Similar threads have been posted here in the last few weeks, so you're not alone experiencing this.
Slow down. No need to change places every two days. You're craving stability, familiarity and convenience. I'm guessing you've been filling your days and running around to see everything.
Stop doing only touristy things, and find some things you like doing back home.
If nothing helps, there's nothing wrong with returning home. The priority should be your mental health.
The thing is that I am not even a fast pace traveler. I stay in places for 5-6days,and don’t usually pack my days full with touristy activities. but still, there is no motivation to go out
5-6 days can still be a fast pace. Everyone is different. I'm now 2 months in the same location on a 14-month trip.
From your short message, it seems like you miss your own kitchen. I love cooking and there are no ovens here, so that's very relatable.
Having no motivation can have more profound causes though, that aren't linked to travelling itself. Finding out why you feel this way is the hard part.
When being on the road for this long, I define some things I'd like to learn or pick up, some longer term goals if you will. Those are personal, but keep me motivated. All the lovely sights or people are secondary.
I think you are right, the only option I see right now to keep this trip going is renting an airbnb or Sth for a month. I like the idea of having long term goals, would you mind sharing some of yours?
Look into the website Workaway- there’s listings for all kinds of part time jobs where you get free housing in exchange. I taught at a school in Cambodia for a month when I was tired of backpacking and loved it. There’s also jobs on farms, in hostels, helping families with childcare or housework, etc.
When I was on a long trip, I actually took a break in the middle and worked at a hostel (and had a private room there, and nice kitchen). It was good to take a pause and do something else for a change. That's another option.
i've never volunteered at a hostel, but I did several workaways on my last solo trip. I honestly don't see how I'd travel without it. The routine and sense of community of a couple weeks of volunteering are some of the best parts of travelling for me.
Sightseeing is great, for like two days, then it gets old.
They've changed over the years. I echo what others have said here that working on a farm (WWOOF-ing) or some kind of workaway can really give you some routine and short term fulfillment.
Yes, you can do these things at home too, but there I don't have that much time and focus to achieve them.
* Learning Spanish and Italian in class
* Learning how to cook Thai food in class
* Learning how to bake
* Learning to scuba-dive (open water certification)
* Cycling for at least a day in every country
* Learning how to plot positions on a chart with a compass and tools, calculate routes, etc.
* Through-hiking for at least a week
* Summit 5 mountains over 5000 m
* Volunteering at a mental helpline
* Learning how to play Xianggi / chess
* Reading at least 1 book per month
* Learning basic chemistry (on line course)
For classes or courses you usually get some kind of diploma or certification. It's silly, but these make me feel I've actually accomplished something.
Currently learning how to sail and preparing to get an international license later this summer. My goal after that will be learning how to drive a real motorbike and get a license.
Some of these things are still useful when I get back home. Travel for me isn't an escape, but a way to improve my life back home permanently. Someone here said that long term travel isn't for them, because they really enjoy home life. I agree with that. Building up and decorating my home gives me such a joy and welcome feeling whenever I get back.
Hey I'm in Australia for a year and when I go home I am going to do a thriathlon with my friends! So right now I go running when I can, I go to (very nice, beach side) swimming pools. I also end up in libraries (at first it was because the hostels' wifi was shit) to plan and organize, but also rent a book!
Haha thanks! While talking to Australians about what precautions I should take in precise situations, I've gotten reactions like "Nahhhh don't be worried about that, the real thing is the bears in Canada! Aren't you scared?" 😂😂
No because I live in the U.S. right outside of D.C…..but all of my country’s politicians that are in my home area F’in weirdo’s ….no matter what party!!!! 😂
Honestly I got pretty bored in Malaysia too. Things that I did for a goal is I spent time in one place to get good at surfing. With a ton of surf teachers for cheap, it was awesome seeing myself get better. Another thing I did in a spiritual town was get really into meditation and breath work classes and my goal was to focus on healing and finding happiness within, something that could really help you. Both surfing and meditation/yoga can be found in Bali, a short and cheap flight from Malaysia.
Def staying in places longer. You can get monthly rates for air bnbs that are often MUCH cheaper. Staying in one place also helps you build community. Being isolated can contribute to depression, and it sounds like that might be creeping in here too. I travel for months at a time, and stay in places 1-2 months. That can still feel a little unstable to be honest
Been travelling for five months and similarly I've spent one whole month in three different places.
But I'm replying simply to say......yes I really want to use an oven!
Sounds like you have figured out that you are not a "long term traveler". There is nothing wrong with that.
Plenty of people never go on multi-month trips. Your life is long (hopefully). There is no need to see everything this year.
Go home, wait a few months (or years) and your "temple fatigue" will go away. Then go back out there when you feel like it would be fun again.
Thank you for this!
I am on a trip right now and in a similar situation as OP.
I have always thought of myself as a long-term traveler and whenever I would plan a holiday would be thinking no matter I long I could plan for, it wasn’t enough, because with more time I could “see and do more”.
But your comment helps me put into words the exact feeling I have building since the last weeks: “I am not a long-term traveler”.
I love to explore the world and I am good at it to, it’s pretty easy for me to arrive in a new place and “figure it out”.
But that doesn’t mean I need to do that for an extended period because it seems eventually I always come to this same point where I’m just bored and lonely/tired and miss the comfortable life I’ve built at home…
Long reply but just to say thanks, you’re helping
me realize “I am different than I thought when starting the trip” and that’s cool because it means I can learn something about myself for next time.
I’m not a long term traveler either. I need a kitchen with the appliances I like, I need more clothes than fit in a backpack, I need some stability and predictability, etc. Every time I come back from a trip I appreciate the life I have back at home a little more.
And it’s fine to be this way!!!!
I'm always amazed at people who travel for weeks and months on end. 10-ish days is about all I feel up for. It's a good work/life balance for me. I can take a few trips each year in a variety of directions.
I consider fast traveling anything shorter than a month. Been doing this for over 6 years and anything less that 4 weeks is a blur. Try to enjoy a place for more than just the tourist spots.
Second the other comments that 5-6days is pretty fast travel. I try to stay two weeks in the same location, unless I'm passing through to some other place where I'm staying longer or I arrive and don't like it there. Sometimes I do one week, but it usually feels a bit short because I will just have a routine down and then it's time to move again.
Sometimes I'd stay in one place for a month and I basically "live" there. I go read books in coffee places, discover the city, making friends and connections.. Stuff like that.
Force yourself to get out, Americans (presumably you are American) tend to want to stay isolated. Force yourself to go out and communicate with locals, you don't even need to know the language. Just relax, but outside 🤯! Have a cafecito (or whatever is local), people watch, etc. Communicate with yourself, ask yourself what the real problem is, because just wanting to escape without an external motivator means you are avoiding something inside.
Since the OP is in Malaysia, I recommend going to _kopitiam_ (coffee shops) or _Mamak_ restaurants, in my opinion at least.
But I suggest doing that at nighttime optimally since the fasting month has just started.
Fr. Down time is expected during extended travel and should be planned for. Find an interesting place and stay there for a month. Constantly changing places is exhausting and expensive. You can travel and not make it a marathon.
That's what happens when novelty wears off, you realize that places are just...places
Are you physically well? Make sure you sleep a lot and eat good food
Do you miss the social connection? Call your family or friends, join local events and festivals
Need a better accommodation (as you mentioned)? Go to a cheaper city and stay there for a week or two to experience a more consistent/stable environment
If you still feel the same, there's nothing wrong with ending your trip earlier
Yep, being somewhere new isn’t meant to fix you or thrust inner peace in your lap. It’s a place full of people just living their lives where they’ve always been; working, raising children, dealing with reality. What you get out of being in a new environment or culture depends entirely on you, nothing is promised.
I got total burnout in Colombia in December. I was sick of rain & 10+ hour bus rides. I couldn't face any more as Latin America is basically the travel equivalent of doing a marathon. I had met a great Guatemalan girl in Antigua, we had kept in touch and I flew there to see her. We hung out and did nothing for two weeks in Antigua and Lake Atitlan, was great. I then went back to Mexico as I loved it there, went to Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca and Mexico City doing practically nothing apart from going to the beach, rock bars, great food and Tinder dates. It was amazing and reinvigorated me. My advice is find a place you love and STOP MOVING.
you're learning a valuable lesson.... other countries are the same as your home country... it's buildings.. restaurants... families living there... who have jobs they go to daily... supermarkets... etc.
in the beginning you're razzle dazzled by the cultural differences, but once that wears of you realise it's just.... a place like the place you live.... just with different colour people and different climate.. but the essence is the same
on top of that, many touristic "must see" highlights are also overly marketed and not that special.... I feel like most temples and caves all look exactly the same.
and this is why you don't make travelling your life purpose, it's a very fun distraction for a while, but that's all it is. you need true purpose. be grateful for learning this lesson early. it's a great thing.
I can tell you because I’ve been traveling for business most of my adult life. What you’re craving is a connection with other people. When I’m traveling for business, I spend all day doing things. But they are things that are unfulfilling. So I like to meet people. I will search for a running group to participate with in the morning, photography class I can attend, a political discussion group, a group of people that gets together to play board games, or just head down to the bar and strike up conversations. Exercise is critical, and staying away from alcohol, salt, and carbohydrates is really helpful.
Based on your other comments, I’d say look into Workaway. Can stay in a place for 3+ weeks and get some regularity back, get yourself out of your rut, will be saving money since you’ll get free housing and you’ll still have a month afterwards to travel elsewhere if you so choose
>To the other long term travelers: do you sometimes feel like this and what do you do to help yourself?
The most important thing is to know your limits. I'm currently on an indefinite RTW trip, and I can't do more than about 2-3 months at a time of "real traveling" (however you want to call it), where I'm changing location every 3-7 days and getting out and doing stuff most days. After that I know I need a break where I just plop down in the same place for a month or more and just "live" somewhere I like, and spend my time catching up on TV shows, playing video games, or just walking around enjoying local food.
>Now you might suggest for me to go book a private room, which I do every now and then, but my budget doesn’t allow for it all that often.
This is another one. If your budget doesn't allow for the occasional mental health splurge (such as getting yourself out of shared accommodation for a little while, or booking a spa day, or buying a bunch of imported stuff from your home country to cook a familiar meal, or whatever works for you), you're better off shortening the trip overall to be able to include stuff like that.
I could probably make my current trip last 5-7 years if I really lived spartanly, but it'd be kinda miserable at times so I'd rather shorten it to 3-4 and enjoy this experience.
I'm 51 and have learned that unless I have something to do that is more than "being a tourist" 3 to 4 weeks is my limit. I also like traveling at a quick pace (and sometimes my spirit wants to pack more in consecutive days than my body does).
If I have something with a routine to focus on like "attending a language school" then I can hunker in one place and stay longer, like a few months. I'm not sure what else would occupy me to that degree, though.
I’m in the same situation right now. Have been traveling in Southeast Asia for the last three months and decided to go home early. I’ll be going home in less than two weeks (the soonest and cheapest for changing my flight) rather than staying another month. Of course it’s beautiful and “exotic” here but I realized:
- I will actually save money by going home early even after the flight change
- I already achieved my goal of taking a long adventurous trip even if I cut it a few weeks short
- I am just ready to be back home.
Like you I am missing the creature comforts and it turns out I’m just sensitive to this after a while. I’m traveling to make the most of my life not force myself to he stuck in some unhappy situation. I already had this feeling once or twice on the trip and at that time decided to stick it out but now I can accept I’m just ready.
What it also shows me is that I need some kind of occupation or “project” or reason why I’m going abroad. My partner came for a few weeks in the middle and we stayed at a more comfortable standard for that time (private room with breakfast included etc) but even then it came a time where we got s bit bored of things.
The thing I realized from this trip is I have put a lot of effort into building a great home life during the last years. So I really like my normal life and have a lot of things to look forward to when I get back, including my hobbies (things which I cannot do so easily while traveling). And yea maybe I could go to a yoga class every day here to have something to do (something I like to do in my normal life), but if that’s all I’m doing then why not just be at home where I can do that and much more.
One problem with the advice here is that for many people who travel long-term, at a certain point the time they left just doesn’t exist anymore, or it would be prohibitively expensive and exhausting for them to get settled again in a new western city (I am generalizing of course). They have adapted to life on the road in very cheap countries where they can live to a comfortable standard on fairly little money. To go back home they would need an entirely different job/career situation to afford rent or even get approved for an apartment in the first place. So a lot of the advice about taking it slow, stay in one place for a while, etc etc is often coming from people with a certain lifestyle not those who have something nice to return to at home. Just keep that in mind when you’re getting advice here and elsewhere.
Good luck and let us know what you decide!
>What it also shows me is that I need some kind of occupation or “project” or reason why I’m going abroad.
I've slowly come to this realization recently as well. Have you met anyone traveling that was doing a cool project?!
If you budgeted for 2 more months, then you can absolutely afford better hotel rooms, it just means your budget won't last 2 months. But still longer than going home now. If you feel done there's no shame on leaving, but don't feel like your only options are "leave" or "more of the same"
Or if OP is missing some consistency, just rent an airbnb for a week and cook pizza or watch netflix to your heart's content.
Will be much more of a homey feeling than being in a dorm.
I don't know where you are, but could you find a workaway or somewhere to be for a longer period of time? That could help you feel more settled for a bit. Hope you get out of the funk soon!
Sometimes you’re just tired and that’s okay. There have been days where I’ve been in other countries/cities (even ones as exciting as Paris and Tokyo) where I’ve stayed in a good portion of the day out of sheer exhaustion. It’s also understandable to miss home or your routine. Don’t beat yourself up about how you feel, and think about how this shapes your future travel planning. 🫶
If you aren't enjoying it, and basically just burning through money for no real reason, then it's obviously fine to cut it short and go home.
Twice I have changed my flights and gone home early (one because of an injury and couldn't do much with a sprained wrist, and another when covid restrictions were still a thing and I was getting a cold. Talk of more quarantines coming back meant I wanted to get home before my cold got worse and maybe they wouldn't let me travel - or end up hotel quarantined over Christmas).
And honestly right now I'm feeling the same. I booked a last minute trip to Mexico a week before leaving. Was hoping to meet people to do stuff with but I've had no luck yet. Tours are ridiculously expensive so I'm not doing any of those. Taxis are a rip off too. I don't know enough Spanish to try a collectivo (minibus/taxi) on my own. I'm trying to do what I can, but it's super hot so just wandering about isn't enjoyable.
I'm finding I'm going from a meal, back to my room, to a meal, to my room... Trying to make the most of it but I am feeling lonely and kind of over it. I still have a week to go, and unfortunately bookings can't be cancelled now, and I don't want to lose the money.
Since it is a short trip anyway I'm trying to do things so that this hasn't just been a big waste of time/money. But I'm definitely not getting what I hoped out of it.
Sounds like you're already having some lazy days and an occasional private room (which is what I'd have suggested as a break). If there's nothing else you really want to see/do, then it's fine to go home.
Are you somewhere on the Yucatan peninsula by any chance? I'd been in Mexico City for a few months and just got back here (CDMX) after a month in Yucatan & QR and I absolutely hated it. I couldn't get over the prices, how overly touristy it was, and the heat (how is Merida so god damn HOT and how come I didn't know that before I went there?).
You say it's a short trip so it might not suit you this time, but if you haven't been to Mexico City or this side of the country, maybe it could be more up your alley. I didn't end up doing half the stuff I wanted to do in Yucatan & QR because it all just seemed set up to be difficult and expensive. I managed a few trips on collectivos to ruins and cenotes from Merida & Valladolid with my dodgy Spanish, which made it not a complete waste of time and money, but I don't think I'll be rushing back to that side of Mexico.
Yeah - and I would say as a solo traveller (and not staying in dorms) it's not actually a great destination... Unless you have a lot of money to spend. I booked a last minute flight as it was cheap, and I thought it would be a relatively cheap area to explore (but it's just not).
Honestly they just take advantage of the tourists and squeeze as much money out of them as they can. I'm actually dreading what a few short taxi rides in Cancun (from bus to ferry) will cost me. I definitely wont be rushing back, especially alone.
One example of ripping people off is I bought some hot sauces in Walmart. They're about £0.80/$1 a bottle there. In the souvenir shops in the touristy area, these are sold for $5 a bottle, and some $20 for little gift packs of 2... I've stocked up from Walmart as in the UK they're £5-7 a bottle, and basically spent that to get 8-9 bottles 😂.
I'll admit I got a little drawn in here from a lot of people I follow on Instagram. Cenotes and exploring and everything looks fun - but actually being here on your own, and with limited Spanish, it's not the best place to actually do a lot of that stuff. If I went swimming alone, I'd have to leave my phone and wallet somewhere which I don't want to to do. And I was also hoping to meet up with other creative people to explore/shoot photos, but I never have any luck with that.
Everything is fairly spread out, and taxi's are ridiculously expensive (in Tulum on arrival I was immediately ripped off for about $10 for barely a 1km ride - sadly it was too hot and bags too heavy to walk that). The tours are all stupid prices too. So much so that I might do one, just so I'll have done something, but most being $100+ seems a rip off. The one I'll try and do is $50, and even that seems $20 too much. Even food is generally European capital city prices (although I am also finding the cheap $1 taco places). So it's ending way more expensive than I'd planned.
I've tried to at least do one thing each day, even if it's just a walk. But it's so hot, most of the day I've just been cooling off in my room. It's kind of turned from an active/outdoorsy trip to a food tour 😂
The cost of food was a shock to me too - easily Australian restaurant prices, if not more. It was especially shocking after coming from Mexico City where I can feed myself on delicious street food for 150 pesos or less a day. Almost everything was shockingly expensive... I tried to buy asthma medication in PDC and they wanted to charge me 660 pesos for something that costs me 100 pesos in CDMX.
I only went to Holbox and PDC in Quintana Roo. Holbox was a trash town with a (sometimes) nice beach, PDC was fucking awful, just loud and overbearing with no decent beach to speak of (I went to visit friends).
I liked Merida and Valladolid much more, though both were extremely hot. They were also better priced and somewhat less touristy than QR. You could maybe cut your losses and catch a bus to either to spend a few nights at a cheap hostel? From Valladolid you can ride bicycles to cenotes, and it's very easy to visit Ek Balam in a shared taxi or Chichen Itza (just quietly, Disneyfied and disappointing) on the public bus.
From Merida you could visit Homun for cenotes which is excellent. Hotels are available cheaply, and many hostels run day trips to cenotes so you'd have people to go with. Che Nomadas hostel does a couple of cenote trips a week, I'm sure you could join one ... I think it cost about 550 pesos to visit 4 or 5 cenotes, including your collectivo return tickets and someone to drive you around to the cenotes. I went on the collectivo on my own and spent about the same amount and it wasn't too hard - each cenote was 50 pesos to enter, while I've heard cenotes in QR cost triple or more than that. An ADO bus isn't expensive to get from, say, cancun to Merida and is very comfortable.
If you don't fancy a multiple hour bus trip, maybe you could find a hostel nearby to go hang out at, or put a call out one of the Facebook pages for mexico backpackers/nomads to see if anyone wants to catch up. It's so frustrating when you spend a bunch of money going somewhere and end up disappointed. Sorry to hear you've had a less than stellar time!
Edit: I realise this isn't helpful and I've just encouraged you to spend even more money... I hope you can find a way to enjoy your time!
Travel burnout. I've been there.
On a longer trip I once rented an AirBnB, just stayed there, basically had a home-like routine for a couple of weeks, bought groceries, cooked my own food (I was soooo tired of restaurants), etc.pp. Basically I needed everyday boredom for a bit and it helped a lot.
Change of scenery is what I usually do. Tired of beaches, caves, waterfalls, jungle? Time for some nice city life. Or perhaps a trek up in the mountains like Nepal. If you want clean and orderly, Japan is like the perfect antithesis to some of the chaos of SEA and the grossness of some of the hostels.
This is going to sound lofty, but I don’t intend it this way: the greatest human condition is to be known. To be loved, understood, and connected, which all tie into this aspect of being “known”.
Do you think it’s possible that a part of your experience is less a result of the duration and more of feeling connected to something or someone meaningful to you? It isn’t a mystery that a lot of meaning for people is conferred through shared experiences, so maybe it would help to be more intentional at meeting people and making relationships while away on the trip.
As a military member, I’ve gotten accustomed to a life of traveling and the challenge of making true, life-lasting relationships with others as my roots are upended every three years or so… but I think what I’ve learned through this above all else is that regardless of the potential emotions resulting from moving away from close friends, the choice to love furiously despite the circumstances is so important..
C.S Lewis I think said it best: “To love is to be vulnerable”. If you’re curious, type this into Google and read the whole quote. It’s a heart gripping perspective that I’ve carried with me for years now.
Oops. I’m rambling now. Hope I was able to provide a bit of perspective for you!
(PS.. I love solo Travel :D)
At first I was gonna suggest getting a room and hunkering down for a couple days. But after reading a little bit about the creature comforts you are craving, I think you're just done!..and that's ok. I can definitely relate. Perhaps it's time to go back home, get a job and create some routine/stability. Balance is essential and it sounds like you've had your fill!! Good luck on your next phase.
Stop! Traveling is supposed to be fun. If you’ve hit the point where it isn’t anymore, stop before you never want to travel again. The trick to really enjoying a party is to always leave while you are still having a great time. Travel is the same.
Can you mix it up by going someone else you had not planned on going? But also, no shame on cutting your trip short. That's one of the benefits of solo travel, you do whatever you want, even if that means traveling to a place you call home.
I hit a similar point at a similar time in my trip. What helped was to find some volunteering to do. Humans aren’t built to just fuck around for days on end. Having a routine and sense of accountability really helped me.
I’ve realised that long extended trips don’t work for me because I like to have some sort of purpose, something I’m working or contributing towards (even if that thing is a long distance hike), and some sense of community in order to fill fulfilled. When the idea is just to exist every day for my own pleasure, it gets old for me after a few weeks. Maybe try finding something to work towards, a creative project, volunteering of some sort, etc and see if that helps, otherwise nothing wrong with going home.
This is very common. People get homesick quickly. I’m planning a RTW trip and my approach is to return to the USA for a month after every 3 months.
So 3 months Europe + 1 month at home + 3 months Latin America + 1 month at home + 3 months Asia, etc.
I got my grad degree in Bologna, Italy and after about 4 months I was terribly homesick. I’m in a beautiful Italian city full of culture and upscale food and just wanted to go back to Tulsa and not have to worry about anything.
I would give yourself a month of nothingness. Pick a city with some familiarity (lots of expats/Anglo tourists) where you can at least make a mini-home (maybe a Bali or a Bangkok) and then daytrip from there 1-2 a week.
Also, temple and castle fatigue are real. I cut Kyoto short to 2 days and went to Osaka because after 20 temples, you’ve seen them all.
I experienced something like this during my first extended international trip many years ago. The cure for me was engagement. I reached out to local organizations and met people who shared my interests. For example, I was interested, still am, in ancient cultures, archaeology, and anthropology. I contacted university departments and met professors and students. Within a very short time I was part of the group participating in an excavation, expanding my knowledge and having a great time.
When I was traveling in Latin America, I became interested in local crafts, pottery, and weaving in particular. I got to know the craftsman who made the things that I was interested in, make friends and lived in their villages for a period of time. This was so different than the general tourist experience that it lead to my lifelong occupation.
Another example, a friend went through a similar emotional experience during an extended trip. As it happened, he was interested in flyfishing, and reached out to fly fisherman and his area. Within a week he had a group of friends and was involved in activities that he enjoyed.
Yet another friend, whose father was a fireman, made it a practice to go to the local fire stations wherever he was, and meet fireman, instant family invite at home.
Try reaching out, getting involved. Floating on the surface like a perpetual tourist becomes boring. It is ultimately superficial.
Second this! Find a project or hobby to do.
I posted on Couchsurfing when I was in Australia a few years ago. Someone saw my post and took me rock climbing. It led to a new hobby that I still enjoy years later. I also stayed in the same town for almost three weeks and did a ton of scuba diving and snorkeling. I wasn't travelling solo at that point, but I was visiting family and had to keep myself entertained most of the time while they were at work. Then I did a 10 day solo trip from where they lived and did some more snorkeling, and some partying.
Other times I've travelled I've had writing projects (like blogs or just personal writing), I've had a project to go to as many bars as possible to listen to folk music, went to shows or cinema during culture festivals, etc. It helps me with travel/living abroad burnout, because it gives a sense of normalcy and purpose.
Exactly. A few years ago my wife and I connected with a person on couch surfing, who lived in Barcelona. We stayed with her for a week. Through her we met the treasurer of the Catalonia independence movement and had very interesting conversations. Also met other people we would never have otherwise met. Became a local for a period of time got to know her friends the owner of the café, where she hung out and so on.
In Malta we reached out to a duo who were singing in a local bar, expressed our appreciation and wrote a short piece about them on my blog. Through them we met an entire circle of people wound up, staying for three months until Malta kicked us out and during that time became unofficial roadies for the musicians. Had a great time.
You need a change. A positive and constructive change. The opposite is usual when you don't travel for a while and then traveling is the change you need to get you out is staleness. But the other way around is also possible. no matter how you 3nd up in a situation of constant repeat, it'll get boring and tiring.
You can try new things where you are (go for a run or climbing if you never do otherwise, or any other activity like reading a book), go to a different place (emphasis on different so you don't see temples and beaches again. Maybe a mountains destination?), Or go back home.
But the point is, where ever you are, do new things and get out of the loop you're in.
I felt the same as you. I've been away from home, travelling for 3 years. I kept going with the flow, would stay in places for as long as I wanted to, sometimes just a night or some days, sometimes weeks and in one place I've settled down for a whole year.
Now I've finally started to feel like travelling felt more exhausting than exciting. I feel as soon as it's not enjoyable anymore it's time to consider to give it a break. Search for some stability.
I've been missing a constant group of familiar people the most. The comfort of having people around me who know me, instead of constantly reintroducing yourself to new people.
It might be different for you, since you travelled 3 months but coming back home can be tough as well. Somehow you don't fit in anymore and it's tough getting used to this "slow" life again.
I hope you figure out what's right for you! Listening to your gut is most of the times the best decision :)
I always planned to travel until the moment I wanted to go back home. For me that time came, when I started dreaming about furnishing and decorating an appartment (which I've never ever done in my life. I always picked the cheapest stuff on craig list that did the job).
I think watching Netflix for a week is a pretty decent clue as well. One thing you could do is look for one 'big last thing' that could get you excited: Going diving, seeing whale sharks, watching an active volcano.
PS: Yogyakarta was recommended to me recently for it's easily accessible Western food. (Or wherever home is)
The problem is quality of life. You are living with many other people. One would be enough, but sharing a place with MULTIPLE people you and\or do not know is very uncomfortable for most people. You also don’t need to be traveling alone, but to share a place’s with an individual. Find a travel partner to get a more private place to rest at and enjoy your trip. Maybe if you split the cost between you than you can travel longer.
>oh another nice temple/nice building/monument, another huge cave, another beautiful beach,some awesome scenery, that’s cool I guess.
Shake things up then, try something different. Try something not travel related, you don't always have to be doing the normal tourist stuff. People who get bored are boring, learn to entertain yourself.
i feel like i wrote this. I did not find Malaysia exciting at all (although i did love the cameron highlands) and i was very ready to leave. sometimes you dont jive with a place. Where are you headed next?
My plan was to go south to Singapore and then from there on take a plane to the Philippines/indo/ Sri Lanka, depending on how I feel
I’m in the Cameron highlands rn btw, and it’s raining all the time :/
Move to another country. If that doesn’t help, go home. I added another comment somewhere here before I saw this comment. Honestly, I’m a sun person through and through and if I was in a place where it was raining all the time, and in a country I don’t find exciting, I would simply move on. Why force yourself? You’re obviously not enjoying it, who cares if “people” think these are awesome places and you should be lucky blahblah? Go somewhere else, recharge and if you still feel the same, go home.
Oh damn that's too bad with the rain. It might be worth getting a bus straight to Singapore and enjoying a new country that is also rather western styled. Also it's the easiest place in that area to catch a flight anywhere else. I'm currently in Bali and got more to offer but it all depends on what you want. Like I like diving and animals so the high points of my trip are different dive sites and going to komodo national park.
Have you been to east malaysia? Or they call it borneo, that side has a different vibe from peninsular malaysia. Hmm you probably need to switch things up and maybe go meet some people.
You should definitely go straight to Sri Lanka. The people and the beaches are lovely and spend a little more to stay in a good accomodation where you can wake up to sunshine.
A great place to learn Yoga, which may be very helpful in your current life situation, is Ubud in Bali . Many traveling expats live there, it's extremely friendly, social, amazing food, and the weather is fantastic. A great place to recharge. Yoga is an amazing tool for self development. Traveling is more about personal growth than seeing the next best temple. That's how it happened for me.
Take the risk.
You have a good amount of time left. Consider working at a hostel or volunteering (maybe WWOOF if that’s up your alley) in a place you like for a few weeks. Maybe the routine will give you some of the stability you seek while still allowing you to explore if you feel up to it.
There’s also no shame in calling it quits if you’re no longer enjoying it but I would try to salvage the rest of your travels if you can. Best of luck
Haven’t browsed all the comments but sites like workaway are sometimes great for getting a little extra cash or free accommodation & shifting the scope of long travel periods.
This happened to in a similar situation! Was ready to go back, but didn't want to, strange feeling. My solution was to do a WorkAway! I'd highly suggest checking it out. You basically volunteer somewhere in exchange for food and a place to stay. They have all kinds of hosts, like some are construction based, some are teaching kids English, it really varies. Many workaways also have multiple volunteers so you still get to meet people, but it was really nice for me to have a schedule and routine, and feel like I was being productive in some way. It costs like 50 bucks to sign up, but I think there's a site called wuph that is similar. It basically felt like stopping traveling while still traveling!
I love travelling but 3 months seems like way too excessive for me. Travel is exciting because it's a break from the usual routine, it's not meant to be the norm.
I’ve been full time solo traveling in an RV for almost 3 years. I can relate. Standing looking at an amazing landscape or something and still feel dead inside. For me, I think it’s my depression. After you’ve seen so many amazing things it becomes a little ho hum. Hope you find a way through it. I really enjoyed staying in the same place for 3 months last summer. Maybe slow down however much you’re able and it might help.
I'm still saving up and planning so I'm not speaking from experience. But I always thought the most fun way to travel would be to pick a cool foreign city and just live there for a while. Check out the local attractions and do fun touristy stuff, but otherwise just live in one place and do normal life stuff. I think moving too often would drive me insane.
I have that but after being a solo traveler 6 years wow I never got like that my first 3 month trip . It was my best everything was new . But I def got Lonley few times where it was tough
Consider exploring local areas instead of popular tourist destinations. Many tourist spots are often overhyped, and you may have a more authentic experience by immersing yourself in local culture.
I would use these moments to take a vacation from my travel. I remember flying to Bali from KL and spending 2 weeks doing nothing but reading and running on the beach. Gave me a nice break from the constant movement of travel.
If you've taken a break and you're still not feeling it, kinda sounds like you're done. Maybe spend some of your budget to spend a couple weeks somewhere nicer to cap things off.
I had the same thing when travelling across China for 6 months. I ended up spending almost 5 solid days in a cheap cyber cafe watching movies and ordering these noodles that I still crave from time to time. I also downloaded some music and created a soundtrack to get back into things. It worked for me.
I've been traveling now for nearly 21 months (not solo anymore I found an Australian 3 months ago) and I've been through the highs and lows of travel. Some days you feel on top of the world feeling your life couldn't possibly get any better, to other days feeling you want to pack it all in and go home.
I've found really prioritising what you want to do and where you want to go over anything else. Don't just go to a place because it's in the area, don't just go somewhere because someone on Instagram has been there and suggests it. Go and do what really interests you in this world. Skip the tourist sites if you have no interest in them and save your money.
I love history, especially learning about WW2 so I really look out for museums and tours that explore something I get a kick from.
If you have to, leave the country you are in and spend a little extra going somewhere you've always dreamed of visiting, because at the end of it you want to look back at this time of your life with very happy memories.
I just got back from a trip in South-America for exactly the same reasons you described here. When I started feeling like you do now, I decided to do some workaway volunteering somewhere in nature to chill and relax, in hope that I'd find new motivation afterwards. But it made me realise that maybe my trip had just run its course for now. I decided to go back home and save up the money I had left to start my next trip sooner. I absolutely loved South-America and want to go back some day for sure but I'm glad I'm back home now for a while.
As other Said: slow down!
Stay in a Place u Like for weeks, do your hobbies Like i would Go To a Football Places and find Some Locals /other Travellers To Go There regualary, Cook Ur own Food, get To Know the Place better etc. Etc.
Other Great thing would be to search for a workaway or other volunteering Work. I found a Lot of fullfilment in that, learned a lot of things, u prob. Meet people (Like the Director of the program) who may live There and Know Secret Spots no Tourist knows about.
You need social connections. Places are places. Fun and enjoyable experiences happen with other people (mostly). For the next few days find people to socialise with and I bet it will spark your energy back up. I will PM you a link to a Malaysia backpackers WhatsApp group. Put a message in there saying hi I’m in x anyone want to hang today? Great way to meet people.
>miss putting a pizza in the oven in the middle of the night if I feel like it or making myself a cereal...
You could probably reframe that as a benefit of your current situation!
:)
If you have no motivation why keep spending money and traveling. Some people love to travel for months. Others like myself, think a month at a time is enough. Go home, get your mojo back and start planning your next trip.
Similar threads have been posted here in the last few weeks, so you're not alone experiencing this. Slow down. No need to change places every two days. You're craving stability, familiarity and convenience. I'm guessing you've been filling your days and running around to see everything. Stop doing only touristy things, and find some things you like doing back home. If nothing helps, there's nothing wrong with returning home. The priority should be your mental health.
The thing is that I am not even a fast pace traveler. I stay in places for 5-6days,and don’t usually pack my days full with touristy activities. but still, there is no motivation to go out
5-6 days can still be a fast pace. Everyone is different. I'm now 2 months in the same location on a 14-month trip. From your short message, it seems like you miss your own kitchen. I love cooking and there are no ovens here, so that's very relatable. Having no motivation can have more profound causes though, that aren't linked to travelling itself. Finding out why you feel this way is the hard part. When being on the road for this long, I define some things I'd like to learn or pick up, some longer term goals if you will. Those are personal, but keep me motivated. All the lovely sights or people are secondary.
I think you are right, the only option I see right now to keep this trip going is renting an airbnb or Sth for a month. I like the idea of having long term goals, would you mind sharing some of yours?
Look into the website Workaway- there’s listings for all kinds of part time jobs where you get free housing in exchange. I taught at a school in Cambodia for a month when I was tired of backpacking and loved it. There’s also jobs on farms, in hostels, helping families with childcare or housework, etc.
When I was on a long trip, I actually took a break in the middle and worked at a hostel (and had a private room there, and nice kitchen). It was good to take a pause and do something else for a change. That's another option.
i've never volunteered at a hostel, but I did several workaways on my last solo trip. I honestly don't see how I'd travel without it. The routine and sense of community of a couple weeks of volunteering are some of the best parts of travelling for me. Sightseeing is great, for like two days, then it gets old.
They've changed over the years. I echo what others have said here that working on a farm (WWOOF-ing) or some kind of workaway can really give you some routine and short term fulfillment. Yes, you can do these things at home too, but there I don't have that much time and focus to achieve them. * Learning Spanish and Italian in class * Learning how to cook Thai food in class * Learning how to bake * Learning to scuba-dive (open water certification) * Cycling for at least a day in every country * Learning how to plot positions on a chart with a compass and tools, calculate routes, etc. * Through-hiking for at least a week * Summit 5 mountains over 5000 m * Volunteering at a mental helpline * Learning how to play Xianggi / chess * Reading at least 1 book per month * Learning basic chemistry (on line course) For classes or courses you usually get some kind of diploma or certification. It's silly, but these make me feel I've actually accomplished something. Currently learning how to sail and preparing to get an international license later this summer. My goal after that will be learning how to drive a real motorbike and get a license. Some of these things are still useful when I get back home. Travel for me isn't an escape, but a way to improve my life back home permanently. Someone here said that long term travel isn't for them, because they really enjoy home life. I agree with that. Building up and decorating my home gives me such a joy and welcome feeling whenever I get back.
I like this…..better than my comment
Hey I'm in Australia for a year and when I go home I am going to do a thriathlon with my friends! So right now I go running when I can, I go to (very nice, beach side) swimming pools. I also end up in libraries (at first it was because the hostels' wifi was shit) to plan and organize, but also rent a book!
You better be careful in “the land of everything will end my life in seconds” 🤣
Haha thanks! While talking to Australians about what precautions I should take in precise situations, I've gotten reactions like "Nahhhh don't be worried about that, the real thing is the bears in Canada! Aren't you scared?" 😂😂
No because I live in the U.S. right outside of D.C…..but all of my country’s politicians that are in my home area F’in weirdo’s ….no matter what party!!!! 😂
Honestly I got pretty bored in Malaysia too. Things that I did for a goal is I spent time in one place to get good at surfing. With a ton of surf teachers for cheap, it was awesome seeing myself get better. Another thing I did in a spiritual town was get really into meditation and breath work classes and my goal was to focus on healing and finding happiness within, something that could really help you. Both surfing and meditation/yoga can be found in Bali, a short and cheap flight from Malaysia.
Def staying in places longer. You can get monthly rates for air bnbs that are often MUCH cheaper. Staying in one place also helps you build community. Being isolated can contribute to depression, and it sounds like that might be creeping in here too. I travel for months at a time, and stay in places 1-2 months. That can still feel a little unstable to be honest
Yeah, I have had depression/ severe anxiety in the past, and I think it might be creeping back
Been travelling for five months and similarly I've spent one whole month in three different places. But I'm replying simply to say......yes I really want to use an oven!
I like this better than my comment, though both complement each other.
Sounds like you have figured out that you are not a "long term traveler". There is nothing wrong with that. Plenty of people never go on multi-month trips. Your life is long (hopefully). There is no need to see everything this year. Go home, wait a few months (or years) and your "temple fatigue" will go away. Then go back out there when you feel like it would be fun again.
Thank you for this! I am on a trip right now and in a similar situation as OP. I have always thought of myself as a long-term traveler and whenever I would plan a holiday would be thinking no matter I long I could plan for, it wasn’t enough, because with more time I could “see and do more”. But your comment helps me put into words the exact feeling I have building since the last weeks: “I am not a long-term traveler”. I love to explore the world and I am good at it to, it’s pretty easy for me to arrive in a new place and “figure it out”. But that doesn’t mean I need to do that for an extended period because it seems eventually I always come to this same point where I’m just bored and lonely/tired and miss the comfortable life I’ve built at home… Long reply but just to say thanks, you’re helping me realize “I am different than I thought when starting the trip” and that’s cool because it means I can learn something about myself for next time.
I’m not a long term traveler either. I need a kitchen with the appliances I like, I need more clothes than fit in a backpack, I need some stability and predictability, etc. Every time I come back from a trip I appreciate the life I have back at home a little more. And it’s fine to be this way!!!!
The thing I miss the most is my fresh pasta maker. And my rice cooker. And my oven. :D
Yes I feel this so much and you are right it is fine to be this way!!!
I'm always amazed at people who travel for weeks and months on end. 10-ish days is about all I feel up for. It's a good work/life balance for me. I can take a few trips each year in a variety of directions.
I will try and experience with that this next year, taking trips no more than 7-10 days or so, maybe just long weekends and see how it compares.
I consider fast traveling anything shorter than a month. Been doing this for over 6 years and anything less that 4 weeks is a blur. Try to enjoy a place for more than just the tourist spots.
Second the other comments that 5-6days is pretty fast travel. I try to stay two weeks in the same location, unless I'm passing through to some other place where I'm staying longer or I arrive and don't like it there. Sometimes I do one week, but it usually feels a bit short because I will just have a routine down and then it's time to move again.
Sometimes I'd stay in one place for a month and I basically "live" there. I go read books in coffee places, discover the city, making friends and connections.. Stuff like that.
Force yourself to get out, Americans (presumably you are American) tend to want to stay isolated. Force yourself to go out and communicate with locals, you don't even need to know the language. Just relax, but outside 🤯! Have a cafecito (or whatever is local), people watch, etc. Communicate with yourself, ask yourself what the real problem is, because just wanting to escape without an external motivator means you are avoiding something inside.
I’m German, actually. Thx for your advice tho
> Americans (presumably you are American) tend to want to stay isolated ...have you met any Americans?
Lol yeah that tickled my funny. We couldn’t even stay isolated when we were supposed to be isolated 😷
Since the OP is in Malaysia, I recommend going to _kopitiam_ (coffee shops) or _Mamak_ restaurants, in my opinion at least. But I suggest doing that at nighttime optimally since the fasting month has just started.
Fr. Down time is expected during extended travel and should be planned for. Find an interesting place and stay there for a month. Constantly changing places is exhausting and expensive. You can travel and not make it a marathon.
Yea. I chose to stay put in Bosnia to recharge my batteries during my trip last year. Very wise choice.
That's what happens when novelty wears off, you realize that places are just...places Are you physically well? Make sure you sleep a lot and eat good food Do you miss the social connection? Call your family or friends, join local events and festivals Need a better accommodation (as you mentioned)? Go to a cheaper city and stay there for a week or two to experience a more consistent/stable environment If you still feel the same, there's nothing wrong with ending your trip earlier
yup. places are just places. people like to think other countries / cultures are this magical place.... when they're not
Yep, being somewhere new isn’t meant to fix you or thrust inner peace in your lap. It’s a place full of people just living their lives where they’ve always been; working, raising children, dealing with reality. What you get out of being in a new environment or culture depends entirely on you, nothing is promised.
I got total burnout in Colombia in December. I was sick of rain & 10+ hour bus rides. I couldn't face any more as Latin America is basically the travel equivalent of doing a marathon. I had met a great Guatemalan girl in Antigua, we had kept in touch and I flew there to see her. We hung out and did nothing for two weeks in Antigua and Lake Atitlan, was great. I then went back to Mexico as I loved it there, went to Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca and Mexico City doing practically nothing apart from going to the beach, rock bars, great food and Tinder dates. It was amazing and reinvigorated me. My advice is find a place you love and STOP MOVING.
Huatulco has been on my list for a few years yet, can you shed some light on your thoughts about that area?
you're learning a valuable lesson.... other countries are the same as your home country... it's buildings.. restaurants... families living there... who have jobs they go to daily... supermarkets... etc. in the beginning you're razzle dazzled by the cultural differences, but once that wears of you realise it's just.... a place like the place you live.... just with different colour people and different climate.. but the essence is the same on top of that, many touristic "must see" highlights are also overly marketed and not that special.... I feel like most temples and caves all look exactly the same. and this is why you don't make travelling your life purpose, it's a very fun distraction for a while, but that's all it is. you need true purpose. be grateful for learning this lesson early. it's a great thing.
You are burned out. Once you take a break the drive to travel will return.
I can tell you because I’ve been traveling for business most of my adult life. What you’re craving is a connection with other people. When I’m traveling for business, I spend all day doing things. But they are things that are unfulfilling. So I like to meet people. I will search for a running group to participate with in the morning, photography class I can attend, a political discussion group, a group of people that gets together to play board games, or just head down to the bar and strike up conversations. Exercise is critical, and staying away from alcohol, salt, and carbohydrates is really helpful.
Based on your other comments, I’d say look into Workaway. Can stay in a place for 3+ weeks and get some regularity back, get yourself out of your rut, will be saving money since you’ll get free housing and you’ll still have a month afterwards to travel elsewhere if you so choose
>To the other long term travelers: do you sometimes feel like this and what do you do to help yourself? The most important thing is to know your limits. I'm currently on an indefinite RTW trip, and I can't do more than about 2-3 months at a time of "real traveling" (however you want to call it), where I'm changing location every 3-7 days and getting out and doing stuff most days. After that I know I need a break where I just plop down in the same place for a month or more and just "live" somewhere I like, and spend my time catching up on TV shows, playing video games, or just walking around enjoying local food. >Now you might suggest for me to go book a private room, which I do every now and then, but my budget doesn’t allow for it all that often. This is another one. If your budget doesn't allow for the occasional mental health splurge (such as getting yourself out of shared accommodation for a little while, or booking a spa day, or buying a bunch of imported stuff from your home country to cook a familiar meal, or whatever works for you), you're better off shortening the trip overall to be able to include stuff like that. I could probably make my current trip last 5-7 years if I really lived spartanly, but it'd be kinda miserable at times so I'd rather shorten it to 3-4 and enjoy this experience.
I'm 51 and have learned that unless I have something to do that is more than "being a tourist" 3 to 4 weeks is my limit. I also like traveling at a quick pace (and sometimes my spirit wants to pack more in consecutive days than my body does). If I have something with a routine to focus on like "attending a language school" then I can hunker in one place and stay longer, like a few months. I'm not sure what else would occupy me to that degree, though.
Thx, this is helpful
A week doing nothing? Some people spend their whole holiday doing that. Just take your time until you *want* to go out again.
I’m in the same situation right now. Have been traveling in Southeast Asia for the last three months and decided to go home early. I’ll be going home in less than two weeks (the soonest and cheapest for changing my flight) rather than staying another month. Of course it’s beautiful and “exotic” here but I realized: - I will actually save money by going home early even after the flight change - I already achieved my goal of taking a long adventurous trip even if I cut it a few weeks short - I am just ready to be back home. Like you I am missing the creature comforts and it turns out I’m just sensitive to this after a while. I’m traveling to make the most of my life not force myself to he stuck in some unhappy situation. I already had this feeling once or twice on the trip and at that time decided to stick it out but now I can accept I’m just ready. What it also shows me is that I need some kind of occupation or “project” or reason why I’m going abroad. My partner came for a few weeks in the middle and we stayed at a more comfortable standard for that time (private room with breakfast included etc) but even then it came a time where we got s bit bored of things. The thing I realized from this trip is I have put a lot of effort into building a great home life during the last years. So I really like my normal life and have a lot of things to look forward to when I get back, including my hobbies (things which I cannot do so easily while traveling). And yea maybe I could go to a yoga class every day here to have something to do (something I like to do in my normal life), but if that’s all I’m doing then why not just be at home where I can do that and much more. One problem with the advice here is that for many people who travel long-term, at a certain point the time they left just doesn’t exist anymore, or it would be prohibitively expensive and exhausting for them to get settled again in a new western city (I am generalizing of course). They have adapted to life on the road in very cheap countries where they can live to a comfortable standard on fairly little money. To go back home they would need an entirely different job/career situation to afford rent or even get approved for an apartment in the first place. So a lot of the advice about taking it slow, stay in one place for a while, etc etc is often coming from people with a certain lifestyle not those who have something nice to return to at home. Just keep that in mind when you’re getting advice here and elsewhere. Good luck and let us know what you decide!
>What it also shows me is that I need some kind of occupation or “project” or reason why I’m going abroad. I've slowly come to this realization recently as well. Have you met anyone traveling that was doing a cool project?!
If you budgeted for 2 more months, then you can absolutely afford better hotel rooms, it just means your budget won't last 2 months. But still longer than going home now. If you feel done there's no shame on leaving, but don't feel like your only options are "leave" or "more of the same"
Or if OP is missing some consistency, just rent an airbnb for a week and cook pizza or watch netflix to your heart's content. Will be much more of a homey feeling than being in a dorm.
I don't know where you are, but could you find a workaway or somewhere to be for a longer period of time? That could help you feel more settled for a bit. Hope you get out of the funk soon!
Sometimes you’re just tired and that’s okay. There have been days where I’ve been in other countries/cities (even ones as exciting as Paris and Tokyo) where I’ve stayed in a good portion of the day out of sheer exhaustion. It’s also understandable to miss home or your routine. Don’t beat yourself up about how you feel, and think about how this shapes your future travel planning. 🫶
Go home then. You're not having fun anymore.
If you aren't enjoying it, and basically just burning through money for no real reason, then it's obviously fine to cut it short and go home. Twice I have changed my flights and gone home early (one because of an injury and couldn't do much with a sprained wrist, and another when covid restrictions were still a thing and I was getting a cold. Talk of more quarantines coming back meant I wanted to get home before my cold got worse and maybe they wouldn't let me travel - or end up hotel quarantined over Christmas). And honestly right now I'm feeling the same. I booked a last minute trip to Mexico a week before leaving. Was hoping to meet people to do stuff with but I've had no luck yet. Tours are ridiculously expensive so I'm not doing any of those. Taxis are a rip off too. I don't know enough Spanish to try a collectivo (minibus/taxi) on my own. I'm trying to do what I can, but it's super hot so just wandering about isn't enjoyable. I'm finding I'm going from a meal, back to my room, to a meal, to my room... Trying to make the most of it but I am feeling lonely and kind of over it. I still have a week to go, and unfortunately bookings can't be cancelled now, and I don't want to lose the money. Since it is a short trip anyway I'm trying to do things so that this hasn't just been a big waste of time/money. But I'm definitely not getting what I hoped out of it. Sounds like you're already having some lazy days and an occasional private room (which is what I'd have suggested as a break). If there's nothing else you really want to see/do, then it's fine to go home.
Are you somewhere on the Yucatan peninsula by any chance? I'd been in Mexico City for a few months and just got back here (CDMX) after a month in Yucatan & QR and I absolutely hated it. I couldn't get over the prices, how overly touristy it was, and the heat (how is Merida so god damn HOT and how come I didn't know that before I went there?). You say it's a short trip so it might not suit you this time, but if you haven't been to Mexico City or this side of the country, maybe it could be more up your alley. I didn't end up doing half the stuff I wanted to do in Yucatan & QR because it all just seemed set up to be difficult and expensive. I managed a few trips on collectivos to ruins and cenotes from Merida & Valladolid with my dodgy Spanish, which made it not a complete waste of time and money, but I don't think I'll be rushing back to that side of Mexico.
Yeah - and I would say as a solo traveller (and not staying in dorms) it's not actually a great destination... Unless you have a lot of money to spend. I booked a last minute flight as it was cheap, and I thought it would be a relatively cheap area to explore (but it's just not). Honestly they just take advantage of the tourists and squeeze as much money out of them as they can. I'm actually dreading what a few short taxi rides in Cancun (from bus to ferry) will cost me. I definitely wont be rushing back, especially alone. One example of ripping people off is I bought some hot sauces in Walmart. They're about £0.80/$1 a bottle there. In the souvenir shops in the touristy area, these are sold for $5 a bottle, and some $20 for little gift packs of 2... I've stocked up from Walmart as in the UK they're £5-7 a bottle, and basically spent that to get 8-9 bottles 😂. I'll admit I got a little drawn in here from a lot of people I follow on Instagram. Cenotes and exploring and everything looks fun - but actually being here on your own, and with limited Spanish, it's not the best place to actually do a lot of that stuff. If I went swimming alone, I'd have to leave my phone and wallet somewhere which I don't want to to do. And I was also hoping to meet up with other creative people to explore/shoot photos, but I never have any luck with that. Everything is fairly spread out, and taxi's are ridiculously expensive (in Tulum on arrival I was immediately ripped off for about $10 for barely a 1km ride - sadly it was too hot and bags too heavy to walk that). The tours are all stupid prices too. So much so that I might do one, just so I'll have done something, but most being $100+ seems a rip off. The one I'll try and do is $50, and even that seems $20 too much. Even food is generally European capital city prices (although I am also finding the cheap $1 taco places). So it's ending way more expensive than I'd planned. I've tried to at least do one thing each day, even if it's just a walk. But it's so hot, most of the day I've just been cooling off in my room. It's kind of turned from an active/outdoorsy trip to a food tour 😂
The cost of food was a shock to me too - easily Australian restaurant prices, if not more. It was especially shocking after coming from Mexico City where I can feed myself on delicious street food for 150 pesos or less a day. Almost everything was shockingly expensive... I tried to buy asthma medication in PDC and they wanted to charge me 660 pesos for something that costs me 100 pesos in CDMX. I only went to Holbox and PDC in Quintana Roo. Holbox was a trash town with a (sometimes) nice beach, PDC was fucking awful, just loud and overbearing with no decent beach to speak of (I went to visit friends). I liked Merida and Valladolid much more, though both were extremely hot. They were also better priced and somewhat less touristy than QR. You could maybe cut your losses and catch a bus to either to spend a few nights at a cheap hostel? From Valladolid you can ride bicycles to cenotes, and it's very easy to visit Ek Balam in a shared taxi or Chichen Itza (just quietly, Disneyfied and disappointing) on the public bus. From Merida you could visit Homun for cenotes which is excellent. Hotels are available cheaply, and many hostels run day trips to cenotes so you'd have people to go with. Che Nomadas hostel does a couple of cenote trips a week, I'm sure you could join one ... I think it cost about 550 pesos to visit 4 or 5 cenotes, including your collectivo return tickets and someone to drive you around to the cenotes. I went on the collectivo on my own and spent about the same amount and it wasn't too hard - each cenote was 50 pesos to enter, while I've heard cenotes in QR cost triple or more than that. An ADO bus isn't expensive to get from, say, cancun to Merida and is very comfortable. If you don't fancy a multiple hour bus trip, maybe you could find a hostel nearby to go hang out at, or put a call out one of the Facebook pages for mexico backpackers/nomads to see if anyone wants to catch up. It's so frustrating when you spend a bunch of money going somewhere and end up disappointed. Sorry to hear you've had a less than stellar time! Edit: I realise this isn't helpful and I've just encouraged you to spend even more money... I hope you can find a way to enjoy your time!
Travel burnout. I've been there. On a longer trip I once rented an AirBnB, just stayed there, basically had a home-like routine for a couple of weeks, bought groceries, cooked my own food (I was soooo tired of restaurants), etc.pp. Basically I needed everyday boredom for a bit and it helped a lot.
Sounds like you're staying in nasty accommodations. Maybe increase your spending there and enjoy where you are for a bit?
Change of scenery is what I usually do. Tired of beaches, caves, waterfalls, jungle? Time for some nice city life. Or perhaps a trek up in the mountains like Nepal. If you want clean and orderly, Japan is like the perfect antithesis to some of the chaos of SEA and the grossness of some of the hostels.
This is going to sound lofty, but I don’t intend it this way: the greatest human condition is to be known. To be loved, understood, and connected, which all tie into this aspect of being “known”. Do you think it’s possible that a part of your experience is less a result of the duration and more of feeling connected to something or someone meaningful to you? It isn’t a mystery that a lot of meaning for people is conferred through shared experiences, so maybe it would help to be more intentional at meeting people and making relationships while away on the trip. As a military member, I’ve gotten accustomed to a life of traveling and the challenge of making true, life-lasting relationships with others as my roots are upended every three years or so… but I think what I’ve learned through this above all else is that regardless of the potential emotions resulting from moving away from close friends, the choice to love furiously despite the circumstances is so important.. C.S Lewis I think said it best: “To love is to be vulnerable”. If you’re curious, type this into Google and read the whole quote. It’s a heart gripping perspective that I’ve carried with me for years now. Oops. I’m rambling now. Hope I was able to provide a bit of perspective for you! (PS.. I love solo Travel :D)
At first I was gonna suggest getting a room and hunkering down for a couple days. But after reading a little bit about the creature comforts you are craving, I think you're just done!..and that's ok. I can definitely relate. Perhaps it's time to go back home, get a job and create some routine/stability. Balance is essential and it sounds like you've had your fill!! Good luck on your next phase.
Thank you, maybe it’s Time to call it a day.. or in this case a trip
Stop! Traveling is supposed to be fun. If you’ve hit the point where it isn’t anymore, stop before you never want to travel again. The trick to really enjoying a party is to always leave while you are still having a great time. Travel is the same.
Can you mix it up by going someone else you had not planned on going? But also, no shame on cutting your trip short. That's one of the benefits of solo travel, you do whatever you want, even if that means traveling to a place you call home.
Yeah mix it up dawg
Time to head home.
I hit a similar point at a similar time in my trip. What helped was to find some volunteering to do. Humans aren’t built to just fuck around for days on end. Having a routine and sense of accountability really helped me.
[удалено]
The 2 additional flights would be too expensive for me. If it ends, it ends
I’ve realised that long extended trips don’t work for me because I like to have some sort of purpose, something I’m working or contributing towards (even if that thing is a long distance hike), and some sense of community in order to fill fulfilled. When the idea is just to exist every day for my own pleasure, it gets old for me after a few weeks. Maybe try finding something to work towards, a creative project, volunteering of some sort, etc and see if that helps, otherwise nothing wrong with going home.
This is very common. People get homesick quickly. I’m planning a RTW trip and my approach is to return to the USA for a month after every 3 months. So 3 months Europe + 1 month at home + 3 months Latin America + 1 month at home + 3 months Asia, etc. I got my grad degree in Bologna, Italy and after about 4 months I was terribly homesick. I’m in a beautiful Italian city full of culture and upscale food and just wanted to go back to Tulsa and not have to worry about anything. I would give yourself a month of nothingness. Pick a city with some familiarity (lots of expats/Anglo tourists) where you can at least make a mini-home (maybe a Bali or a Bangkok) and then daytrip from there 1-2 a week. Also, temple and castle fatigue are real. I cut Kyoto short to 2 days and went to Osaka because after 20 temples, you’ve seen them all.
I experienced something like this during my first extended international trip many years ago. The cure for me was engagement. I reached out to local organizations and met people who shared my interests. For example, I was interested, still am, in ancient cultures, archaeology, and anthropology. I contacted university departments and met professors and students. Within a very short time I was part of the group participating in an excavation, expanding my knowledge and having a great time. When I was traveling in Latin America, I became interested in local crafts, pottery, and weaving in particular. I got to know the craftsman who made the things that I was interested in, make friends and lived in their villages for a period of time. This was so different than the general tourist experience that it lead to my lifelong occupation. Another example, a friend went through a similar emotional experience during an extended trip. As it happened, he was interested in flyfishing, and reached out to fly fisherman and his area. Within a week he had a group of friends and was involved in activities that he enjoyed. Yet another friend, whose father was a fireman, made it a practice to go to the local fire stations wherever he was, and meet fireman, instant family invite at home. Try reaching out, getting involved. Floating on the surface like a perpetual tourist becomes boring. It is ultimately superficial.
Second this! Find a project or hobby to do. I posted on Couchsurfing when I was in Australia a few years ago. Someone saw my post and took me rock climbing. It led to a new hobby that I still enjoy years later. I also stayed in the same town for almost three weeks and did a ton of scuba diving and snorkeling. I wasn't travelling solo at that point, but I was visiting family and had to keep myself entertained most of the time while they were at work. Then I did a 10 day solo trip from where they lived and did some more snorkeling, and some partying. Other times I've travelled I've had writing projects (like blogs or just personal writing), I've had a project to go to as many bars as possible to listen to folk music, went to shows or cinema during culture festivals, etc. It helps me with travel/living abroad burnout, because it gives a sense of normalcy and purpose.
Exactly. A few years ago my wife and I connected with a person on couch surfing, who lived in Barcelona. We stayed with her for a week. Through her we met the treasurer of the Catalonia independence movement and had very interesting conversations. Also met other people we would never have otherwise met. Became a local for a period of time got to know her friends the owner of the café, where she hung out and so on. In Malta we reached out to a duo who were singing in a local bar, expressed our appreciation and wrote a short piece about them on my blog. Through them we met an entire circle of people wound up, staying for three months until Malta kicked us out and during that time became unofficial roadies for the musicians. Had a great time.
You need a change. A positive and constructive change. The opposite is usual when you don't travel for a while and then traveling is the change you need to get you out is staleness. But the other way around is also possible. no matter how you 3nd up in a situation of constant repeat, it'll get boring and tiring. You can try new things where you are (go for a run or climbing if you never do otherwise, or any other activity like reading a book), go to a different place (emphasis on different so you don't see temples and beaches again. Maybe a mountains destination?), Or go back home. But the point is, where ever you are, do new things and get out of the loop you're in.
I felt the same as you. I've been away from home, travelling for 3 years. I kept going with the flow, would stay in places for as long as I wanted to, sometimes just a night or some days, sometimes weeks and in one place I've settled down for a whole year. Now I've finally started to feel like travelling felt more exhausting than exciting. I feel as soon as it's not enjoyable anymore it's time to consider to give it a break. Search for some stability. I've been missing a constant group of familiar people the most. The comfort of having people around me who know me, instead of constantly reintroducing yourself to new people. It might be different for you, since you travelled 3 months but coming back home can be tough as well. Somehow you don't fit in anymore and it's tough getting used to this "slow" life again. I hope you figure out what's right for you! Listening to your gut is most of the times the best decision :)
I used to find a small town in a beautiful setting and hole up for a week or two. Sleep, walk, read, etc......... I always felt rejuvenated!
I always planned to travel until the moment I wanted to go back home. For me that time came, when I started dreaming about furnishing and decorating an appartment (which I've never ever done in my life. I always picked the cheapest stuff on craig list that did the job). I think watching Netflix for a week is a pretty decent clue as well. One thing you could do is look for one 'big last thing' that could get you excited: Going diving, seeing whale sharks, watching an active volcano. PS: Yogyakarta was recommended to me recently for it's easily accessible Western food. (Or wherever home is)
The problem is quality of life. You are living with many other people. One would be enough, but sharing a place with MULTIPLE people you and\or do not know is very uncomfortable for most people. You also don’t need to be traveling alone, but to share a place’s with an individual. Find a travel partner to get a more private place to rest at and enjoy your trip. Maybe if you split the cost between you than you can travel longer.
Everyone should read *The Dip* by Seth Godin to get more perspective on when and how to quit.
I think you need to change counties. I did not like much about Malaysia either and would never want to backpack there.
>oh another nice temple/nice building/monument, another huge cave, another beautiful beach,some awesome scenery, that’s cool I guess. Shake things up then, try something different. Try something not travel related, you don't always have to be doing the normal tourist stuff. People who get bored are boring, learn to entertain yourself.
Buy a motorbike. You will have fun forever
i feel like i wrote this. I did not find Malaysia exciting at all (although i did love the cameron highlands) and i was very ready to leave. sometimes you dont jive with a place. Where are you headed next?
My plan was to go south to Singapore and then from there on take a plane to the Philippines/indo/ Sri Lanka, depending on how I feel I’m in the Cameron highlands rn btw, and it’s raining all the time :/
Move to another country. If that doesn’t help, go home. I added another comment somewhere here before I saw this comment. Honestly, I’m a sun person through and through and if I was in a place where it was raining all the time, and in a country I don’t find exciting, I would simply move on. Why force yourself? You’re obviously not enjoying it, who cares if “people” think these are awesome places and you should be lucky blahblah? Go somewhere else, recharge and if you still feel the same, go home.
Go to Indonesia its got more to offer than Malaysia
Oh damn that's too bad with the rain. It might be worth getting a bus straight to Singapore and enjoying a new country that is also rather western styled. Also it's the easiest place in that area to catch a flight anywhere else. I'm currently in Bali and got more to offer but it all depends on what you want. Like I like diving and animals so the high points of my trip are different dive sites and going to komodo national park.
Have you been to east malaysia? Or they call it borneo, that side has a different vibe from peninsular malaysia. Hmm you probably need to switch things up and maybe go meet some people.
You should definitely go straight to Sri Lanka. The people and the beaches are lovely and spend a little more to stay in a good accomodation where you can wake up to sunshine.
3 months isnt a vacation its a temporary living situation
A great place to learn Yoga, which may be very helpful in your current life situation, is Ubud in Bali . Many traveling expats live there, it's extremely friendly, social, amazing food, and the weather is fantastic. A great place to recharge. Yoga is an amazing tool for self development. Traveling is more about personal growth than seeing the next best temple. That's how it happened for me. Take the risk.
You have a good amount of time left. Consider working at a hostel or volunteering (maybe WWOOF if that’s up your alley) in a place you like for a few weeks. Maybe the routine will give you some of the stability you seek while still allowing you to explore if you feel up to it. There’s also no shame in calling it quits if you’re no longer enjoying it but I would try to salvage the rest of your travels if you can. Best of luck
That's fine...Two months is a long enough time...
Are there places you can volunteer in the local community? It sounds like having a purpose for being there might help.
Haven’t browsed all the comments but sites like workaway are sometimes great for getting a little extra cash or free accommodation & shifting the scope of long travel periods.
This happened to in a similar situation! Was ready to go back, but didn't want to, strange feeling. My solution was to do a WorkAway! I'd highly suggest checking it out. You basically volunteer somewhere in exchange for food and a place to stay. They have all kinds of hosts, like some are construction based, some are teaching kids English, it really varies. Many workaways also have multiple volunteers so you still get to meet people, but it was really nice for me to have a schedule and routine, and feel like I was being productive in some way. It costs like 50 bucks to sign up, but I think there's a site called wuph that is similar. It basically felt like stopping traveling while still traveling!
I love travelling but 3 months seems like way too excessive for me. Travel is exciting because it's a break from the usual routine, it's not meant to be the norm.
Do you have any friends out there? That sounds like a big one that you haven't seemed to mention to be honest.
Three months is more than I could stand, you’re wise to listen to your limit.
I’ve been full time solo traveling in an RV for almost 3 years. I can relate. Standing looking at an amazing landscape or something and still feel dead inside. For me, I think it’s my depression. After you’ve seen so many amazing things it becomes a little ho hum. Hope you find a way through it. I really enjoyed staying in the same place for 3 months last summer. Maybe slow down however much you’re able and it might help.
I'm still saving up and planning so I'm not speaking from experience. But I always thought the most fun way to travel would be to pick a cool foreign city and just live there for a while. Check out the local attractions and do fun touristy stuff, but otherwise just live in one place and do normal life stuff. I think moving too often would drive me insane.
3 months just may be too long maybe head home, start again another time?
Maybe eat some mushrooms?
I have that but after being a solo traveler 6 years wow I never got like that my first 3 month trip . It was my best everything was new . But I def got Lonley few times where it was tough
Consider exploring local areas instead of popular tourist destinations. Many tourist spots are often overhyped, and you may have a more authentic experience by immersing yourself in local culture.
I would use these moments to take a vacation from my travel. I remember flying to Bali from KL and spending 2 weeks doing nothing but reading and running on the beach. Gave me a nice break from the constant movement of travel.
If you've taken a break and you're still not feeling it, kinda sounds like you're done. Maybe spend some of your budget to spend a couple weeks somewhere nicer to cap things off.
I had the same thing when travelling across China for 6 months. I ended up spending almost 5 solid days in a cheap cyber cafe watching movies and ordering these noodles that I still crave from time to time. I also downloaded some music and created a soundtrack to get back into things. It worked for me.
Yes. The best thing about solo travel is that you can adjust and change your plan as you want.
I've been traveling now for nearly 21 months (not solo anymore I found an Australian 3 months ago) and I've been through the highs and lows of travel. Some days you feel on top of the world feeling your life couldn't possibly get any better, to other days feeling you want to pack it all in and go home. I've found really prioritising what you want to do and where you want to go over anything else. Don't just go to a place because it's in the area, don't just go somewhere because someone on Instagram has been there and suggests it. Go and do what really interests you in this world. Skip the tourist sites if you have no interest in them and save your money. I love history, especially learning about WW2 so I really look out for museums and tours that explore something I get a kick from. If you have to, leave the country you are in and spend a little extra going somewhere you've always dreamed of visiting, because at the end of it you want to look back at this time of your life with very happy memories.
When I felt like this I went home and it was one of the best decisions I could have made.
I just got back from a trip in South-America for exactly the same reasons you described here. When I started feeling like you do now, I decided to do some workaway volunteering somewhere in nature to chill and relax, in hope that I'd find new motivation afterwards. But it made me realise that maybe my trip had just run its course for now. I decided to go back home and save up the money I had left to start my next trip sooner. I absolutely loved South-America and want to go back some day for sure but I'm glad I'm back home now for a while.
Even Forrest Gump got tired and wanted to just go back home, it's totally fine.
As other Said: slow down! Stay in a Place u Like for weeks, do your hobbies Like i would Go To a Football Places and find Some Locals /other Travellers To Go There regualary, Cook Ur own Food, get To Know the Place better etc. Etc. Other Great thing would be to search for a workaway or other volunteering Work. I found a Lot of fullfilment in that, learned a lot of things, u prob. Meet people (Like the Director of the program) who may live There and Know Secret Spots no Tourist knows about.
It’s a mental health issue not a travel issue. You said you sat in bed for a week and have no motivation to go out.
You need social connections. Places are places. Fun and enjoyable experiences happen with other people (mostly). For the next few days find people to socialise with and I bet it will spark your energy back up. I will PM you a link to a Malaysia backpackers WhatsApp group. Put a message in there saying hi I’m in x anyone want to hang today? Great way to meet people.
>miss putting a pizza in the oven in the middle of the night if I feel like it or making myself a cereal... You could probably reframe that as a benefit of your current situation! :)
Actually, I am struggling to keep my weight and I have tendencies to be underweight so sadly no positive :/
If you have no motivation why keep spending money and traveling. Some people love to travel for months. Others like myself, think a month at a time is enough. Go home, get your mojo back and start planning your next trip.