Ana Lucas, a 24-year-old traveler from Portugal, is taking an unconventional route to Australia. Instead of relying on flights and traditional tourism, she is traveling across countries by hitchhiking, volunteering, camping and keeping her daily expenses below about $5 (roughly ₹500).
Her journey has attracted attention because it combines solo travel, budget travel and sustainable tourism with a long-term goal of reaching Australia without simply boarding a plane.
Why Ana Lucas chose hitchhiking
Lucas said her interest in unconventional travel developed through volunteering abroad. Those experiences introduced her to travelers who were crossing countries by walking, cycling and hitchhiking.
Eventually, she decided to take the idea further.
Australia had been a dream destination for Lucas since she was young. Rather than flying there, she wanted the journey itself to become part of the adventure. Her route has taken her through parts of Central Asia, India and Nepal as she continues working toward Australia.
For Lucas, the trip is not simply about getting from one country to another. She has described wanting to experience different cultures, meet people and develop skills by dealing with situations she cannot predict in advance.
How she travels on less than $5 a day
Keeping travel costs this low requires a very different approach from conventional tourism.
Lucas said she frequently hitchhikes, camps and cooks her own food. She also uses volunteering opportunities to reduce accommodation and food expenses. Through Worldpackers, she exchanges her time and skills for food and accommodation in some locations.
She also sometimes uses Couchsurfing, stays in inexpensive hostels or accepts accommodation offered by people she meets during her travels.
According to Lucas, volunteering has allowed her to spend weeks or even months without spending money on accommodation. She estimated that she has spent around ₹2.9 lakh during roughly the first year and a half of her journey.
Her experience shows why budget backpacking can look very different from a normal vacation. Instead of paying for hotels, flights and organized tours, she relies on a combination of local opportunities, personal skills and careful spending.
Her experience traveling through India
India has been an important part of Lucas’ journey.
During her time in the country, she volunteered at an eco-village and meditation center in Haryana and also spent time volunteering at a college in Ludhiana, Punjab. She later traveled with her sister to Amritsar before continuing toward Kashmir and Ladakh.
She also spent more than a month in Ladakh, including long solo treks during which she carried food for several days.
More recently, Lucas has spoken publicly about how her perception of traveling in India changed after spending more time there. Before arriving, she said she had been warned about possible harassment and theft and initially avoided hitchhiking. Later, she said many people she met were kind and helpful.
She has also stressed that positive experiences do not mean travelers should ignore safety precautions, particularly women traveling alone.
What comes next?
Lucas plans to continue exploring India and Nepal before moving farther along her route toward Australia. She has mentioned plans to visit northeastern India, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, followed by destinations including Goa, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Her long-term journey also highlights the practical challenges of reaching Australia without conventional air travel. Other long-distance travelers have attempted similar journeys using a combination of hitchhiking, boats and overland transportation. Australian broadcaster ABC previously reported on another backpacker who traveled more than 80,000 kilometers toward Australia without flying.
For Lucas, however, the biggest part of the adventure appears to be the journey itself.
She believes traveling outside one’s comfort zone can change how people see themselves and the world. Her story has resonated with people interested in solo travel, cheap travel, sustainable travel and backpacking adventures.
A journey from Portugal to Australia would be challenging under normal circumstances. Attempting it while spending less than $5 a day makes Lucas’ adventure even more unusual.
More Information: usmedianewz