2012 is coming to an end and no better time than this to look back and remember some of the most popular articles we shared with you during the year!
Here is a top 12 of the most popular posts on Backpack ME during 2012, culminating in the most read article of the year!
12. Costa Rica Visa for Indians
There are 2 things we love doing via Backpack ME: the first one is to inspire everyone to travel (further or closer, depending on the possibilities). The other one is to share practical info and tips with other travelers planing their trips. Visa tips for Indians are some of the most requested information around here, as there aren’t that many Indian backpackers out there and the Indian passport can present serious challenges when applying for certain countries’ tourist visas. And this is why Ashray is happy to share all the insider tips he gathers as we keep on visiting new places. Apparently, Costa Rica seems to be in high demand for Indians.
If you’re Indian and want to travel to Costa Rica, this is all you need to know!
An Indian man in Costa Rica
11. 5 Advantages of Traveling with a Geek Boyfriend
I love traveling with Ashray – that, you all know! But apart from the good company, entertainment and love he shares with me, it’s also very convenient that he happens to be a geek! What does this mean?! That he’s always playing around with new gadgets and his knowledge on how to use them tends to make our nomadic life simpler in a way or the other.
Check out how Ashray has made my life easier while traveling!
My boyfriend is a geek!
10. Salvador da Bahia: a Carnival tale with a not so happy ending
Traveling is made of happy moments and others not so happy, but that definitely teach you something about life. When we traveled to Brazil in February this year, we had a great time partying in the streets during Carnival, but also got a bitter taste when we were mugged and assaulted, and ended up in hospital with a bleeding friend.
The guys who mugged us in Salvador da Bahia
9. One month in Mexico: how much it cost us
So you say you have no money to travel? Think twice as traveling in some parts of the world might not be as expensive as you think. We’re obviously not talking about lavish holidays in 5 star resorts here, but you can surely have a great time in a new country with just the right amount of money. Mexico is one of our favorite countries in the world and we did so much over there, without spending a fortune.
Have USD1000 saved up? See all you can do with that money in Mexico!
A&Z in Isla Mujeres, Mexico
8. Top 10 reasons to visit Mexico
After finding out that you don’t need such a big amount of money to travel in Mexico, nothing better than discovering all the great reasons why you should actually go there!
Check out what’s there to see and do in Mexico!
This is just 1 of the reasons why you should travel to Mexico!
7. Machu Picchu: the proposal
This year couldn’t have culminated in something better than this! After spending an adventurously romantic year around Latin America with Ashray, he decided to propose! Not only he proposed, he did it on top of a mountain overlooking the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu. Yes, I melted!…
This is the most romantic post in the history of Backpack ME.
A&Z in Machu Picchu (just before Ashray proposed and Zara had no idea what was going on…)
6. Breakfast around the World
If you’ve been around for a while, you’ll know that one of my favorite things about traveling is trying out different foods from around the world. This is what our section The Meal Deal is all about. I know I’m not the only traveler with a passion for food out there, so I invited some of my favorite travel bloggers to share with all of us some of their most memorable breakfasts from around the world and their own homeland.
This is what I call a good start of the day, all around the globe!
Dim Sum breakfast in Melaka, Malaysia (photo by Nomadic Samuel)
5. Change your mind, quit your job and move forward!
This is still, to date, one of my favorite articles. One of those writings that just come out so naturally when you need to share with your friends and with the world, why sometimes change is so needed to improve your life. I’m not trying to tell everyone to quit their job and live a crazy life, but sometimes that is a reasonable option one can actually follow…
Read this if you’re considering a life changing experience and need a little push!
Mario knows what he's talking about!
4. If I’m not rich and I can travel, so can you!
If the previous article inspired you and you’re wondering how to turn that wanderlust into a reality, you might need to follow some practical advice. Here are some of the things I did before traveling, in order to gather enough money to be comfortable when going around Latin America.
Follow these tips to save up money and hit the road!
Our home in Dubai before we sold everything to travel
3. Get crazy deals: flights
And still on a saving money note, let’s look into flight expenses! Booking flights is definitely one of the biggest expenses one can have while traveling. Being in a specific place might be affordable, but getting there not always is. And this is why you should compare very carefully the flight deals you get, before booking.
This is exactly how you can make the most out of your buck when booking a flight.
Spend some time comparing… but don't spend all your money!
2. Programmers, it’s time to pack your bags!
Ashray is a world traveler but much before that, he was already a programmer. The fact that he stopped living in one given place didn’t mean that he had to quit working. If you do any kind of job that can be performed remotely, you can easily become a location independent professional.
If you’re a programmer and you want to know how you can make a living while traveling, you must read this!
Bee programming and counting the money she makes
1. Why I left Dubai and won’t come back
Before we started traveling full time, we used to live in Dubai (United Arab Emirates). We were there for 5 years and those were bitter-sweet times. We were happy and had good jobs, but didn’t agree with a lot of the things we saw around us, from a social and political point of view. And so we left. We left for good.
Z in the UAE
What was your favorite Backpack ME post of 2012?!
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