Have Itch, Will Travel

The type of traveller you are and the type of activities you want to do will affect your packing list greatly! As for me, I like hiking and active travel, and do not go clubbing, dine in expensive restaurants, or stay in 4- or 5-star hotels. My packing list therefore, does not include smart clothes and shoes, heels, make up or dresses. Packing would still be a challenge. Near freezing temperatures some nights, over 40 degrees Celsius some days, eight months long a trip, some Muslim and Orthodox Christian countries, modern cities, rural towns, hiking, swimming, camping... could everything I need fit in my 24L backpack and remain under the 7kg carry-on luggage limit? Yes, it could and it did. The secret to light packing is this: Pack versatile, mix and match, and layering clothes Buy quality performance items that moisture wick, quick dry, and last Accept that you will be washing clothes frequently Remember that you can acquire and discard things during your trip My test-pack d

"How old are you?" This was the question posed by Clare when she first heard of our plans to backpack for 8 months. At the time, it was funny, and I considered that it reflected her misunderstanding of what I had meant by "backpacking". We were not fooling ourselves, thinking we were nearly broke bright-eyed twenty-somethings carting around excessively heavy hiking packs, full of hairdryers and five pairs of shoes. No, we were "backpacking" in the sense that we were utilising minimalist principles to pack carry-on sized backpacks (as we have done for years) and travelling on a tight budget. We were very successful in our packing, having only needed to purchase a couple of undershirts and a hat to supplement our gear in all of the seven months so far. We were also very successful in our budgeting. Rob kept a close eye on our daily expenses using a travel budget app called TripCoin , and the stats indicated that we averaged $100/day in Turkey and East Eu

People rave about their trips to Ethiopia . It's off-the-beaten-track but full of amazingness and culture... I suspect these people enjoyed Ethiopia in the comfort of their 3- or 4-star hotels, coaches, and internal flights, according to a planned and packaged tour. Now, I'm not saying Ethiopia isn't amazing or doesn't provide a different experience in culture etc. The towns (and especially the local markets ) are lively and exciting places, their cuisine is surprisingly varied and tasty, the coffee is the best in the world, and unique landscapes like the Simien Mountain range and the other-worldly Danakil Depression are found there. Hiking the Simien Mountains was a highlight. Finding a place to pee in the bushes around camp where 50 other people shit, not so much. Ethiopia is also a land of fine print, smarmy opportunists , entitled children demanding money, and money-grubbing tourism operators. If you are thinking about going to Ethiopia, I would say, "

Johannesburg to Cape Town Road Trip - Part 4 Most people who visit rate Cape Town highly, so I was curious to discover what carried Cape Town over other big cities. Apart from the dominating Table Mountain backdrop (on a clear, fogless day), we found that it didn't offer much more than any other city. The colourful neighbourhood of Bokamp is photogenic but there's not a lot happening. There were cafes , bars , restaurants , and shopping malls as you would expect. The bulk of tourists seemed to congregate at the V&A Waterfront , a harbour area rejuvenated into a large, muddled tourist trap of full-priced boutique shops and restaurants. A nearby " market " proved a disappointment as gullible tourists gathered under the white marquee to dine atop fake grass and pallet furniture, paying top dollar for dressed up pancakes and smoothies marketed as organic, vegan, gluten-free, or subscribe to some sort of eco-friendly/health fad. The best of Cape Town was

Johannesburg to Cape Town Road Trip - Part 3 After a few heavenly days in the stunning Drakensberg Mountains and surrounding countryside, we headed towards the coast. The mountains slowly gave way to the hills, though the Renault Sandero still struggled up the long ascents. We passed through a few small villages and towns, the latter of which were chaotic messes of people roaming amongst a makeshift marketplace along the highway. Over the final pass, we saw the coast laid out in front of us, the salty mist blurred the horizon. Our street dog escort leads the Wild Coast hike. Port St John's impressed upon me a laid-back beach town inhabited by hippies and street dogs, far too grungy to be comfortable in. Fragments of smashed beer bottles glittered in the gutters, suggestions of recklessness and violence that have never appealed to me. Instead, Rob and I took to a hiking trail that linked the empty white beaches . The narrow path was beaten into the soft side of the coas

Johannesburg to Cape Town Road Trip - Part 2 The further we drove from Johannesburg, the more relaxed we felt. It was not long before the urban landscape transformed into yellowed plains, and we settled in our seats for hours of scenic driving. After every pass, and around each corner, we gaped. South Africa was showing off her striking mountain ranges , hazy in the distance, the fields etched into her hillsides, village houses scattered amongst the farmland , and people, people everywhere. Near the villages, it was a regular sight to see school children walking along the road, regardless of the time. A poplar-lined dirt drive led to a gate that was the entryway to our country escape in the Drakensberg Mountains . It was a small lodge with a wraparound patio, and the most difficult decision to make was where to sit with a coffee and breakfast. Bushland bordered one side of the grassed property, and the rest were endless fields of who-knows-what, and no one to be seen. This was how