I had a profound revelation during a recent trip to New Zealand: In my next life, I should come back as a seal.
The thought splashed into my mind during a boat cruise around Milford Sound, a breathtaking fjord on the south island near Queenstown. Seals lay basking on a sunny rock, blinking lazily at the excited tourists on board, languidly raising a flipper to turn over, and their next meal a flipper's flick away.
It looked like they were on the perfect holiday — but unlike most people on board they were enjoying it free of charge.
New Zealand lends itself as a luxury holiday destination, but you don't have to go on a NZ$500 (Dh1,379) helicopter ride over Queenstown or NZ$180 to bungee jump off the Kawarau Bridge for a great holiday here.
Backpacking is a cheaper way to travel when you can cut down on accommodation costs. Just $29 will buy you a shared room with another five roommates and a shared bathroom. For $62 you can get a twin room.
Or do it the old-fashioned way and hitch up a tent in their back garden for $15.
There is an energetic backpacker scene in Queenstown and while they may not travel in style, backpackers do end up interacting more with the locals and escaping the conventional touristy must-dos for interesting local hang-outs.
Just down the street from our chic, modern lodge hotel was the Bumbles hostel. Located only 300 metres from downtown Queenstown and overlooking the waterfront with views of the lake and mountain, it was not too shabby.
"We are a small laid-back place to stay where you'll meet some great people and get some sleep!" Their website declares. "Our staff will let you in on a few local secrets of what to see and do."
One backpacker told me he was doing odd jobs around the neighbourhood to earn some cash for the rest of his journey around the North and South islands.
Freedom found
There is also that sense of freedom and independence in backpacking, of not being bogged down by luggage and itineraries, of discovering nature and beauty on your own without the chatter or commercialism of organised tours.
Travel and fiction writer Paul Theroux puts it best: "There is an intense but simple thrill in setting off in the morning on a mountain trail, knowing that everything you need is on your back. It is a confidence in having left the non-essentials behind and of entering a world of natural beauty that has not been violated, where money has no value, and possessions are a dead weight. The person with the least possessions is the freest."
But not all backpackers pitch tents, do their washing in the nearest river, or live on a shoestring budget.
Meet the flashpacker, a breed of backpackers with branded bags and sunglasses.
Like their low-budget cousins, flashpackers are looking for the thrill of authentic and independent travel experiences.
But unlike your average gap-year student, flashpackers can afford to splurge on some luxuries when things get too uncomfortable: A nice bed, shower with warm water, and some technological gear.
They're decked out with laptops, digital cameras, GPS systems and satellite phones. Some of the older, post-university flashpackers are happy to pay for plane tickets rather than commute for 24 hours on a bus to their next destination.
Whichever type of backpacker you are, you can economise on the costs of travel and accommodation to spend more on activities or sightseeing in the area.
Some avoid the yellow-brick road of tourist sights altogether and let Nature set her own itinerary, choosing to head to the mountains, lakes or parks for a low-cost holiday.
Like those seals, backpackers are privy to Nature's private tour.
