written by Rough Guides Editors
updated 28.11.2018
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written by Rough Guides Editors
updated 28.11.2018
Backpacking can be one of the most rewarding ways to travel – with little more than your clothes on your back and an onward ticket in your hand. But where are the world’s best backpacking destinations? We asked our readers, and here are the results.
For an epic road trip, rent a motorcycle and hit the expansive Ho Chi Minh highway, or hop on a boat cruise through Ha Long Bay. Add mountain tribes, offbeat beaches and beautiful countryside into this mix and you’ll see why this is a backpacker’s paradise.
Ha Long Bay © PhotoRoman/Shutterstock
When it’s time to recharge, head to the backpacker hangouts on the Pacific coast for surf, sun and chilled-out beach parties.
Lima © Shutterstock
Trincomalee, Sri Lanka woman in beautiful sari walking toward beautiful Nilaveli beach © Sergii Rudiuk/Shutterstock
Can't make up your mind about travelling backpacking? Perhaps our guide to the experiences of the world's most famous travellers can help you find inspiration for your journey.
Vast, and almost mind-bogglingly diverse, this country is a world unto itself. From Moorish cities in the south to Barcelona’s Modernista landmarks, hip districts of Madrid to tiny mountain villages frozen in time, Spain is so much more than simply a beach vacation.
In our list of tips for backpacking through Europe, you will find some useful ideas for your backpacking trip in Spain.
Cadiz and its famous cathedral © Sopotnicki/Shutterstock
A trip here takes you into a world where adventure and cultural immersion can be had at every turn.
Whether you’re bobbing down the sleepy Mekong river as it winds its way through verdant countryside or sipping freshly brewed coffee in a quaint local market, Laos is sure to steal your heart.
© Muellek Josef/Shutterstock
Languid cities and towns provide the perfect place to learn about this country’s complicated past, while Cambodian beaches and palm-fringed islands are pristine and often deserted.
Its ancient temples are unrivalled in their crumbling grandeur, its culture is rich and its more remote regions beg to be explored by the adventurous.
Main view of ancient Bayon temple Angkor, Cambodia © Efired/Shutterstock
Head to Goa and Kerala for laidback towns and all-night beach parties, or explore the sweltering desert lands of Rajasthan with its grand forts and palaces.
Alleppey, Kerala, India © Christian Ouellet/Shutterstock
For more inspiring travel ideas, explore our guide to the best cities in the world – as voted by you.
You will find some awesome backpacking destinations in our Travel Bucket List Ideas: Places To Visit Before You Die.
Get started on your first backpacking trip with our Rough Guide to First-Time Around the World.
written by Rough Guides Editors
updated 28.11.2018
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