my friends agreed. They settled back in their cyclo and listened to the commentary. When the driver asked if they’d like to see something interesting here, they agreed. When he asked if they’d like to see something interesting there, they agreed.

Several hours later, the cyclo driver stopped and announced the tour was over. There just happened to be a crowd of cyclo drivers at the stopping point. The driver said my friends needed to pay US$80 EACH. (That’s nearly 1.8 million, compared to the original quote of VND100,000.) He proceeded to tell them that his initial quote of VND100,000 was per person. And that when their 100,000 was used up, he then took them here and there, so things added up. To US$80, a few dollars short of the average monthly income in Vietnam.

My friends were so intimidated by the other drivers lurking around that they paid up, jumped in a taxi and came back to my house. The girl was in tears, the guy furious with himself for being so gullible. The thing that stung the most — they thought they’d made a new friend in the cyclo driver. They’d had such a great time hanging out with him and listening to his jokes.


6. Hanoi Pho Is Not What You Expect

Pho originated from Hanoi and worked its way down the country, evolving along the way. Hanoians believe the Hanoi-style of pho is the purest and the best. It’s quite an austere dish, served with only a wedge of lime and some chopped chillis. In the South, pho is served with a dizzying array of sauces and sides and huge baskets of fresh herbs. This is the style of pho that travelled all around the world because it was the Southern Vietnamese who fled Vietnam in the 70s and 80s. I much prefer the Southern style of pho, even though I’ve had some great bowls of pho in Hanoi.

7. Don’t Fear the Squat Toilet

Provided you bring tissues and keep your clothes out of reach of the floor, you’ll survive. Just don’t look down to check your aim if your sunglasses are on top of your head.

8. Consider Taxis for More Than Just Getting Around Town

For journeys up to two hours or so, considering getting a taxi rather than the bus – or train, or plane. This is most cost-effective when you’re in a group, but it’s not outrageously expensive even if you’re alone. It’s a lot less hassle going door-to-door than navigating your way through a city to the bus or train terminal.

Mai Linh and Vinasun taxi companies operate in most towns in Vietnam (more details here). There are set fares for common destinations, so you can call up and get a quote. For example, a taxi from Ho Chi Minh City to Vung Tau costs about VND1 million, which is about US$45. The ferry costs VND150,000 per person on weekdays, VND200,000 on weekends. Once you add in the time and effort it takes to get to the ferry terminal in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 4, then from the ferry terminal in Vung Tau to your hotel, the taxi option is quite appealing.
9. Don’t Get Upset by the Local Style of Queuing

The Vietnamese don’t queue. They also have a very different idea of personal space. This can make buying tickets, shopping at the supermarket and going through airport security very uncomfortable. Try and relax.

10. Don’t Go to Girlie Bars

If you don’t go, you won’t get scammed, so won’t regale anyone with terrible tales of being ripped off in Vietnam.

Thanks to MM for Vietnam and rsseattle for Pho: both are creative commons on Flickr.com.
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Budgeting in general can be tough. There are your regular, non-negotiable expenses like food and shelter, plus your important add-ons, like retirement savings or paying off those college loans. And while it can feel like there is no wiggle room in your budget to save more, here are my tips on scrimping those pennies and hitting the road.

ATM Budget

My favorite way for saving serious money is what I like to call the ATM budget and it is as simple as it sounds. While other people might be into using apps like Mint to track spending, I am old fashioned and believe in taking out my allocated amount of money per week and then using that for all of my expenses.

I used this trick when saving money to move to Lebanon, and found that it worked well when I had a very tight budget and was working towards a specific savings goal such as moving abroad.

And while forgoing credit cards means less frequent flyer miles, for me it was the only way that I could stick to a small budget. It made my spending very “real” in terms of what was in my wallet on Monday was all that I had to spend for the week. If I bought coffee every day, I might not be able to swing a Saturday night out.

Another plus is that if you have a big spending week, say a close friend’s birthday party and an after-work event, then you can add a hundred dollars onto that week and take $35 off the next three weeks. It is realistic in acknowledging that sometimes, you will have more expenses. And instead of looking the other way on your budget when it comes to those extras, this practice lets you tighten your belt the rest of the month to make-up for it.

For those of you who are already on a small budget and the idea of saving an extra is unfeasible, try accessing your costs and take out one splurge. Whether it is hitting up Forever 21 or getting a monthly manicure, take that money and put it towards your travel savings. It might take months of saving $30, but hey, at least you are going somewhere.

Work It, Baby

Picking up a part-time job can be a great way to ramp up your savings. Whether it be tutoring or helping people move, there is a marketable skill that you could put to use. Check out sites like Craigslist, Elance or even the classifieds in your local newspaper. Tell everyone in your network that you are looking for extra work and be sure to specify what your skills have, whether it be painting houses or babysitting.

Since you are working towards a goal like a vacation in Hawaii or an around the world trip, it will make the mindset of going to an extra job easier.

It also helps to do something different than your normal job. For example, if you work in the food industry, picking up a shift at a local restaurant might seem like a drag. But taking care of the neighbor’s dog? A walk in the park. Do something that is different and exciting for you, that way you have more motivation to continue.

Going Once, Going Twice

If you have a sizable amount saved already and just need to make up a bit extra, take a look at your closet, furniture and electronics collection. That old iPod from high school? Try selling it on Craigslist. The site is also good for posting any extra furniture that you have acquired through the years.

Fashionista? Check out any consignment stores in your area and see if they feature any clothing buying programs. If you have a good eye and treat your clothes well, you can walk away with decent money in your pocket. And while it can be embarrassing to bring bags of clothes to Beacon’s Closet only to sell one item for a total of $12 (been there, done that), that $12 is one day in Thailand or a meal in Paris.

Take the old-school approach and set up a stoop or yard sale. That can be great if you have a lot of home good items, a fantastic book collection or a lot of random stuff that you are looking to get rid of. Try using a good-selling website in conjunction with your yard sale to really make the most of your time. A few days before her yard sale, blogger Caitlin Boyle of Healthy Tipping Point posted photos of all her items over $15 on Craiglist and had buyers pick up the goods in person. After walking away with $300, she saysher on her blog that, "Craigslist really helped me target the sale to the right buyers.”

Or...

If you don't think you can save any more money, try to reassess your travel expenses. My five quick tips on downsizing your travel budget include:
Avoid school holidays and instantly score cheaper airfare.
Check out house-sharing sites like Airbnb or HomeAway to skip the hotels and save on lodging.
If you are traveling for longer, try working while you travel with sites like WWOOF or Workaway.
Be flexible with your destination city and use a site like Skyscanner to search for fire sales to certain destinations. Blogger Liz Carlson scored a $390 round trip ticket from Washington, D.C. to Turkey that way.

Outdoorsy? Pack a tent and check out camping options.

Alexandra Talty is traveling the world on a freelance journalist's paycheck. You can follow her articles on Forbes by clicking the red plus sign. She is also on Twitter.
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Food is important for everyone, but in Southeast Asia it is often elevated to a lifestyle. In social life, food is also important. Many people do not eat at regular times: they eat when they're hungry. Therefore, especially in the cities, you can eat anytime. There are special food markets, night markets and noodle stalls along the road, and everywhere people selling snacks or fruit. Food from the street is so cheap and delicious that people rarely cook. In rural areas, this is of course different. When eating on the street the rule is: "Many customers = lots of fresh supply. However, the average western stomach needs to adjust to new ingredients so start easy, not too hot, not too spicy. The population generally likes hot, spicy food. However, not all dishes are hot. There are varying degrees of heat and sauces are used to add extra fire if desired.

Food:

Rice and rice noodles are the basic ingredients of the Lao cuisine. The steamed rice is usually, for some specialty preferred to glutinous rice. Vegetables and fish are eaten more than pork, beef and chicken. The Lao also like to eat unusual meats so you can perhaps sample an armadillo, a lizard or a monkey.

The herbs make the Laotian cuisine so special. Much is being made with coriander, lemongrass, fresh basil, lime, garlic, galangal root, shrimp paste, chillies and coconut milk. The market has also worked extensively with the flavour enhancer monosodium glutamate. People who are allergic to it, beware! The Laotian meal is often served with side dishes. Everything is served with the main meal, including soup. Soup is never eaten in Laos as a starter.

Fruit:

Fruit is for sale everywhere (depending on season), there is a wide choice: banana, mango, papaya, pineapple, apricot, apple, lychee, and coconut are some examples. Unusual fruits are delicious pink dragon fruit, the purple mangosteen (round fruit with juicy sour-tasting white flesh), the stinking (but good tasting) durian, the jack fruit, rambutan (red 'hairy' fruit with a large stone and juicy) , water apple and grapefruit.

Drinking water:

The water from the tap is not suitable for consumption. Buy bottles of purified water or mineral water (in Vietnam: nuoc Suoi). Please note that the bottles should have their original seal. Ice cubes in your Coke are also taboo, which are indeed made from tap water. In other cases they can be made of filtered water, but transported in an unhygienic way.

Drinks in Laos:

Tea and coffee (usually Nescafe) can be found almost everywhere. They are often served with ice, as iced tea or iced coffee. Soft drinks are also for sale everywhere. As there is a deposit required on the bottles, the bottle contents are often just poured into a plastic bag containing an inserted straw. There are also delicious fruit juices for sale containing the various local fruits. Beer is expensive and often tastes quite bitter. Liquor you can buy cheaply, such as Thai Mekong whiskey, but also Western brands. Wine is only available in expensive restaurants and luxury shops.
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I’ve been backpacking for over five years now. That’s a long time to travel period, let alone stay in dorm rooms, live out of the same backpack, and travel on the cheap. I really love this form of travel though, which is why I’ve continued to do it for so many years. I enjoy hostels, meeting people, light travel, the wild adventures, the youthful vibe, and not having guides and tours hold my hand the whole way. Plus, I honestly don’t see any need to spend lots of money on resorts and fancy rooms. But, even though I enjoy my travel style, it doesn’t mean that I always love it. In fact, sometimes I really, really, really hatebackpacking.

Dorm Rooms


Hostel dorm rooms are cheap and a great way to meet people, because you are shoved into the same room with them. You don’t have a choice but to get to know each other. (Well, you don’t have to talk, but then it gets a bit awkward.) But sometimes you don’t want to meet new people, get the top bunk, or have to deal with three snorers in a six-bed room. That’s when you really begin to hate hostels. I still use dorm rooms because they keep costs down, but I really dislike how often they get in the way of a good night’s sleep.

The Same Conversation
Whenever you arrive somewhere new, travelers ask the same five questions: Where are you from? Where are you going? Where have you been? How long are you traveling for? How long are you here? After five years — heck, after five days — it’s pretty boring having the same conversation over and over again. They are the default, basic questions everyone (including me sometimes) asks. It becomes second nature. However, I mix it up now. When I get asked one of the five questions, I reply by asking their name and then something like what’s their favorite color or favorite book or least favorite place they have ever seen. It is far more interesting than “what do you do back home?”

The 5-Minute Friend
You meet great people — and then tomorrow they are gone. Maybe you will see each other again, maybe not. It’s great meeting so many amazing people on the road, but I hate how everyone is always leaving, especially just as you get to know someone. It’s a snowball of sadness. I’ve met countless amazing people on the road, and sure, in that moment and in that time, we had a blast. Maybe that was all that was meant to be. But it’s nice to have some consistency and have a friend for more than five minutes.

The Excessive Partying
In the backpacking world, it’s always someone’s first or last night and therefore a reason to go out — which means there’s a lot of drinking going on. (A LOT!) I’ve done my fair share of partying, and I’ll admit that it’s great when you are just starting out. You are excited about the road, everything is new, and it’s a good way to meet people. But after a few months, it gets boring and repetitive. You get weary of just drinking all the time, as though that is the only activity in the world. Can’t we just go do something else? Does alcohol always have to be involved? Let’s go play minigolf, see a movie, go bowling, or catch a concert. There are more to countries than their bars.

The Cheapness
I understand that long-term travelers have a fixed budget. When I first went overseas, I only had a limited amount of money and it had to last a long, long time. That being said, though, did you really come all the way to Spain to not have the paella? You flew to Japan and never once had sushi or anything more than cheap ramen noodles? Skipped skiing in the Alps because of the price of a lift ticket? Come on! You only live once. Do something more than a free guided tour, cook your own meals, complain about your lack of sleep (though you slept in a hammock), and drink beer from 7-11. It’s great to be frugal, but it’s lame to be cheap.

Know-It-All Backpackers
There is always someone who has traveled more than you. Even after five years of backpacking the world, I know people who have spent six, seven, eight years with nothing but a backpack. However, what I hate is when people interject into other people’s conversations or plans and start to give their opinion about where they should or shouldn’t go. Or they will begin to tell you the history of a place (and most likely get it wrong) to try to “educate” you on how things really are. Don’t be a know-it-all. No one likes a show-off. I often refrain from correcting people simply because I don’t want to be “that guy.”

The “Who’s a Better Traveler?” Game

Too many travelers like to talk themselves up by discussing how long they have traveled for or how many counties they have been to, as though traveling is a competition. “You’ve been to 20 countries?” “Ohh, well I’ve been to 37!” Or you might hear “You didn’t really experience country X because you skipped activity Y.” Comments like that make the younger traveler feel bad about their own experience, which makes me come in and tell the one-upper about my life or other travels to deflate some of their smugness. Because it doesn’t matter what activities you have done or if you have been to 4, 19, or 150 countries — everyone’s journey is their own and all are equal.

The Herd Mentality
I wanted to be a backpacker because they embodied a spirit of adventure and discovery. They were out to see the world, discover its hidden secrets, and meet new locals. Turns out, that’s often not the case. More often than not, backpackers today follow the same well-laid travel route that thousands have tread before them. They simply follow the pack. Yes, popular places are popular for a reason, and I would never, for example, suggest skipping Thailand, Paris, or Costa Rica just because there are other tourists there. But good lord, be a bit more curious and wander off somewhere random. Just once.

Always Being “On”
Sometimes I just don’t want to talk to everyone. Sometimes, I just want to read my book and stay in, catching up on True Blood. But then I am the antisocial guy in the hostel and people look at me differently. I hate how you ALWAYS have to seem to be friendly and upbeat. People are social creatures, but it is also good to have some alone time to decompress and relax. Always being “on” is simply too mentally exhausting for me, especially when you are asked the same questions every day (see above!).

Goodbyes

I have said more goodbyes in the last five years than any human should ever have to. And despite the changes in technology and social media, you know the emails will slowly fade away despite the best of intentions. Life moves on and people go their separate ways. Sure, you will have that great moment in time together, but the more you travel, the more you realize the hard truth that you might never see that person again. And the more you hate having to say good-bye.

The Quick Romantic Relationships
You meet people, you leave people. It’s a sad cycle that means that just when you really start to like someone, you split up. It makes having a long-term committed relationship on the road really hard. You are together while you are on the road, but then people go left while you go right. And then, as quickly as it began, it is over. It’s hard to always have to start and stop feelings. And often, since you never really “break up,” you never get any real closure. The road becomes a series of short relationships — and that can get very tiring.

Backpack Flags
You can say it is a way to remember where you have gone, but what it really does is let people know how awesome you are for having been to so many places. It’s all part of the “who’s the more experienced traveler” one-upsmanship that happens in hostels. And it annoys me. A lot. You have photos, memories, and passport stamps to remember where you have been. I doubt your bag really cares. Let’s call a spade a spade: sewing flags from every country you have been to is just a way to show the world that you are well traveled.

Dirty Kitchens
Despite all the signs that tell people to clean up their mess, they never do. Why? It’s not their kitchen and they are leaving soon. Someone else will do it. I really hate hostel kitchens for this reason, and it’s why I never cook in them. I didn’t travel around the world to clean up your mess. Do it yourself! What are you, nine years old? Your mother is not here to clean up after you, and it’s inconsiderate leaving a dirty kitchen for the next person.

Missing the Gym

I like to work out. Traveling makes me unhealthy and fat and I don’t like it. It’s hard to keep a healthy lifestyle on the road, and I wish I had the chance to go to the gym and work out more often.

Sex in Dorm Rooms
I do not want to hear you having sex. Ever. Go get a private room. We don’t believe her moans of pleasure, and we don’t want to see your white ass. For the price of two dorm beds, you can get a private room in almost any place in the world. And if it does cost more, it isn’t that much. Get some privacy, have better sex, and let everyone else sleep.

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Don’t take this to mean that I really do hate backpacking. Most days, I love this style of travel and I love backpacking. It’s fun and social, and you get to meet amazing people. But sometimes, the little things just grind your gears, which is most often when people are rude and inconsiderate. Backpacking is a great lifestyle, and like any lifestyle it has its ups and downs. I’m just lucky it has more ups than downs.
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