We adore backpacking, but over a lifetime of travel ( which is what we’re talking about here) we’ve done it all ways. Variety is great, but the common thread is travel.

We personally consider ourselves budget travellers but at the same time with a family inc small children, I can’t live the extreme travel backpacker life I did when I was single or we were a couple. (I would rather be called a budget traveller or backpacker, than the alternatives). Still a part of me would like to return to that life and that may be possible when our boys are older. I resent when people assume because you travel budget, your experiences are diminished or are compromised. I resent that people assume you can’t backpack when you are 70 because let me tell them it is possible and even desirable. Just because you are over 35 doesn’t mean you should travel in a certain way. Backpacking doesn’t mean you haven’t grown up.

It maybe you have a different idea of travel and the experiences you seek are enhanced by budget travel. Some people would say that money puts distance between you and the local people. After all isn’t one hotel much like many others. You can’t say the same for local peoples homes or a camp ground… Still some people would say that travelling for a family for a year on 30K is budget travel, depends on what you did in that time?

No I don’t sorry! We were only in Singapore for a day and I remember chatting to a young traveller at the airport, but he was American. Where did we meet you?