When backpacking, you spend a lot of your time on the go, checking in and out of hostels and taking in the sights and sounds of the locations you visit – but sometimes you get stuck indoors. Whether thats because the weather simply isn’t in your favour, or you’re dealing with a global pandemic such as COVID19. When you’re staying indoors, it means you need to get creative.
Tight budgets and unforeseen closures across town often rule out many entertainment options but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time on your trip. Here are a few ways to entertain yourself if you end up stuck indoors.
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Throw a dinner party
While this may sound like an overly sophisticated suggestion at first, communal cooking can be a great way to get to know fellow backpackers and kill some time on a rainy afternoon. Many hostels have small popup stores where you can purchase basic essentials but if not, you can always pool whatever supplies you have with others and get creative in the kitchen. Eating together can lead to some great conversations and will allow you to get to know the people you’re staying with much better.
Recipes don’t have to be too complicated either. It can be as easy as whipping up some noodles with whatever vegetables you can find! If you really don’t see yourself cooking for a group, you could always order in and invite others to come and participate. You’ll be surprised how quickly time flies when you’re listening to eachother’s backpacking stories.
Set up a gaming tournament
If you love gaming, you might miss sitting down with your favorite console and spending a few hours playing games, either on your own or with friends. There are a few things you can do to make sure you get some gaming action on the road. Firstly, many hostels provide consoles and games that you can use. So when you are booking your accommodation, try and select one which offers this service, that way you’ll can be sure to stay entertained even if you can’t get out.
From experience, it pays to check with the hostel in advance to see if the consoles are functioning and what selection of games they have available. It has been known for guests to arrive at hostels only to find the equipment is broken or faulty or that the choice of games is poor. Organizing a gaming contest or tournament is a great way to get others involved
If you have your laptop and a WiFi connection, you could also jump online for some gaming action. There are many online gaming options available in Canada, including sites offering casino and poker games. Setting up a virtual casino experience is another great alternative for a gaming tournament. With so much information readily available online, you can read up on the verdict of various games before trying them out as well.
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Get musical
For those times you’re rained in and can’t get out to listen to live music, make sure you have an app such as Spotify or Apple Music installed on your phone. Travelling is so much more enjoyable when you can do it to a personal soundtrack and you could even throw a party using your own playlists (depending on hostel rules, of course).
Some hostels also have secondhand instruments available for guests, such as guitars or even an old piano. So if it is miserable outside and the weather is getting you down, why not get a group together for a jamming session with whatever you can find. Music is a great way of bringing people together as well and who knows, you may discover you have a hidden talent!
These are just a few tips for keeping entertained on those wet and windy days while backpacking but it is always worth having some rainy day plans up your sleeve, just in case.
