0 March 6, 2021 16:24 by Annabel D'Monte Talia Krais Crime TV dramas are at an all-time high during lockdown with the disturbing real-life story of psychopath Charles Sobhraj (Alain) in The Serpent topping the list. This display of seduction, disguise, murder, and theft characterises the darkness of the hippie trail during 1970s, alerting viewers to the dangers of travelling. But is travel now just as dangerous as it was back then? Should a traveller accept dinner and drinks with strangers? The Hippie Trail was an alternative to the acquisition of silk and spices on the Silk Road, focusing on spiritual values: freedom, enlightenment, and inner peace – sometimes induced by experimentation with new drugs or exploring different types of religion. It became a rite of passage for countless Westerners who wanted to be colonised rather than take the role of the coloniser, as they felt suffocated by Western ideology. Many of those travelling believed the Hippie Trail to be part of the ‘more humane’ side of the world and freely accepted the hospitality of strangers which could sometimes lead to repercussions, as exposed in