Some simple tips for packing your backpack
"Manouk, is that all you have with you"? I get that question a lot. Compared to friends I'm a light packer. Especially when it...
How to go local while traveling?
Dinner at someone’s home in Kenya, an all-night karaoke session with Japanese students in Tokyo and playing checkers with taxi drivers in China: for...
Ten ways to hold on to that holiday feeling (when you’re...
I just got back from consecutive trips to Sri Lanka, Prague and the Costa Brava and I'm feeling miserable. I'm suffering from excessive fatigue,...
3 ways backpacking makes you a more responsible traveler
Responsible travel is booming. You read about responsible travel (a.k.a. sustainable travel or ethical travel) in the newspaper or on blogs, and travel organizations...
Eight ethical travel dilemmas: What will you do?
In the last decade, 'ethics in travel', 'sustainable travel' and 'responsible travel' has received increased attention from both travelers and the travel industry. As tourism...
How to choose the ideal backpack (without going crazy)?
For my upcoming trip BoB's Epic Adventure, I decided it was time for a new backpack. After long and careful consideration, I finally opted for the beautiful...
How to Win The Great Visa Game of Southern Africa &...
For BoB's Epic Adventure (and for most other long-term trips), there is not that much preparation needed. The three most important things are: book your first...
The pros and cons of a homestay program abroad
In my early twenties I traveled to Shjiazhuang, a large industrial city south of Beijing to participate in a one-month homestay program of an...
Ultimate camping tips for beginners and first-timers!
On top of a rock in Indonesia, where the wind was so strong the tent-cloth touched my face, I camped. In between a colorful sea of tents...