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WHERE IT ALL BEGAN?
This blog was created over 10 years ago by Tom, the original Backpacker Boy, who was bitten by the travel bug at age 18 when he went to teach English in Roatán, a small island off the north coast of Honduras. As a typical UK kid, he was used to going on holidays to France and Spain and never ventured further than that.
“I cried when I went on a sleepover to a friend’s house five minutes down the road from mine and made my mum come on school trips with me. Fair to say, I was a bit of a home bird.”
After returning from Honduras, he knew that he wanted to see more of the world and spent the next ten years visiting five of the seven continents, exploring 37 countries and living in multiple different nations.
When pursuing dreams of being a journalist didn’t quite go as planned, this blog began as Tom’s creative outlet to not only share his travel stories, but also as a place to exercise his love for writing. He has written for some of the biggest travel websites and blogs out there, making connections around the world and even going on to start his own business in the travel industry.
But travelling isn’t about just one voice and experience. And now, as a father of three, not only has Tom’s approach to travel changed, but also the need to add more voices and ideas to this blog. While many of Tom’s original stories and recommendations still have pride of place on this website, our audience has grown and grown, so we’ve added more content to suit a wide range of travel plans and parties.
ELLA WHITEHEAD
Since I can remember, I have always had a passion for writing. After living in a van and travelling for 4 months, this sparked my interest in travel writing. Now I get to immerse myself in different places across the world every single day, something that I could never get tired of!
I love writing about van life and unconventional travel. I find that to fully embrace the place you are visiting, you need to spend some time in nature and get to know your surroundings. As I spent a lot of my time living out of a van in the Scottish Highlands, this type of adventure is something I love to share with others.
Me and my partner often travel with our two dogs, so we usually find ourselves off the beaten track or up a mountain. There’s no better way to explore new destinations than by heading off into the wild. I love the feeling of being surrounded by nature without a single person in sight. This to me, is one of the best ways I can spend my time whilst travelling.
AMELIA CANTY
From conquering the slopes of the Three Valleys at the age of four to riding quad bikes across the golden sand dunes on Pismo Beach at ten, my journey as a travel lover began early. I graduated with a journalism degree and found that I loved informing and helping people through my writing. Since then, I’ve pursued a career in travel writing, blending my two passions.
I’ve travelled around Europe a lot, particularly Greece, France, and Spain, so I especially enjoy writing about my experiences there as I get to relive the excitement I felt when travelling through my writing. South East Asia is the next destination to tick off my travel bucket list!
For me, the value of travelling is in its ability to broaden your perspective. When I’m not penning down my adventures, you’ll likely find me immersing myself in the local culture, enjoying authentic cuisine and exploring the natural beauty of a destination.
Who are we now?
Backpacker Boy is now managed by a team of writers from the travel industry, each of us offering our own unique insight into where to go and what to do, as well as catering to all kinds of budgets and expectations.
On Backpacker Boy, you will find comprehensive destination guides to many of the world’s most popular countries, along with personal advice and recommendations for the best ways to explore them all. Whether you’re looking for resort recommendations in tropical archipelagos or hiking trails for windswept mountain ranges, we’ve got you covered.