No matter how much we prepare, there are times when something that is beyond our control completely goes out of hand. Dreams of an exhilarating adventure abroad could turn into a nightmare which we may never be able to wake up from.

Rather than explain further, I'll let these stories tell you about backpacking adventures turned nightmares:

• Imagine being held by heavily armed and dangerous guerrillas? "Two thousand Colombian troops are scouring mountains in the country's North for eight tourists believed to have been taken hostage by FARC guerrillas in a dawn raid on a tourist site." - ABC Australia
• Murdered backpackers in Thailand. - NewStatesman
• Arrested and Jailed in India after agreeing to carry a friend's bag which, as it turned out, contained hashish. - Guardian
• Lost in an Australian Rainforest - the Scotsman

These links to terrible news about backpacking adventure gone wrong is not meant to discourage you from going backpacking ever again. Instead, it should serve as a reminder that, apart from checking out the cost, you should never forget to research about security and safety in your choice of destination.