Summary
"Banana Pancake Trail" or "Banana Pancake Circuit"[1] is the name given to growing routes around Southeast Asia, and to some extent South Asia, travelled by backpackers and other tourists. The trail has no clear geographical definition, but is used as a metaphor for places that are popular among Western tourists.
Etymology edit
The Banana Pancake Trail is sometimes associated with backpackers who use Lonely Planet travel guides.[2][3] Banana Pancake trails materialise when an influx of Western backpackers to an area leads to a rise in the number of restaurants serving comfort food adapted to Western desires.[4]
Popularity edit
The Banana Pancake Trail is one of the most popular backpacking routes across the world,[5] served by Asia's many hostels.[6]
Geographical reach edit
There is no firm geographical definition of the Banana Pancake Trail, as it is a metaphor to describe the ever-developing travellers' trails in South Asia and Southeast Asia, rather than an actual route or road (much like the Silk Road is not a single road).[7]
References edit
- ^ Denis D. Gray (27 March 2008). "Mass tourism swamps Asia's once unique, remote places". USA TODAY. USA TODAY. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
- ^ Harry Priestley (July 2008). "Interview with Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler". Citylife. Chiang Mai Citylife. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
- ^ Gray, Denis (26 March 2008). "Mass tourism swamps Asia's once unique, remote places". USA Today. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
- ^ "Backpackers in Asia Make Stops Along the Banana Pancake Trail".
- ^ "Where To Go Backpacking: Key Routes Around the World". Indie Traveller. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
- ^ "Total number of hostels worldwide as of October 2019, by region". Statista. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
- ^ Band, Josh (6 September 2022). "Banana Pancake Trail: The Ultimate Guide 2023". A Backpacker's World. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
External links edit
Banana Pancake Trail travel guide from Wikivoyage- Rea, Denis (2006). "The Banana Pancake Trail". Live at the Forbidden City: Musical Encounters in China and Taiwan. iUniverse. pp. 48–59. ISBN 9780595390489.
- Chennai Tax Office and the Trail of the Banana Pancake by Colin Todhunter
