bali island - indonesia

Bali, the famed Island of the Gods, with its varied landscape of hills and mountains, clifflike coastlines and sandy beaches, lush rice terraces and barren volcanic hillsides all providing a picturesque backdrop to its colourful, deeply spiritual and unique culture, stakes a serious claim to be paradise on earth.

With world-class surfing and diving, a large number of cultural, historical and archaeological attractions, and an large arrange of accommodations, this is one of the world's most popular island destinations and one which consistently wins travel awards. Bali has something to substance a rattling broad mart of visitors from young back-packers right through to the super-rich.

Bromo Mountain Journey

Bromo mountain, located in Tengger. It's cover some 800 square kilometers in the center of East Java. It is the largest volcanic region in the province and is Mt. Semeru, which rises 3676 meters above sea level. At its northern end is the spectacular Tengger Caldera the largest of Java, with its 10 km barren desert-like sea of sand. In the place of the boiler deeply fissured volcanic cones of Batok and Bromo, the latter is still active with a cavernous crater blowing smoke into the sky. To the south is a plateau of rolling uplands dissected by valleys and dotted with several small scenic lakes, extending to the foot of Mount Semeru, a tower of gray skirted the southern cone forests dominate the landscape. The uniqueness of the area of the property is reminiscent of a lunar landscape, rather than anything related to the land offers impressive experiences such as observing and watching the sunrise in the crater of a volcano Mount Bromo is a convenient stop for travellers between Bali and Surabaya, and the most popular of all of East Java's travel destinations, this active 2,392-metre- (7,85 foot-) high volcano lies 112 kilometres (70 miles), about three hours, southeast of Surabaya. Enclosed by perpendicular walls 350 metres (1,150 feet) high, Bromo's awesome 2,200-metre- (7,220-foot-) high 'sand sea' caldera has three mountains within it, craters within one huge crater, the Bromo Semeru Massif. There are also three small crater lakes inside the larger crater, with waterfowl and excellent hiking. The ideal time to visit is in the dry season (April-November) when you have a better chance of seeing a blood-red sunrise in the wet season, you might as well sleep late and stroll across the sand sea during the warmer part of the day, after the heavy fog has blown away. The temperature on top of Bromo is around 5 degree (40 degree); in July, it could drop to 0 degree (32 degree), so dress warmly. Three times a year, the site is overrun by tourists in February when an annual festival takes place, over Christmas, and during July and August. So plan your visit for another time if you don't like crowds. From Bromo's peak are stunning views of active It's ease very early when I started moving towards Mount Bromo. Overnight sleeping in Sukapura, a small town on the slopes of Mount Bromo which is the prizewinning option for me than the period at Bromo itself. Same as it was dark when the period comes around 11 and determine the point of \"stretch waist\" after a long trip from Solo. Limitations of time and makes me aroused desire to take this decision. Climbing a mountain is one dream since high school, but cod to various constraints, I never succeeded in realizing the desire to climb Bromo. Farthest distance ever visited in this vicinity in Semeru, and even then unsuccessful cod to sand storms that impact was accompanied by rain in the year 1978, forcing us back. Many regret clot, because it was walking distance from Gubug KLAKAH, to Ranu Pane really struggle. Some wealthy people who crapper ride the jeep or truck hire, but for our high edifice students who have climbed to Malang KA without pay except felid and mouse with the officers, hired jeep or truck is understandably not in our agenda. Have to travel boost Gumbolo Ranu, ... well, the sand was beginning to look everywhere and the rain was really not friendly. Remember brother Arief Budiman, Yap Hong Gie or who forget, who died in the climb, we finally decided to go back. The mountains in Central Java was quite old to me, and some have been climbed. Well now at Bromo, he ease crapper intend up to the top. Deh accordance with the age of ABG is no longer, for me. Travel up and start weaving. 4WD car that we were riding was ease kept going up through the highest village.sea during the warmer part of the day, after the heavy fog has blown away. The temperature on top of Bromo is around 5 degree (40 degree); in July, it could drop to 0 degree (32 degree), so dress warmly. Three times a year, the site is overrun by tourists in February when an annual festival takes place, over Christmas, and during July and August. So plan your visit for another time if you don't like crowds. From Bromo's peak are stunning views of active

Beautiful Khao San : Bangkok’s Infamous Backpacker Road

Bangkok’s Khao San Road at night

Khao San Road is an affront to the senses. For the fresh-off-the-plane traveler, a visit to this part of Bangkok, Thailand’s capital city, may have you wondering what the hell you got yourself into.

It’s a frenetic scene of neon signs, drunk backpackers and scantily-clad promo girls (who may or may not be transvestites), but Khao San is also the crux of the budget traveler scene, where hostels, tour operators and sarong shops converge.

It’s the ultimate backpacker hub for the budget South East Asian traveler. This strip is where you can book overland trips to Laos, find cheap flights to Vietnam or get your visa for Cambodia. Chances are good that, if you’re going through Bangkok, you’ll end up on Khao San Road.

A selection of delicious (and cheap) Thai street food

Most are lured by the international vibe, cheap accommodations, $10 Thai massages and tasty food. Stalls lining the street sell a rainbow assortment of incredibly cheap and tasty curries available curb-side. The air smells of fresh banana pancakes and peanutty Pad Thai, an immediate reminder that you are, in fact, in Bangkok, one of the most vibrant and fascinating metropolises of the region.

There are also tons of vendors selling every knock-off imaginable: fake Gucci sunglasses, fake Puma shoes, fake Diesel jeans. There are phoney student cards, bootleg DVDs and photocopied Lonely Planet guides for the price of a Starbucks latte. Vendors (dressed as some of Northern Thailand’s indigenous hill tribes) stroll from patio table to table hawking novelty items: massive Zippo lighters, X-rated flasks, wooden frogs that make a “ribbit” noises when you stroke them, and other knick-knacks you don’t need but somehow end up buying.

The iPood T-shirt, a popular item sold in kiosks along Khao San Road

Today’s popular backpacker purchase is a t-shirt with an ironic saying. A big seller is “Ipood,” with an illustration of a man on a toilet listening to his iPod. Let’s not forget the classic Thai t-shirt with the words “Same Same But Different” – the commonly used vernacular in the Thai backpacker lexicon - scrawled on the front.

The shopping in Bangkok (especially the Chatuchak weekend market) is sick, with silk sarongs, hand-made leather jewelry, flimsy summer dresses, colorful canvas purses, knifes and Nunchucks.

Shopping till you drop is made easy with ever present ATM machines and 7-11’s as common as Buddhist temples.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when bargaining in Bangkok:

Rule #1: when the vendor first tells you the price, balk at it. You’re a tourist, so no doubt it’s inflated. Never accept the first offer.

Rule #2: offer half (sometimes 1/3) the wanted price and negotiate from there. I like to use a calculator to show the price I want to pay. I set a mental limit of how much the item is really worth to me and won’t go over that price.

Rule #3: always negotiate in local currency and bring small bills to pay for it.

Rule #4: don’t squabble over a few bucks. Bargaining isn’t about screwing the other guy. It’s about coming to a price that works for both of you.

Rule #5: the “walk away” sometimes works but if it doesn’t get you your desired price, don’t be ashamed to come back and purchase the item. Don’t let pride get in the way of getting a cool souvenir. After all, it’s likely to be waaay cheaper in Thailand than at home.

Have you been to Bangkok? What are your travel tips for navigating the chaos of Khao San? Have any bargaining tips you’d like to share? Post your comments below….

Backpacker to Thailand Guide

As a solo destination:

The land of smiles has to be one of the premier destinations for long term travel and is very popular with single backpackers.

Thailand can be done on a small budget and there are so many other travellers that you should be able to find like minded people to hang out with.

Accommodation:

There are very few dormitories in the hostels in Thailand. As a solo traveller you will almost certainly have your own room. Some dorms do exist but these tend to be concentrated in the Bangalumpa area of Bangkok which is the travellers ghetto and very much the centre of backpacking in South-east Asia.

You will be more likely staying in a guesthouse in your own room. Double rooms and single rooms offer great value and as a solo traveller you won't have to worry too much about paying for a double when there are no singles.

One drawback is that it can be harder to meet people when you have your own room. It becomes more like staying in a hotel. Fortunately many guesthouses in Thailand have communal areas where you can meet others like cafes and TV rooms.

Budget:

Guesthouses in Thailand start at around 150 baht for a single room to 700 for a double. This will vary significantly through the kingdom and also depend on the time of year as well.

Dorms, if you can find them will start from 75 baht.

Camping is an option in Thailand but with rooms so cheap it might not be worth your while unless you are in a national park.

Trips and activities:

Thailand has embraced tourism like no other country. Rest assured that they will be ample ways to spend your hard earned cash here.

There are some excellent day trips which are great for meeting others.

Here is a list of ideas.

Kayaking the mangrove swamps of Krabi
Visiting the floating markets of Bangkok
Hill tribe trekking in the north
Learning to dive around Thailand's islands.

Backpackers Tragedy

Dancing at a club

Australian health authorities will be targeting promiscuous backpackers who flock to Australia, get drunk and have unprotected sex.

The campaign is intended to control rising rates of sexually transmitted diseases.

Unlike Australian residents, new figures showed young international travellers were more likely to binge drink, engage in sexual encounters with multiple partners and fail to use condoms.

An eight-year study conducted by the Sydney Sexual Health Centre saw approximately 5,700 backpackers and found that a culture of sex, alcohol and partying was creating an STD crisis.

Diseases such as Chlamydia, genital warts and herpes, were found to be spread to the rest of the population by this partying culture.

The conclusion of the research stated that "backpackers should be a priority population for sexual health promotion and access to services". The research is soon to be published in the international journal Sexually Transmitted Infections.

The researchers identified the majority of backpackers as being aged in their mid-20s and came from the U.K. or Ireland.

Whilst female backpackers were found to be twice as likely to binge drink as their Australian counterparts, their male counterparts were three times more likely to consume dangerous levels of alcohol.

Of those who travelled to Sydney, about half of the men and 30 percent of the women also admitted to having more than two sexual partners in the preceding three months.
Both Australian residents and backpackers were identified as having low rates of condom use.

Ten percent of backpackers said they had sex while in Thailand in the previous year, but they sought help for STDs at Australia's public sexual health clinics because they are free.

The study also found that up to half of the people who visit another country have sex with a new partner when they travel.

Australia Journey

Come stay at one of Melbourne’s premier boutique budget backpacker hostels, located just minutes away from the city’s top attractions at possibly the cheapest rates in Melbourne’s groovy, cool, Chapel Street, Australia’s coolest strip. Our bar (The Green Room) is the first bar in Australia designed exclusively for backpackers and travellers.

The bustle of bodies, the hum of conversations, the lure of clubs, cafes, restaurants and bars. Days are alive, fuelled by Chapel Street’s energy. Nights are electric! The fashions. The flavours. The lifestyle………. thats Melbourne and Chapel Street

Or just sit outside in our front courtyard and watch the vibrance of Chapel Street, sipping a beer, or seclude your self in our private back courtyard

Book in for the Australian Grand Prix March 25th – 28th, a short stroll away

(min. 3 nights stay)

Our new bar The Green Room, has opened offering the cheapest beer, wine, cocktails and pizza, foccacias, in Melbourne new tv room open (huge LCD TV for those who want to watch away from bar) ,or just play pool. All in fully airconditioned comfort, and cheap, cheap prices.

The Green Room

WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT ALL GUESTS WANTING JOBS NOW HAVE JOBS AND HAVE EXTENDED THEIR STAYS - WE WORK HARD AT ORGANIZING THIS

The Hostel

We are a small team at Back Of Chapel backpacker and have an extensive history of backpacking and travel to many countries over many years. Our Melbourne born manager can swap stories with you of journeys through some of the most extreme places on the planet or direct you to the most fun areas of Melbourne. We offer cheap Melbourne accommodation in private rooms or dorm style

We can book tours for you for wherever you want to go, and can offer Melbourne job assistance specifically for backpackers if you wish to stay longer. We promise you wont find cheaper rates anywhere in melbourne, weekly rates specials in winter

Our team know exactly what you want, what you love and hate. Come visit us at Back of Chapel backpacker on your travels to Melbourne, it will be awesome to have you stay with us!

Our boutique hostel has a historical mystique, it was once a brothel used by politicians as written in the book “My Brother Jack”, we can show you its unique history, the secret escape door where ministers and politicians were ushered out through during police raids over 100 years ago.

Back of Chapel backpackers hostel Melbourne is a cool, boutique budget hostel. Housed in doubles, twins, triples and 4 and 6 bed dorms, the hostel is nestled between St. Kilda beach, funky South Yarra/Prahran (bars, clubs and shopping central), Melbourne city ( more bars, bands and clubs) and Fitzroy (Australia’s undisputed grunge-rock capital).

Back of chapel was Nominated on ‘World’s Best Hostel’ as best hostel in Melbourne & We have received a 4.5* rating from AAA

Chapel st, Melbourne

Back of Chapel Backpacker and hostel can offer a group budget pub crawls with more than a dozen pubs and clubs in the immediate area if thats your thing, or a romantic night out for 2 -just check with our experienced staff.

What do you need when travelling Melbourne

More information about chapel st

Information about Melbourne for backpackers

Nearby St Kilda

History of St Kilda

The Yarra river, Melbourne

Melbourne city is Australia’s centre of live music (approx. 400 bands play every weekend), clubbing with more clubs per capita than anywhere else in the world, cheap food, bars, cafes, cheap shopping (if you can’t buy it here, they don’t make it) and, oh yeah, did I mention food? Did I mention beer? Bars, pubs and restaurants surround us in both Chapel St and St.kilda. So if on a budgetChapel st is where you should be.

Back of Chapel’s hostel staff are extremely well travelled, informative (if they don’t know where it is, it doesn’t exist) and yes, believe it or not, we are backpacker FRIENDLY. Drive down the Great Ocean Road, Melbourne’s premier beach enclave, hike Wilson’s Prom and its awesome rainforests, barrel down the ski fields, see the penguins at Phillip Island, scoff wine in the Yarra Valley vineyards and OK, if you really have to, you can go down “Neighbours” Ramsey St., exclusive to Melbourne, we’ll show you the way.

Back of Chapel backpackers is a budget hostel where only your feet have to do the walking and catching a tram is just for fun, everything is just minutes away. There’s easy access to the Australian Open (tennis centre), the Australian Grand Prix (10 minutes walk), Aussie Rules football, Melbourne outdoor festivals (earthcore, big day out, Falls music fest., St. Kilda and Brunswick St. festivals and heaps more). If it’s melbourne shopping you want, the best of designers are at our door.

Solo Backpacking, The Positives and Negatives

I had been the only foreigner during the entire trip from Banaue to Borocay, Philippines. There were even fewer travelers in the Philippines than Indonesia or Myanmar. Indonesia had a reputation for dangerous activity. Myanmar had difficult access. The Philippines had both. In addition to these detractors, it was supposedly tourist "low-season" due to the unpredictable weather. What this meant was that I would spend less time with other Western backpackers and have more opportunities to get better acquainted with the local population. Indeed I had a few precious encounters with Filipinos that will forever make for endearing memories.

When I wasn't fraternizing with the natives I enjoyed some moments of solitude. It was good opportunity for journal writing and self-reflection. However, I soon found that the value of introspective dialogue went only so far. I ran out of things to talk to myself about. When several days had passed where I had only had a limited or superficial conversation with one or two people, utilizing my vocal cords for no more than ten minutes combined per twenty-four hour period, I underwent a bout of loneliness. I had been raised in a culture that emphasized the occasional private time, but this was too much. I felt like a traveling hermit. It was as if I had taken an involuntary oath of silence.

I was accustomed to being around people who were like me once in awhile. Sure, during my first year in Tonga as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer, lonely was my best friend and I longed for my old Seattle social life, but eventually I became close with my Tongan neighbors and by the second year I hardly ever had a moment to myself. If I needed the company of people with similar backgrounds then I could seek out other Peace Corps Volunteers down the road. It is important to note that in Tonga, however, I was not on vacation. I was aware of the emotional challenges that accompanied Peace Corps service and braced myself for times of those initial months of loneliness.

My big world backpacking tour, on the other hand, was not a time of work. It was meant to be the most amazing and fun trip I had ever been on, so the discomfort I felt on a few occasions when I was sick of being by myself for several days in a row meant there were times that I regretted the decision to travel solo. It was during my Philippines escapades that I finally came to the coherent realization for the first time since I had embarked on this journey four months previous, that if I had the choice, then I preferred companionship.

Backpacking solo is liberating at first. You are completely free from anyone, anything, or anywhere that knows you. Every time you meet someone you begin at scratch with a clean slate. They know nothing of your past, your mishaps, your mistakes, or your misdeeds. You present only yourself in your rawest form. All anyone has to go on when forming an opinion about you is your personality and what you choose to tell them. It's like multi-national masquerade ball. There are no rules. You can be whomever you please. In addition, traveling solo frees you from being restricted by compromise. You can go wherever whenever without having to consult anyone or appease anyone else's preferences. You rule your world around the world, and that can be immensely gratifying and empowering.

The sacrifice of solo backpacking, however, is that you will most likely have to endure the feeling of being a loner at some point or another. You must brace yourself for those discouraging moments when you are forced to eat yet another meal alone, while the locals wonder who deserted you and other travelers at a table across the room are laughing and carrying on. Should you finish the book you are reading, so help you God. Staring at the coagulated saltshaker is about the loneliest feeling in the world.

It is important to remember that going solo does not necessarily mean going alone. I had been in Southeast Asia for four months, but I probably spent no more than two weeks of it completely by myself, and one of those two weeks could be accounted for exclusively in the Philippines. Finally, it should not be understated that solo independent backpacking promotes life-changing cultural immersion opportunities and maybe most importantly, something that seems to be lacking from too many people all over the world, a chance to get to know, understand, and appreciate yourself.

After I had put it in this perspective I quelled any regrets I had for going at it alone. My next major trip to Africa, India or wherever, may be with someone I know and who knows me, but for now, I told myself, I was going to appreciate being on my own and make the best of this experience because I knew that, solo or not, it would no doubt hold enormous value to me for the rest of my life.

Carnaval City - Panama City, Panama

The Brothers Newman spent their last days in Central America together in the filthy city of San Jose, a city that bears no resemblance to its Californian counterpart. Being the adventurous duo that we have been raised to be, we sought challenges wherever remotely possible but the top museums in the city were closed for renovation while the zoo (annotated in our guidebook, circa 1997) greeted us with a rusted old chain around its doors--more likely keeping the wildly overgrown weeds inside more than anything else. At night, we came home to the confines of Hotel Asia and disturbances from the all-night bar just below. We seemed to have struck gold on a Monday night upon stumbling on a bar full of people only a block from the hotel. However, once we ordered the overpriced beers and observed the lewdly-dressed women throwing themselves at the crowd of mostly older gentlemen, we realized that we had not just seated ourselves at an ordinary bar and quickly left for a place where the women would not be asking us for our money.

Saying our farewells, my brother and I realized that we had not tried our taekwondo kicks on each other for the previous ten days. When smugly remarking that fact to our aggravated parents, we had a good laugh. It had been eight years since we spent that much time together and we began to understand the growing importance of family as we go our separate ways in the world. I pondered this as I took on the grueling seventeen-hour journey to Panama City, arriving just in time for the beginning of Carnaval.

A hardened traveler once again, I joined the other two gringos from the bus and arrived at my cushy hotel where I had the use of cable TV in my room and a swimming pool two floors away. After living with ants, roosters, and loud disco music for the previous week, this was a welcomed change. One of the gringos knew a local Panamanian, Enrique, who would become our guide throughout the Carnaval.

In four days, we celebrated Carnaval in three of the premier places to do so in Panama. In Panama City, the main street, Via Espana, was flooded with people practically every hour of the day. Walking through the wide avenue, I was startled several times by handfuls of confetti to the face. (I thought that I actually may have lost an eye at one point.) For two dollars, I armed myself with the latest in high-tech water firearms in order to defend myself against the five and ten year olds who would appear from behind sausage grills to attack me mercilessly. When I was not soaking wet, I lined up for one of the parades that ambled along the street, even once joining a band of merry rhythm drummers as they played to the delighted crowd. As I looked up, I saw my bright-yellow Ronaldo jersey on the big screen perched above the crowd and jumped around as the camera focused on us for several minutes.

In search of a well-rounded Carnaval, the Israeli, the Canadian (flag on backpack), the Panamanian guide turned friend, and I set off for the small town of Penenome. Penenome is famous for its river parade and culecos, which are trucks with fire hoses under which people dance and get soaked quite regularly. Probably the most notable aspect of this trip other than my purchase of quality swimwear for two dollars was the accomodation. Wandering around town, we scored the last two rooms left for miles around. Quite pleased with our perserverance, we laid down for a nap and realized that other than the cockroaches and intermittent availability of water, the reason for the availability of the rooms was that they were situated adjacent to the largest discoteca in town. Music began playing and 3pm and did not stop until about 7am. Those people can really party!#?#!$

Las Tablas was the last stop on the Carnaval tour and turned out to be my favorite. Another small town that otherwise would not be worthy of mention in any book meant for tourists, this place rocks like no other during the four days prior to Ash Wednesday. The pageantry and tradition of the parades combined with the variety and quality of street meats and super-fun culecos made for an unforgettable finale. However, the real finale to Carnaval occurred at 7am Wednesday morning when I awoke to the last fireworks of the parade. Yes, the parade had lasted throughout the entire night. I could not say the same for myself.

With one day before leaving for Roatan in Honduras and the second half of my trip, I went to where virtually every tourist goes as they visit this city: The Canal. Not an engineer by trade, I was still quite impressed by seeing the enormous ocean vessels being raised seven stories high by the displacement of water and opening and closing of the locks with the assistance from locomotives.