Tips on traveling alone as a backpacker

Fold in half and cellophane wrap/gaffer tape some £'s / $'s . Stick it into your boot/shoe sole. Split your cash up and don't flash large denominations about.
if your wearing high necked boots, you can gaffer tape cards and emergency cash into the inner lining , keeps it safe and snug.

One thing I usually do is use 2 wallets, one with daily cash, nothing too valuable in a more accessable pocket and another that I keep more secure and never take out in public.

Not been mugged (or pick pocketed) myself but from other people's experiences they generally go for the easy wallet, watch/anything obvious and then off.
 
I actually already mentioned the hostel, but as it's so generic, I don't blame you for missing it :p

This is the Hostel - Hanoi Backpackers. For the record, if you use hostel.com as opposed to hostelworld to book, you can save the booking fee.

http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Hanoi-Backpackers-Hostel-Downtown/Hanoi/46381

http://www.hostels.com/hostels/hanoi/hanoi-backpackers-hostel---downtown/46381

Eating in there is relatively pricey, but tasty. Ma Mai is a great location to explore Hanoi. I'd skip the puppet show.

As a word of caution, don't even think about taking a tri-pod or related equipment on the castaway island trip. It's probably worth clarifying that I'm in my mid-20s and consider myself to be a very outgoing person. The sort of environment I'm advocating might be very abrasive if you are much older or just want a relaxed time taking picturesque snaps. Despite that, I'd say screw it and let your hair down.

As for Sapa, it's very weather dependant. I'm sure you already have the lonely planet guide, but if not, get it. Vietnam has crazy seasonal changes and Sapa is prone to nightmare rain. I'm not sure if this is the death season for it! I'd say one night in sapa, with a night on the train there and back, is plenty. You'll get a good 6 hour trek, some nice rice paddies a good time. I arranged to go there by myself but as I went from Hannoi backpackers, I realised a small squadron was going along from the hostel on an organised tour at the same time. There was a very amusing moment where after 5 new friends waved goodbye and left me on my lonesome, I jumped off the moving bus to reunite and tag with them :p So you can organise a short tour from HB, but you can do it cheaper. Personally, £40 here or there isn't worth the faff or the risk of loneliness.

Post sapa, you can either jump straight to HCMC or stop off at Hue / Hoi Ann / Nha Trang. I will warn you now, the night buses are horrendous unless you are a good sleeper / have been to a local pharmacy. I'd say of the above, Hoi Ann is worth a night or two, maybe more if you want a suit made (pay for the best quality they do). Otherwise, Nha Trang is totally skip-able unless you want to be reminded of Benidorm.

HCMC is definitely worth a visit. The war museum and the tunnels are amazing. The mekong delta is worth a day trip, but I wasn't overly enamoured or desperate to do more. As I suggested earlier, if you can get over to Ankor Watt, definitely worth your time. My snaps of AW:



I really am such a lucky sod.
why not take a tripod to castaway? whats worng with that?

Nice pics btw. i plan to travel around by domestic flight as its quicker.

Where are all the famous Temples i been hearing about?
 
Be careful as ****, my buddy got seperated from his mates travelling around asia, it was a matter of hours before he was beated up, stabbed, robbed and left for dead.

All of this in front of (obviously corrupt) police.

He woke up in hospital and had to get his parents to bring him home.
 
I've taken some great landscape shots on my 70-200 in the philippines :)

How many photos did you take with it and honestly how often did you use it?

If it will get the use and you really think it'll be benificial, then take it.

The screen on any dslr is never that great and it previous a jpeg copy of the image, not the raw file so god knows what PP the camera does on the jpeg version!

The screen on the 5D3 is wonder and you have to remember that all you should be doing is checking a shot is in focus, has good enough levels and is of a composition you like. You're not pixel peeping, you're on holiday, leave the messing around until you get back.

Please listen to me and others on this, I've travelled many times with my camera kit and I keep reducing it as many things just arn't neccessary for those 5 shots you might get.

About the macbook, you do have a point i guess but i still may take it with me just incase. doesnt weigh much.

only weighs 1.56kg. The 13inch mbp retina that is.

I plan to create a blog and write my experience there so i either use a laptop to do it or bring a notepad and jot down my experience.

But it doesn't just weigh that, you have the sleeve, charger and any other bits it may need bringing it up to 2Kg at least. 2kg may not sound like much, but if that 2Kg takes your rucksack from 13Kg-15Kg, you will feel that on your trip and curse yourself for bringing it.

It's a pointless thing to lug around. You're blog can be written up from any notes you make, or quite easily from memory. It's easy to remember every day of a 3 week trip in vivid detail! I've already covered your backup option by saying use the SD card slot and have the camera write RAW to both cards at the same time and reviewing photos for keeping/deleting is easily covered by the camera screen.

Cut down on what you don't really need, otherwise your just lugging stuff around for the sake of lugging stuff around.

I think that if i do socialise every night with some random fella or woman or both then thats fine, that will keep me away from my laptop

You should do every night, that's the whole fun about Asia. Without you realising, if you're on your laptop somewhere playing with pictures, people may not bother to make conversation with you or may leave you alone and head off with others. With it there YOU WILL be tempted to use it, just because you brought it with you and once open...... 'oh look a Wifi network, I'll check my emails, the news, OcUK forums etc etc'. Leave all that crap here and soak in everything about Asia and the people you meet there!
 
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brilliant advice i must say and tempted to leave the lappy at home BUT BUT BUT bring an ipad or a nexus 7 at a bare mimum so i can read maps, book other hostels online etc.

I did leave my laptop at home when i went to florida/miami dont forget and only had a shoulder bag with two lenses and my dslr!
 
Be careful as ****, my buddy got seperated from his mates travelling around asia, it was a matter of hours before he was beated up, stabbed, robbed and left for dead.

All of this in front of (obviously corrupt) police.

He woke up in hospital and had to get his parents to bring him home.

I should also be careful walking alone in the dark in the streets of london...
 
brilliant advice i must say and tempted to leave the lappy at home BUT BUT BUT bring an ipad or a nexus 7 at a bare mimum so i can read maps, book other hostels online etc.

I did leave my laptop at home when i went to florida/miami dont forget and only had a shoulder bag with two lenses and my dslr!

Woohoo :D

You could do all those things on a smartphone, I did when over there on a Nexus 4, although hotels were booked in advance. What have you got?
 
The tips above are great, definitely learn a few basic words and phrases of the local language. The people running the hostels are always great to ask for that, I've always gotten a good quick crash course on the language from hostel staff :)

And as others have said, always introduce yourself to your room mates. You will meet so many cool people all doing similar thing as yourself with great stories. I've made some awesome friends backpacking.

You will soon get to know the "big 5" questions amongst backpackers;

Whats your name? Where are you from? How long are you staying? Where have you been? Where are you going next?

Enjoy yourself!
 
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