Hi, I’m Bottle Cap Backpacker – but you can call me Bottle Cap.
I’m all about travelling the world one bottle cap at a time.
You are probably wondering what that means? Well, each step of my journey is represented by a bottle cap. Some backpackers buy fridge magnets, postcards or other odds and ends from the places they visit. Others use a journal or app to remember their journey.
Here we use bottle caps – that’s right – the caps from local beers.
Why bottle caps?
The idea was born right at the start of my travels in Cambodia. It had been a long day visiting Angkor Wat, so I grabbed a beer from a local bar to relax. That’s when I realised the local beer, fittingly named Angkor Beer, had a bottle cap featuring Angkor Wat complex. This was more meaningful than any fridge magnet I’d encountered yet. So I asked the barmaid whether I could keep it. This became the first of many.
From that moment on I keep the bottle caps of memorable local beers. Each one brings back memories of where I was and what I learned. They became a way to connect me with the places I’ve been. For those of you wondering what I’ll do with the caps, the plan is to transform them into artwork that tells the story of my travels. Stay tuned for that project.
So that is the story of how Bottle Cap Backpacker was born.
Quitting work to go travelling
You may be wondering what made me go travelling, was it a specific mission to acquire bottle caps? Well the reason sounds tame. It all started back in 2024 when I hit a point where I wanted more from life. I realised there was more to life than going to the office to work a corporate job. Although my job looked great on paper – good pay, good perks, great people – I was not fulfilled. Something was missing. There was a nagging feeling on the back of my mind telling me there was something more out there to experience.
I was alive but not living.
My desire was to see the world, explore new cultures and experience things you’d never see at home. To live everyday to the max. To be fulfilled.
So I quit! No plan, no backup, just a one way ticket to Bangkok driven by the desire to live life on my own terms. Cambodia, Vietnam, and the rest of Asia were distant dreams back then. In typical Bottle Cap Backpacker style there was no plan, I would just see where the journey would take me.
Travelling with no plan
After years of the same routine, I decided it was time to trade my desk for a backpack and a new way of life. The feeling of walking out of the office for the last time was pure freedom. I’d served my time and was finally free to do whatever I wanted or go wherever I wanted.
And just like that, Bottle Cap Backpacker was born. With no plan, no itinerary, just a desire to explore and a growing collection of bottle caps from every stop along the way. From cruising along the Mekong, exploring caves, surviving jungles and scuba diving tropical seas – I have never felt more alive. The travelling bug has consumed me. Knowing there is more in the world to explore drives me further.
This blog is my way of sharing those experiences, the lessons I’ve learned, and tips for those of you dreaming of breaking free from responsibilities to travel the world. To encourage those of you that are thinking of traveling to take the plunge like I did.
This blog is my way of sharing those experiences—the lessons I’ve learned, the things I’ve experienced and the moments that make travel unforgettable. This blog is for anyone dreaming of breaking free, swapping routine for adventure, and discovering what it really means to live. If you’ve ever thought about taking a leap, I hope my story will resonate with you, and maybe a bottle cap collection will follow!
If you’ve enjoyed reading my stories or found some travel inspiration here, you can buy me a beer 🍺 to say cheers from wherever you are. Every little bit helps keep the adventures flowing and the blog alive!
Thanks for being part of the journey to explore the world one bottle cap at a time.
Cheers!
Bottle Cap Backpacker