It's 3am and the hostel is still, silent. After an exhausting day of battling foreign public transport in Rome, we were finally sound asleep. But not for long. Chattering voices rise from the stairwell & wake us out of nowhere, drawing closer, and annoyingly, LOUDER. All of a sudden our door is flung open with a bang! Light floods the room as 4 German girls charge in and swing their backpacks onto the ground with a thud, all the while chattering away non-stop. I look at my watch. 3.05am. Are they SERIOUS? After a restless few hours of interrupted sleep, its dawn, and I trudge slowly to the shower, looking forward to the hot steam instantly soothing my nerves...only to find out there isn't any hot water...in fact, the shower doesn't even turn on at all....
* * *
Don't be put off by the above story, it's all part of the fun (believe it or not) of staying in hostels around the world. People have weird and wonderful notions on what to expect from staying in a backpackers, with stories and opinions a mile wide. But most of the time, all you need is a bit of patience and a smile to get you through your travels on a budget! Of course you will be sharing with other people at times; you need to expect this sort of thing. And of course not everything will always work properly or go according to plan. And thank goodness it doesn't! Otherwise what a god-awful, boring, predictable world we would live in! I guarantee you, at the time, although I did want to cheerfully MURDER those inconsiderate German girls, I can now laugh at the memory. Backpacking is all about venturing outside the norm, travelling outside your comfort zone, and trying new things. True, it's not for everyone, but the following "myths" commonly thought to be true should not discourage aspiring young travellers from venturing out into the world. (On the cheap!)

"The newest, most expensive gear will make for a more comfortable trip"

You don't need your sleeping bag, extra doona, oh and that special contour foam pillow mum bought for you last year.....this is TRAVELLING not living at home in the lap of luxury! The whole point is to experience the unusual, the different and yes sometimes the strange. Most will be surprised to find how well equipped hostels are with often extra sheets provided, warm blankets and always a pillow. Some hostels in America I found will even have housekeeping staff come and change the bedding each day for new and fresh linen! And if there is something you need, just try asking the friendly staff - you would probably be surprised at how many items of use they keep behind the counter that you may borrow and purchase for a small charge; Phone chargers, international calling cards, spare batteries, sunscreen etc.

You also do not need the latest $400 backpack -remember, just because its new and slightly improved in some ways, does not make it any less heavy to carry!! Most middle of the range ones, like ‘Cuba' from Black Wolf, retail for around $140-$180, and are more than suitable with easy to adjust straps. They don't look half bad either. The point to remember is, no one cares about the brand on your back, only about the funny jokes and stories you tell at the end of a long day in the pub!

"Hostels aren't safe!"

Some people have this image in their heads that hostels are cheap and nasty alternatives to REAL hotels. Well the first part is true enough, they ARE cheaper, which is a good thing, but the scary/nasty part? Not so true. I'm not going to sit here and say every single one I have ever stayed a night in was tops, but on the whole, they are more than acceptable. And if you do your homework before you go, you will find that the cities you are visiting will often have a top rated hostel voted the best in the business by fellow travellers - these are the ones you need to be checking out, and booking into. One I recently stayed at in Manhattan, New York actually had its own night security guard at the door! How's that for added safety? Its usually not just a case of having he best location, cleanest rooms and top security, but also kick-ass hostel pubs & awesome staff to help you out with city maps, extra pillows, which nights they play trivia on and run the local pub crawl! Not sounding too scary is it? There is a great chance at these kinds of places to meet new people and make life long friends.

"It isn't very glamorous to lug a big ugly sack around on your back..."

First of all, what many people don't realise is that the amount of time you actually spend carrying your pack around is far less than what you might think. As soon as you reach your destination, whether it is your hostel in Greece, your seat on the eurostar to Paris, or crazy taxi ride from JFK to Manhattan -you dump it! Most hostels worldwide now offer locked cages to keep your backpack in under your bunk (just remember to bring your own combination lock - a key padlock will just not do) or if not, they will at least have a safekeeping area in reception that will fit your valuables like passports, wallets and phones. And the rest is really just clothes isn't it? Not really such a big crisis to leave them ‘unguarded' in your shared room! Think about it - would you steal someone else's dirty jeans?? (Ok, well, maybe if they were Sass & Bide!)

No one will think any more or less of you if you arrive with a suitcase or backpack, in this day and age, no one bats an eyelid as it is simply only an indicator of how you are travelling. Not living. One summer I arrived in Florence with my friends to check in to our "hostel", with our ‘ugly' backpacks in tow, only to find that the supposed "hostel" actually translated into gorgeous, 1bedroom Italian pension...which is like an apartment fully furnished! This is the kind of thing you would never find in your Marriott's and Hiltons, a traditional, old Firenze penthouse, in the heart of the city complete with a private balcony and all the creature comforts of home - we even had a washing machine and dryer in our very own laundry! So we suddenly went from being "aussie backpackers" to temporary Italian penthouse owners - not too shabby. In other words, backpacking is not just about the luggage - it is simply a means to and end - a way to discover the little treasures other countries have to offer. Don't worry about looking like a struggling traveller, just because you are out and about without a gold studded suitcase.

Remember WHY you are BACKPACKING - in most cases, you are not heading off on a trip against your will. You are going for fun. So instead of getting worried about it, remember the reasons for why you are going and the goals you want to achieve, such as meeting new and interesting people, which is a big factor into why we choose to travel.

A perfect example of this is when I journeyed to Mykonos in the Greek islands with girlfriends, and was stuck on the ferry for 6 hours from Athens to get there...Not so fun. However, we found others in the same ‘boat' as us (so to speak) who were also bored out of their brains, so we started chatting. By the time we had docked on the picturesque island, none of us wanted to split up, so we decided to all stay on the same part of the island at the same resort. That was 3 years ago - we still keep in touch and I have since visited them during subsequent travels to their own countries where we had a great time once again.

Going beyond your comfort zone is a key motivator for many backpackers. After all, it's easy to sit at your nice, cushy, desk job all your life, -and then take that one plane ride a year to Disneyland where the tourists outnumber the locals and English is the first language spoken. Hardly the real world experience you were hoping for. So forget about all the ‘myths' out there, throw your concerns out the window and go for it. Life's too short not to.

.....And if your head is still full of worries, don't worry, I'll take your trip for you and let you know ‘terrible' backpacking was!

Lauren Baldwin

1. Always try using Youth Hostels, and save money using yha (youth hostel association) organisation (search) as this has been the most cost-effective way of seeing the world.
   
   • Have an idea of how much you should be paying on transport from the airport to your destination, especially when travelling in Asia as the price can vary as they barter their prices. You must haggle when travelling in Asia as you would be surprised how inexpensive it can be.
   • Be aware of your exchange rate when you arrive into a country. This way you have less chance of making a mistake when paying for anything.
   • Be aware of cons and scams, people take advantage of tourists as they are not familiar with how much their money is worth. Some common cons and scams;
2. People who approach you on the street and are pretending to be your friend and trying to get something off you.
3. When travelling by tut-tut (Asian transport) for the day agree on a final price at the start of the day and keep to it.
4. Beware of pickpockets of crowds. Keep all belongings close. However a pickpocket can strike at any time.
5. When buying food and drink try not to go to the tourist areas as they are more expensive than the restaurants just around the corner which are of the same standard.
   
6. Drink local brands rather than imports.
   
7. Buy snacks from local supermarket. For example buying a snack in London from top supermarkets is cheaper than local stores.
   
8. Work out the prices of a direct route to your destination in comparison to splitting the journey. For example a direct route of Liverpool to Newcastle costs about £50. However splitting the journey from Liverpool to York and then to Newcastle is about £22. It takes approximately the same time. It is sometimes a lot cheaper to split the journey.
   
9. Always check the prices on comparison sites as this can save you a lot of money.
   
10. If you are flying to your destination try to make it on a weekday, if possible on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday as this is when it is cheapest.

My Hostel recommendations-These are all of decent standard
The European hostels I have stayed in are of higher standard

England

Ambleside youth hostel in the Lake District.

Australia

Glebe Point Youth Hostel in Sydney
Cairns Youth Hostel in Cairns

New Zealand

Auckland Youth Hostel
Christ-Church Youth Hostel
Queenstown Youth Hostel

China

Hong Kong Youth Hostel
Beijing City Youth Hostel

Denmark

Copenhagen Youth Hostel

Ireland

Dublin City Youth Hostel

Switzerland

(staying in the Swiss youth hostels on a skiing holiday brings down the price of the holiday)
Zermatt Youth Hostel
Davos Youth Hostel
Santa Maritz Youth Hostel

Geneva Youth Hostel

From here we still need to take a walk around 300 meters. The trip that must be taken by following through the steep ladder, headed towards the location three waterfalls. Fortunately the available steep ladder is made from concrete cement so as the visitor do not experience the difficulty when crossing it. Upon arrival at location, several sellers of food/the drink and the appearance memento lined up and a group of young man welcomed with the wave of pop music that was trend, hoped for the small change throw to empty tin on the way. It is not difficult to find the source of hot water of these small seven waterfalls, because located on the side right-hand from the road to enter. The small seven waterfalls personally indeed took the form of the hot water current that come out from stone gaps with the height approximately 1 meter. Water that flowed visible issue hot vapor and the stones that are passed by this water changed became colored red brownish. Investigated to the side of which hot water flowed, I found scenery that has never been seen by me whatever beforehand. One cliff brown young is come between by the green color of appearance emitted the smoke. All this part of cliff is passed through hot water that flowed slowly to the lower cliff, so as to appear like the stone to have vapor. The combination of the color that is interesting and very beautiful to be enjoyed, it proved something that the natural color indeed always harmonious and it is very beautiful scenery.

A ladder on the right side of this cliff, make the visitor able to descend, enjoyed picturesque scenery from the lower side of cliff. Apparently not all water that flowed in this stone is hot water, it proven from water that flowed close to the step is water with the colder temperature. As a result when this cold water reach at the bottom and the mixture both of them made the temperature of water to be colder compared with its upper part.

Close to this area, there is a box of the cleanliness contribution without the guard standing in the edge of the ladder. An article on this box is mentioned the "Sarabadak Cave". But when I try to seek what part that is acknowledged as this Sarabadak Cave, I can not find out the location that is meant. It is just several small gaps in the cliff that definitely do not deserve to be acknowledged as the cave. In a glance, nothing special in this cave area, but if you try to look at the detail of the gap between the cliffs, its unique scenery. You can clearly see the contents of the whole cave.

A part of the Sarabadak Cave, there is also the historic location that is located outside the gate of small seven waterfalls but it close enough, approximately 100 meter. Whether this place is used to be belonging to the king or the leading figure, no body knows. Apparently, when being found by the inhabitants has taken the form of the place like available now. This place consisted of the stone that is compiled formed the step ladder and the other one is cubical form. This place is named Batur Sengkala, that it seems the inhabitant's local words are often used by ancient senior figures as the resting place for a moment from the far trip.

The Legend

Sheikh Maulana Maghribi was a Muslim scholar / Mullah. He was a Prince from Turki. One day after At Daybreak, he saw the mysterious light shone on the side South-east. He wanted to know from where the mysterious light came and what meaning that. He broke to find out. And he was accompanied by his friend, the Pilgrim Datuk and his worker. They sailed headed to the side of the arrival of this mysterious light. Afterwards after Sheikh Maulana Maghribi arrived in the Gresik Coast, this mysterious light apparently on the side west and finally they arrived in the coast Pemalang, Central Java. In this place he asked his workers to come home. In the meantime he was accompanied by the Pilgrim Datuk to continue his trip by walking headed to the side of south while spreading the Islam religion. Afterwards Sheikh Maulana Maghribi lived in the Banjar Cahayana.

In this place he was affected by the serious itchy illness and had difficulty being cured. After middle night prayers he received the inspiration that he must go to the Gora Mountain. After arrive in the slope of the Gora Mountain he asked for the Pilgrim Datuk to leave him & was waiting at the place that emitted the smoke. Evidently there had the source of hot water and Sheikh Maulana Maghribi mentioned him "seven waterfalls" that meaning that a source of hot water that had seven springs. Every day Sheikh Maulana Maghribi bathed in an orderly fashion in the place, in this way he recovered from his itchy illness.

The inhabitants around this place acknowledged Sheikh Maulana Maghribi as "Man from above the sky" because he came from a far country. And Sheikh Maulana Maghribi was named the Pilgrim Datuk Rusuhudi (in the Javanese language meant the Just Shelf or the Loyal Servant). This place was famous and was named "Baturaden". The reason was that Sheikh Maulana Maghribi recovered from the itchy and safe the illness at slope of the Gora Mountain. Further he replaced the name of the Gora Mountain to Slamet Mountain. Slamet in the Javanese language was significantly safe. The place where Sheikh Maulana Maghribi recovered it was considered as the place of the shrine by the person around. Many people from other city around Slamet Mountain visited this place on certain shrine day.

1. Are you approved by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Airline Reporting Corporation (ARC)? IATA requires bonding for membership; ARC is the organization that collects funds from travel agencies and regulates their daily operations. An agency without IATA or ARC affiliations is not a travel agency at all, merely a booking agent or tour operator.
2. Are you a member of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA)? Membership doesn't guarantee professional conduct and ethics, but ASTA has a code of principles to follow. The Society also has a mediation/arbitration system between member agencies and their customers.
3. Are your agents Certified Travel Counselors? The Institute of Certified Travel Agents only grants CTC status to agents who have completed a special training course and have at least five years' full-time experience. If your agent doesn't have this certification, he or she may not have the background and experience necessary to get the best deals for you.
4. Do you have preferred supplier arrangements with any travel companies? If your agent has such relationships and receives bonuses, rebates, or other remuneration from certain companies, you may not wind up with the best deal. On the other hand, if you suddenly need an airline seat or hotel room for an emergency trip, your agent's relationship with “preferred suppliers” could work to your advantage. Evaluate a “yes” answer in terms of whether it might be of value to you.
5. Does your agency subscribe to the OAG electronic tariff system? This is a computerized version of the monthly tariff book most travel agents use. It is updated daily and allows agents to get the hottest information on special offers, such as promotional and introductory fares.
6. Do you focus primarily on business or leisure travel? Do you have agents who specialize in one or the other? It's wise to pick an agent who specializes in the kind of travel you do most often. You might even consider using one person at the agency for vacations and another for your business trips.
7. Does your agency use three or more Computer Reservations Systems (CRSs)? With fewer than three, the agency may be missing the latest and best fares. If it doesn't have access to more than one, an agency can make up for it by routinely checking last-minute seat availability with airlines for which it doesn't have direct CRS access.
8. Does the owner work in the agency? An owner-operated agency often runs more smoothly and has less turnover of agents. It is also good to know that if you have a problem, you can immediately take it to someone with a vested interested in keeping you happy.
9. Do you deliver tickets and is there a charge for it? This can be a wonderful convenience if the agency you choose is not on your normal driving route
10. Will you keep my travel profile on file? A profile that includes your frequent flier numbers, your meal and seating preferences, and any other special needs will save you time and lessen the chance of booking errors

Roll underwear, socks, and other small items and tuck them into your shoes to keep your favorite wingtips from being crushed. Put shoes in plastic bags to avoid soiling other clothing.

Instead of making sure that you're packed and planned for three months in advance for a week away, do it the night before. It might sound like an incredibly bad idea; packing the night before, however, makes life more interesting and it's that element of risk that adds to the feeling of elation that you get when going away.

Just make sure you have your tickets, passport, etc before the last minute. Worrying about that sort of thing makes for panic, as opposed to hurry; the latter is more fun, the former an accident waiting to happen (last time I panicked before travelling I managed to leave hair straighteners on, on the bed, and burnt the duvet: not fun).

II. Travel with Friends, Not Family:

Unless your family don't burst into argument over dinner on at least a once weekly basis and enjoy the same activities as you it's probably a good plan to avoid going on holiday with them if you can. Basically, if you're old enough to travel alone then give it a shot and see how much more fun it is when you're doing what you want and, if not what you want, then something you can enjoy with friends.

I've been travelling by myself since I was fourteen and with friends since a year after that, it's much more interesting when you can go where you want and do as you will, rather than get stuck somewhere less fun than in front of your PC.

III. Absorb Foreign Culture Instead of Planting Yours:

“Travel” and “holiday” are not synonymous. Travel is often what comes prior to the holiday, or maybe the entire holiday will be spent moving around; either way it can be an experience rather than a requirement.

Cutting to the point, when travelling in order to enjoy a place, it's hypocritical to go somewhere because it's different to your own home (sunnier/more interesting/busier/quieter/etc) and persist in treating it like that home. If you go to Africa, go visit something that you don't have at home, by all means, but keep it interesting by doing those things in a different way. If you go to the Mediterranean and want an interesting experience then don't lock yourself away in a compound full of people of your own cultural background, surrounded by little houses built by people of that culture for their own.

IV. Make It Interesting - Be Interesting!

Be interesting yourself. Don't expect a different place and its people to be interesting just because they're not the same as at home. Places and people differ, but on the other side of the coin they also share a lot of traits. Therefore the people on the train don't talk to you because you don't talk to them; the man at the foreign restaurant does not make an effort to speak your language, not because he doesn't speak any of it, but because you didn't go to an effort to learn his; the pictures you take look like boring holiday photos because you took them like that.

So be responsible to yourself and make an effort to actually be interesting to both yourself and other people, it's hardly hard to do it and have fun. You actually have more fun when you feel as fascinating as the place you're going and you make life more interesting and better for other travellers and the natives.

Then one day, when I was checking out summertime fares to Seattle, a friend of mine told me about this website which she said few people know about right now. It's Farecast, and it's more than all the other travel websites could ever do. It's similar to The Weather Channel, you could say, in the sense that Farecast gives you a forecast of when fares will go up or down for a certain time of year. Also it advises you to buy now or fares will rise, or wait because fares will soon drop. It also gives you a 30-day window on when the fares will be cheapest---as well as expensive. When I tried it out, I knew exactly when to make the reservations for Seattle, and for what days.

Of course, it also does the usual price comparisons with other travel sites for airfare and hotels, and Farecast doesn't cover all airlines, just the major ones, so that's the one major drawback. However, it's better for my time and effort than going on the other travel sites. I saved roughly $60 using this site for the airfare to Seattle, and that sold me. So maybe this site won't be a closely guarded secret now.

However, if you've already done first class and wish something more out of your travel, then what you need is your own private jet.

A while back, the only people who would even think about having their own jets were those swiming in money. Not literally, of course. These days, to fill your need to fly in your own jet, you do not have to be rich or simply lucky. There are alot of companies now offering use of a private jet to anyone, for business or vacations, at low rates.

If your planning your next trip to the Bahamas or your next meeting in California, consider taking a ride on a jet.

It's time to fly...