Monday Escape: Sognefjord, Norway

Today’s Monday Escape takes you to the stunning Sognefjord in Western Norway. It’s the longest fjord in Norway and the second longest in the world. Norway is not an ideal place to be as a backpacker as it’s one of the most expensive countries in Europe. Nonetheless, it’s a beautiful place – even in the [...]

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Interview with Backpackingmatt at Sosauce

Alisha over at Sosauce contacted me a couple weeks back and expressed her interest in interviewing me as part of Sosauce’s Travel Talk series. I was flattered and thought it was a terrific idea. In their Travel Talk interviews, Alisha seeks out travel bloggers and other members of the online travel community and interviews them [...]

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Friday Travel Photo: New Zealand Sunrise

This sunrise shot was taken by Nicole early one morning in late November. We slept in our van near the beach on New Zealand’s South Island. She woke up early to wait for the sun to rise. Me? I was asleep. Technorati Tags: Friday Travel Photo, New Zealand Working Holiday

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Wwoofing in New Zealand: Tips and Experiences

Welcome to Backpackingmatt.com! If you’re planning a trip to New Zealand, be sure you check out these 15 Tips for Your First Experience Backpacking in New Zealand. Have questions? Email me at matt (at) backpackingmatt (dot) com. I’m living in Queenstown and happy to help you plan your trip here. Today’s guest post comes from [...]

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Monday Escape: Vejer de la Frontera, Spain

Today’s Monday’ Escape takes you to Vejer de la Frontera – one of the most beautiful, yet forlorn, towns on the Ruta de los Pueblos Blancos in Southern Spain. The old, whitewashed village (save for the iron gates along the walls and the exotic flowers snaking up buildings) is known for having the highest suicide rate [...]

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Bridal Veil Falls – New Zealand

New Zealand’s Bridal Veil Falls are located on the North Island’s west coast in the Waikato Region. At 55 meters high (180 feet), they are often regarded as being the most spectacular waterfalls on the North Island. It’s a beautiful area of New Zealand, with vast expanses of green, rolling hills. While the Huka Falls [...]

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Monday Escape: Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand

Franz Josef Glacier is 12 kilometers long and found on New Zealand’s West Coast (South Island). It’s the world’s fastest moving glacier – moving at speeds of up to one meter per day. Big Franz Glacier is located only 300 meters above sea level and is surrounded near its base by temperate rainforest. It’s a [...]

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How to Buy a Campervan in New Zealand

When I first made plans to move to New Zealand, buying a campervan was never something I imagined myself doing. While I am here on a working holiday, I didn’t suspect I’d want to invest in a vehicle. I have never owned a car in the US, and I certainly didn’t think I would buy [...]

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Monday Escape: Amsterdam

On my interrail trip across Europe in 2008, I decided to begin my journey across the continent in Amsterdam. Amsterdam was a ‘must see’ for me and should be for any backpacker. Considering its location, Amsterdam is a logical place to start your interrail trip. You can head south to France via Belgium, or you [...]

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Day Tripping from Edinburgh

Today’s guest post was submitted by Nicole Graham. Nicole has a passion for Scotland that is probably unsurpassed by few. Nicole has also written a great post about her hometown and favorite city in the world, Edinburgh – read about her perspective of Scotland’s capital here. Many people often come to Scotland for a city [...]

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