One of the best ways to travel any part of the globe is to backpack it. I can’t recommend this enough. There’s a distinct thrill that you experience when you feel that you are exploring a country inch by inch. That’s precisely what you’re doing when you’re backpacking. You’re walking from point A to point B. You meet a lot of different people. You smell lots of different sights. You hear lots of different things. There are different textures.
Instead of looking at traveling like you are leafing through some sort of glossy travel magazine, backpacking makes the whole traveling experience more immediate and real. You are able to experience different cultures on many different levels. You can experience things in a sensory way. These of course involve your five senses. You also experience things in a spiritual way. There are certain things that you will see, smell, touch, taste, and hear that can trigger deep spiritual truths. This can also dislodge emotional blockages and issues that you may have.
It’s no surprise that poets, historically, look at travel in a very romantic light. They look at travel as the ultimate antidote 
to writer’s block. They look at travel as a gateway to higher levels of personal expression, introspection, and exploration. If you’re looking for backpacking tours Thailand veterans prefer, you need to keep this in mind. Otherwise, it’s too easy to fall into very common and predictable traps. Keep the following in mind.
How to protect yourself from crappy backpacking tours Thailand veterans would want to avoid
If you want to prevent yourself from a lackluster or disappointing experience, you only need to do one thing. You need to be clear about the experience you’re looking for. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? It sounds almost like common sense.
Unfortunately, if you ask any group of college students or 20-somethings when they’re planning their trip to Thailand, this is the last thing that they would talk about. They would talk about the great food, they would talk about the people, they would talk about the temples, and the spiritual experiences, but they would not really focus on the specific experience they’re looking for. This really is too bad because I’ve seen backpacking groups break up because of this. Some people would rather go on a food tour, while others want to check out the river systems and the temples along the way.
If you want to truly get the most out of your backpacking experience, be clear about the experience you’re looking for. Ask other people in your party regarding what their expectations are. Make sure everybody’s on the same page. This is the best way to put together a backpacking tours Thailand travel veterans would prefer.
Look for backpack tour operators that specialize in your niche
Now that everybody’s on the same page regarding the experiences they’re looking for, the next step is to make sure that you find tour operators that specialize in that niche. Don’t get dazzled by low prices. Low prices are not doing you any favors because they steer you often through tourist traps. They often steer you through low-value experiences. That’s not what you’re looking for.
You’re looking to experience Thailand from the eyes of people that live there. You’re looking to experience Thailand in such a way that it helps you crawl out your shell. It helps you achieve a sort of internal spiritual space that you feel that you’re missing. So it’s a good idea to spend a few extra dollars on specialized tour operators that focus on particular niches.
Focus on going off the beaten track
I’m telling you right now, if you’re going to be traveling to Thailand and you’re just going to go through the same travel spots that millions of other people prefer, then you’re not really experiencing Thailand. You may think that you’re seeing the real Thailand, but you’re not seeing the real Thailand. You’re seeing a commodified package that has been homogenized and standardized for international tourist consumption. You know exactly what I’m talking about.
I’m talking about the river markets. I’m talking about temple tours. Even food stall tours can be tourist traps. You don’t want that. You’re not visiting Thailand so you can recapture or relive some sort of postcard. You’re visiting Thailand because you want to get in touch with an emotional and spiritual space. You’re looking to get challenge. You’re looking to experience something that’s different. You’re looking to reach out to something that is higher, different, and distinct from you. Unfortunately, that’s impossible if you’re dealing with a highly commodified and commercialized package.
It’s tempting to think that commodities are all products. It’s tempting to think that these are things that you can touch and see or perceive in a solid form. But services can also be commodified. Beware of this because there is no shortage of tour providers that would give you a watered down commodified experience that’s stripped of the soul of Thailand. If that’s the kind of experience you’re looking for, you’re probably better off staying at home. I don’t mean this to be harsh, but this is the reality. You’re better off staying at home because you don’t have to spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. You can just save that money.