Backpacking Itinerary, Plan For Burnout

Backpacking the world can be exhausting.

Traveling is a great experience and most of the time you will be having fun, but this isn’t always the case every single step of the journey.

When traveling the world there always comes a time where you need to take a break. This is why it is a good idea to factor in some time in your trip rather than planning to rush around on a super tight internary.

Stumbling off a sweltering hot bus with your heavy rucksack weighing down on your back, then attempting to find your way around an unfamiliar city at an unfamiliar time can be a very testing time. With locals staring, people hassling you, trudging around several filthy hostel’s until you find one that is reasonable can all take it’s toll. It’s reasonable to give yourself time to rest after such an exhausting experience.

“…you will find yourself hitting a wall.”

Having said that, I have meet many backpackers who have planned their trip down to the very last detail, including what they want to see in every little town. Unfortunately with all the excitement of wanting to see so much in a relatively short period of time they often forget to plan in time to rest and relax.

Usually after three to four months of visiting museums, temples and markets on a daily basis you will find yourself hitting a wall. You just don’t want to go to see that amazing temple that you’re supposed to see and you end up spending more time in the backpacker haunts such as bars, cafes and DVD lounges.

There is nothing wrong with this of course, but it is better to accept that you will face burnout after traveling so quickly and seeing so many things. It’s worth taking time to chill out in one place until you rediscover that excitement at going out and seeing new things. Write some postcards home, update your online travel blog, chat to fellow travelers, have a night on the town or chat to the locals and get to know the place a little better.

There is a great deal to be said about spending a little extra time in one spot whilst on the road but in the planning process this often gets over looked.

Have you ever faced burnout from intense traveling? Let us know in the comments below.