Aparna Shekhar Roy, a young marketing professional, is taking off on a six-month tour of Latin America. What’s interesting is that several brands have come forward to join her in her journey.

Roy, or the Backpacking Ninja as she prefers to be called, has chosen to take time off from her career and experience a part of the world that she claims has always intrigued her. The 2002 pass out from Symbiosis admits to being a travel freak. But this trip is more than just a passionate journey – it is a marketing opportunity, as brands are discovering.

So what’s unique about this ninja’s backpacking trip? For one, during the six months of her travel, Roy will share with her friends and the internet universe details about her travel on her blog- http://backpackingninja.blogspot.com. Roy intends to engage bloggers through a running narration, photographs and videos.

Roy explained, “My blog would contain two elements to it - Information and Entertainment. Information is in the form of how to plan your trip, checklists, things to carry, website contacts, etc. Entertainment is in the form of personalized posts on my travel experience. I hope to put up pictures and videos, which can make my blog visually appealing, in addition to resorting to humor to keep audiences entertained. I am hoping for word of mouth from people who visit my blog.”

The blog is one of the many avenues through which brands can reach out to travel enthusiasts virtually accompanying Roy on the trip. While ASUS has provided the laptop she will use, Croc will provide the shoes. Wildcraft has provided the travel gear and talks are on with an insurance provider to cover her during the trip. Cards4U will create cause-related cards in partnership with Roy.

While the payout is negligibly small (when compared to other sponsorship opportunities), brands will get to advertise on her blog in return. Roy also promises word-of-mouth among her peers and fellow travel enthusiasts, a huge incentive for brands in the travel and related spaces. Travelogues she pens are also likely to find mentions of the brands partnering her trip, as will reviews in travel and other online forums.

Roy admits this wasn’t an easy task approaching sponsors. “I approached brands through a personalized proposal, writing to them the value they can get from the association. I have made a conscious effort to approach brands that have a fit with my journey. It hasn't been an easy task. The larger brands and companies don't reply. The people who have replied and agreed to partner with me are those who saw an opportunity to do something different - out of the box,” she explained.

Another brand that has associated with Roy and is enthusiastic about her travel is EVENTFAQS. Roy’s trip will be followed by www.eventfaqs.com, and she will also narrate experiences from the events she attends on her journey. Roy will narrate these experiences through guest articles in both online and print versions of the events and experiential marketing platform.

Roy’s Latin America trip will begin and end with Brazil, and she will travel to other countries in between. She will leave in October 2008 and return in March 2009. She has shortlisted events like the World Social Forum, the Carnaval and the Capoeirando in Brazil to attend.

The traveler is also looking to associate with social causes and NGOs, whose messages she could carry along and amplify. This one promises to be an eventful journey.