What is the hippie trail?

THE hippie trail began sometime in the mid-1950s and lasted for a little over two decades. It’s a journey taken by ... well, hippies, a subculture of free spirited folks who advocate peace and love, and choose to live a simple and unconventional life. They are commonly described as having long hair and wearing colourful handme-down clothing (like a tiedyed shirt), and are often said to take hallucinogenic drugs.

The hippie trail is akin to a pilgrimage, where peace-loving folk travel to find spiritual enlightenment and freedom, among others. It usually starts in major European capitals like London and Amsterdam, and continues through the same continent before coming into the Middle East. The journey from there moves towards South Asia, namely India and Nepal, where it normally ends.

The people who go on the hippie trail typically try to spend as little money as they can along the way, as the journey usually takes many months to complete. They travel by bus, train or caravan; some even walk to save money.

Enlightenment is not so cheap, after all.

This kind of alternative tourism may have been beneficial for local communities and businesses at first, but as more hippies turn up, things began to change, especially in regions where opium poppies and wild cannabis plants are easily found.

The hippie trail essentially ended when political instability in several countries in West Asia took place, namely the Iranian Revolution (1978) and the Soviet-afghan War (1979 to 1989). Many routes were closed to foreign travellers, and a handful of cities and towns were no longer safe to visit.

Some hardcore believers looked for alternative trails, and even successfully reached their final destination, but these routes somehow were not attractive enough for the larger hippie communiy.

Today, these alternative trails still exist, though they bypass conflict areas like Iraq and Afghanistan. They are offered by travel agencies, who usually promote them as part of a Silk Road trip or a Euro-asia tour.

Not sure if you’d find love or spiritual enlightenment by the end of those trips though.