Backpacking Makes Traveling Abroad Affordable and Fun

By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter

Baek Seung-ok, a 22-year-old college student, has been waiting for summer for about a year.

Last year she took a break from university, got a part-time job and saved enough money to get ready for the season. She says she is now really excited about going backpacking with her friends in Europe.

``I know it will cost me a lot of money and it's going to be very tough. But I believe that the trip will be a good opportunity to refresh myself and take a moment to think about my life, as well as experience new things,'' Baek said.

She will travel to a couple of European countries for about a month within a total budget of two to three million won including the price of airplane tickets, and she is now planning her trip in more detail based on the information she has collected.

As the summer vacation season has started, there are a number of people like Baek who seek summer getaways in foreign countries. Most flights to favorite holiday spots are already booked.

``Most people want to go to western European countries, but some choose Southeast Asian countries as well,'' said Joo Sang-hyun, assistant manager of the travel agency Tour 365. ``There are various cheap tour packages offering flight tickets, meals, lodgings as well as tour tips and guides, but many people also want to go backpacking by themselves.''

Most backpackers are college students but these days even high school students and senior company employees go backpacking during their vacations, and their trips vary from the usual tour of famous tourists attractions to long stays in comparatively unknown places, Joo said.

`Scooter Diary' in Japan
``I have traveled all over Korea on my scooter and one day it occurred to me `why not in Japan' as it is so close,'' Kim Tae-kyu, 30, president of small design company told The Korea Times. ``And I took my scooter to Japan by ferry and I traveled right into the cities. I had so much fun there.''

Kim traveled in Japan for a month on his scooter last year, carrying a tent. In May this year, he went there again with his small car modified to fit a bed. Each trip only cost him around one million won.

``It's like a short deviation from your mundane life, and as a designer I sometimes need inspiration and this independent travel gives me that sort of freedom. And actually, when you are far from the familiar, you will miss such things and realize how important they are,'' Kim said.

Kim said the other attractions of backpacking are independence, impromptu situations and meeting with interesting people on the way as well as the low cost. ``When you wake up in the morning, you can go anywhere you want depending on however you feel.''

He has now posted his photos and stories from his journeys on his web site (www.t9play.com) to share his experiences with visitors. And he is now planning to travel in South America next year by motorcycle.

``Next time, I will travel to Cuba and other South American countries like the hero does in the film ``Motorcycle Diaries.'' Actually, traveling by car is more comfortable, but I prefer the tough journey since it's more interesting and fun,'' Kim said jokingly.

Cafe for Backpackers
Rhee In-sik, 28, has recently opened a cafe, named Yeon Travelers' Hangout (02-734-3009), for backpackers in Samchong-dong, Seoul to share his experience of backpacking in various countries.

The adventurous traveler has visited more than 30 countries in just over two years in total but he has traveled abroad since 1996 when he first went backpacking after entering university.

He thinks that the first-hand experience in other cultures and meeting different people is the most precious thing about backpacking.

``When I went to Middle Eastern countries, such as Iran, I realized that I had misunderstood the people and culture there and found there was a big gap between reality and what I leant from reports by local media,'' Rhee said.

As he believes that sharing is another merit of backpacking, he hopes that his cafe can be a good place where people can communicate freely with each other on the subject of traveling.

``I've met many travelers and I have found they enjoyed their trips more when they knew more about the countries and their cultures they traveled to. So I advise people that they should at least be aware of cultural differences and respect them when they stay in different countries, and not just focus on the freedom they have,'' Rhee said.

Backpack Gets Digital Touch
One of the trickiest things about backpacking is choosing what to bring. The simple rule is that the lighter your backpack, the easier your trip will be, and the most important items backpackers carry are small and portable digital gadgets.

Many backpackers believe that things such as digital cameras, electronic dictionaries and MP3 players are so handy that they make their journey more enjoyable and memorable.

``I took about 1,200 photos of myself and my friends with my digital camera, which would have been impossible with a film camera,'' said Koh Ju-hee, 22-year-old graduate school student, who has recently traveled in Europe for two weeks.

With the popularization of digital cameras, many young travelers like Koh post their photos with a brief explanation for each on their blog, or online journal, immediately after returning from the trip.

Two days after she arrived in Seoul, Koh posted her photos on her blog to share those photos with her friends and talk about her experiences in her trip, Koh said.

According to Koh, there are also some people who had their mobile phones equipped with an international roaming service so that they could keep in touch with people home while they were abroad visiting big international cities.