Independent Travelling.

The Best Way to See the World

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the Trade Winds in your sails. Explore. Dream.” — Twain

When we first started travelling, we called ourselves backpackers. But today we’ve probably outgrown that term. When a 55‑year‑old tells someone they are a backpacker, it doesn’t quite land the same way. There are two key words that best describe the type of travel so many people are embracing today:

Independent

Not everyone feels comfortable planning and managing a trip on their own. It takes time, effort, and a genuine desire to engage in every aspect of the journey. For us, the learning and preparation that happens before you even leave home is as enjoyable as the trip itself.

Independent travellers crave flexibility — choosing their own schedule, arranging their own transport and accommodation, staying as long or as little as they like. They have personal travel goals, move at their own pace, and decide how social or solitary they want to be.

Traveller

Not everyone you meet on the road is a traveller. Many are tourists. A tourist goes somewhere to do something. Any culture they encounter or people they meet are almost accidental — a by‑product of the trip. Their experience is about getting something in an environment that feels comfortable and familiar. What they see is a bonus, not the purpose. It doesn’t challenge them, stretch them, or make them question anything. They watch the world from the outside.

Travellers are different. They make a conscious decision to see the world differently. They travel so they can be changed. They don’t look for things to be like home — they want them to be as different as possible. They want to understand local people, form friendships with others who share their passion, and let the world shape them. They want their souls to be changed, not just to get a suntan.

Travel isn’t something you do once a year for a holiday — travel is who you are. It’s not what you see, but what your experiences awaken in you. Does a volcano make you want to learn more about nature? Does a beautiful beach inspire you to care about climate change? Does poverty in India make you question global inequality? Does a child in Somalia make you think about child slavery? For a traveller, the journey must change you — or it has served no purpose. Travel becomes your mentor. It becomes your teacher.

“The traveller sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see.”

So, if you are an independent traveller, this website is designed for you — shaped by 35 years of travelling independently. Once you decide you have the heart for independent travel, you then need to get your head in gear as well. There are a few things you’ll need to embrace if you want to make the most of the learning and opportunities that will come your way.

Stop Making Excuses

Face your fears if that’s what’s stopping you. Fear prevents too many people from tasting what the world has to offer. Trust me — it is nowhere near as bad as the TV makes it look. If you’re sensible, you’ll avoid the 0.01% of situations that are unsafe. Remember: you’re more likely to be hurt in a car accident at home than overseas. Keep it in perspective.

Don’t let money be the excuse. This website will help you see that travel is possible on almost any budget if you’re determined and creative. So many people say, “I can’t afford it — I’d love to do what you do.” They can. The money is often just a convenient excuse for fear. And to be afraid is to miss too much.

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” — Lao Tzu

Choose Your Own Path

Guidebooks are great for overviews and maps, but you’ll never find the best experiences in them. They tend to list the well‑known, crowded, over‑touristed spots. Of course, you should still see the treasures — but don’t make them the whole focus of your trip.

Make your own list of the things you love and are passionate about. Read widely. Talk to people — both at home and on the road. Fellow travellers are your best resource. Websites offer a broader range of ideas to spark your imagination, but don’t get sucked into chasing the “trendy” places. Find your own path.

The most interesting and memorable days are often the ones you never expected.

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trial”.Emerson

You will grow into travelling and work out what it means to you. Ignore other people’s opinions about what you “should” do, and don’t get caught up in the cool ideas or fashionable places. The speed you travel is entirely up to you. Some people can sit on beaches for months; others (like me) would be bored silly. Travel as hard or as gently as you like — just don’t set too many rigid expectations during the planning stage at home. Things change.

Savour Every Moment of Freedom

Freedom means different things to different people. For us, it’s the ability to move as we choose, unbound by expectations, debt, or obligations. It’s liberating and exhilarating to know that everything you need is with you. You are in complete control of your journey and your choices. Some people find that frightening or irresponsible; a traveller sees it as a gift — and longs for it when it’s gone.

“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

Make Time to Rest

Independent travel is often no “holiday.” You spend time every day planning the next leg of the journey, finding places to eat and stay, arranging transport, and reading up on what’s ahead. You can be constantly busy. Sometimes you return home from travelling and feel like you need a holiday.

So rest on long trips. We take Sundays off every week. Stop when you grow complacent. Make a temporary home when you tire of hostels. And most importantly, find a pace that allows you to see and do what matters to you — because you will never be able to do it all.

“Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things — air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky — all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” — Cesare Pavese

Have an Open and Respectful Mind

If you don’t want to understand others and honour their lives, then travel will frustrate you — and you’ll take little from the experience. Open your mind to different cultures and perspectives. Seek to understand, and take every opportunity to learn. Celebrate local customs and festivals in their traditional ways. Seek to understand before you judge.

Learn about other religions — not necessarily to adopt new beliefs, but to deepen your understanding and perhaps bring light to your own. Do as much as you can locally: local food, local transport, local accommodation.

“There are no foreign lands. It is the traveller only who is foreign.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

Take Time

Sometimes we only have limited time — but when you do have a choice, slow down. It’s tempting to try to see it all. Who knows when you’ll get another chance? But don’t fall into that trap. When you travel, less is more. Slowing down lets you drink deeply from each culture and soak it all in. Go slow, and you’ll experience more.

With a little effort, faith, and know‑how, world travel can be cheap, easy, and fun. If you choose to stop, it’s because you chose to stop. You can find work anywhere in the world if you want to.

“I have seen more than I remember and remember more than I have seen.” — Disraeli

Put Yourself Out There

It takes courage to talk to strangers. But remember: most people are travelling because they want to meet new people. Say “hello” and everything unfolds from there. No one has ever said no when asked, “Can I join you?”

Travel also gives you time to think about the kind of person you want to be remembered as. Will someone say, “I remember travelling with that great Aussie guy Brett — he was so funny, so helpful, and knew so much about Namibia”? You have a thousand first impressions a day — make them count.

You will make many wonderful friends on the road. Some will be lifelong. If you don’t get their contact details, you may regret it forever. With Facebook and social media, it’s easy to stay in touch for years. You may grow apart, you may never meet again — but what will haunt you is the friend you didn’t stay connected with. Finding people who share your passion is one of travel’s greatest gifts.

“Some roads are not meant to be travelled alone”.

Take Calculated Risks

Some risks are worth taking, and when mixed with common sense, they’re often the only way to achieve your goals and dreams. Travel itself is a risk, but keep a level head and challenge yourself. Do one thing each day that scares you and gently push those comfort barriers a little further out each time. Try new adventures. You may only ever do them once — but at least you did them.

“Not knowing where I am going is what inspires me to travel.” — De Castro

Never Lose the Wonder

Never lose the wonder of amazing people in amazing places. Close your eyes and listen. Smell. Sit in silence and think. When a magnificent mountain or a vibrant market no longer fills you with anticipation, it’s time to rest for a while. The joy will return — it always does. And remember, even travellers can get bored with the routine and work of travel. When that happens, rest, change your focus, or regroup until the feeling of awe comes back.

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the places that take our breath away.”

Let Go of Home

Do not take this as permission to stop calling your mother! The people at home — and the friends you meet along the way — want to be part of your life. But they are not your only life. Have an emergency contact system, but beyond that, ignore your emails for a week. Enjoy the freedom to focus on the journey. Don’t spend your whole trip thinking about home.

“Sometimes in life you lose sight of things-of yourself and who you should be - when you travel, everything balances out”.

Be Prepared to Change and Grow

Look for opportunities around every corner. Listen, question, read, debate, and keep your mind and heart open to what you see and experience. The biggest — and potentially most rewarding — travel risk you can take is to use new experiences as a lens to re‑examine your basic beliefs and assumptions. It’s okay to feel uncomfortable; that’s how you grow.

Travel gives you perspective not only on the world, but on your life back home. Ask yourself questions. Re‑evaluate your lifestyle in light of what you’ve seen. Be honest with yourself, and stay open to the possibility that your travels will change you in profound ways.

“A traveller who does not watch and listen is a bird without wings.” — Saadi

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Be Flexible

Go with the flow. Change plans when a better idea comes along. If you’re really hating something, change direction. Flexibility is one of the greatest gifts of independent travel.

“The great journey is not seeing new places but in having new eyes.”

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Trust in the Kindness of Strangers

Almost everyone you meet on your travels is just like you — trying to make a life for themselves and their family. Most people are kind. Most people want to help. Trust that goodness exists everywhere, and you’ll find it.

“A traveller who does not watch and listen is a bird without wings”. Saadi

“Travel is not about seeing the sights- it is about the change that goes on deep in the minds of the living”. Beard