Bootsnall Best Backpacker Destinations 2009
We completely approve of Bootsnall's list of top 2009 spots for independent travelers, inasmuch as we plan to trot to at least three this year (Sardinia, Barcelona and -- hopefully -- Senegal), and we've been to many of the others or they are are on our life list (Tasmania, Berlin, Panama, Columbia and Bariloche, Argentina). Where we haven't been and don't plan to go in the near future: Damascus, Syria. We'd love to go, of course -- just need to get it on the list and make the plan.And where everyone's gonna be going soon? Siem Reap, Cambodia (home to very famous temple Angkor Wat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Cambodia's been on many backpackers' horizons for a few years now, which means it's a few heartbeats away from going mainstream in the next decade (think Thailand).
In the meantime, check out Bootsnall's list of best backpacker destinations in 2009:
And check out some of About.com's guides to those recommended roam-to spots:
Fodor's 5 Under-the-Radar European Cities
Travel guidebook giant Fodor's calls this list "under the radar," which means every city on the list should be square in your sights as among the best backpacker destinations of 2009. Some of these are definitely old favorites along the backpacker trail, and if you go nowhere else, go to these places-- the trail to each is well-trod for good reason: because there's much to see and do, many places for backpackers to stay, and many backpackers to meet:A few of About.com's guides to those under-the-rader, dead-ahead-for-you European cities:
- Bruges or Brugge -- a wonderful Flemish city in northern Belgium
- Munich -- Oktoberfest is a fine time to stop into this modern German city
- Geneva -- this Swiss city is sooooo expensive that you may not be able to be here for more than a day, but it'll be a good one
- Barcelona -- we're on our way to Barcelona in March, 2009 just because it's one of our all-time fave places in Europe
- Amsterdam -- yep, this is the Netherlands city to which every backpacker must make a pilgrimage
BudgetTravel.com: Top Destinations for 2009
"Budget travel" shares so many similarities with backpacker travel and student travel (cheap, interesting and often off the beaten path) that a budget traveler's destination choices are well worth considering when creating one's own "wanna-go-there" catalog. With that in mind, glance over an excellent itemization of budget travel destinations out for 2009 from BudgetTravel.com (the website for Budget Travel magazine) as fodder for a best backpackers' destinations 2009 list. Cool places include some close to home, like Austin (love those US road trips). See 'em all, and pay special attention to Reykjavik, the formerly fantastically expensive but hot capital of cold Iceland; longtime backpacker fave link url=http://studenttravel.about.com/od/mexicostudenttravel/p/mexico_first_ti.htm]Mexico[/link] makes the cut, too:
