Chapter 1. Delhi to Pushkar

Chapter 2. Arambol to Fort Cochin and back again

Chapter 3. Singapore to Bangkok

Chapter 4. Koh Phangan to Pangadaran

Chapter 5. Yogyakarta to Exmouth

Chapter 6. Adelaide to Brisbane

Chapter 7. Noosa to Mount Maunganui

Chapter 8. Auckland to Home



1. Keep your passport, travellers cheques and bulk cash in a money belt and wear it night and day. Do not put valuables under your pillow!

2. Carry a loop combination lock to lock your rucksack to things when you are out or asleep. Especially on trains!

3. Rubber bands and sandwich bags are incredibly useful, as is a swiss army knife or multi tool. Take a small torch.

4. Use a light blanket to roll your dirty laundry up in and attach to the outside of your backpack with a bungy cord. It stops it infecting clean clothes in your sack.

5. Take a day ruck sack (small 16 litres is about right) Its essential for all those bits to carry on trips out.

6. Only carry around enough cash for the day and put in wallet before you leave the hostel.

7. Look after your feet with talc and oil etc. If you knacker your feet youre going nowhere.

8. Wear flip flops in hostel showers to keep away from possible inflections. Take your money belt in the shower and hang it where you can see it!

9. One of the biggest mistakes newbie backpackers make is buying too big a backpack and jamming it with too much stuff. If you load it too much you will find it very hard work when you have to carry it any distance and may well strain your back. I bought a 60 litre sack which was quite big enough. Basically you need a fleece, 4 tee shirts, 2 shorts, two long trouser, rain jacket, trainers, flip flops, boots, toiletries, loop lock, blanket, 5 underwear, 5 socks, hat, belt. Travel towel not cotton towel. Digital camera.

10. As I got more in to my trip I carried a canvas food bag with the likes of tea bags, sugar, rice, veg, fruit and other dry food ingredients.

11. I carried a mosi net through india and asia. Take a ball of string so you can hang the net across most rooms.

12. I didnt take a mobile phone but if you do it's cheaper to buy a SIM card in the country you are in and use their network.

13. If phoning home buy an international phone card, available at most hostels. Its far cheaper than using cash.

14. On sleeper trains always try and book the top bunk as you can go up out of the way when you feel. The lower bunks double as day time seats so you cant do this.

15. More to come