Over my last two years of travelling, I have witnessed ‘backpackers’ harshly changing their perspective towards the use of the previously so much appreciated Lonely Planet. Why is that?
Their argument is that by following advices from the Lonely Planet, they all end up in the same places, hence losing that sense of adventure and exploration that more and more often is the reason to travel. In particular, they accuse those travellers who focus their trips on the highlights and the suggested itineraries of the Lonely Planet.
Instead, they travel without a guidebook and rely primarily on other travellers’ feedbacks. The problem with this approach is that they still inevitably end up in exactly the same places (including hostels) as the people who base their travels on the Lonely Planet. The reason is quite simple: the Lonely Planet is written based on travellers’ experiences and the highlights are must see places!
I have a few thoughts to share in this regard. The first one follows the observation that backpacking is becoming more than an holiday trend; it is a modern subculture, just like the punks, emos, new age, or bikers. Consequently, relatively remote places that used to be visited by just a handful of ’real’ backpackers every month, receive now hundreds of visitors per week.
However, solitary backpacking is still very much possible and I would argue that it is much more likely to occur if you travel with a Lonely Planet in your hand rather than constantly asking other travellers where to go. Here are my suggestions:
1. Only a fool would not visit Unesco world heritage sites because they are listed as highlights by the Lonely Planet or because they attract many visitors. You can spend a few days there without ruining your trip. In the end remember that you are also a tourist, so do not think too high of yourself.
2. Mix it up! Embrace the country as a whole. Explore the cuisine, talk to locals, buy food at the markets. You will find that upon your departure, the most profound memories will relate to these moments (tastes, people expressions, situations, misunderstandings, etc.) rather than what you saw at Unesco sites.
3. Pretty much every country has its high and low seasons. Sometimes it is good to travel in low season when, unbelievably, all tourists disappear.
4. There are countries that are still not considered major backpacking destinations. Every year there are HOT picks where everyone has to go to, leaving other countries hardly visited.
5. Alternate hostels with cheap motels/hotels. You will hardly find tourists there, even if they appear on the Lonely Planet…
The Lonely Planet remains a great tool for solitary travellers. The maps are fantastic and if you go beyond the highlights you can find rich information about very remote places hardly visited and the journey to get there is often unique. Of course, do not be restricted by what your guidebook says. It is just a tool, and as such it can be used effectively or poorly!
