Flashpacker Headquarters

Tag: Flashpacking

  • Flashpacking New Zealand with Stray – Day 14 – Slow Day

    After our visit to Franz Josef Glacier yesterday, we’ve got two days of transport before arriving in Queenstown.  Today we traveled to the hamlet of Makarora which didn’t have much for us except for dinner, a place to sleep and karaoke, but I’ll get to that in a minute. Five of us woke up very […]

  • Flashpacking New Zealand with Stray – Day 4 – Blue Duck Lodge

    Woke up early this morning on the off chance there would be a dawn skydive in the works, but the sound of rain and outside quickly told me that wasn’t going to happen.  Got some work done and headed out to get on the bus.  A handful of the tribe were a bit late getting […]

  • 10 Surreal Flashpacking Experiences (in two parts)

    May 4th marks the 2nd anniversary of my having left home to go on this big flashpacking adventure.  A few of the things I’ve seen and done were things I’d planned from the start.  Most of the highlights, however, have been unplanned or unexpected. I am a firm believer that travelers should create a loose […]

  • Travel NOW! Why You Must Start Your Trip Right Away!

    It’s a standard topic for many travel blogs: you should travel.  We all know you want to, but there’s something holding you back.  Whether it’s your job, a mortgage, pets, kids, money, whatever – if you’re reading this blog, odds are pretty high that you want to travel. Big flashpacking trips and long-term travel require […]

  • Photo Essay – Panjiayuan Market, Beijing, China

    The Panjiayuan Market (aka. the Dirt Market) is a huge flea market held on the weekends that should be visited by all travelers and flashpackers spending a weekend in Beijing.  As you can see in the images below, you can find just about anything there.  Some areas are organized by goods sold while in others […]

  • HOW TO: Choose Your Travel Destination

    Close the guidebook and open your mind – the first step to choosing a destination is to spend some time thinking about what kind of trip you want to take.  What kind of experiences are you looking for?  What do you want to achieve from your trip? Your choice of destinations will be radically different […]

  • Flashpacker’s Photo Of The Day – Japanese Monk

    If you go flashpacking in Japan, you’ll undoubtably run across a Buddhist monk asking for alms.  This monk was standing outside a temple in Osaka, but I’ve also seen them in the Ginza district of Tokyo, an area known for very high end shops and restaurants.  Be sure you ask permission before taking their picture.

  • 7 Reasons why it is imperative you stay in a hostel!

    7 Reasons why it is imperative you stay in a hostel!

    Hostels are the ideal place for the flashpacker to lay their head.  However, instead of sleeping in a dorm room with five other people, flashpackers will put up a little more money for their own private room.  This gives them all of the benefits of staying in a hostel while eliminating one of their biggest […]

  • Sayonara Japan! A round the world traveler gets back on the road.

    I am writing this post from the ferry that is taking me from my home for the last year to exotic new locales.  I didn’t really know what to expect when I arrived in Japan.  As I leave, it seems like the perfect time to reflect on the past year and share my experiences with […]

  • 11 Reasons you need to stop what you are doing, pack a bag, and travel the world.

    Everyone, and I mean everyone, says they wish they could travel more.  Travel means many things to many people, but regardless of which definition you choose, rarely do people get past the dreaming stage and into the planning stage.  Here are 11 reasons for you to start planning your trip of a lifetime now instead […]