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How Backpackers Doing Their Travel Research Online Have Changed This Rite Of Passage

By Marcie Goodman


Computers have the world and the advent of the internet brought on more far-reaching changes. For instance, students of today hardly ever consult a library book if they can simply type a keyword into a search engine and have all the information they want within seconds. Even that rite of passage, backpacking through foreign countries, has changed now that people can do their travel research online.

The scene has changed incredibly fast. Five years ago, traveling with a computer was something only a few backpackers did. Most backpacks contained a guidebook, a novel and a deck of playing cards for killing time with. Now you can open any backpack and you'll find a laptop or more likely a tablet for reading matter, games, communication and even television or movies.

In the past, few backpackers would start their journey without a guidebook. Nowadays, fewer and fewer travelers carry a guidebook in their backpack and those who do, use the books only for the maps. Some deliberately stay away from guide books so that they can avoid the crowded backpacker's trails. Besides, they have their trusty laptops or tablets to guide them.

Hostels had to make changes to keep up with the new trend in backpacking. Gone are the days when all they needed to worry about was providing clean and comfortable sleeping quarters and bathrooms. Now one of the first things backpackers ask when they arrive at a hostel is what the Wi-Fi password is and whether there are working electrical sockets in the dorm rooms.

Of course using the internet makes traveling much easier than it used to be. It can tell you about the destination's background and what the weather is like at the moment. You can instantly look up some useful phrases in the language spoken there and even find out how to pronounce them correctly. It's even possible to book your accommodation and transport with a few clicks of the mouse.

The type of person who goes backpacking has also changed. In the past, most backpackers had recently graduated or were retired from their jobs. Now you don't have to quit your job to travel but can take it with you instead, so more working professionals go backpacking. They even support themselves during their trip by working online.

Of course using the internet for all your research on your journey has its drawbacks. Information may be more current than in a guidebook but it doesn't mean that it's up to date. In addition, businesses have caught on to the power of reviews and that glowing testimony about a hostel or a restaurant may very well be fake. Even the negative reviews are not always the real thing since any business will benefit if their competitors get bad ratings.

The best way of using the wealth of information out there to your advantage is to combine the different resources you can use. Keep a guidebook for easy access to maps any time, any place, because you can't consult Google Maps when you're standing by the side of a busy road. Ask fellow travelers about hostels and eateries they can recommend because they're likely to give honest opinions. For everything else you need to find out, do your travel research online for the most current information.




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