A woman has revealed the reality of "budget" backpacking - she spent nearly £16k on her holiday and still had to stay in cockroach-infested hostels."

Chloe Conor, 27, spent ten months backpacking around Central and South America and people assumed it would be all five-star hotels and luxury resorts.

But she said in reality she only had a £45 a day budget - so her trip often involved staying in places with bathrooms filled with mould and cockroaches.

The bedrooms rarely had aircon despite 30-degree heat and bathrooms would be infested with bugs.

It meant they could only afford to stay in up 12-bed hostel rooms - not hotels - and shop in supermarkets, spending as little as £1 on a meal.

They saved money by taking cramped night buses rather than flights, bought no new clothes while travelling and would stay in hostels.

The social media manager from Wandsworth, London, insists "the good outweighs the bad" and the less glamorous moments made it "special"."

Chloe said: "It is all part of the experience."

"The negatives are unavoidable especially when you are travelling around countries that are economically unstable."

"When you look back at all those gross places they will become the funniest memories."

"They make the amazing destinations even better."

"A huge part of backpacking is not glamorous but that's what makes it special."

Chloe has always wanted to go travelling around the world but covid put a halt to her plans.

She saved up £15,700 in spending money for the trip from saving for four years after university before and left her job to travel.

She set off on her backpacking trip in October 2022 starting in Mexico,

before heading to Central America, Colombia, Peru and the Galápagos Islands before returning to the UK in August 2023.

She said the trip was an experience of a lifetime but did have its flaws due to her budget.

She said: "When we landed in Mexico I did feel very overwhelmed."

"You get people hounding you, trying to get you into a taxi."

"Everyone wants to make money off you but you quickly adapt to that."

From Mexico, Chloe travelled through Central America and finished off in South America.

She said: "It was an absolutely incredible experience - I love the slow-living vibe."

"Sitting back and relaxing in a hammock, we were in Colombia during mango season."

"You could eat fresh mango off the ground but the hostel wasn't amazing."

"There was no air con or a fan, we were so hot but we were paying less than £10 for a room."

"The £45 a day would cover my transport, accommodation and all my meals."

"Because of all that you are not luxury travelling, you are going to do the more budget options."

"You can't go backpacking if you are not willing to be uncomfortable."

"The gross side of things, like a mouldy shower that was during a multi-day trek in a jungle."

"Looking back the good does outweigh the bad."