The 7 Annoying Backpackers You’ll Meet in Southeast Asia

Waking up in a beach hut under a palm tree. Swimming under waterfalls. Trekking through lush rainforests. Feasting on spicy stir-fries, expertly prepared by toothless grannies in shabby street food shacks. Yes, travelling through Southeast Asia as a backpacker is a dream.

You also bump into backpackers. Most of them are congenial lads and lasses with whom it is pleasant to have a few beers, but sometimes you come across specimens who get in your hair in no time. Life on the road isn’t always a walk in the park. Get to know the 7 types of annoying backpackers you’ll meet in Southeast Asia.

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Pothole memoirs: my wonder year as a motorbiker*

Some people are born on a motorbike, little baby fists firmly around the handlebar. For others, it’s a late calling. As for me, I’d sooner look for earplugs than for a helmet when I hear screeching tires. At least until recently. Since I climbed on a moped in Asia, I too feel motor oil pumping through my veins instead of blood.

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8 birds to spot in Poptún, Guatemala

Resplendent quetzals, ocellated turkeys, scarlet macaws – Guatemala has no shortage of iconic birds that will feature highly on the wish lists of many birdwatchers and ornithologists. According to Bird Checklists of the World, Guatemala hosts no less than 762 species of birds.

You can spot plenty of those in El Petén, the northernmost department of the country. The tranquil environment of Finca Ixobel, just outside of Poptún, is home to more than a hundred birds, both migratory and permanent residents. Why not try to find one of these?

[Read more about our experience volunteering for Finca Ixobel.]

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