Maybe that's an exaggeration, but how far along the backpacking trail has email encroached? On the edge of Chitwan National Park in Nepal nestles the small village of XX. At night Rhinos cross the river from the jungle to eat the villagers crops, and have to be driven away with burning branches. But by day you can sit down in their Cybercafe with a cup of tea and check your email. Relaxing at the end of the day in the small Indian fishing village of Varkala, you can sit on the cliffs and watch the lights of the fishing boats bob in the darkness as they draw in their catch of squid. But it's possible you might miss this if you're down the road in the internet cafe, surfing the Web.
Just as a few years ago there as an explosion of new international phones across the Indian subcontinent, the same is now happening with internet cafes. The first places to get wired have all been those that are popular amongst the backpackers, and although there are still one or two towns such as Darjeeling with no good internet link, by the time you read this they should also have a cybercafe or two to their name. The spread of the Internet also extends all the way down through South East Asia. The neon signs on Khao San Road in Bangkok advertising Tatoos and Banana Pancakes are being jostled for position beside freshly painted adverts for "Email, Fax, Internet". If you make a friend on the trail and swap addresses, the chances are they'll be email addresses. Wherever you travel these days, it seems you're not far from the Internet.
So how do you go about using the Internet, and more importantly, why should you bother? There are two things that the internet is really useful for: Sending and receiving email, and browsing the World Wide Web for information. Whereas the world wide web is mainly useful for researching your trip before you go, email acts as a cheap and flexible alternative to phonecalls and letters. To use email all you need is an address, which acts as an electronic postbox and stores up any messages you've been sent. Then whenever you pop into a Cybercafe you can read through the messages, write replies, and send out new messages.
So what are the advantages of using email over more traditional ways of staying in touch such as letters or the telephone? Firstly it's fast; a letter sent by post can take weeks to arrive, whereas an email is usually there in seconds. Compared to phone calls it's generally very cheap. To phone the UK from Kathmandu for a minute costs around [pound sign]1.40, whereas using the internet for the same time costs between 6 and 12 pence. You can now get an email address for free from a number of commercial Web sites (such as www.hotmail.com or www.yahoo.com). This normally takes around half an hour to arrange, and any of the Cybercafes should be able to show you how to do it. Alternatively you can set it up before you leave, as many local libraries offer cheap internet access.
There's also many other bonuses with email. The people you write to can keep your messages and read them as many times as they want, and if you're not keeping a diary it can be a nice record when you get back. If you've got lots of friends on email then it's easy to write one message with all your news and send copies of it to all of them. When you're meant to be out enjoying yourself it's a lot quicker than writing a hundred duplicate postcards!
Email also comes into its own when keeping in touch with fellow travellers. It's frustrating to make friends on the trail and then lose contact when you head off in different directions. Notice boards in travellers cafes are covered in messages ("I was at the Taj Mahal on May 12th as arranged, where were you?") and if you're not careful you can end up following each other's paper trails round the country. Email removes all of these problems in one go ("Train strike in Hyderabad, I'm stuck here until the 14th, sorry!"). Email is never going to completely replace phone calls and letters - there's nothing like hearing a voice from home - but used together they make it much easier to stay in touch.
So if you're currently planning your travels, how can the World Wide Web help you? There's a gold mine of information for backpackers on the Web if you know where to look. The first place to start is our STA Web site (www.statravel.co.uk). It's full of info on places to go and things to see, as well as suggestions and recommendations on the best ways to get around. Try "Traveltalk" where travel tips are sent in by other backpackers, or use the Globetrotter section to plan out a route and get a feel for the prices. If you're not sure where to go, or even what's out there, then this is definitely the place to start.
For other useful sites to check out, see the boxed section below. Most national and regional tourist boards have their own sites (try www.city.net for starters). You can easily find more information if you need it; search.excite.com, when given the words "Malaysia" and "backpacking" suggested over 150,000 Web pages to check out!
Finally there's one more thing the internet can be good for. Waiting at the end of many trips is that dreaded time when you have to start thinking about getting a job again. With the internet you can start hunting before you get home, and email means you can even start applying for things if you're keen. There's no question that the internet can make a big difference to your travel, both when planning and when you're out there. As well as making travelling more secure it definitely makes the world a smaller place; whether that's a good thing or not is a matter of personal choice. If you use email as a life-line or it's one of the aspects of home life you're travelling to escape, don't be surprised if you stagger down a Himalayan mountain trail looking for a large glass of Chang, only to find yourself being served in a Cybercafe!