It's backpacking Jim, but not as we know it!

Backpacking conjures up some strong images for me – freedom, adventure, excitement, the unpredictability of never knowing where you’re going to end up or whom you’ll meet next.  It also makes me think of heavy bags, long bus journeys, staying in grim hostels and being hassled by people shouting ‘taxi, taxi’ whenever you arrive anywhere.

Well, it appears times have changed... or at least the way in which Martin and I travel has changed!

Not only did a highly organized Dr Huntley book most of our travel and accommodation in advance, a revolutionary approach that I wish we’d tried years ago, we are also staying in some pretty great places!

What differentiates these places from others we’ve stayed in previously, is one single consonant – ‘S’.  Yep, we are staying in hotels, as opposed to hostels and I’m loving every minute of it. 

A place that Martin feared may be a bit run down, according to a Trip Advisor review, had a lovely pool, complete with pool bar serving delicious cocktails….don’t mind if I do.  It’s certainly a far cry from some of the motels we stayed in, in California and the piece of 6ft x 4ft piece of nylon that had been ‘home’ for 2 weeks in West Australia!

So, while we are still technically ‘backpacking’, i.e. storing our clothes in rucksacks, we really are using this term loosely!