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  • Location: Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, India

The Backpacker

The Backpacker

Why a Booktrail?

2000s: The risks of a backpacker’s journey into danger

  • ISBN: 978-1840247718
  • Genre: Adventure, Travelogue

What you need to know before your trail

John’s trip to India starts badly when he finds himself looking at the sharp end of a knife in a train station cubicle. His life is saved by the enigmatic Rick, who persuades John to abandon his mundane plans for the future for much, much more. Fast forward to the Thai island of Koh Pha-Ngan where they pose as millionaire aristocrats in a hedonistic Eden of beautiful girls, free drugs and wild beach parties. Soon pursued by Thai Mafia, they escape to Indonesia, Australia and Hong Kong, facing danger at every turn.

Filled with wild adventures in exotic locations, this is not travel writing for the faint-hearted: this is an amazing true story of the hunt for excess at any cost.

Travel Guide

How not to be a backpacker!

When you travel to another country, you have to respect the culture and habits of that new place. You should prepare and research where you are staying, maybe even learn a few of the local customs and language.

If there is a book of what not to do, this is it. There are some good travel quotes in it though!:

“So, in what we considered the true spirit of freedom and the timeless nature of our travel plans, a few months after the sacrifice of Dave’s airline ticket, the three of us ceremoniously burnt our watches, too.”

“It’s the compass; not just the little head ruling the big head, though that’s part of it. It’s the natural instinct of following your heart, your eyes, to move from place to place, country to country, and do what you feel inside, to find out what you feel inside. How can you find yourself if you stay in your country of birth? It’s important, vital, to stand aside and take a look from a different angle, to look with a fresh pair of eyes.”

BookTrail Boarding Pass: The Backpacker

Destination: Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, India Author/guide: John Harris  Departure: 1990s

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