#1
#2
#3
Bored Panda got in touch with Will Hatton, from the Broke Backpacker, and he was kind enough to answer some of our questions. The first thing we wanted to know was what would be his number one tip or resource for a novice traveler looking for advice.
“Be brave! Real adventures, and real growth, begins at the edge of your comfort zone so be prepared to get uncomfortable… hitchhike, camp, Couchsurf, get off your phone, and have genuine interactions. Travel is the ultimate teacher and as long as you are pushing out of your comfort zone every day, learning new skills, seeing new places, encountering new points of view, you will have an incredible opportunity to grow.”
#4
#5
#6
Many people do turn to blogs or influencers for advice, so we wanted his input. We asked if he thought the idea of “travel tips” is overrated and people should just learn from experience, or if is it best to go prepared. “I do think it’s well worth speaking to ’those who have been when traveling further off the beaten path.”
#8
#9
“Certainly, for my more far-flung adventures in Pakistan, Iran, Venezuela, etc I always tried to get some information through the Couchsurfing community before I hit the road. Ultimately, it is good to just go and if you’re heading somewhere a bit more vanilla, you can totally figure it out on the fly and on your own but it does help to be prepared; It’s good to have a plan yet be flexible with that plan.”
#10
#11
Tourist traps generally just mean something somewhat disappointing and perhaps a few costs that are higher than they are worth. But as Will is a true travel veteran, we wanted to learn about more harrowing experiences. So we asked if he had horror stories from traveling and ignoring advice. Alternatively, any time things went unexpectedly well? “Hitchhiking is really the best example - Many times I was trying to get from A to B and folks told me it was too dangerous or I should just book transport instead.”
#13
#14
Pike Place Market in Seattle. Ton of tourists but there is really good food and lots of local artists.
Kyoto, all of it. Deal with the people, be amazed at the beauty and history.
#15
“Very often I would end up having the most wonderful serendipitous connections and being taken from A to C, instead of A to B. C would often be WAY better and I’ve had folks pick me up, drive me hundreds of miles out of their way, put me up in their house, share their life stories with me. I think ultimately it IS wise to follow advice but ONLY from folks who have actually DONE what it is you are trying to do; many folks have fears, biases, and anxieties and will push these on to you even though they have no experience in the part of the world or the way in which, you are traveling.”
#17
Will left us with this thought: “Be brave, be kind, travel far, and keep a journal of your experiences! If you’re looking for some guidance, check out the broke backpacker manifesto on how to travel more awesome.” If you would like to learn more, you can find his personal Instagram here, the Broke Backpacker Instagram here, and the blog itself here.