Backpack ME’s Most Popular Articles of 2013

Following the tradition we started last year when we published the 12 Most Popular Posts of 2012, the end of this year calls for a recap of what’s been happening here on Backpack ME.

If you’d like to take a trip down memory lane or you’re new around here and would enjoy a quick scoop on the best content published during the year, you just landed in the right place!

 

These are the most viewed articles on Backpack ME during 2013:

 

10. Your Hostel Sucks

Meet The Angry Backpacker. He is a regular contributor to our site and, as he puts it, his mission is to “report on the dark side of travel”.

In this piece, he shares with us things that he believes make backpacker’s hostels around the world SUCK. As travelers we pay for a certain level of service, and we expect to be respected and be well taken care of. But unfortunately, that is not always the case, as you can see in his post here.
 

09. Real time Flightfox Review

We’re always looking for new ways to minimize our costs while traveling, while still making the most of our money. It is not about doing things for cheap, it is about enjoying great value for money. Technology makes it easier for us and for everyone to accomplish this.

Flightfox is a great tool that can help you find and book flights all over the world, for the lowest available fares. Check out Ashray’s Flightfox review to understand how this service works and how you could also benefit from it.

 

08. Harrowing Journey with Zara’s visa

I have a feeling that posts sharing awful things that happen to us always perform better in terms of traffic. At least that was the case last year with Salvador da Bahia: a carnival tale with a not so happy ending or even Why I left Dubai and won’t come back.

This year, this article sharing our frustrations with the Indian consulate in San Francisco took the cake. Or should I say the samosa?

Fortunately, the story does have a happy ending (after a lot of creativity was thrown in the mix). So, if you’re curious, you can read here how we finally got my visa to come to India.

 

07. Eating Hong Kong

Food posts, my favorite!!

Earlier this year we visited Hong Kong for a few days and, apart from enjoying the local culture and city vibes, we dedicated a serious amount of time to food sampling. This article is proof of that!

 

06. Doing the Indian thing: eating samosas!

We’ve spent a lot of time in India this year and that has translated into several dozens of samosas eaten.

When in Delhi, we usually buy samosas from the same man, that Ashray’s parents have been purchasing freshly fried samosas from for years and years. He’s sponsored many tasty chai breaks in cold Delhi evenings and that’s why he deserved our little tribute in the shape of a blog post.

 

05. Ditch Your travel guidebook NOW: here are some free alternatives!

Long live the internet and the fact that this is the most democratic platform for information exchange currently existing in the world.

With the internet and platforms such as Wikitravel, Reddit or other travel forums, guide books are becoming obsolete. If, like us, you prefer to use the internet and its free resources instead of paying for guidebooks that often do not bring anything new to the table, here are some free websites we regularly use and would recommend.

 

04. Tip: Save BIG on your Kindle books

Another travel smart post, this time sharing a little secret that Ashray found out earlier this year when we finally purchased a Kindle. Not only is this a great system to carry as many books as you want while traveling (and with no extra weight!)… now, you can also buy your ebooks for about half the price!

Find out our trick to save money on Kindle eBooks!

 

03. Surviving Delhi

Call it culture shock, call it adaptation… call it adventure even!

12 months ago I came to India, not for the first time, but to stay with Ashray’s family for the first time and for an extended period of time. This article summarizes my first impressions on living in New Delhi, the ups & downs and, over all, observations on some cultural differences.

 

02. Tons of Dim Sum at One Dim Sum

What happens when 2 foodies go to Hong Kong and visit the world’s most affordable Michelin starred restaurant? This is what happens!

 

01. I became a Digital Nomad, it has it’s challenges – but it’s worth it!

Many dream of a location independent life-style, about the possibility of making a living while traveling around the world. Currently, this is exactly what we do and, in this article, Ashray shares how he works as a programmer on the go: the hardships, the advantages and how it all works out in realistic terms.

 

2013 has been indeed a great year for us at Backpack ME.
Once again, thanks a million for reading! We look forward to sharing many more inspirational stories, travel smart tips and foodie moments with you during 2014!