How To Do a Spontaneous Backpacking Trip

As a Filipino traveler with a third-world passport, doing a spontaneous backpacking solo trip can be impossible. Maybe because of the thought that one is attached to his 9-5 day time job. Sometimes, you may ask this question, “Should I resign from my job? Can I have a sabbatical leave?” As Filipino, we really don’t have this kind of opportunity compared to our Western counterparts. So what we do is to find a better-paying job and save money.

So how to achieve a successful spontaneous backpacking trip?

Save money – how much do you need? US$1,000 or more? It’s better to save money at least PHP100,000 and you create a budget for each country. The more savings you have, the better.
Choose a continent to travel to – for a Filipino traveler like me, Southeast Asia is the most practical to travel to. And it’s cheaper to travel spontaneously compared to Europe.
Book a one-way ticket – from the country where I am from (the Philippines), it’s really cheap to book a round-trip ticket to any SEA country.

Related Article: Backpacking in Phuket, Thailand

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpWsllmgme-/

Things to prepare for that successful spontaneous backpacking trip?

Buy a backpack – Of course, a backpack is a necessity for this trip. It is best to buy a carry-on backpack in order not to overpack. When you go to several destinations, I suggest not buying souvenirs.
First-aid kit – Obviously, it’s for emergency purposes. Bring anti-histamine if you have food allergies. It’s a life-saver. Band-aid and betadine are the best tandem if you got that motorbike accident, happened to me one time.
Snacks like Clif bars – I always bring a snack bar with me when I travel especially if I can’t find a restaurant.
Debit cards – When you’re traveling internationally, make sure you have debit cards with you. Not just one debit card but two or three as you don’t want to put your whole money in one basket. You can keep your debit cards in different secret pockets.
Passport – Always bring your passport with you either you travel locally or internationally. Who knows, you just want to go to the airport and buy a flight to another country. That’s how spontaneous you are. Make sure it’s not yet expired.