Depending on your passport, you can apply a working holiday visa in the countries you visit. Why would you want to work if you’re on a holiday? Well, the sad fact still remains that traveling is not really expensive. It *can* be inexpensive, but if you’re traveling in a country that has a pretty high cost of living, you’re left with no choice but to take on a job if you want to continue traveling.

What are the jobs available for backpackers? In Australia, I’ve seen plenty of part-time work open for travlers: servers, bartenders, construction work, shop assistant, nanny, house cleaner, etc. It can range from the usual to the unusual. This list of the best backpacker jobs I saw at the Lonely Planet website certainly makes for one interesting backpacking trip.

Smurf, Nouméa (New Caledonia)
I helped sand the boat for a friend of the hostel owner. It was blue and after a day, so was I. Walking home a boy yelled out, “schtroumpf!” which I learned later meant Smurf.

Dead body, Tokyo (Tokyo)
Lying under playground equipment with a head covered in fake blood, I practised zazen meditation and realised I would never be a star on Japanese tv.

Medical experiment, Melbourne (Melbourne)
Signed up as a subject in a drug test for treatment for a socially-communicable disease. Clean bed for a week, no need to keep food in my backpack in case of dormitory thieves. Come out with a wad of dollars and slightly green nipples.

Read the complete list over at LonelyPlanet.com.

Ah, I can just hear the stories…“I was once a dead body in Tokyo…”

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