20 June 2008
When travellers first started to explore the world, most would never part from their worthy notebooks, full of incredible details from another world.
Nowadays, laptops have often replaced notebooks, as indeed, according to research by InsureandGo, backpackers tend to travel with valuables worth around £1,097 on average, including iPods, cameras and laptops.
As technology hits the road, Tom Hall, travel editor at Lonely Planet, has warned of the importance of travel insurance but also added: "If you can't bear to lose it, then don't take it away with you."
Backpackers spend on average around £3,764 on their trip, including transport, insurance, food, entertainment, clothes and medical expenses, although almost one in ten (8.3 per cent) usually spends more than £10,000, InsureandGo's research has revealed.
Mr Hall has advised travellers to stick to their daily budget and prefer internet banking so as to always be aware of the exact amount of cash available in the bank.
Western Africa is a prime destination for backpackers who do not want to overspend their budget, and Mr Hall said: "get out and explore a little bit further off the beaten track and you'll find that things are a little bit cheaper."
