Backpacking through SA?

A backpacker can be loosely defined as a person who travels or hikes carrying their belongings in a rucksack. They are free travelers, a modern-day nomad

Backpacker travelers can be seen at every airport in the world and they usually have the same look about them. They can be seen traveling in pairs or groups, hair is pulled back (both the guys and the girls) by a piece of very colorful fabric to hide, what I can only assume, is a head of mattered hair. They are very tanned like they have spent 3 weeks on a beach in the Caribbean (and they probably have). Their clothes appear to be different shades of brown, there are man-sandals, lot’s of man-sandals and of course, there’s the giant, un-missable backpack that completes the stereotypical backpacker traveler. Now that I have painted the picture for you, how much more do you know about the world of backpackers. Stuffing your belongings into a backpack and traveling the world is not for everyone, but these backpackers over the years have evolved and created a multitude of different backpackers ‘species’. Nomadic Matt has detailed these different species and we have pulled together a shortened list. Figure out what species of backpacker you are or what kind of backpacker you would be if you did become a backpacker.

Backpackers – The Hippie
Not wanting to be held down by the man, the hippie can be found wearing fisherman pants, dreadlocks, and lots of necklaces, and has a distinct “I haven’t showered in two days” smell. This species of traveler is often thumbing a well-worn book on social justice.
Hippie travelers use local transportation, eat local food, and talk about cultural imperialism while watching the latest Hollywood movies on their Macbook and begging for money to get to the next place. They usually avoid most tourist destinations because “they’re too commercial, man.”

Backpackers – The Gap Yearer
Traveler gap-yearer is usually college-aged, English, Kiwi, or Aussie. This backpacking species tends to be traveling for exactly one year right before or after university. They follow the main round-the-world ticket route. Gap-year travelers like to party a lot, see the main attractions, sleep in dorms, and tend to stick to the beaten path. They are out to have a good time, meet other travelers, and come home with a few good stories before they start their career. They can be found wherever a round-the-world ticket will take them.

Backpackers – The Partier
Sporting sunglasses, shorts, flip-flops, and a comical t-shirt, partyoholic travelers spend most of their time getting drunk in each country. Most of their day is spent nursing the hangover from last night while avoiding loud and well-lit areas. You’ll probably see them still in bed when you check in at 2 pm. But they’re the first one at the bar each night. Very loud, these nocturnal creatures bounce from one party destination to the other.

Backpackers – The Couple
The backpacking couple spends most of their time sightseeing, touring, and doing activities. They avoid most of the backpacker ghettos and parties and tend to gravitate toward other couples or older travelers. The younger version often goes the opposite route and tends to party a lot while breaking up about ten times on the road.
They are found worldwide.

The “Remember When” Backpacker
Traveller living-in-the-pasts has been traveling a long time (and usually to the same destinations). He’ll tell you all about how he remembers when the Full Moon Party used to be good and how Laos is too discovered now. This backpacker can be found in the same destinations he says are ruined now.

The Backpacker Digital Nomad
These creatures work online to afford their travels, often clustering with others of their species in spots like Bali, Chiang Mai, or Medellín. Carrying laptops, cameras, video cameras, and iPads, they spend much of their time behind their computer touting their free lifestyle and/or recent startup while often never seeing much of the destination they are at. Their first question is always about Wi-Fi. They are found behind their computer, talking into their phone, and wherever there is good internet access and a cheap cost of living.

Life in a hostel on the backpacker trail sure is interesting. There is a lot of diversity out there in the hostel jungle!

No matter where you fit into the world of Backpackers, at Orion Hotels & Resorts everyone is welcome. While backpacking through South Africa rest your feet (and back) at Mont Aux Sources Hotel. We have comfortable, convenient and private rooms for every type of backpacker species out there. Our accommodation rates are affordable and include breakfast and DINNER! If you are traveling in a group, we have a variety of self-catering options to suit your needs. Backpacking doesn’t need to be rough and tough; you can marvel at the beauty of the Drakensberg Mountains or hike through the Royal Natal National Park. It’s your adventure, you decide!

Reference/Source: https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/what-type-of-backpacker-are-you/