4 Ways to Travel for (Nearly) Free

Ask anyone about travelling and normally they will say: ‘I’d love to travel more but I simply don’t have the money.’ I know because I am guilty of this too. However, we buy tonnes of things that we don’t need every single day.

So cut back, save a little, and get smart with how you travel. With so many different options out there, money shouldn’t hold you back. If you’re willing to open your mind to other ideas and options, you might end up travelling to a country or two and spend very little money in the process.

Here are a few ideas:

1. Sell your time

Now, what does this actually mean? Well, if you give up some of your time to dedicate to a few hours of work each day, in turn you might not have to pay for things like accommodation, food and possibly other benefits. On top of this you will likely be helping a local group or individual in the process. In addition to saving money, this is a chance to get to know the local people and the country you are visiting a little better. Volunteer work exchanges are great for all you adventurous types who are willing to take on something different and seek a deeper knowledge of a destination.

Here are a few volunteer exchanges to think about:

WWOOF

HelpX

Work Away

2. Couch Surfing

Everyone knows about Couchsurfing nowadays. The concept is simple: if you’re too poor for accommodation, you Couchsurf. If you’re in another country and you meet someone through Couchsurfing, it not only makes your travels cheaper but more enjoyable. Making friends also means you get to split things, whether it’s a room, dinner or a taxi. If you’re not into crashing on a couch for the night, you can instead look into house sitting.

Here are a few house sitting websites to check out:

House it World

Trusted House Sitters

3. Teach English abroad

Hundreds of people a year put on their backpacks and take off to schools around the world to teach English. South East Asia and South America are particularly popular destinations for this. Whilst teaching you are almost always guaranteed free accommodation and some organisations even pay a monthly wage for your skills (but beware, don’t expect to be rich!). If you’re hoping to earn money through teaching, why not look into completing a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language)? This could increase your chance of earning a few bob.

4. Freelance

The idea of travelling and writing for a living is what many of us dream about when we wake up every morning to our 9 to 5 office jobs. However, although this may be the stuff of dreams, freelancing could be a way of earning a bit of extra cash whilst you are on your travels. Many travel blogs and websites are always looking for contributors and are willing to pay a small sum for each article. Do some research and see what you can find. You never know, it could also help you work towards living that dream of travelling the world for a living.

The Best of Eastern Europe: Top 5 Places to Visit

Inter railing across Europe

Backpacking in Europe is a rite of passage for most students and travellers. But due to its size many end up hopping between the most famous cities (London, Paris, Rome…) and never explore what the Eastern fringes has to offer.

If you’re looking for something a little different (and a hell of a lot cheaper!) then backpacking in Eastern Europe is the thing to do. Eastern Europe is full of interesting (and troubled) history, idyllic countryside, buzzing nightlife and unique architecture. Here are my top 5 places to visit…

 

Source: Next Trip Tourism

1. Transylvania, Romania

If you want a feel for real the Romania, Transylvania is the place to go. A visit to Vlad Tepes’ (Dracula’s) haunting hometown of Sighișoara during the winter is a definite must.

 

Szechenyi Baths, Budapest

2. Budapest, Hungary

Budapest’s beautiful historic section is Castle Hill on the Buda side of the Danube. Across the river is Pest, the hectic center of the modern city. Budapest is an active city where travellers from all over the world enjoy its many great cafés, bars and clubs.

Market Square

3. Krakow, Poland

Kraków is the most visited city in Poland and for a good reason. Boasting the largest medieval square in all of Europe, the historic old town is a wonderful place to explore. Get a taste for Polish cuisine with borsch (soup made from beetroot) and pierogis, whilst also sampling a homemade bread pretzel from the many street vendours.

4. Mostar, Bosnia Herzegovina

On the front line of the conflict during the Balkan War, Mostar was badly damaged by the fighting. Its famous bridge, from which young men traditionally dive, was completely destroyed and the town’s residents were unable to cross the river.

Back to its former glory, the Stari Most Bridge is host to the annual diving competition in July. The beauty of Mostar lies in its turquoise river and shiny white stone buildings. But there are reminders of the city’s brutal past visible in the bombed out buildings nestled within the town making it a remarkable place to visit.

Lake Bled

5. Ljubljana, Slovenia

Nestled in an alpine valley and straddling the Ljubljana River, Ljubljana is a picture-perfect and very walkable city. The place has a café culture vibe, with the cobbled streets filled with bicycles and laid-back students. A trip to the magnificent Lake Bled with its church island is a must. Here you can try a number of water sports, hiking and biking.

The Best Food in South East Asia

Yummy Malaysian vegetable and dhall curry

After 3 months, 6 countries (with 2 more to go!) and 154 meals (a rough guess), we have tried our fair share of South East Asian food. Despite many mishaps and dashes to the loo(!), the whole experience of trying new dishes, getting out of our comfort zones, and finding great recipes we will be taking home with us has been one of the highlights of our adventure away from home. As most people who have visited to Asia will agree, eating in this part of the world is not only enjoyable but also an experience. It’s where different cultures, climates, customs and histories all come together, and sometimes eating at a street-side vendor is just as insightful as spending the day visiting the different sights and tourist attractions. Food is taken very seriously over here with most streets lined with street vendours. In Thailand the very common greeting; “have you eaten rice yet?” sometimes replaces the usual “hello”.

As we are soon to be leaving Asia for our new adventure in Australia I thought I’d share with you some of the best food we have eaten on this trip.

Pad Thai (Thailand)

Our very own Pad Thai creations during our Chiang Mai cooking class

In my opinion Thailand has the best street food in South East Asia, with Bangkok taking the culinary crown. Okay, so most people who have visited Thailand rattle on about Pad Thai and how amazing it is to the point where it almost puts you off the dish. However, at 30Baht a go it was our main meal of choice and tastes the best when purchased from one of the street vendours rather than a restaurant. We were lucky enough to have a go at making this ourselves during our cooking class in Chiang Mai. For something so simple to cook, it seems wrong that it should taste so good. When you’re on a budget as well, the eggy noodles are the best way to fill you up on the cheap. I’ll definitely be taking the recipe back home with me to England.

Pho (Vietnam)

A steaming bowl of Pho

On a 38 degree day, after walking the city streets for hours, the last thing I felt like eating was a steaming soup of noodles in a sweaty restaurant. But amazingly, a big bowl of noodle soup with wierd bits of beef, and a plate piled high with extras to add as you wish (limes, chillies, mint and a strange-looking assortment of weed-like plants) it quickly became my all-time favourite Asian dish. When I get home I will try (and no doubt fail) to recreate it but it definitely won’t be the same as from a Vietnamese street vendour lady.

Fish Amok (Cambodia)

Source: eattheplate.wordpress.com

Amok is Cambodia’s culinary oyster and you’ll come across it on almost all restaurant menus. The national dish (or so it seems) consists of a savoury coconut curry, sometimes served within banana leaf. It’s rich, creamy and very very tasty.

Tandoori Chicken (Malaysia)

Jim enjoying his Tandoori chicken

The minute you set your foot on the ground in Malaysia, you notice how the food is heavily influenced by Indian culture. During our stay at Penang, the ‘pearl’ of Asian cuisine, we made the most of the Indian influences and ate our favourite dishes every night. One of the highlights was the Tandoori chicken ‘set’ which includes a naan of your choice (cheese obviously), a peice of heavily marinated Tandoori chicken, onions and lime, and vaiorus sauces for dipping. At roughly RM9, this is by far the best bargain you can get in Malaysia!

5 Free (or Nearly Free) Things To Do in Hong Kong

Many would say Hong Kong is one of the most expensive cities in the world and is therefore, not part of the traditional backpacker scene.

But for every 5-star hotel and gourmet restaurant, there are budget dorms and cheap dim sum food stalls waiting to be explored by a more shallow pocketed crowd. In fact, we found that apart from the accommodation costs, Hong Kong is a great city for those travelling on a budget. Even if you’re low on cash, the cheap public transport, delicious street food scene and the many sights and attractions, means there is never a shortage of things to do. Here are five of the best free (or nearly free) ways to enjoy the city on the cheap.

A ride on the Star Ferry

Take the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour.

Although many call it a commute; others see it as a bargain way to cross and view one of the world’s most scenic harbours and skylines. Fares run between HK$2 and HK$3.40 depending on what day you’re travelling, and it’s most popular route connects Central Terminal on Hong Kong Island to Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon.

Ride the world’s longest covered escalator.

The Central Mid-Levels escalator system is the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world, connecting the hill-top districts of Hong Kong with the rest of the city. The system acts as free public transportation and tourists can hop on for a ride at any time. Taking a ride on this is also a great way to explore Soho and it’s many bars.

Symphony of Lights

Watch the world’s largest sound and light show.

Hong Kong’s “Symphony of Lights” isn’t just the best attraction in town, it’s also completely free! Head to Tsim Sha Tsui promenade early to get a good a view, and at 8pm watch as 40 buildings from both sides of Victoria Harbour put on a spectacular show of lights, sounds and lasers.

Victoria Park

People watch in Victoria Park.

During our week-long stay in the city, our favourite thing to do was to head to Victoria Park with (cheap) food and drink bought from the supermarket on the rare occasion the sun came out. Enjoy relaxing on the grass alongside the many large Filipino families having picnics and watch as expats walk past with their dogs, and old men and women practice the art of Tai Chi. With a backdrop of the city’s buildings, the park is a great way to watch and learn about Hong Kong’s many inhabitants. Also, if you’re as lucky as us you May be invited to watch some of the locals playing a game of boules.

Temple Street Market

Pick up a bargain at a Hong Kong market.

Markets are a thriving tradition in Hong Kong, and you can pick up anything from the latest piece of electronic gadgetry to dried squid. Even if you’re not interested in splashing your cash, visiting these colourful and bustling markets with their clatter of Cantonese bargaining is a great  way to enjoy your time in he city. My favourite was the unmissable Temple Street night market.

 

Disneyland Hong Kong on a Budget

At the end of our week-long stay in Hong Kong we decided to spend our last day at Disneyland. Since Hong Kong is one of the most expensive places on our RTW trip we were extremely careful with our money. Thankfully we managed to stay in budget by walking to places rather than getting the metro and by mainly eating food bought from the supermarket. 

Therefore by the last day of our stay we had managed to scrape the last of our monies together to visit the theme park. Between us we have already been to Disneyland Paris and Disneyworld Florida but we wanted to see what the theme park in Hong Kong would be like and if it would be any different.

How to get there:

Getting to the theme park is pretty easy using the MTR. To catch the Disneyland Resort line head for Sunny Bay station which is accessible from Tsing Yi station. From there you can catch the Resort’s very own train which takes you straight to the park. With its unique interior and Mickey Mouse windows, the Disneyland train is a great attraction in itself.

How much it costs:

A 1-day ticket cost us HK $450 each which we bought at the gate on the day. You are able to buy a 2-day pass but I think you can see the park in a day easily (it’s not too big). We expected the queues at the entrance to be huge but they weren’t too bad. The whole park wasn’t too busy but this may be because we visited in January. If you’re visiting in Peak season I expect the park can get really crowded.

Attractions:

Upon entering the park, visitors are welcomed by the Disneyland Resort Maim Street USA where you are able to buy food and merchandise. As we were on a budget we didn’t stay too long here. From here you can go to Adventure Land to visit Tarzan’s Jungle Treehouse while on a Jungle Cruise. Don’t miss watching one of the most famous shows in the theme park – the Festival of the Lion King (definitely one of our highlights). 

The futuristic rides of Tomorrowland are good but it didn’t beat Toy Story Land for us. There are some good rides here and you’re also able to get some cheesy photos with Woody and Jessie. 

The best rides by far (for older people) are the Grizzly Gulch and Space Mountain. The Mickey Mouse parade which happens every day at 3pm is definitely a must-see. However the park’s highlight happens when the sun goes down at the sky lights up with fireworks at Cinderella’s Castle in time to music. Watching the Firework show was the perfect way to end a really fun day at Disney. 

Please note, the food and drink in the park is really expensive and you’re not allowed to bring and food or drink of your own in the grounds. As we were on a budget and had spent the last of our money on the entrance fees, we were hungry and thirsty for the rest of the day! However I definitely think Disneyland Hong Kong is do-able for people on a budget. We still had a great time and hardly spent any money. Also I reckon you can probably sneak in food and drink if you wanted to! 🙂 

Hong Kong: Kowloon

Hong Kong skyline

During our stay in Hong Kong one of our highlights was visiting Kowloon for the day. After taking the underground from Causeway Bay to Central, Kowloon was only a short boat ride away on the Star Ferry.

Star Ferry

If you’re visiting Hong Kong I’d definitely recommend taking a trip on one of these boats. At only HK$2.20, the Star Ferry is surprisingly cheap for the city and is a great way of seeing the Hong Kong skyline. it’s about a ten minute ride from Central to Kowloon and ferries run frequently and on a daily basis.

Things to do:

Chungking Mansions

Indian lunch at Chungking

 

1. Chungking Mansions

The district of Kowloon is also a must-see for anyone visiting the area. We were staying in a hostel in Causeway Bay but regret not braving the accommodation in the infamous Chungking Mansions. We had heard horror stories before hand about how unsafe the building was in terms of fire hazards and thefts so we expected it to be far worse than it actually was. Entering the Chungking mansions was an experience in itself and we spent a good amount of time browsing the jewellery shops, electronic merchandise and Indian/West Indian food stalls. We have heard the building is famous for samosas so we decided to have lunch in a very small Indian restaurant within the building. The price of the food was cheap in comparison to the rest of the city and it was definitely the best meal we had during our whole time in Hong Kong.

Temple Street Market

2. Temple Street Night Market

Visting the night market was a highlight for us when we were in Kowloon. it has everything to offer from knock-off Dr.Dre Beats to traditional Cantonese handicrafts. The street food stalls also offer good food and fairly cheap beer. If you’re into your markets the daily Jade Market in this district is also good but be prepared to haggle to get the prices down.

Symphony of Lights

3. Symphony of Lights show

Every day at 8pm the Hong Kong skyline puts on an impressive show of lights that can be viewed via Kowloon harbour. This was definitely the highlight of our trip in Hong Kong. Some people say it’s best to see the lights whilst on the Star Ferry but you could be at risk of missing it if there are queues. I think the harbour is probably the best way to enjoy the show but get there early to get a good seat and expect crowds.

How to See the World for Free

Work on a farm

Travellers who are prepared to put in a hard days work can stay in beautiful locations for next to nothing by joining a farm volunteer scheme. Lots of farms around the world invite people to volunteer in exchange for free food and accommodation. Not only are these great eco-friendly projects but if your willing to get your hands dirty, it’s a way to learn about rural life and enjoy a long-term visit on the cheap.

Most farms require you to stay for at least one or two weeks but the length of stay can usually be negotiated with your hosts. Your work could involve anything from picking fruit to building barns, learning about organic crops or setting up an irrigation system.

If you’re on a tight budget but still itching for an adventure you can look for farms that are open to volunteers through sites such as wwoof.net (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) or Growfood

Crew a ship

An increasingly popular way to travel around the world is to crew a ship and earn your passage. You can’t sail a ship without a crew and nowadays adverts for crew are posted online, giving the ordinary landlubber the opportunity to sail the oceans on the cheap, provided they are will to get their hands dirty and scrub the decks.

Some trips, especially longer ones, will require the crew to have previous experience. However, there are still many opportunities for complete beginners to muck in and pick up sailing skills along the way. If you have no previous experience, you are more likely to be helping with the basic tasks, such as cooking and cleaning.

Sometimes expenses are covered and sometimes the crew will be expected to pay their way, but this should be no more than between £15-25 a day. More experienced crew could even be paid for their work, which can be between £200-500 per week.

If sailing the seven seas is something which takes your fancy check out these useful websites:

Crewseekers International, Find A Crew, Crewbay, Sailing Networks, Ocean Crew Link

A Monk’s Life: An Entirely Different Thai Experience

Thailand is known by many as ‘The Land of Yellow Robes’, due to the sea of yellow-clad Buddhist monks who walk its streets. For centuries, Buddhism has upheld its place in Thailand and enriched the way of life of its people. According to the 1960 census, the population of Thailand numbers 25,519,965, and of this number 94% are Buddhist. It is no surprise therefore, that when I arrived at the backpacker capital, eighteen, fresh faced and ready to party, I was confronted with an unexpected insight into a spiritual way of living – and yes, it was definitely unexpected. As part of a group of twenty travellers, following an itinerary arranged through the organisation Real Gap, we were expecting what any typical young traveller to Thailand expects: Khao San road, Singha beer and full moon parties.

Instead, we found ourselves transported 130km west of Bangkok, just outside of the town of Kanchanaburi. Here, we were abruptly dropped off in (what looked like) the middle of nowhere. Our tour operator hastily informed us that we were to stay with a community of monks for a night to begin our month long tour.

The monks made it clear they wanted to show us what a typical day was like for them. Firstly, we had to assist with the daily chore of cleaning. While most of us groaned at this, each of us soon had a rake and immersed ourselves in the task. This was soon followed by a tour of the grounds and the monks’ individual homes. Each home is essentially a small wooden hut that would only fit one grown man to sleep in with no furniture, just a bare floor. While their simplicity shocked us, the washing (mainly orange robes) draped along the roofs highlighted how they were indeed, ‘homes’ to the monks.To be brutally honest, as a group of young people, mostly straight out of sixth form, the dishevelled buildings, eerie silence and the multitude of stray dogs filled us with apprehension. It was certainly a long way from our ‘backpacker dream’. After being shown to our rooms (bare cells with concrete floors) and given our attire for the day (white cotton pyjamas), we were introduced to the four monks with whom we were to share this experience. Following the hysterics brought on by seeing our beds for the night and our very unflattering uniforms; meeting these four men brought a little light to the situation. Their soft manner and way of addressing you without looking directly at you, created a sense of both calm and intrigue amongst the group. We could not help but stare at them, which we later found out was extremely disrespectful in Buddhist culture.

The rest of the day consisted of ‘spiritual’ activity. We were taught to chant, all walking in a circle and later, finally shown how to actually meditate. Although most of us giggled at first, the monks were unsurprisingly patient, and an hour in I finally began to find myself in a state of relaxation (that is, until a small lizard crawled up my back). We went to our concrete beds that night after a small dinner of rice and vegetables, which the monks watched us eat (their faith dictates that they do not eat past noon), accompaned by the terrifying sounds of stray dogs. Despite having what was certainly the worst sleep I have ever had, I was quite glad for it, as the day had provided me with a lot to think about.

The following morning, we were awake at 5am for the morning chants and then accompanied the monks on a walk around the nearby village, where locals handed them food. For most of us this was the highlight of our stay. Watching local villagers gracefully sharing their food with the monks was a very special moment. We were then touched to find the monks giving it straight to us to have for our breakfast!

By the time it was our moment to leave, we found ourselves taking off our white pyjamas, a little saddened to be going. We had found friendship in these four gentle monks and were willing to sleep (or not sleep) on concrete floors if it meant we could stay an extra day. While we didn’t leave as entirely new people, it certainly changed many of us in a small way, and was an experience that would stay with us. Our rash and hedonistic post-school selves had learned that the sense of community, respect and self-discipline which Buddhism teaches are important values – and I’m glad I was given the opportunity to realise this at the age of eighteen.