Want to know how to travel the world? I've been doing it for 4 years! Let me share my secrets with you!
You've been dreaming of seeing cities and beaches and mountains… tasting new foods, seeing new cultures… well this will give you a little bit of insight to how you can make that a reality. At least how I do it!
I actually started writing this post back while I was lounging around in the Maldives! I was basking in the sun on a white sand beach, looking out to the bluest waters imaginable, in a country I never thought I would ever visit and thought, I really need to share some of my knowledge about this!
People ask me all of the time how I do it!
- How am I always traveling?
- How do I do it on a budget?
- How do I choose where to go?
- Where do I stay?
...
Well how I do it is a loaded question and it's not so cut and dry because the how depends on the why and the what, you know?!
What I can tell you is that I have traveled for the better part of over 4 years now so needless to say, I’ve been around the block and I kind of have a few tricks up my sleeve.
Everywhere is different and has its own little quirks. For example, the thing about Maldives was that it was a tricky place to figure out… on a budget. It’s kind of one of those places where people come and drop tons of dough, living the lux life and taking IG photos and whatever. (Not so much my style)
I am QUEEN of budget vacation/traveling (how else could I travel for so long?) Seriously, I can cut vacations in halves of halves. I find it insanely satisfying to make my money stretch so I can travel further for longer and so far, I’ve been stretching that thin but in the best way possible!
(Bali, Indonesia)
My dad always says (and I quote verbatim)
“I don’t know how you can afford to travel all the time.”
Well, life's a currency and I don't understand how anyone can afford NOT TO!
First of all, I am not taking any vacations that would max out my credit card. I am subscribed to about every travel advisory and deal website I have ever come across. My email inbox is basically a storage of ads to everywhere in the world with flights, cruises and resorts all squeezed into trying to get my attention.
It's important to know your budget and stay within in!
I don’t want this to turn into some sort of advertisement so I'm not going to recommend any sites specifically (I don’t get paid by any brands, websites or services though I probably should- but that’s another topic!) 😘
So, let’s look at my tips!
1) Let the location choose you! Be flexible!
I rarely go anywhere by choosing the location first.
What I mean by that is, I let the deals plan my trips… I go where is cheap to go and when is cheap to go. That’s probably the most simple way to start. It can cost a lot whenever you're going the opposite way because you only have a limited window to choose from. You're limiting yourself.
A couple of summers ago when I was in Texas, I got a super deal that I couldn’t believe. It was from Spirit Airlines, and get this: it was a one-hour-window to get tickets to Puerto Rico and Mexico for just the tax! Well, guess who booked a $30-something trip to Mexico? Yours truly. And I don’t regret it even remotely.
What I do regret is not also spinning down to Puerto Rico with the same deal (I would have only had 1 day there and in the end felt it was completely crazy to fly there for such a short time but looking back on it, I should have done it!)
This Christmas trip appeared to me in an email! It said get your flight to Langkawi for less than $20USD and I had no idea what Langkawi even was but I wanted a Christmas holiday! I did a little search, found out it was an island and booked my ticket. I did not check the weather which is a must when playing this game! As a result of my negligence on this trip, I ended up in very windy wet weather on this island however, it was gorgeous as you can see in the photo above!
Not everyone’s schedule allows this, so being flexible is crucial to being successful with this tip but, I have ways of making it work for you if your time off needs far-out planning.
2) Set up travel alerts
If you know where you want to go (or when, or both) set some travel alerts to email you whenever a deal comes around.
Many airlines offer quick seat sales for certain occasions or holidays and often the window is very short to get in on them. Having an alert remind you gets you in on those deals and can save you tons of money!
The same goes for resorts, cruises and even package deals! Let the internet do the work for you. I find that most websites will prompt me to save my search and send me emails if the prices change. I always sign up for this service and it always helps my wallet out!
For example, I have to go to Kuala Lumpur a lot for visa runs and so, I get notifications telling me when the cheapest day to fly with the cheapest airline is so I can book my ticket!
3) Travel off season
(Milford Sound, New Zealand)
Hey you know what? Sometimes when less people are around, the trip becomes more personal, more intimate and CHEAPER!
Milford Sound is one of the most famous tourist attractions in New Zealand making it a crowded nightmare most of the time but when I went there were not even 15 people on my HUGE yacht tour because of the weather! I lucked out and got the first day of sun of the season! Score!
PS: I got my ticket half price!
Hotels, guesthouses, accommodation are generally cheaper when they are less busy so by saving that money, it’s a great trick to extend your vacation longer if you’re feeling adventurous (or just pocket the difference and spend it on something else!)
I try to gear my trips around weather opposed to whenever the high or peak seasons are.
I flew to Maldives in what is their peak season but it wasn't by choice to go then, it was because I got a $100 plane ticket there and I couldn’t refuse it!
4) Try guest houses/Airbnb/couch-surfing (avoid hotels/resorts)
(Guraidhoo, Maldives)
Whoops I name dropped Airbnb but if you don’t already know about it, now you know.
On many booking sites now, you can filter your results to include options like hostels, guesthouses and motels… All come generally cheaper than a regular hotel and most certainly far under the bar of a resort.
I like hostels because you can meet other travelers, share your stories and get recommendations of what there is to do around but the disadvantage is they can be noisy, very busy and lack privacy.
I like guest houses and homestays because the host lives in the area and is generally very helpful and full of advice from a local perspective so I find the best tips of what to do and see come from hosts!
The above picture is me with one of my favorite hosts at a guesthouse in Maldives. He was so sweet and caring to me my entire stay! He even prepared me a candle lit dinner on the beach for my birthday! Guest houses feel like home and are much more personal than hotels!
5) Do Your Research!
(Mui Ne, Vietnam)
This requires time in advance but makes up for it in monetary expenditure later on, hands down. Ask yourself these kinds of questions:
- Where do you want to go?
What country? What city/town/island? When is their high season, what time has the best weather? - What kind of things do you want to do?
How much do they cost? How much time will they take? - Are there any discounts available for accommodations/excursions in the area?
There are tons of booking sites online, check a few and see the differences in prices! - How much time do you have?
How long will it take to get there? How long will it take to get back? How much time is left in between? - Where do you want to stay?
A hotel? A guest house? A free couch? Find the lowest price by comparing sites and asking around! - How will you get around?
Check the map to see if it's going to be easy to get around or cost a lot in transportation. It could be cheaper to rent a car if you're staying far from what you want whereas in other situations, public transportation could be able to get you anywhere you need! - What's your budget?
Know what you want to spend and keep yourself within that range while booking. Give yourself a big cushion for unexpected things that may come up! - Convenience or cost?
You need to know ahead of time if you're looking to splurge to have convenience or if you don't mind some challenge and adventure to save some money! It helps to have proper expectations going in!
I got this sand dune trip for half the asking price online by booking through my hostel!
Knowing the going rate helps with negotiating! If you have a group, always ask for a group rate!
Everyone I travel with leaves it all in my hands knowing my obsession with figuring out how to do everything within insanely small budgets without suffering. It requires a lot of time and energy on my part and I sift through countless pieces of information on an area, knowing the ins and outs as much as possible.
I have almost always spent more money whenever I try to 'wing it' so as much fun as it might be to just take off into the unknown and let life guide you or whatever, it’s not how I plan my game and not how I save my money either! 😘
(Rio Celeste, Costa Rica)
I was told I needed a guide to come here and quoted a price. I researched on my own and found out (as is almost always the case) I could drive myself for free! So I did and look at how much fun I had!
Don't forget to look into:
- Weather
- Peak/off seasons
- Visa requirements (my mom got charged a boat load for making a mistake on this!)
But what if travel plans change?
Well, the short and not so sweet answer to that unfortunately is if you’ve prebooked, you may lose your money. You can get travel insurance if you're unsure but it adds a cost to the price.
To be honest with you, I lose money kind of frequently on flights because I can't turn down the deal when it comes in but then when the time comes, don't want to or can't make it to the destination. It's a risk without paying for insurance!
Last minute bookings?
You can message hosts and ask them for a better deal if they have an opening and you want to take it.
For example, Sarah has a listing available for the week and it starts tomorrow. You can see she has no other bookings but her price is too expensive. Reach out to her and see if she’d be willing to work out a negotiated price for you to stay with her. She rents out her room, you get a place. Win, win. I do this all of the time.
It also works on some hotels but it can be tricky if you don’t speak the local language. I can tell you dozens of stories of my negotiations in Guatemala that still make me cringe :P
(Speaking of Guatemala... Tikal, Guatemala)
There you have it!
These are just some of the ways how I do it! I could probably write more than one book on the ins and outs of traveling and making it suit your needs and budget but for this post I'm going to leave it here for now so I don't overwhelm your attention spans :)
Anything I can do, you can do too, you just have to break free of the fear and let your heart guide you!
If you liked this, there is plenty more advice/tips/tricks and experience where that came from- stay tuned for more!
Sending you love today and everyday! 😘
XO,
Oh! PS: While you're here!
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