14 Things, i HATE about backpacking.

While travelling and backpacking are amazing, there are things that will irritate you.

There are A LOT of annoying things about travelling and backpacking.  I often hear people talking about travelling is the equivalent of freedom and happiness, but you rarely hear about the more testing travelling experiences.

So here are my top 14 travelling bugbears.

1. The expectation of being happy and talkative

Sometimes I just want to be alone, perhaps enjoying my coffee or beer in a quiet place, or watch a movie on my tablet.
I hate how I am always expected to be social and happy while staying in hostels, and if you tend to sit alone and read a book, people will give you strange looks.

2. Always the same conversations – the same bloody conversations!

Everyone that has done some kind of travelling is aware of the usual conversations. Where have you been?  How much was it?  What’s your favourite place?  How long are you travelling for? What’s your budget? Etc.

3. Vegetarians and Vegans.

I don´t go around telling everyone that I eat meat and shoving it in people’s faces.

And rather should Vegetarians and Vegans, I have to meet some many of them in hostels that tries to convert normal people in to stop eating meat, telling us that we are bad people and Vegetarians and Vegans are like saints.

Unless you’re a “hard-core”, vegetarian living in a mud hut in the middle of a forest somewhere waiting for your vegetables to be ready to harvest, you’re using animal products.

4. The “Hippie” traveller.

No, you’re not a hippie even if you dress like one, get dreads and smell like shit.

5. Dorms.

Of all the hostels, I have stayed in over the years, and that’s hundreds there are only about 5 that I remember having a good dorm.

You can’t choose who will be in the dorm with you; there’s ALWAYS at least one person snoring, some of the beds are so shaky that it feels like an earthquake every time the other person in the bunk bed is moving.

Some dorms are so cramped that you have to have your backpack in your bed.

Often you come across people that eat in the dorms, so the whole place smells. And there’s always at least one person that doesn´t care if he wakes up the whole dorm with talking into her/his phone during the night, or watches a movie without a headset.

6. The cheap backpacker.

Even I do travel on a budget, so do I try to leave as good as possible, booth when it comes to accommodation and food.

But there so many travellers out there with no money, I have met so many travellers that steal all the food from the breakfast in hostels, they fill up their bag with the free toast since they can’t afford to eat outside.

I have met so many travellers that go to China but don´t visit any of the historical places because they can’t afford the entrance tickets and so many backpackers that never leave the hostels in Australia coz they can’t afford to do anything.  These people create a bad atmosphere in the hostel.

It sucks to be cheap both for you and others in the hostel.

And they are making a bad mood in the hostel.

It sucks to be the cheap booth for you and the others in the hostel.

7. The know-it-all backpacker.

There’s always a person that thinks he knows everything about travelling, even if he has never been to the place.

No, you do not know about travelling if you have only been to South East Asia, Cancun or Inter-rail in Europe, and especially not if you have only been on a group tour.

8. The show of backpacker.

There´s a lot of travellers out there that puts flags of the places they been, It sucks.

Not only does it make your backpack heavier, but it also looks stupid, same with the t-shirt that says, “I survived the Inca trail”, “Tubing Viang Vieng” Full Moon Party. Safari in Kruger.  You travel to enjoy yourself, not to show off.

9. The Dirtiness, especially kitchens.

Mostly a problem in Europe, America, and Australia, clean up after yourself!!  Doesn’t matter how many signs are put up around the kitchen.

Your mom doesn´t work here, clean up your mess.

10. The awful showers.

This one speaks for itself.

11. The “I have to do what everyone else does” mentality.

As I have mentioned a lot before, why don´t people go out and explore more often? 99% of all travellers have this mentality that they have to do the same as everyone else. Why?

12. The ones that always have to play a guitar.

There’s always a person in a hostel that think everyone wants to hear him play his or the hostel’s guitar.

NO, we do NOT want you to hear you play, if we would like to hear a person play a guitar, we would have gone to a bar with live music, not sitting around the hostel talking.  Even if the person playing is talented, why does he always play the same bloody song as everyone else?

There are few things that annoy me more than a traveller and his guitar.

13. The “dryer”.

On occasion, I get the bunk-buddy who washes his clothes and insists on drying his towel, socks, and shirts on the bed (Like it’s not humid enough at most hostels).

It doesn’t matter that you both share this bunk – he will hang his half-washed stuff right in front of your face.  Maybe it’s out of fear that people might steal his “I <3 Cambodia” t-shirt, or that he just loves the smell of wet socks in the morning – I have no idea!

14. The gadget geek freak.

Yes, it was possible to travel around before the smartphone entered the market. I admit travelling with a smartphone is a lot easier than travelling without one, but I do not need all the other stuff, especially not a solar panel, portable speakers, PC, 10 adapters,  etc., etc., etc…

Have you remembered to read my post ” How to save money while travelling? 11 quick tips

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