It’s come to my attention that a serious newspaper is doing a series of feature articles about backpacking.
Now, I happen to know that young people don’t read newspapers, so I can only assume that the editors of this publication have either made a gross misjudgment about its audience or they actually expect adults to participate in primitive travel behaviour.
I’m not a snob — trust me on that — and I am by no means wealthy, but I’d rather not travel at all than go backpacking at my age (or, indeed, any age over, say, 25).
Why? Well, for starters, I want to enjoy my holiday by visiting interesting historical and cultural sites and by simply soaking in the pleasures of my destination. I do not want to spend more than half my day trying to work out when and where the next discount bus goes and exactly where I’m going to sleep that night. And I o not want to drag my essential possessions around with me all the time. That game is for mugs.
Also, I like to travel alone. And, while I do like people, I don’t want to be stuck in a hostel dormitory with a bunch of smelly strangers who have just enough cash for a cheap bottle of rotgut between them. And I certainly don’t want to be seen as the creepy old guy who shouldn’t be there.
Part of the attraction of being an adult is that you have (or should have) the wherewithal to do things properly. And in this age of cheap airfares and accommodation, it’s never been more affordable to see the world.
But your time is precious, whether you have two weeks or 10. You should use it properly by having an itinerary that’s tight enough so you don’t have to worry about booking every night’s accommodation on the fly, but flexible enough to have the opportunity to go down the path less travelled when it presents itself to you.
As you get older, your time is more precious. A bit of planning, including to have a comfortable bed ahead of you, somewhere to leave your luggage and good meals to sustain you, will mean you get more out of it. With the advent of cheap hotel chains and Airbnb, there’s almost nowhere you’d want to go that doesn’t offer proper accommodation where you and your bags will be safe. (Take a cruise and the bag thing is no problem at all!)
Backpacking is fine for young people. In fact, I’d recommend it — as long as you are sensible enough to take precautions such as travelling in groups and looking out for one another. But there’s a point in your life when that ceases to be fun.
Rather than offering freedom, carrying a backpack and not showering or changing clothes for days on end actually restricts what you can do and where you can go. And who you will meet.
So, if you are a grown-up person and you somehow think you’re going to have a more “authentic” experience by lugging your belongings around with you, you’re delusional.
