More youths relish the chance to travel by themselves. Peter Keith Rajendran learns about their experiences.

Prashant Ashoka

Age: 19

Institution: Ngee Ann Polytechnic

Visited: London, Paris, Rome, Venice, Vienna, Prague, Berlin and Amsterdam

Spent nights in strangers’ homes

 

With more and more young people bent on scouring the globe, backpackers have found out a unique avenue to experience different cultures and reducing the cost of accommodation. Take Prashant Ashoka, 19, for example, currently a third year Mass Communication student at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, he made his voyage to Europe by himself during the school break in second year. With just $7500, he backpacked in Europe for 42 days visiting places like London, Rome, Venice, Vienna, Berlin and Amsterdam and only stayed in a hostel for three times! The rest of the time, he stayed with people of various nationalities and did not pay for lodging.

INTERNET HELP
According to the website, CouchSurfing International Inc (ww.couchsurfing.com/ ) is a non-profit organisation that “is not just about finding free accommodation around the world” but also about cultural exchange between like-minded travellers. He found this website through his mother who is also an avid traveller, having visited places like Portugal, Monaco, Switzerland and Spain while living as a guest of members of couchsurfing.com. “It’s really a new experience to live in someone else’s house without even knowing the person at all,” says Prashant.

COSY COTTAGE > HOTEL
Prashant remembers vividly his experience living with a 65-year-old Viennese woman, Helga. They talked about their lives and shared stories over steaming hot plates of kaiserschmarnn, a traditional dish, which she made for Prashant. And in that cold weather, living in a cosy cottage would beat a hotel anytime.

INDEPENDENCE
Prashant carried  a Swiss army knife throughout his journey, as he felt the need to be protected especially when moving in and out of countries. “You never know what might happen. I feel safer if I had some form of protection,” says Prashant. However, he was not always able to secure accomodation. In Venice for example, he had to spend the night at a train station because there were no offers of housing. “I can safely say that this journey has made so much more independent and I’ve learnt so much about myself.”
Deepti Pathak

Age:21

Institution:National University of Singapore

Visited: Canada, The United States. Korea. Australia

Survived racist outburst

“You better not get married here or we’ll send you back to your country!” screamed a security staff  who interrogated Deepti Pathak over her Indian passport at Vancouver International Airport. She was clearly shaken, as this was her welcome in Canada where she was to meet her sister. Now 21, and studying Communication and New Media at NUS, Deepti describes that experience as “scary for a 15-year-old”. That ordeal, however, hasn’t deterred Deepti from travelling and  has since been to many places around the world, such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. She enjoys a blend between the scenic countryside and the bustling nightlife. “It’s different from traveling with your parents as you feel very protected with them. On your own, you experience things at a different level. You definitely get a taste of freedom,” says Deepti.
Prakash Kamat

Age: 21

Institution: National Technological University

Visited: Poland, Bratislava, Czech, Austria, London, Portugal, Belgium, Paris, Amsterdam

Scaled 10 European countries in 30 days with only S$4000

A few months before he finished National Service (NS), Prakash Kamath took a stab at freedom by planning a budget trip around Europe. While in NS, he booked hostels and motels through the Internet, and calculated obsessively how many days he and his three friends would spend at a particular destination. Then they made the journey down to their first destination – London. Their 30-day scenic trip included places like Czech Republic, Poland, Bratislava and Austria in Western Europe and Portugal, Amsterdam, Belgium and even Paris. He spent a total of $4,000. Permitting themselves just S$70 (35 Euros) everyday, money was especially tight as the temptation of shopping, accompanied by their exorbitant price tags, can prove to be hard to resist. “All in all, it was a wonderful experience for me, with Paris, Bratislava and Portugal making the most impact. They have breathtaking views and it really was special to be there.”