Traveling is not free; if it is free you will never see me again. It is hard to keep traveling further. At the same time we cannot stop traveling too, we are trying to know and find ourselves through it. I want to travel as much as I can, as long as I can. Expenses occur when it comes to traveling but we can minimize it with a super tight budget. Saving on traveling is not meant you don’t eat don’t drink or stray in the street, it just save as much as you can. There are some tips from my experiences as a budget traveler.
Choose the destinations
No matters where you go just go with your heart. If you have a limit budget just go to somewhere that costs less but still enjoy it. Flight will cost more on tickets, so we just choose the places are closure to our country within by bus or train that we can afford too. People always thinks [You have to be rich to travel] No No it isn’t that, you can travel with your small pockets also. Traveling is not meant you have to take 24 hours flight or go to somewhere with a hundred thousand miles, traveling takes you to where you belong to is the place that have only you and yourself, refresh yourself, release stress from work and enjoy your own company. So Traveling doesn’t cost much if you know how………………
Flight-hunting
When it comes to traveling air ticket is the bills you have to pay anyway, but you can save it on promotion fare. How to hacks air ticket?
-you have to plan your trip a head (3 months-6 months)
-Lock your eyes on airline sites
-check on low seasons, flight is going to be cheaper but make sure you can fix your work schedules.
change the original destinations
for instance, I flew from Phnom Penh to Bangkok it cost me 100usd one way, but I took it from Siem Reap to Bangkok instead of, I spent 10usd more on bus to Siem Reap ,so air ticket was only 50usd plus 10usd bus fee I could save 40usd just seat 6 hours on bus, I dealt it. Some destinations flight changed you could save more than 100usd why not?
-Buy ASEAN passes with Airasia
If you are going to explore the ASEAN countries you can save a lot from ASEAN pass
Airasia.com
As everyone knows Airasia is the budget airline. Anyone can fly. But most of the ticket is non-refundable. Subscribes email they will send you when the promotions are pop up or air fare drop.
-Check at least 3 sites before booking air
Cost-breakdown on transportation
For me I can walk up to 20km a day if the weather is lovely, walking is the good exercise for your health, also at the same time it depends on your health conditions too. You have to aware pretty well with directions, if so you are going to get lost. Download map app that would be available for smartphone. I am here recommend [map.me app] is so convenience and easy to use with navigation and sound. As my experience from town to airport it took like 10km, so I walked in 5km then i just paid half of price only. If the places you want to go is quite far from your stay you have to look which transportation that save the most like the shuttle buses, MRT, Sky trains and other public transportation, avoid the private taxi and taxi meter.
Accommodation
Here is not the problem for me since I am not interested with fancy hotels. Couch surfing community is a good way to meet new people and makes friends, it is not free stay but you can save cost for one or two night with sharing each other culture, living style, history and cooking. As a traveler I can sleep anywhere with tent or couch. There are tons of cheaper hostel around the world affordable for backpackers. Airbnb is a good idea to share room. I am a female solo so where I stay is the most important, I said I could sleep anywhere but anywhere that gives me the most safe and sound. It pays a little more to buy your safety, it is worth! If you are going to stay in dormitory check with the hostel if they have [Girl’s dorm] becomes a member of booking.com has a lot of benefits, and 10% discount with special requests.
Food and Drink
Pack some snacks it is going to save you spend for dinner, if you have a light dinner. Booking with hostel which has the [free kitchen] then it is the best. I am easy going and eat anything ………anything is not curry and sweet stuff haha……….Street food is my favorite. Sampling the ethnic foods is the fantastic things to do on traveling, make sure you are not a weak stomach, just take the small portions for one person don’t try to waste the food and makes cost up. Beer is cheaper here in my country [Cambodia] only 0.75 cents some other countries alcohols are very expensive I can’t afford it then fewer beers to keep the traveling further. Most of airports have free drinking water just refill it. Last July 2016 I went to Penang and stayed in [Just Inn] hostel it provided free drinking water so I didn’t have to buy it, so much appreciated.
Attractions cost
Some landmarks, history places, national park is free for entrance. There are so many attractive places, you don’t have to pick it all, just picks three of them or depends on your budget too. For my experience I went to Hue-Vietnam it had so many tombs in Hue, for one entrance was 5usd I couldn’t afford all, so I had to pick it some, it just difference tombs but it is still a tomb. Saving on attractive places it doesn’t mean you don’t do any excited or experience on it, but just do picks some. Captures the moments, walks every block of the roads, do the best to collects the memories not stuff. Travel like a local, be a traveler not a tourist don’t break your bank to pay for fancy attractive places.
Avoid from ripped off
Most of the reasons to make your traveling cost up are ripped off, be aware on taxi meter, get to the taxi with your GPS or map.me app, always asking price before you order foods, check with the locals people to get the better price. There are many pictures of scam and ripped off be smart enough.
ATM/Visa card/Credit card
This one is very silent causes to makes you broke, and you don’t even know it. Takes once time money from ATM enough for one week or one place that you have to discovery it. Don’t try to pay via Visa card or Credit card it is going to make you broke with the currency exchanges.
MAKES COST DOWN AND ADVENTURE UP. ARE YOU READY?
