Hi! I am Klaas, a 21-year-old Belgian travel addict who loves (solo) backpacking, the outdoors, mountaineering/hiking, hitchhiking, adventures off the beaten path and making connections with new friends across the globe. Something I really love about traveling is the people I meet along the way, every encounter adds something to the journey.

On my trips, I prefer not to plan, just to live in the moment, take things as they come, let opportunities guide my way and let the adventure sort itself out!

I teach freerunning classes in order to fund my travels and I’m currently in my third bachelor’s degree in geography at the VUB in Brussels. When I’m not traveling, I really miss traveling so if you’re currently in Brussels and would like to meet up, don’t hesitate to send me a message!

Right now, I’m planning a backpacking trip to Tunisia in February 2026. I’m not into fancy resorts or beach holidays but I prefer to explore local life and travel off the beaten path. Let’s see how backpackers friendly Tunisia is. It’s not a common backpackers destination, I know, but I want to give it a chance since I absolutely loved Morocco for solo backpacking. Any advice is welcome!

In July 2026, I hope to be an outdoor guide in Scandinavia again, and extend it a bit by hitchhiking and hiking around in Scandinavia myself.

In September 2026 I’ll go backpacking in India. I haven’t decided yet whether I want to go to the south or the north so all advice is welcome!

I’m often in Spain since I’ve family there and I always like to practice my Spanish ;)

I’ve got plenty more ideas for the coming years, from climbing mountains to volunteering and studying abroad, the list never ends!

Hope to hear from you! Always happy to share a Belgian beer and swap travel stories.

You can contact me on Instagram: @klaasmannaert

Greetings, Klaas

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I’m mainly here for the local connection. Locals always see their city differently and know their city better than anyone else. I love hanging out with locals to get advice on hidden gems, learn more about the true culture of the country, and swap genuine travel stories. The more real experiences I can collect, the better!

Interests

• photography
• traveling
• cycling
• hiking
• backpacking
• mountaineering
• geography
• geology
• mountains
• parkour
• outdoor
• language learning
• our planet
• freeruning
• hitchiking

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

You can decide for yourself ;)

- Latest trip: In September 2025, I did my last solo backpacking trip to Morocco, which was an incredible experience! I climbed Mount Toubkal, the highest mountain in North Africa and did a road trip with three strangers in the Moroccan Sahara desert.

- Free trips: I hitchhiked from Leuven (Belgium) to Montpellier (South of France) with a friend and managed to fix free accommodation by asking strangers on the street haha. It was except for my trips as a guide, by far the cheapest trip I have had so far!

- Craziest travel stories: I did a solo backpacking trip in the Balkans where I had some of my favorite and most memorable travel experiences.

- Newborn in the world of travel: When I was 18 years old I did my first solo backpacking trip and traveled over 6000 kilometers over the eastern European railways.

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Teach, Learn, Share

I teach and learn freerunning (parkour)

I also maintain my 1500+ Duolingo Spanish streak by learning half an hour a day to preper myself for Latin America haha

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belgium