hiii!!! so i went to ecuador last year for about a month travelling with my family, and though we were obviously not backpacking i have some really great tips i think for it!!! firstly, if you do want to go to the galapagos, i would say to try and go island hopping instead of booking a cruise that brings you around. that way you can really experience the true life and culture of the galapagos, and be more flexible, and also only go to the islands you want to go to. of course i would also say that a planned tour is great because i would imagine with that you have a ranger with you, and on the galapagos you canât really go anywhere by yourself bc itâs so regulated, that a ranger can bring you many more places. ALSO! there are a lot of unexpected fees in the galapagos (maybe you know) but each island you go to usually has a fee in addition to whatever ticket you used to get there, and flights also are pretty expensive, especially if you want to do island hopping through that instead of by taxi boat. in the galapagos, absolutely go to the island of Isabela and Floreana, they are amazing and have incredible histories, floreana is particularly amazing and has one of the most intriguing stories ever. Then to talk more about Ecuador itself, the Amazon portion is really beautiful (though i donât know if youâll do the amazon in columbia) and quito and a city called cuenca were my two favorites!! there are also many beautiful places in the mountains going between those cities, such as baños, which is like an adventure capital, and the two big volcanoes/mountains of ecuador that have a lot to offer. if the situation in ecuador gets better in the next months, i would 100% say to go there it is absolutely my favorite country iâve ever been too and is so beautiful! if youâve actually read this and want some more tips, my mom wrote a blog post on her website about both the galapagos and ecuador (itâs not for backpackers but has a lot of information) so here it is: elisabettagirardi.org/ecuador
lastly, on my momâs post she has a list of the places we stayed, and there are a decent amount of hostels on there, and all of them were really incredible!!! the hostel Carpe DM in Quito was amazinggggg and the hostel from guayaquil and Baños as well. we would all really recommend the Siona Lodge of you want to go to the Amazon in Ecuador, the staff is amazing, itâs less costly then some other lodges in the amazon and the place is stunning!
if you love travel and exploring i would recommend you start geocaching! it's just an app on your phone and it's basically like little containers filled with goodies that you look for and write your name in a log book! it's taken me to places i never knew existed and there's geocaches everywhere!
We spent two months last year doing Peru - Ecuador - Colombia and it was just amazing. Highlights for us in Colombia included Cali for the salsa (Viajero hostel was amazing and ran salsa lessons every day and is just an all round cool hostel!), Salento (for the Cocora valley and coffee plantations - we even had a coffee bean roasting lesson and got to bring our coffee beans back home as a souvenir, so cool!), Medellin was just an all round cool city with so much history (Los Patios hostel - highly recommend. Bit pricier, but worth it in my opinion) and if you're going to Bogota I highly recommend doing one of the history free walking tours - we got such an incredible insight into the history of Colombia and all the things that they have unfortunately gone through and it was really eye opening. In Ecuador, you absolutely have to go to Secret Garden in Cotopaxi - we hesitated about this initially about whether to do it or not and absolutely LOVED it in the end and was one of the main highlights of the trip. Such an awesome few days and the accommodation is just incredible, the people are super friendly and the activities and food are top notch! Climbing cotopaxi can be a bit tough (our weather conditions were awful!), especially with the altitude, but so worth it!! Definitely definitely definitely go there. Also Cuenca was really cool and we spent a few nights at El Cafecito hostel, where we met one of the coolest hostel owners yet and had such cool discussions and late night dinners with - really nice place. In Quito, check out Community Hostel - probably our fav hostel of the trip overall (and we def visited some good ones!) - just such a nice atmosphere, breakfasts incredible, really good social vibes and activities going on! Can't wait to follow your trip through SA, it will bring back so many good memories for me! Enjoy - you will absolutely love it!!
Just an update on the Ecuador advisory! I was there throughout everything happening the last couple weeks and everything is completely back to normal. Basically, the government stopped subsidizing diesel, which was going to drive the prices of everything up, so there was about a week of protesting (and, in some areas, straight up rioting) and on Sunday the government finally reached an accord with everyone and reinstated the subsidy. Literally the next morning, everything was back to normal. It's back to being one of the easiest and safest South American countries to travel!
I really recommend the trek to Lost City in Colombia! I did the trek about 2 years ago while I was sailing around the world and this trek was one of the biggest highlights of that whole trip. It is challenging, but sooooo worth it!! Beautiful scenery, and I would say the trek to get there is almost as beautiful as the Lost City itself!
I'm heading to the Philippines landing on Christmas day and staying for 17 days, just been re-watching your videos for ideas, currently planing to do 5 days port barton, then head to mad monkey for new years followed by el nido for boat trips for a few days then up to Coron for just under a week. that's the best itinerary I could think of for a mix of chill exploration but also some partying for new years followed by relaxing in coron
Been following you for YEARS and recently I've just been binging your vids, especially your packing ones, they're the BEST I've rewatched so many times I need your wardrobe! I'm planning an inter rail trip so seeing you plan this made my day! Getting the tea and chocolate prepared to watch đđđ thank you!
The Colombian Pacific is a must-visit!! BahĂa Solano, El Valle, NuquĂ and the surrounding area are all a stunning mix of wild beaches and tropical jungle. There's a small backpacker scene but it's not overcrowded, loads of incredible local business and eco-tourism to be explored. Mama Orbe in El Valle and Casa Colibri in ArusĂ are wonderful places to stay!
I did three weeks in Colombia (Hand luggage only, which was amazing! I had to do laundry once a week if youâre wondering) and I brought sandals which were a nicer pair of Tevas. They are comfortable and also look nice in the evening with a dress. Currently thinking about booking a trip to Jordan next spring!
I only recently got back from a 2 month Europe backpacking trip and Iâm already planning my next trip to get me through the academic year. Iâm planning on spending 2 months between Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines- seeing your videos on the Philippines is what has inspired me to go there đxxxx
Iâm currently in Australia with a working holiday visa and your videos inspired me soooo much to come! I have not had a single regretful thought about coming here and my adventure is only beginning! Canât wait for more South-America videos, you have the best quality travel vlogs in my opinionđđŒ
I'm Colombian and I highly recommend visiting the amazon, Medellin, and the coffee zone. The festival in Cali is also highly recommended you are going to have a blast.
I'm going to South America next year for 3 months. Thanks for the info. I'm not a young traveller , I'm a .....middle aged one but I'm hiking the PCT for 6 months straight after South America so don't mind the backpacking life.
You plan just like me! Well Iâm not as flexible as far as return flights and accommodations but I would probably do the same if I backpacked for 3 months. The longest Iâve gone is one month. I plan way too much and create a daily itinerary. But then once Iâm there I donât even follow it. But your videos are the exact kind I would like to make someday. You deserve more subscribers!
Im currently planning a 4-6 month backpacking adventure around Europe for summer 2020! Extremely excited! Love your channel you have given me so much inspiration for my future travels!
This is sooo exciting! I'm currently planning a backpacking trip around the Balkans for 2 months and even though the destination is obviously not like yours, your video has been super helpful! Thank you a lot :)
I am leaving Germany in novembre for backpacking solo in Peru, Ecuador and Columbia until March. This Video made me feel like I am not the only crazy girl going to these destinationes. Enjoy your time! :)
I'd highly recommend trail runners as a close toed shoe, they look stylish enough to wear on the plane and in cities, but are also sturdy enough to properly hike in and actually waterproof, not just water resistant for 2 minutes. I wouldn't recommend actual hiking boots, they are a bit heavy for everyday wear. If you don't want to buy trail runners, I'd opt for trainers over hiking boots.
Came back from Colombia with a group this year. Loved Guatape, especially the painted houses. One thing we were told is that its not practiclal to travel to different regions except by air because of the poor roads. We spent a lot of time in airports.
Leaving in more or less a month for the Philippines solo, and your series is what got me to actually do it! Really excited/nervous, but you pretty much gave me confidence so thank you! đ
Exciting! I was in south America nearly two years and totally life changing. Viajero Hostel in cali is a good hostel with a pool good vibes and free dance class everyday :) Medellin is hand down one of my fav places. I know lots of backpackers stay in el poblado but for me i do not believe it is the true colombia. Suburbs like laureles are great for digital nomads :) I love the hostel the wandering paisa. Its also close to the street calle 70 where there is amazing partying and underground salsa bars :) Cafe Ondas is another good hostel :) There is lots of near by cute towns near to medellin such as Jardin which i enjoyed alot. You will love the Lost city hike, it was really muddy when I was there and soooo many mosquitos but incredible views and culture. Also take the short day walk through tropical nature to parque tyrona and stay the night on the beach in one of the hammocks. Good on you trying to travel with hand luggage i know i would had struggled. With the shoes for sure bring a pair of sneakers. Mine were great for dancing in salsa and also going on walks or just casual day walking in the city. Maybe a pair of sandels for a night out might be a good option too :) Also just be carefull with you clothing choices, I felt like in most city and towns I didn't feel like I wanted to where anything too revealing just because you will already have men staring and saying things to you :) Also just remember to stay strong and assertive with the men there and learn some ways of saying leave me alone in spanish such as "deja me sola". Im excited for you gal!!! You will see spectacular things and be apart of the beautiful latin culture!!!
I moved last year from Arizona to Maui, Hawaii. Next month I leave for my first ever backpacking adventure starting in new Zealand, then to Australia, Bali and wherever else the wind decides to take me đđđđ I'm so excited
EllieMaireTV [EMTV] I loved Colombia!! It was one of my favourite countries Iâve visited. It has everything- the beach, mountains, the city. Ecuador is more mountains- thereâs heaps of adventure stuff to do in Banos, I also went to the Amazon from Ecuador, so when worth it and once in a lifetime!
Low key been binge watching all of your videos in any of my free time. You literally are amazing, the videos you produce are stunning, so informative and fun to watch! You solo backpacking tips, helped me loads on my second solo adventure a few weeks ago to Copenhagen, Malmö and Ystad. Late January I'll be taking onboard my biggest solo backpacking adventure yet, I've book a one way flight to Australia, landing in Perth and setting myself a month to travel to hopefully Northen Territory for Uluru rock trip, Sydney then if I can afford fly to New Zealand for a few days before flying home to Englandđ
I used gym shoes for my month in Peru! Iâm someone that always grabs for sneakers to hike in at home, and they worked great for me, even in the snow on mountain tops!
We are just finishing up our trip across South America, we started in Ecuador and made our way to Galapagos and slowly made our way South. If you have any questions let us know. Look forward to following your journey.
Weâre off to Australia this Friday (!!!!!) for a three week honeymoon! Iâm genuinely freaking out - Iâm so so so excited! Iâve been planning it for over a year and canât believe itâs finally here! Have definitely been binge watching your Australia videos and getting so hyped up!
For your air travel, consider using two tickets to moderate air travel costs. Fly on a one way ticket to the USA, Miami or Orlando, spend a couple of days there and then go onward on a generally low priced ticket direct to Cali. You can do the same in reverse coming back home. Enjoy your trip, i'll be watching.
I'm heading to South America in January. It's my first time solo travelling, starting in Colombia & I can't wait. I'll hopefully be there around 6 months and your video's given me a lot of decent tips! nice one
So happy to know you're coming to my country, Colombia đšđŽ!!!!! Christianne I think It would be better for you to stay around San Antonio neighborhood in Cali, also search for Poblado as your location in MedellĂn and lastly Candelaria la vieja in BogotĂĄ. Those are host spots for expats and backpackers traveling around South America, you will find lots of people in those areas to communicate in English with no difficulties whatsoever ;)
@@BackpackingBananas I would love to help you out with anything you need... I work in MedellĂn, so I'll love to meet up with you... If it doesn't mess up with your itinerary đ For salsa classes in Cali I recommend El manicero although it's a little pricey and there's a lot of places to practice, my favorite is La Topa Tolondra, but if you are interested in the old school style, you should go to Tintindeo
Hello! Iâm travelling Ecuador right now, just came from Colombia. For the sandals I recommend you to take the ones that are not birkestocks mainly because of the lost city hike. They want you to bring water shoes for river crossings and the sandals you showed in the picture are perfect for that. (Itâs possible to do the rive crossings barefoot, but itâs more difficult that way)
@@BackpackingBananas Also regarding island hopping in the Galapagos, bring motion sickness pills!! The boat drivers were crazy and drove so fast that everyone on the boat got sick, we took a plane for the next island hop because it was so bad.
So happy youâre going to Colombia, you are going to love it! Make sure you try out as much food as possible. I hope you enjoy my beautiful country đ
I make lists of restaurants and sightseeing and bars and hotels etc I want to try etc on Google maps. That way when you are out for the day, and want to grab something to eat, you can see if one of your saved places is nearby.
Just have to say, I love your videos. I've commented before about how I can't travel any more and watching your channel gives me a bit of that old feeling about the travels I did before. Also, you are a delight to watch, you come across so sweet and genuine, not pretentious like some others I've seen on CZcams. Thanks for sharing a part of your life. Keep up the great work.
Planning on going solo backpacking in south america in the fall of 2023. Will be doing a lot of research until then and have to find ways of generating more income in order to make this trip financially possible whilst keeping my appartment in Montreal †also considering havinf remote gigs, but I would really like not to have to work too much. thanks for having such a rad channel miss Bananasđ
It's actually a smart idea to narrow down the countries to just 2. I randomly decided to create an itinerary for backpacking south America and when I started discovering all the beautiful spots I was like ahhhh fuck theres too many beautiful places and I don't want to rush so I'll probably just do Brazil, Colombia and Peru for this first round hopefullyyyy.
Have you tried Chacos (hiking sandals)? Theyâre great and come in styles from leather to webbing, (much like the Columbia ones you had shown). I personally donât like the toe loop styles, but some people swear by them. Sounds like great fun, especially the salsa festival! Safe travels and keep the vids coming!!
I recommend you research a little about what's going on in Ecuador. There's been a lot of protest from the people against the government. People have died in these protests, so just have that in mind for your own safety. I know about this since I live just next to Ecuador.
I didn't see a star in the Catedral Lajas. You must return, also the river of colors Caño Cristales, zimpaquira Salt Cathedral 100 feet under ground. Villa de Leyva. Barranquilla backpacker dream
Iâve just come back from a month long trip round parts of Canada and east US - it was insane! Canât wait to see your vlogs in South America, would love to go there one day! đ
I've decided I'm finally going to go on my first solo trip around south east asia for 6 months. Would love to fit in India and Japan too but not sure my budget will stretch. So excited and nervous xx
I literally looked at your chanel two days ago for a south america video (before it was posted) and i am so happy you uploaded this! Literally leaving for Colombia in less than a week and unlike you, I am not the best with planing. Hahaha, I have a tendancy of just going with the flow and finding places on the way.
I would recommend NEMO, its a free app that's a bit better than duolingo in my opinion, especially for languages like Chinese and greek which don't use the Roman alphabet. Anyway love your videos and optimism. Have a great trip!
I just have been in Columbia for 3 months (1.5 months in Cali) I highly recommend the La Sucursal Hostel in Cali. They have professional Salsa and Batchata teachers in the Hostel. I am so excited for you and I need to hold back not to fill 1000 comments with recommendationes. Also in Ecuador I recommend the Community Hostels and for the Galapagos: it is not as expensive as you think. Bring a snorkel and do heaps of free snorkling and enjoy the sealions
Always enjoy your videos, despite being about South America this video got me so excited for my trip to New Zealand soon. I've been binging your videos in preparation as I have no solo travelling experience and they've been so helpful.
They aren't backpackers, but some van life channels I watched either just left Columbia or just arrived. They are the Mattneys and Trent and Allie. The Mattneys just left Ecuador during their current protests. So you may want to watch their videos first. Trent and Allie just made it there.
Planning 3 months in South East Asia going to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines in January! First ever solo backpack trip as well :)
From my friends' experience, really good trainers (like you mentioned) are enough, because if you plan on hiking up mountains over two days or something, you will have to rent winter trousers, a jacket, gloves and real hicking boots anyway
@@BackpackingBananas She did Cerro San Cristobal in Peru though, not exactly where you are going but I am sure that this also counts for other countries! Especially when the temperature on the summit is below zero
Hand luggage on many flights in Colombia is just an under the seat bag. They may have options to pay extra for a larger carry on but thatâs definitely something to look into before hand since by far the easiest way to get around Colombia is flying
I found your channel when researching scratch maps for my dad's birthday lol (LOVE your map, btw) and you're now my new favorite CZcamsr. You're really inspiring to watch/listen to and you're making me want to travel more!
Hugs from a J&L Legend! I am excited that you are going to venture over to The Americas. I donât know nearly enough about South America, so it will fun to see what you get up to there.
Im planning for my 1 year working holiday in australia, never been away alone before so im very very excited! Just 4 months of grinding at work left and i will have the funds đ
Another excellent video, hope you have a great time. I only discovered your channel through the "cheap eats in London video" but now I watch them avidly. 20 years ago I went on an group holiday to Bolivia and Peru and loved it!
In some ways it probably has but I expect places like Machu Picchu are still as beautiful as I remember. No Google maps or vlogs when I went, it was guided, but you have so many options nowadays it is exciting.
Cliche, but you are inspiring me to travel. Iâve been wanting to travel, and I finally got my first passport last year, so Iâve had the travel itch. But you are motivating me
Good luck with your light weight packing. I just did 5 weeks in Berlin with carry-on only - (a standard Jansport school book bag!). And was able to do 4 weeks at a language school. đ. Your trip is obviously longer and more in depth. But I was surprised I got by with SO LITTLE. I might say that one week at a language school is going to go by SO FAST. But it will add to the experience đ.
I'm also planning to be in South America from late Dec through to the end of Feb! I'm keen to see what more you post in the lead up - I'd love to catch up with you at some leg of the journey. You've been a great inspiration for my solo travels so far, and I genuinely reckon we'd me great mates given the chance! disfruta tu planificaciĂłn!
I've been living in Quito for the last six month and you should definitely visit Ecuador. The country is extremely beautiful and because it is so small it doesn't take too much time to travel between different destinations. What I especially find really amazing about the country is, that there are not that many tourists so you meet a lot of locals while you travel. And it is actually pretty safe, the only places where you need to be a bit careful are Quito and guayaquil.
Hi Christianne, sooo excited that you are going to Colombia! I have been there with my friend and it was awesome! You should definetly do the lost city trak, the sunrise views are so stunning! My friend used trekking shoes by adidas which have a very good sole for muddy and slippery grounds which is so useful for the hike! Also dont miss out on Isla Providencia! The diving is incredible and you will see lots of sharks :)
I just went last summer to Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and a little of Panama! If you donât end up going to Ecuador - peru would be amazing but also I did a sailing trip from Cartagena through the Islas de San Blas in Panama that was like the best week of my life! Would recommend! In Ecuador stay at Kamala in Montanita and Papachos in Banos! Baños is incredible so many fun adventure activities!!! Also definitely check out Guatape outside of Medellin!!!
Also! I always just travel with hand luggage - I have a 40 L. I brought trainers, adventure sandals (I have croc literites), nicer sandals (I have Tevas that are the leather nicer ones) and flip flops/shower shoes.
the thing is that even if ecuador is smaller, he got 4 regions that are completely different so we got islands, highlands with mountains and volcanoes, coastal areas with amazing beaches and the amazon region so like jungle and stuff
hiii!!! so i went to ecuador last year for about a month travelling with my family, and though we were obviously not backpacking i have some really great tips i think for it!!! firstly, if you do want to go to the galapagos, i would say to try and go island hopping instead of booking a cruise that brings you around. that way you can really experience the true life and culture of the galapagos, and be more flexible, and also only go to the islands you want to go to. of course i would also say that a planned tour is great because i would imagine with that you have a ranger with you, and on the galapagos you canât really go anywhere by yourself bc itâs so regulated, that a ranger can bring you many more places. ALSO! there are a lot of unexpected fees in the galapagos (maybe you know) but each island you go to usually has a fee in addition to whatever ticket you used to get there, and flights also are pretty expensive, especially if you want to do island hopping through that instead of by taxi boat. in the galapagos, absolutely go to the island of Isabela and Floreana, they are amazing and have incredible histories, floreana is particularly amazing and has one of the most intriguing stories ever. Then to talk more about Ecuador itself, the Amazon portion is really beautiful (though i donât know if youâll do the amazon in columbia) and quito and a city called cuenca were my two favorites!! there are also many beautiful places in the mountains going between those cities, such as baños, which is like an adventure capital, and the two big volcanoes/mountains of ecuador that have a lot to offer. if the situation in ecuador gets better in the next months, i would 100% say to go there it is absolutely my favorite country iâve ever been too and is so beautiful! if youâve actually read this and want some more tips, my mom wrote a blog post on her website about both the galapagos and ecuador (itâs not for backpackers but has a lot of information) so here it is: elisabettagirardi.org/ecuador
also i made a video/vlog of our trip on my youtube so you can watch that in the âtripsâ playlist on my channel!
lastly, on my momâs post she has a list of the places we stayed, and there are a decent amount of hostels on there, and all of them were really incredible!!! the hostel Carpe DM in Quito was amazinggggg and the hostel from guayaquil and Baños as well. we would all really recommend the Siona Lodge of you want to go to the Amazon in Ecuador, the staff is amazing, itâs less costly then some other lodges in the amazon and the place is stunning!
for people watching this in 2020 she must be like it's a good thing i took this trip when i did
Why what happened in 2020?
@@benswindlehurst1857 covid
@@benswindlehurst1857 what rock have you been under đ€Łđ€Ł
@@arte7sol whatâs covid
if you love travel and exploring i would recommend you start geocaching! it's just an app on your phone and it's basically like little containers filled with goodies that you look for and write your name in a log book! it's taken me to places i never knew existed and there's geocaches everywhere!
100% go to Brazil. Amazing country đ§đ·
I agree I just went to Brazil all of November, its so nice. I wonder how the other countries compare. I havenât been elsewhere in South America
We spent two months last year doing Peru - Ecuador - Colombia and it was just amazing. Highlights for us in Colombia included Cali for the salsa (Viajero hostel was amazing and ran salsa lessons every day and is just an all round cool hostel!), Salento (for the Cocora valley and coffee plantations - we even had a coffee bean roasting lesson and got to bring our coffee beans back home as a souvenir, so cool!), Medellin was just an all round cool city with so much history (Los Patios hostel - highly recommend. Bit pricier, but worth it in my opinion) and if you're going to Bogota I highly recommend doing one of the history free walking tours - we got such an incredible insight into the history of Colombia and all the things that they have unfortunately gone through and it was really eye opening. In Ecuador, you absolutely have to go to Secret Garden in Cotopaxi - we hesitated about this initially about whether to do it or not and absolutely LOVED it in the end and was one of the main highlights of the trip. Such an awesome few days and the accommodation is just incredible, the people are super friendly and the activities and food are top notch! Climbing cotopaxi can be a bit tough (our weather conditions were awful!), especially with the altitude, but so worth it!! Definitely definitely definitely go there. Also Cuenca was really cool and we spent a few nights at El Cafecito hostel, where we met one of the coolest hostel owners yet and had such cool discussions and late night dinners with - really nice place. In Quito, check out Community Hostel - probably our fav hostel of the trip overall (and we def visited some good ones!) - just such a nice atmosphere, breakfasts incredible, really good social vibes and activities going on! Can't wait to follow your trip through SA, it will bring back so many good memories for me! Enjoy - you will absolutely love it!!
Just an update on the Ecuador advisory! I was there throughout everything happening the last couple weeks and everything is completely back to normal. Basically, the government stopped subsidizing diesel, which was going to drive the prices of everything up, so there was about a week of protesting (and, in some areas, straight up rioting) and on Sunday the government finally reached an accord with everyone and reinstated the subsidy. Literally the next morning, everything was back to normal. It's back to being one of the easiest and safest South American countries to travel!
Amazing! Great news! Thanks for the update â€ïž
I really recommend the trek to Lost City in Colombia! I did the trek about 2 years ago while I was sailing around the world and this trek was one of the biggest highlights of that whole trip. It is challenging, but sooooo worth it!! Beautiful scenery, and I would say the trek to get there is almost as beautiful as the Lost City itself!
Ăññ
I'm heading to the Philippines landing on Christmas day and staying for 17 days, just been re-watching your videos for ideas, currently planing to do 5 days port barton, then head to mad monkey for new years followed by el nido for boat trips for a few days then up to Coron for just under a week. that's the best itinerary I could think of for a mix of chill exploration but also some partying for new years followed by relaxing in coron
Sounds amazing đ€©đ€©
Go to Moalboal or explore Cebu in general
Been following you for YEARS and recently I've just been binging your vids, especially your packing ones, they're the BEST I've rewatched so many times I need your wardrobe! I'm planning an inter rail trip so seeing you plan this made my day! Getting the tea and chocolate prepared to watch đđđ thank you!
Ah yay đ€©đ€© thanks lovely. Oohhh if love to go interrailing one day as well ! â€ïž
Would love to see that! Can you please do a packing video for this trip before you go?
@@keke_oh of course!! đ€đ€
The Colombian Pacific is a must-visit!! BahĂa Solano, El Valle, NuquĂ and the surrounding area are all a stunning mix of wild beaches and tropical jungle. There's a small backpacker scene but it's not overcrowded, loads of incredible local business and eco-tourism to be explored. Mama Orbe in El Valle and Casa Colibri in ArusĂ are wonderful places to stay!
I did three weeks in Colombia (Hand luggage only, which was amazing! I had to do laundry once a week if youâre wondering) and I brought sandals which were a nicer pair of Tevas. They are comfortable and also look nice in the evening with a dress.
Currently thinking about booking a trip to Jordan next spring!
Thanks for the tips đ Jordan looks amazing!
I only recently got back from a 2 month Europe backpacking trip and Iâm already planning my next trip to get me through the academic year. Iâm planning on spending 2 months between Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines- seeing your videos on the Philippines is what has inspired me to go there đxxxx
Yay đ€©đ€©đ€© Hope you had a fab time in Europe xx
Vietnam is the best! My favourite country thus far
Iâm currently in Australia with a working holiday visa and your videos inspired me soooo much to come! I have not had a single regretful thought about coming here and my adventure is only beginning!
Canât wait for more South-America videos, you have the best quality travel vlogs in my opinionđđŒ
Ahhh that's amazingđ€©đ€© I'm pleased to hear you're having a fab time â€ïžâ€ïž thanks lovely xxx
Hey, coming from the future. Iâm so glad you start before January 2020. You got the chance to stay longer.
I'm Colombian and I highly recommend visiting the amazon, Medellin, and the coffee zone. The festival in Cali is also highly recommended you are going to have a blast.
Iâm flying out to Thailand on Thursday! Iâm going to be TEFL teaching there for 5 months đ
Oh my gaaad đ€© that's so fun! đđŒđđŒ
Have a great time!!
Where in Thailand are you going ?
I want to try this in future :)
Did you arrive yet?
I'm going to South America next year for 3 months. Thanks for the info. I'm not a young traveller , I'm a .....middle aged one but I'm hiking the PCT for 6 months straight after South America so don't mind the backpacking life.
Iâm heading to Italy soon and while itâs not South America this video helped heaps âșïž
Ah yay â€ïžâ€ïž so pleased it can still be helpful! Italy will be beaut đ
Nice, have a great time in Italy! I would love to go there someday.
I love how you budget your trip, nice websites recommendations ! thank you
Pleasure xx
You plan just like me! Well Iâm not as flexible as far as return flights and accommodations but I would probably do the same if I backpacked for 3 months. The longest Iâve gone is one month. I plan way too much and create a daily itinerary. But then once Iâm there I donât even follow it. But your videos are the exact kind I would like to make someday. You deserve more subscribers!
We love a good planner đđŒđđŒ
Im currently planning a 4-6 month backpacking adventure around Europe for summer 2020! Extremely excited! Love your channel you have given me so much inspiration for my future travels!
That's awesome đ€©đ€©
This is sooo exciting! I'm currently planning a backpacking trip around the Balkans for 2 months and even though the destination is obviously not like yours, your video has been super helpful! Thank you a lot :)
Yay đ€© that's what I was hoping for â€ïž Balkans will be incred tho đđŒ
I am leaving Germany in novembre for backpacking solo in Peru, Ecuador and Columbia until March. This Video made me feel like I am not the only crazy girl going to these destinationes. Enjoy your time! :)
I'd highly recommend trail runners as a close toed shoe, they look stylish enough to wear on the plane and in cities, but are also sturdy enough to properly hike in and actually waterproof, not just water resistant for 2 minutes.
I wouldn't recommend actual hiking boots, they are a bit heavy for everyday wear.
If you don't want to buy trail runners, I'd opt for trainers over hiking boots.
Thanks for the recommendation Bunny â€ïž will deffo have a look at some trail runners!
This also helped me - thankyou!
Came back from Colombia with a group this year. Loved Guatape, especially the painted houses. One thing we were told is that its not practiclal to travel to different regions except by air because of the poor roads. We spent a lot of time in airports.
Leaving in more or less a month for the Philippines solo, and your series is what got me to actually do it! Really excited/nervous, but you pretty much gave me confidence so thank you! đ
Exciting! I was in south America nearly two years and totally life changing. Viajero Hostel in cali is a good hostel with a pool good vibes and free dance class everyday :) Medellin is hand down one of my fav places. I know lots of backpackers stay in el poblado but for me i do not believe it is the true colombia. Suburbs like laureles are great for digital nomads :) I love the hostel the wandering paisa. Its also close to the street calle 70 where there is amazing partying and underground salsa bars :) Cafe Ondas is another good hostel :) There is lots of near by cute towns near to medellin such as Jardin which i enjoyed alot.
You will love the Lost city hike, it was really muddy when I was there and soooo many mosquitos but incredible views and culture.
Also take the short day walk through tropical nature to parque tyrona and stay the night on the beach in one of the hammocks.
Good on you trying to travel with hand luggage i know i would had struggled. With the shoes for sure bring a pair of sneakers. Mine were great for dancing in salsa and also going on walks or just casual day walking in the city. Maybe a pair of sandels for a night out might be a good option too :)
Also just be carefull with you clothing choices, I felt like in most city and towns I didn't feel like I wanted to where anything too revealing just because you will already have men staring and saying things to you :) Also just remember to stay strong and assertive with the men there and learn some ways of saying leave me alone in spanish such as "deja me sola".
Im excited for you gal!!! You will see spectacular things and be apart of the beautiful latin culture!!!
Wow thank you so much for all these tips đđ I've just made a bunch more stars on my maps â€ïžâ€ïžâ€ïž
I moved last year from Arizona to Maui, Hawaii. Next month I leave for my first ever backpacking adventure starting in new Zealand, then to Australia, Bali and wherever else the wind decides to take me đđđđ I'm so excited
Iâm currently planning a 3 month trip to Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru so this was very helpful! Cheers from the US
I did a month in Colombia and a month in Ecuador, didn't to Cali, but i've heard great things!
Nice!! I've heard there is not much to do in Cali other than salsa but I'm so down đđ
what was Colombia and Ecuador like?
EllieMaireTV [EMTV] I loved Colombia!! It was one of my favourite countries Iâve visited. It has everything- the beach, mountains, the city. Ecuador is more mountains- thereâs heaps of adventure stuff to do in Banos, I also went to the Amazon from Ecuador, so when worth it and once in a lifetime!
@@Lozzzaaa55 ok thanks very much! đ
Low key been binge watching all of your videos in any of my free time. You literally are amazing, the videos you produce are stunning, so informative and fun to watch! You solo backpacking tips, helped me loads on my second solo adventure a few weeks ago to Copenhagen, Malmö and Ystad. Late January I'll be taking onboard my biggest solo backpacking adventure yet, I've book a one way flight to Australia, landing in Perth and setting myself a month to travel to hopefully Northen Territory for Uluru rock trip, Sydney then if I can afford fly to New Zealand for a few days before flying home to Englandđ
That trip sounds epic Becca đ€©đ€©đ€©
The Spanish school would be great to immerse yourself into it fully. It's such a beautiful almost melodic language. Looking forward to the vlogs.....
I actually can't wait for Spanish school đ đđŒ
Iâm currently planning my family trip to Greece and Eastern Europe!
Aislinn Ciara Youâll love Greece
Planning an interrail trip around Europe with my best friend before we go off to uni :)
So looking forward to your next Adventures!!!!
đ€©đ€©đ€© me too!
I used gym shoes for my month in Peru! Iâm someone that always grabs for sneakers to hike in at home, and they worked great for me, even in the snow on mountain tops!
We are just finishing up our trip across South America, we started in Ecuador and made our way to Galapagos and slowly made our way South. If you have any questions let us know. Look forward to following your journey.
Weâre off to Australia this Friday (!!!!!) for a three week honeymoon! Iâm genuinely freaking out - Iâm so so so excited! Iâve been planning it for over a year and canât believe itâs finally here! Have definitely been binge watching your Australia videos and getting so hyped up!
For your air travel, consider using two tickets to moderate air travel costs. Fly on a one way ticket to the USA, Miami or Orlando, spend a couple of days there and then go onward on a generally low priced ticket direct to Cali. You can do the same in reverse coming back home. Enjoy your trip, i'll be watching.
Not a bad idea đ
I'm heading to South America in January. It's my first time solo travelling, starting in Colombia & I can't wait. I'll hopefully be there around 6 months and your video's given me a lot of decent tips! nice one
Hope you enjoyed my beautiful Colombia
Are you alive bro
So happy to know you're coming to my country, Colombia đšđŽ!!!!! Christianne I think It would be better for you to stay around San Antonio neighborhood in Cali, also search for Poblado as your location in MedellĂn and lastly Candelaria la vieja in BogotĂĄ. Those are host spots for expats and backpackers traveling around South America, you will find lots of people in those areas to communicate in English with no difficulties whatsoever ;)
Thanks so much Daniela â€ïžâ€ïž will deffo make a note of this!!
@@BackpackingBananas I would love to help you out with anything you need... I work in MedellĂn, so I'll love to meet up with you... If it doesn't mess up with your itinerary đ For salsa classes in Cali I recommend El manicero although it's a little pricey and there's a lot of places to practice, my favorite is La Topa Tolondra, but if you are interested in the old school style, you should go to Tintindeo
Hello! Iâm travelling Ecuador right now, just came from Colombia. For the sandals I recommend you to take the ones that are not birkestocks mainly because of the lost city hike. They want you to bring water shoes for river crossings and the sandals you showed in the picture are perfect for that. (Itâs possible to do the rive crossings barefoot, but itâs more difficult that way)
Thanks for the tip! â€ïž Hope you're having a fab time xx
I went to the Galapagos a few years back, regarding the sandals bring a good walking pair that can also get wet.
Bet the Galapagos was incred đ okay cool, noted!
@@BackpackingBananas Also regarding island hopping in the Galapagos, bring motion sickness pills!! The boat drivers were crazy and drove so fast that everyone on the boat got sick, we took a plane for the next island hop because it was so bad.
Just got back from the Philippines a month ago. Heading to Lebanon for the first time in 3 months and starting to plan now. đ
So happy youâre going to Colombia, you are going to love it! Make sure you try out as much food as possible. I hope you enjoy my beautiful country đ
How have I gone through life not knowing about the google maps star thing?!
Sarah McDougall I discovered it a few months ago while planning my own trip around south america, and you can also save places to specific lists !!
Sarah McDougall Same!!!! So happy to have discovered it!
I make lists of restaurants and sightseeing and bars and hotels etc I want to try etc on Google maps. That way when you are out for the day, and want to grab something to eat, you can see if one of your saved places is nearby.
Just have to say, I love your videos. I've commented before about how I can't travel any more and watching your channel gives me a bit of that old feeling about the travels I did before. Also, you are a delight to watch, you come across so sweet and genuine, not pretentious like some others I've seen on CZcams. Thanks for sharing a part of your life. Keep up the great work.
Planning on going solo backpacking in south america in the fall of 2023. Will be doing a lot of research until then and have to find ways of generating more income in order to make this trip financially possible whilst keeping my appartment in Montreal †also considering havinf remote gigs, but I would really like not to have to work too much.
thanks for having such a rad channel miss Bananasđ
It's actually a smart idea to narrow down the countries to just 2. I randomly decided to create an itinerary for backpacking south America and when I started discovering all the beautiful spots I was like ahhhh fuck theres too many beautiful places and I don't want to rush so I'll probably just do Brazil, Colombia and Peru for this first round hopefullyyyy.
Going to Southeast Asia in 38 days. Sooo excitedđđ
Wooooooop đđŒđđŒđ€©đ€©đ€©
Have you tried Chacos (hiking sandals)? Theyâre great and come in styles from leather to webbing, (much like the Columbia ones you had shown). I personally donât like the toe loop styles, but some people swear by them. Sounds like great fun, especially the salsa festival! Safe travels and keep the vids coming!!
Never heard of them! But I'll have a look đ thanks â€ïž
I recommend you research a little about what's going on in Ecuador. There's been a lot of protest from the people against the government. People have died in these protests, so just have that in mind for your own safety. I know about this since I live just next to Ecuador.
I have done đ have a look later on in the vid đ I will deffo keep an eye on it though!
I didn't see a star in the Catedral Lajas. You must return, also the river of colors Caño Cristales, zimpaquira Salt Cathedral 100 feet under ground. Villa de Leyva. Barranquilla backpacker dream
Iâve just come back from a month long trip round parts of Canada and east US - it was insane! Canât wait to see your vlogs in South America, would love to go there one day! đ
Amazing đ€© so glad to hear you had a fab time đđŒ
This makes me so excited to travel the world
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right behind you with my trips thailand /philipines for 30 days in each country next month . probably my next one will be in colombia
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If you come to BogotĂĄ y Will be charmed to show you my city, or if you need a couchsurfing too, have a good trip !!!
Ahh I'm soo excited about this trip! I hope you have an amazing time. Can't wait for the vlogsđđ
Me too Olina!! There will certainly be many many vlogs đ
I've decided I'm finally going to go on my first solo trip around south east asia for 6 months. Would love to fit in India and Japan too but not sure my budget will stretch. So excited and nervous xx
Amazing đ€©đ€© well India is SUPER cheap so that one may be more doable than Japan đ
I was successful with finding a quality fun Galapagos trip while in country :) Hope you get to go. Thanks for the planning tips
Well done! I really hope I can make it possible đ my pleasure â€ïž
I literally looked at your chanel two days ago for a south america video (before it was posted) and i am so happy you uploaded this! Literally leaving for Colombia in less than a week and unlike you, I am not the best with planing. Hahaha, I have a tendancy of just going with the flow and finding places on the way.
I haven't even flown in 8 years and now I'm less then a month away from moving to the other side of the world - WH AUS.
Wooohoooo đđŒđđŒ that's so soon!
Best of luck!!
I would recommend NEMO, its a free app that's a bit better than duolingo in my opinion, especially for languages like Chinese and greek which don't use the Roman alphabet. Anyway love your videos and optimism. Have a great trip!
Can't wait for your new business!!!! I want it all and I only can assume what it's going to be.
Yas girl đđđ€©đ€© I'm honestly buzzing to share it properly with everyone!
When are you coming to Brazil? I bet you'll love it
For our last 3 trips, we did carry on only. It's great! You just have to wash clothes every week or so.
I just have been in Columbia for 3 months (1.5 months in Cali) I highly recommend the La Sucursal Hostel in Cali. They have professional Salsa and Batchata teachers in the Hostel. I am so excited for you and I need to hold back not to fill 1000 comments with recommendationes.
Also in Ecuador I recommend the Community Hostels and for the Galapagos: it is not as expensive as you think. Bring a snorkel and do heaps of free snorkling and enjoy the sealions
Always enjoy your videos, despite being about South America this video got me so excited for my trip to New Zealand soon. I've been binging your videos in preparation as I have no solo travelling experience and they've been so helpful.
Yay đ€©đ€© that's exactly what I want đ NZ is gonna be awesome đđŒđđŒ
@@BackpackingBananas Thank you I cant wait I'm counting down the days at this point
They aren't backpackers, but some van life channels I watched either just left Columbia or just arrived. They are the Mattneys and Trent and Allie. The Mattneys just left Ecuador during their current protests. So you may want to watch their videos first. Trent and Allie just made it there.
Came back to this video.... AND NOTICE CHRISTIANNE WEARING HER SOLO TEEEEE
I lovee this video! Please keep us updated
Thanks Wynne â€ïžâ€ïž deffo!
hi! love don`t forget carnaval in barranquilla
Planning 3 months in South East Asia going to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines in January! First ever solo backpack trip as well :)
It's good that they have the warning up for Ecuador, the situation right now looks really bad, but hopefully it will get better soon.
From my friends' experience, really good trainers (like you mentioned) are enough, because if you plan on hiking up mountains over two days or something, you will have to rent winter trousers, a jacket, gloves and real hicking boots anyway
That's good to know that it's possible to rent equipment!
@@BackpackingBananas She did Cerro San Cristobal in Peru though, not exactly where you are going but I am sure that this also counts for other countries! Especially when the temperature on the summit is below zero
Hand luggage on many flights in Colombia is just an under the seat bag. They may have options to pay extra for a larger carry on but thatâs definitely something to look into before hand since by far the easiest way to get around Colombia is flying
Good to know! Thanks đ
I found your channel when researching scratch maps for my dad's birthday lol (LOVE your map, btw) and you're now my new favorite CZcamsr. You're really inspiring to watch/listen to and you're making me want to travel more!
Im planning going to Peru and Bolivia and Im suuuuper excited. Go for the hiking sandals!
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Hugs from a J&L Legend! I am excited that you are going to venture over to The Americas. I donât know nearly enough about South America, so it will fun to see what you get up to there.
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Going to Costa Rica in February-March for 17 days and then going to SouthEast Asia in October for 3 months!
Im planning for my 1 year working holiday in australia, never been away alone before so im very very excited! Just 4 months of grinding at work left and i will have the funds đ
Another excellent video, hope you have a great time. I only discovered your channel through the "cheap eats in London video" but now I watch them avidly. 20 years ago I went on an group holiday to Bolivia and Peru and loved it!
Thanks Martin đ 20 years ago wow! I bet it has probably changed a lot since then
In some ways it probably has but I expect places like Machu Picchu are still as beautiful as I remember. No Google maps or vlogs when I went, it was guided, but you have so many options nowadays it is exciting.
soothing tones again...currently exploring Rome then Tuscany.
Hope you're having a fab time!!
Cliche, but you are inspiring me to travel. Iâve been wanting to travel, and I finally got my first passport last year, so Iâve had the travel itch. But you are motivating me
Yay đ€©đ€©
You should go back to Margaret River again!!!đŠđșđđŠđș
Haha I'm sure I'll be back at some point
South America is a good choice. Goodluck on your trip Christianne. I love your Mac desktop.. so pretty. đđ
Thanks Justin đ
Can't wait for this video series. Your awesome. Great video Christie!
Can't believe I saw you on secret eaters on weekend ha
Hahahahaha honestly I can't believe that either đđđ hilarious that they're still showing it on TV, I think we filmed that 5 or 6 years ago!
Besides the planning video i love that golden globe and scratch map. Must buy these for myself!
Iâm off to the Philippines because you inspired me to go from your vlogs!!
Yay đ€©đ€©đ€©
Coffee break Spanish podcast is a good one to listen to x
Oh awesome! Thanks! Will have a look xxx
I mainly listen to it when driving or whatever just as extra! Would ideally like to try Rosetta Stone but wanna try all the free things first!
Good luck with your light weight packing. I just did 5 weeks in Berlin with carry-on only - (a standard Jansport school book bag!). And was able to do 4 weeks at a language school. đ. Your trip is obviously longer and more in depth. But I was surprised I got by with SO LITTLE. I might say that one week at a language school is going to go by SO FAST. But it will add to the experience đ.
I'm also planning to be in South America from late Dec through to the end of Feb! I'm keen to see what more you post in the lead up - I'd love to catch up with you at some leg of the journey. You've been a great inspiration for my solo travels so far, and I genuinely reckon we'd me great mates given the chance! disfruta tu planificaciĂłn!
Definitely visit the Capital Bogota and then go to Cartagena on the Caribbean coast. I just left there to come to PerĂș. Youâll love it.
Oh and stay at Life Is Good Cartagena. Best hostel Iâve ever stayed at đđŒ
Oohh I'll have to check it out đ thanks for the recommendation xx
I've been living in Quito for the last six month and you should definitely visit Ecuador. The country is extremely beautiful and because it is so small it doesn't take too much time to travel between different destinations. What I especially find really amazing about the country is, that there are not that many tourists so you meet a lot of locals while you travel. And it is actually pretty safe, the only places where you need to be a bit careful are Quito and guayaquil.
You're amazing. As a complete beginner backpacker, this has been really helpful! Thank you!
Hi Christianne, sooo excited that you are going to Colombia! I have been there with my friend and it was awesome! You should definetly do the lost city trak, the sunrise views are so stunning! My friend used trekking shoes by adidas which have a very good sole for muddy and slippery grounds which is so useful for the hike! Also dont miss out on Isla Providencia! The diving is incredible and you will see lots of sharks :)
Thanks for the recommendations! đâ€ïž
I just went last summer to Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and a little of Panama! If you donât end up going to Ecuador - peru would be amazing but also I did a sailing trip from Cartagena through the Islas de San Blas in Panama that was like the best week of my life! Would recommend! In Ecuador stay at Kamala in Montanita and Papachos in Banos! Baños is incredible so many fun adventure activities!!! Also definitely check out Guatape outside of Medellin!!!
Also! I always just travel with hand luggage - I have a 40 L. I brought trainers, adventure sandals (I have croc literites), nicer sandals (I have Tevas that are the leather nicer ones) and flip flops/shower shoes.
I saw your top and thought oh that could be something and then read the bio!! Woo haha, looks great!
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Just discovered about the star feature!!! Wow!!! Love it! I'm going to use it so much now. Thank you so much!!!!
the thing is that even if ecuador is smaller, he got 4 regions that are completely different so we got islands, highlands with mountains and volcanoes, coastal areas with amazing beaches and the amazon region so like jungle and stuff