Who to Travel With in Asia
Getting Started Backpacking 3

"About finding the right travel partner,
traveling alone and backpacker couples"

Who to Travel With in Asia

Getting started backpacking 3

You have to be able to trust and like your travel companion with at least
100%!

Remember that you'll be traveling together, sleeping next to each other, eat, party and relax together 24-7.

And even if you find the "perfect" partner, I'm not saying that you guys will never have a fight or a disagreement. The point is to find a person you trust because you'll be responsible for each other's safety. You should watch out for each other, if you get into trouble.

Can you trust him/her if you get to that point?

You should share some common interests. It's not a must, but it's a lot more fun to do things together!

The person(s) you're traveling with should have the same goals and pace as you. If you're traveling with a party-friend who just want to party the whole trip, and you want to do the partying AND the sightseeing, you should reconsider your choice.

Or if you're a person who easily gets restless, may not go well with a person who likes to take things slow. However, this can go both ways. There are no obvious solutions. That's why you should compromise before and during your trip.

If you're going to travel with several people, make sure you know them well. Only you know if you are comfortable traveling with these people.

Click here for information on how to find travel partner

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If you already have a travel companion,
here are the tips you should follow
Getting started backpacking 3

Sit down and compromise on where, when and what to see and do. It's better to discuss and disagree as much as possible before departure, than during your trip.

Make sure you know your personal space. If you want to do something on your own, let your partner know. It's just healthy for your traveling relationship to do separate activities.

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If you don't have a travel companion,
here are tips for traveling solo
Getting started backpacking 3

If you want to go solo, that's ok as well.

When traveling alone, you are never really alone. You'll always meet other travelers, make new friends and someone might even become your (new) travel companion.

I traveled alone for almost three months, and I met people from every corner of the world. It was fun!!!

However, traveling alone has both its ups and downs:

The ups are:

You get to plan your trip in your own pace, see the things you want to see and be with people you want to be with.

If you get restless, you can just move on without thinking of anyone else but you.

You are never really alone. If you like some company, you can do that easily. If you want your personal space, you don't need to tell anyone that you need space... because you're on your own!

What I'm about to say may sound like a cliché to you...

But when you're traveling learn alone, you will learn so much about yourself. Things you would only realise when you're backpacking solo.

I will mention a couple of examples:

• Independency

• Determination

• Patience

• Judgement

• Your instinct will get even better

• And not to mention: Survival

It's your biggest lesson in life!

So, solo travelers should be proud of themselves, after been backpacking alone in unknown and new countries!

The downs are:

You want to go to the toilet when waiting for the train, but there's no one there to watch your backpack for you.

It's more expensive to travel alone when it comes to accommodation and transport. That means you don't have anyone to share a room with, or to split the taxi bill with.

Even though you meet a traveler during your trip and accompany each other, it's sometimes better to share memories with a friend you'll actually see every day after you've returned home.

The worst downside when traveling alone in my opinion is the part where you get so sick that you can't go to the doctor or pharmacy by yourself. No one you know and trust is physically there to help and support you.

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Backpacker Couples
How to Travel as a Couple
Getting started backpacking 3

Traveling with your boy/girlfriend for the first time?

Traveling with your loved one can be fun and exciting! Being abroad spices up the relationship, and you get to do cool things together.

But as you can imagine, it also puts your relationship to a test.

Cheap Flights to Asia:

Like with other backpackers traveling in groups, your patience, tolerance and your ability to compromise will be tested.

But I have to admit that when you have a disagreement/argument with your boy/girlfriend, it can be far more emotional than it would have been with a traveling friend. That speaks for itself. How you manage to solve that is all up to you guys -- TALK. COMMUNICATE.

I personally didn't have any problems traveling with my boyfriend in Malaysia in June 2009, and Thailand and Cambodia in April 2010 ;)

We had been together for two years when we traveled in Malaysia and knew each other pretty well. But we're not perfect and we argued once in a while. After talking it through everything was alright again!

All I can say is that if you manage to "survive" a long backpacking trip together, you'll know each other in ways you'd never discover back home.

Next stop is...

• Having trouble with your backpacking budget? Get helpful tips here!

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