Franz ElizWhen my friends found out that I hitchhiked from Malaysia to Thailand – and while I was in Laos – they thought I was very adventurous. Some said I was out of my mind. But I assured them that I hadn’t lost my mind.
I tried hitchhiking for the first time in 2015 when my Dutch friend invited me to Thailand by hitchhiking. I wanted to go to Thailand at the time, but the airfares were very expensive. Since I didn’t want to spend that much, and an opportunity to travel cheaply coincidentally presented itself to me, I took my chances, packed my backpack, and set out for my adventure.
Hitchhiking was a new thing to me at the time. But after experiencing it myself, I think anyone can do it. In this article, I’ll share with you 6 reasons I find hitchhiking interesting.
1. It’s a Great Way To Get From Point A to B… Usually for FREE
One thing I learned from my hitchhiking experience was to allow myself to follow the flow. It wasn’t always easy to have things go according to plan. What was important at the time was getting to my destination.
I couldn’t be certain of the time I would arrive at my destination, how many cars I would need to stop, or if I would have enough time to get to my destination before dusk. For this reason, I find hitchhiking an interesting way to travel.
Hitchhiking also gave me satisfaction every time I completed a journey. I felt so accomplished. The best part about it was I didn’t have to spend any money at all.
Okay, so some might think, ‘Yeah, but time is money, and you could’ve used all that time for something else like making money’. That’s a valid point. Sure, hitchhiking can be time-consuming, but I was on holiday at the time, so I didn’t feel the need to rush.
Earlier, I mentioned that I didn’t have to pay any money while hitchhiking in Thailand. I didn’t have to do that either in Laos. But in many parts of the world, hitchhiking isn’t always free. Hitchhikers should at least pay some money to drivers who pick them up. Offering to pay for gas is an example. If you don’t have cash, you could offer something else, like food.
2. It Made Me Realize How Generous People Can Be
Let’s face it. We live in a materialistic world. Materialism has made many people more selfish and self-centred. Many of the things we want to do in life also tend to require money. Even going to public toilets isn’t free. With this idea in mind, I thought getting free rides sounded absurd. I would ask myself, ‘Who would give me rides for free without expecting anything?’
But people who genuinely would do things for us without expecting anything in return do exist.
When Lee and I hitchhiked together to Thailand, some of the people who picked us offered us more than free rides. They also gave us food and water. Most of them were very chatty, so our rides were rarely boring. One of them introduced us to his family.
When we were picked up by a group of Thai people, they offered their place to us. So we spent a night at their place. They even cooked a nice meal for us – a spicy one that got me coughing. But it was delicious.
Once, a group of Thai police offered us some snacks and drinks. They were very friendly. Looking at their smiles made my day.
3. It’s a Fun Way To Meet New People
I met all kinds of people while hitchhiking in Thailand. They were all kind and helpful. I was a complete stranger to them, yet, they still acted kind to me. It takes trust to pick a hitchhiker.
I remember this one time when Lee and I were picked up by a guy from New Zealand. According to him, he was reminded of the good old days when he was a hitchhiker himself upon seeing us. I thought he was cool, and he even treated us to dinner.
We also met a Thai lady driving across town with her English husband. She let us sit at the back of her 4WD. She then invited us to her new Thai restaurant in Ranong, Thailand.
A Thai policewoman also gave us a ride. She was curious about the way we travelled.
As mentioned earlier, one of the people who offered us a ride – a kind Thai man – introduced us to his family. He also introduced us to his workers. After picking us up, he drove to his factory to sort out a few things and then went to pick up his wife and child. Then, he sent us off to Trang, Thailand.
Of course, how can I forget the two Thai Muslim women who picked us up? They gave us a ride, and we made our way to catch a ferry to Koh Lanta.
4. It’s a Great Way To Enjoy Local Sceneries
Sightseeing is so fun while hitchhiking. I could enjoy local sceneries by sitting on the rear of all the 4WDs I hopped into. Thailand’s landscape is amazing.
There were times when I actually sat in the back seat and had chit-chats with the drivers. Whenever I had the chance to sit in the back seat, they’d tell me stories about their countries and even describe the history behind every mountain, rice field, river and building I saw along the way.
My experience hitchhiking was so different from my long-distance bus ride from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi. On the bus, I could barely see anything.
5. It Helped Me Build My Confidence
There are many ways to build your confidence. I find hitchhiking helps me build mine.
It’s common to hear people talking about the dangers of hitchhiking. But hitchhiking isn’t necessarily as dangerous or bad as many people pictured it to be.
Many people also find it awkward to stop random cars, talk to strangers, and ask for a free lift. In reality, it’s not that bad. f you’ve been in sales before, you might not be too hesitant to do it. If you don’t try, you’ll never know.
I was lucky to have Lee with me. He’s an experienced hitchhiker and helped to get our rides. I was very shy at first, but after watching Lee do it day after day, I became more confident.
Hitchhiking also taught me how to determine if someone is being honest or fake about their generosity. Some dodgy-looking people wanted to give us a ride, but we gave their offers a pass for safety reasons. While knowing how to hitch a ride confidently is good, it’s also important to reject a ride confidently if your guts tell you to do so.
6. Hitchhiking Can Help You Improve Your Sense of Direction
Okay, I was so bad with maps and navigation. I was always relying on someone else to get somewhere. As I’ve mentioned earlier, it’s difficult to expect things to go according to plan when hitchhiking. Many times I had to change my routes depending on the situation. Lee didn’t have a smartphone back then. So, he relied on a big PAPER MAP.
These days we have offline maps – such as Maps.me and Google Maps – that can be downloaded for free, making travelling much easier. I used it a lot when travelling in Laos with my travel buddy Alex.
Before starting our journey, we always made sure that we studied the map first. Whenever we were lost, we would look at the map again. The map gave us an idea of the road conditions – whether flat or mountainous.
One time when our motorbike broke down in the middle of nowhere, we had to hitchhike and make our way to the nearest workshop. In a country where people barely speak English, Alex and I were fortunate to get a ride from a local driver who was passing by. Because he was a local, he knew exactly where to take us. At the same time, Alex and I were aware of a workshop just a few kilometres away, thanks to our offline map.
Would I Hitchhike Again?
I had a good time hitchhiking in Asia. However, I’ve never done it on other continents. It would be fun to hitchhike in Europe, America, etc.
I would hitchhike again if I had a reason to do so or had to. At this point in my life, I don’t find hitchhiking necessary. Sure, I did it in my 20s for the fun and adventure – and to save money. But it’s not something that I feel I must do again unless I have to. Furthermore, my schedule isn’t as flexible as it used to be, so I don’t always have the time for hitchhiking. You can say that I’m not a hitchhiker at heart, and I won’t disagree with it.
For many, hitchhiking is perceived as dangerous. I believe that sometimes luck plays an important role in our life experiences. You could be doing all the right things to stay safe on the road, but it’s unfortunate if you happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people.
Therefore, I try to limit my exposure to what could be dangerous to me, especially when I travel alone. I never hitched a ride at night because I needn’t have to. And perhaps deep down, I assumed hitchhiking can be dangerous, especially at night.
I don’t consider myself as adventurous as I once was – people change – but that doesn’t mean I won’t hitchhike again or discourage people from giving hitchhiking a try.
Is Hitchhiking Safe for Female Travellers?
Hitchhiking is safe for female travellers as long as they avoid rides from suspicious-looking people. It’s also important to dress modestly.
The truth is hitchhiking, or travelling in general, has some risks, whether for men or women. For many, it’s a risk they’re willing to take. As discussed earlier, I think luck plays some role in our life experiences. I consider myself lucky to have never encountered anything bad from hitchhiking.
If you ever decide to do it, please be very careful. Always follow your guts. If something feels wrong, you might be right. It’s best to turn down the offer.
Should You Hitch a Ride?
Hitchhiking is not everyone’s cup of tea for different reasons, which is understandable. But suppose you want to save money on transportation while meeting different people on the road; then you might like hitchhiking.
Hitch a ride if you’re comfortable with the idea. Consider doing it with a friend if it makes you feel safer. Likewise, trust your guts and stay alert at all times, even if the person who offers you the ride seems nice and friendly.
Some People Might Judge You
Don’t be surprised if people tell you you’re reckless and out of your mind just because you enjoy hitchhiking. Many may also assume you’re broke – because if you have money, you wouldn’t need to hitchhike. Well, that’s not necessarily true. Many people hitchhike for the experience they get from it.
Hitchhiking Isn’t Allowed in Certain Places
It’s also worth noting that while hitchhiking is legal in many countries, you cannot hitch a ride from wherever you like. For example, you shouldn’t hitch a ride anywhere that can cause interruption to normal traffic.
You may also want to get more info about hitchhiking in the U.S. if you plan to travel around the country by hitchhiking. Some states in the U.S. don’t allow hitchhiking. So, you may want to check if it’s okay to hitchhike where you are.
Do I Recommend Hitchhiking?
As you may already know, my hitchhiking experience in Thailand and Laos were good, and I’m glad I did it.
I recommend hitchhiking to anyone who wants to experience it. It’s a great way to travel cheaply while meeting different people who are usually always happy to share a conversation with you. For many travellers, it’s also a great way to get to know the locals.
Many people won’t mind picking you up for free, but if you like, you could always give them something, like a souvenir. Or you could buy them food.
Tips on Hitchhiking Safely
I refuse to say that hitchhiking is dangerous. But hitchhiking can be dangerous. Let’s not dismiss the concern people have about it. Just because someone you know has never experienced problems with it doesn’t mean the same will go for you. Everyone’s experience is unique. A traveller must never let their guards down, no matter how experienced they are as a traveller.
Wherever you plan to hitchhike, keep in mind some basic safety rules:
- Avoid travelling at night.
- Hitch a ride with a friend if possible, especially if you’re hitchhiking for the first time. If your friend has some hitchhiking experience, good for you!
- Keep some money on hand.
- Stay alert at all times. Avoid falling asleep in the vehicle if possible.
- Be selective about who you want to ride with. You don’t want to accept rides from dodgy-looking people.
- Let your friends and families know where you are heading. You can share your location with others, but it’s not helpful when there’s no internet connection. Some people take plate number pictures of the vehicles that pick them up.
Of course, there are other basic rules that may help you stay safe when hitchhiking. So do check out tips from experienced hitchhikers. When done right, hitchhiking can be a fun and rewarding experience.
Good luck and safe travels!
