One of the single best ways to save money whilst travelling, is to cook and prepare your own food in hostel kitchens. Eating out is one of the most expensive parts of travelling, those food bills can really start racking up in a matter of no time, especially in countries with a higher cost of living. On top of this, you can also do your stomach a favour by preparing food in a way that you’re used to back home, whilst taking advantage of the fresh, local produce and ingredients. With that being said, I would definitely still recommend eating out whilst travelling, in order to enjoy and indulge in a selection of local dishes and uniquely cultured dining experiences. Just do so in moderation and find a happy balance to suit both your budget and travel plans.

Hostel kitchens tend to sometimes get an unjustified bad rep and also have an outdated stigma surrounding them. When as a matter of fact, there are thousands of hostel kitchens scattered across the globe that are not only spotlessly clean but also thoroughly equipped with a whole range of modern appliances and utensils. These kitchens are also often stocked with free condiments and food bits, supplied by either the hostel themselves or donated by previous guests. Not only this, but hostel kitchens are also a great place to socialise with fellow backpackers, share cooking tips, destination tips, travel stories or just have a general chitchat whilst your pasta is simmering away.

You’ve heard the phrase “patience is key”, well when it comes to travelling and backpacking that’s one term you’re definitely going to want to live by, particularly in regions of the world that are less developed. It won’t take long for you to realise that many parts of the world are considerably less advanced than you may be accustomed to back home. It’s common for infrastructures, travel networks and business models to be less reliable than you would expect them to be. This is where patience comes in to play, make sure you take it slow, expect the unexpected and simply accept, it is what it is.

I’ve personally found travel networks to be the least reliable part of backpacking, from night buses taking six additional hours than planned to ferries simply not operating at all. I’d keep this in mind when attempting to make connections between separate transport methods, allow extra time in case of any delays or problems occurring. Service in restaurants and bars may also be fairly different to what you’re used to back home, expect longer waiting times, staggered meal serving and difficulty when communicating. Another issue can be in relation to accommodation, either the place is double booked or switches you to an entirely different location, again just be patient, take a deep breath and remember everything will sort itself out eventually.

You have no idea how far a few basic words can manage to get you in a foreign country. Not only will it help you when navigating to important spots like the airport, train station or bar, but you’ll also gain a lot of respect from the locals by using their local language for greetings and please and thank you’s. Locals often really appreciate when visitors attempt to learn their language, they will usually be more willing to help than if you had just walked up in a rude manner and started speaking in English to them.

Duolingo is one of the best apps out there for learning the basics of a huge variety of languages. Not only is the app free, but it’s also extremely interactive, allowing users to learn through a variety of fun games and quizzes, reinforcing words for better understanding and knowledge of your chosen language. I tend to choose sections that I know will benefit me the most in my chosen destination, this tends to be greetings, directions and food/drink basics. Depending on your specific trip plans it may benefit you to learn certain parts of a language, for example if you are heading out on a hiking trip it would be wise to learn the local words relating to directions, routes and maps.

Check if there are any recommended vaccinations for the countries and places you plan to visit, vaccinations are an important part of travelling that often get overlooked by travellers. Certain areas of the world are more susceptible to dangerous diseases and infections that could potentially have serious effects and cause severe complications to the body. Making sure you have the appropriate immunisations for your planned trip will significantly reduce the risk of any nasty and unwanted surprises.

A number of websites specialise in vaccination recommendations for individual countries, do your research beforehand but also consider visiting your local doctor twelve weeks before departure. They will be able to give you a lot more information to help you better understand the risks and recommendations for your planned itinerary and journey. From malaria tablets and mosquito sprays to yellow fever and rabies jabs, there are lots of options to consider before you start your trip, as long as you are fully prepared and do the adequate research, you’ll have nothing to worry about.

Often when people talk about solo travel, they get hung up on the word “solo” and have this horrid image of discovering a country for weeks on end in total isolation (I know that’s what my mom used to think!). This is one million percent not the case at all! You are very very rarely truly alone, there are tens of thousands of travellers in the exact same shoes as you, discovering destinations all over the globe. You will meet people in hostels, in bars, during excursions, on buses, trains, planes, the list goes on and on. The beauty of this is that you’ll meet people from all walks of life, from all corners of the globe and you’ll be able to choose how long you want to spend with them.

Back when I was in Vietnam, I met a large amount of backpackers who all seemed to be heading along the same sort of route, in the end there were around 30 of us that opted to travel through the country together for a whole month! Eventually it’ll get to the point where you’ll be happy to grab yourself a few hours of “alone” time.

If you truly are dead set against the idea of travelling solo, the best meet in the middle option is to travel alone but as part of an organised tour. There are a ton of great tour companies out there, with the majority of travellers on these tours travelling solo. This way you don’t need to keep relying on friends or family to finally book that trip up with you, and you’ll also be able to make a ton of new friends during your travelling adventure! This also takes the worry out of organising your own transport and accommodation, you can just sit back, relax and truly enjoy everything your chosen destination has to offer.

It’s totally understandable to want to take your entire wardrobe contents with you across the globe, but trust me, you will one hundred percent regret it. The number one key principle when it comes to preparing for your backpacking trip is to make sure you pack light! There’s nothing fun about carrying a 20kg+ backpack along an uneven, sandy beach in sweltering 35°C heat. Your best bet is to prioritise carrying your important travel essentials and necessities, whilst keeping your clothes and accessories to a minimum. You can easily find laundry services throughout your trip, allowing you to keep all your clothes constantly clean and fresh whilst out on the road.

The best way to prevent yourself from overpacking is by writing out your packing list and then removing any items that aren’t fully essential to your trip, remember you can always buy things whilst your away, often for a much cheaper price than back home. Be sure to try your backpack on too, you need to get used to how it feels and be certain you’re capable of carrying it around for extended periods of time if needed (You never know when that tuktuk is gonna drop you off at the completely wrong location). It’s also a great idea to set aside additional space in your backpack to hold all the quirky items you’re bound to pick up along your travels, from authentic handcrafted souvenirs to memory catching keepsakes, it’s always important to have that little bit of extra space available.

An important part of travelling is to always maintain an open mind towards a wide variety of different cultures, beliefs, traditions and ways of life. It takes all kinds of people to make up a diverse and vibrant planet and that’s what makes this wonderful floating rock so special. You may see, hear and experience things that are entirely different to what you’re used to back home, but remember you’re not at home anymore, you’re visiting a foreign country. As international guests, we should always uphold a strong level of decency and respect towards local customs and cultures, even if there are certain aspects we may not personally agree with.

Remaining openminded will also extremely enhance your trip, in order to get a truly genuine and authentic travel experience you’ll need to fully step out of your comfort zone and embrace the local way of life, without the expectation of your usual home comforts and luxuries. It’s all about trying out new things and fresh experiences that you simply don’t have the option to do back home, after all, that’s what we all travel the world for right? Order that weird looking local dish, join that traditional dance class, talk to that local farmer and jump out that moving aeroplane, you know you’ll only live to regret it if you don’t.

I believe this is one of the single most important tips of all! Make sure you give yourself enough time to truly slow down, appreciate the moment and fully absorb your surroundings. We’re all so wrapped up in our lives and engrossed in everything we do, that time continues to whizz by at lightning speed. You blink and before you know it another year has passed, seriously, where does the time go?! This is even more apparent when it comes to travelling and backpacking, not only does time seem to pass by quicker when we’re enjoying ourselves, but constantly being on the move speeds this process up even further! That’s why it’s super important to slow yourself down and make the absolute most out of your trip, after all, you can sleep when you’re back home right?

I find the best way of doing this is by staying quiet and using all of your senses to be extremely present in the given moment. Feel the heat and humidity on your skin, listen to the sounds around you and watch the world zoom by. I also find these moments much easier to recall when I think back to certain trips or particular destinations and can almost transport myself back in time to that exact location. It’s easy to get carried away when you’re constantly on the move, you’ll feel as though your trip is going to last forever, but trust me, the moment you’re on that plane home, it’ll feel like you only just left!

I know we’ve already mentioned hostel kitchens, but if you haven’t even considered staying in a hostel before, I’m here to change your mind! Hostels are literally the absolute best thing about travelling, you’ll share a room with some of the coolest and quirkiest people you’ve ever met. Hostels are full of amazing people sharing fascinating stories, fantastic laughs and plenty of drinks! Some of my very best travel experiences have been inside quirky and awesome hostel bars. (Anyone for a game of beer pong?)

Hostels are almost always located in the best locations, right in the heart of a city, making it extremely easy to explore your chosen city or destination. They often also run useful activities such as free walking tours or pub crawls, not only is this a great way to get your bearings of a new place but it’s also ideal for meeting fellow travellers staying at your hostel. From organised hikes and orientation walks to drinking competitions and pool tournaments, hostels are jam packed with a range of awesome activities!

Hostels get a bad rep, but as a matter of fact, around 90% of them are extremely clean and well maintained, just check out reviews and photos before making a booking, the same way you would when looking for a hotel. If dormitory rooms aren’t your thing, tons of hostels now have fantastic private rooms available. This allows you to have your own personal space whilst also allowing you to take full advantage of the hostel’s communal areas and social activities.

The absolute number one tip for first time backpackers is DO NOT OVER PLAN! It’s extremely easy to fall into the trap of planning out your entire trip, day by day, minute by minute, but trust me you’ll live to regret it. By all means plan out your key destinations, flight routes and must-do activities, but just make sure you leave enough room in your itinerary to veer off course and allow yourself to go with the flow. This way your trip will mould itself into the exact adventure you’re looking for, after all, how can you know what you love about a country before you’ve stepped foot in it.

I can’t even begin to count the number of times I’ve rocked up to a new location and immediately fell in love with the place resulting in me staying a lot longer than expected. On the flip side, I’ve visited places with a weeklong booking scheduled and ended up wanting to get the hell out of there after a day or two. It’s not only the places you like and dislike that will affect your itinerary though, it’s the amazing people you’ll meet along the way too. There are thousands of backpackers travelling through the exact same countries and following almost identical itineraries as you every single day. You’re bound to meet a bunch of people heading off the beaten track, possibly to a spot you’ve never heard of, but after hearing the stories you might really wanna check it out. If your entire trip was fully planned out, down to every last detail, you wouldn’t be able to tag along and could potentially miss out on a bunch of fantastic opportunities. It’s often the unexpected experiences that end up being the best ones!