Here's a question for you: How do you create great content while traveling with just your carry-on? You've got no space for a high-performance laptop, mic, or DSLR - so what do you do?

The ultimate dilemma when traveling light is the "But what if..." style of thinking. You want specific "edge case" attire, accessories, or gadgets, but overall, they become a hindrance to traveling light.

So the trade-off in any given one-bag style traveling is to pick what you're going to use all the time. And if you're planning on making content while traveling, this means you're going to want to bring the gear to make that content.

• If you write, you're going to want your laptop.
• If you film, you're going to want your camera.
• If you record, you're going to want your mic.

And hell, you're probably going to need a combination of that gear for a lot of the creative work you have in mind. But the dilemma still stands that you want to travel light. So how do we make this work?

It's 2022 at the time of writing. Right now, you actually don't need any of the gear above to create great content. Do you know where I'm going with this?

The Ultimate Tool: Your Phone

I can hear your objections, right. Lack of quality, lack of storage, tiny keys, tiny screen - but hold on, is this still the case? As I said, we’re in the 2020s and beyond.

You can pick up a high-end iPhone, Samsung, or Pixel and be a creative powerhouse. In fact, I met half a dozen people at least that ran their whole business on their phone while traveling in 2019.  And look, we’re going to go through:

• Tools
• Apps
• Workflows
• Features

And more, and I’m going to convince you why all you need is this, but before I do, if you’re totally opposed to this, understand this: I traveled carry-on only with a laptop and a handheld camera for a year, so that’s doable too.

Hell, I’ve got half a dozen comparisons and articles on this, all you need is something like the Osprey Farpoint 40 for a bag, and you’re good to go, but my next trip is going to be even lighter.

So if you want to go as light as possible, create content, and run a business while traveling with just your phone, keep reading; if you do think you need more, have a browse through some of the articles below.

One Bag Travel | What’s in My Backpack? What to Bring?

How to travel with one bag, carry on luggage only. What’s in my backpack? What do I bring with me? A list of all the clothes, electronics, accessories.

Thrifty BackpackerSah Kilic

How to Travel With Carry On Luggage Only

How to travel with just your carry on luggage. Which backpack to buy, what to pack, how to fold your clothes, and other essential tips on one bag travel.

Thrifty BackpackerSah Kilic

Why Your Phone Is The Ultimate Tool For Light Travel

Let’s think of someone who needs to write, edit footage, record video, record sound, and publishes all of this on the go. What does that look like in terms of light travel?

Let’s get a shopping list going:

1. Laptop ~14 inches Asus Zenbook | 1.15kg
2. Camera | Canon G7X Mark 3 | 0.3kg
3. Mic | Blue Snoball | 0.46kg
4. Action Cam | Go Pro Hero | 0.12kg

So now we’ve added about ~2kgs on a 7kg carry-on limit and we’re not even talking about what you prefer. A lot of people want decent audio input and a mic that goes with it, so they bring a DSLR. Or they want better audio so they bring something more robust than a Blue Snowball.

And this is where we’re not even talking about space. Add a DSLR and mic setup, a bigger laptop for better editing, and boom. We've hit the point where we can'y travel light anymore.

Now don't get me wrong, it’s doable if you pick and choose, and indeed if you’re a coder, you need a laptop - or if you’re podcasting, maybe you really really really need a better mic - but in reality, you don't need any of that, and you have everything you need on a high-end phone.

Let’s take the latest iPhone.

Running a Content Business While Traveling Light? All you need is your iPhone.

The One iPhone Business.

Here’s what’s on my iPhone and how I run the show

First I’ll tell you about the software, and then we can get into some extra accessories to level this up.

• iPhone's Notes app - This is where I write all my copy, blogs, articles, content plans, schedules, and more.
• Standard Camera app - Don’t bother with the other 100 on the app store, you’ve got your wide-angle, zoom, portrait mode, in-camera-cuts, and more.
• Adobe Premiere Rush (Free) - Phenomenal design, fast, and premium-for-free mobile video editing, this is genuinely all you need for everything video while traveling.
• Adobe Lightroom for mobile (Free) - You could easily use the iPhone’s inbuilt editors but Lightroom has that extra bit of power and functionality to elevate your photo edits to the next level - straight on your phone.
• Instagram, Twitter, Medium, Quora, Pinterest, Facebook, Reddit, LinkedIn, Tik Tok, YouTube - Every one of these social apps has its purpose but in the middle of that Venn diagram, we’ve got Link Buildyou’veead Generation, and Customer/Audience Communication - you need the phone to make content, but also distribute it.
• Substack - Not on my iPhone perse but get an account anyway, you need to capture emails and this is the easiest way to do it for free and stay in touch with your audience.
• Buffer - Social media scheduling so you don’t have to do everything manually.
• Stripe - Collect payments with minimal fees - pair that with Zoom to chat to clients and Calendly to book time and you’ve got yourself a coaching/teaching business.
• WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal - Communicating with any clients or business partner you might hit’s

This is just scratching the surface. You can access all of this software, create content, distribute it, talk to clients, charge them, all on your phone.

Blogging

To blog, you can use the standard Notepad app and copy whatever you write to the platform of choice. It’s as easy as that.

And you might be thinking, “it’s easier to write on a laptop” and hey, it is - but also, there’s been a clear trend in using our mobile devices to do more and more and it’s unsurprising that it’s the default that the majority of people access the internet.

With this much time on the internet, on your phone, typing comments, texts, chatting with friends, writing emails - you may as well write your blogs using the small screen too.

I’ve found it actually helps keep you concise, well-crafted, and all-around more digestible. And you can always test this by writing a few articles on your phone before you decide to take off traveling.

Filming & Video Editing

Whatever high-end phone you’re using I can guarantee it does 1080p at 60 frames at least and that’s all you need (more than what you need actually). An iPhone, Samsung, or Pixel each have their own pros and cons, but one thing’s for certain, they’re more than enough to tell your story.

Here’s the workflow:

1. Film your content.
2. Use Premiere Rush (Free) to edit on your phone.
3. Upload your content to YouTube and link out.

And if you need some crisper audio, you can easily get a Rode Lavalier Mic (Amazon Link) to have that right on your collar. Our phones are small and powerful computers, and with smart decisions and workflows, actually really fucking easy to create and edit the content on. You're not producing insane VFX, you're likely just talking to a camera, filming amazing travel adventures - you really should be focusing on being engaging - not making everything pixel perfect.

Social Media & Photography

And look, you're right, these aren't two thousand dollar DSLRs for pro photography, I get it. But would you not agree that getting the shot and editing it is more important?

If we're traveling light, it opens up a whole world of quick-access photography. Access to footage where cameras aren’t allowed, hikes where they're impractical, in-the-moment shots where you just can't get a candid picture unless it's on your phone.

This is why phones are super convenient with getting the shot.

Like I mentioned earlier, I’ve met people running their whole solo enterprise while traveling, straight from their phone - you can be that guy or gal.

1. Take the picture.
2. Edit using Adobe Lightroom on your phone.
3. Post it on Instagram.

And yes, you might be looking for waterproof cameras, or other cameras that can do things your phone might not be able to - but honestly it's far and few.

I used a Samsung Galaxy s10e back in the day in Thailand, during Songkran, the Thai New Year, where a giant country-wide water gun fight ensues for 3 days. II filmed with that water-resistant phone the whole time - undamaged. Sure you can't attach it to a surfboard but if that’s the core of your content, then GoPros are cheap-ish and small and that might be a non-negotiable.

This is again, just scratching the surface - you can do so much with just a phone. So the one takeaway here is that traveling light can mean compromise, sure, but a lot of the it's not that much compromise.

When you're backpacking around the world, having an amazing time, and running your content business straight from your phone, it’s hard not to fall in love with your newly found minimalistic lifestyle and freedom.

Try it at home for a week or two, I guarantee you'll be surprised.

Sah out ✌

As a tourist who likes the finer things and wants that half-adventure-half-holiday trip, definitely Bali.

Bali has the food culture, the architecture, temples, monkies, beaches, rice patties, nature, shopping, relaxation, parties - all of it.

It’s convenient to get around and has the tourism built into the island, as well as the more off-the-beaten-path kind of vibe if you’re looking for it.

Java on the other hand isn’t like that at all. If you’ve been to 20+ countries, if you’ve already had your fair share of tourism, and you’re looking for more of a rugged experience without a lot of options for other things, that’s when I’d do Java.

Simply put: Go to Bali first because If you like Bali, there’s a chance you’ll also like Java. If you don’t like Bali, you’re not going to like Java.

Hope that helps!

Sah

This quick article is a part of the Thrifty Backpacker FAQ Series.

Pai is a small town in Northern Thailand, with a relaxed, almost hippie-like atmosphere.

It's got a few natural hot spots that you can quickly get to with the many scooter rental options, and if this is why you go, you can see it all in 2-3 days - but it has much more to offer.

It's got waterfalls, caves, a crazy steep canyon, and fantastic views, but they call it the Pai-hole for a whole different set of reasons.

When a Backpacker goes to Pai, they always seem to extend their stay. What's so good about Pai? Why do backpackers flock to Pai?

Backpackers stay in Pai for two reasons: The relaxed atmosphere and the lifestyle. If you want to get away from the big city, be surrounded by nature, delicious food, and adventure - go to Pai.

In this guide, we're going to cover everything. Here's a quick table of contents to skip to what you want to know.

Table of Contents

1. A Typicial Day in Pai
2. How Do You Get to Pai?
3. Things to Do in Pai
   1. Food to Eat in Pai
   2. Health & Fitness in Pai
   3. Nature & Sites in Pai
   4. Entertainment & Nightlife in Pai

A Typical Day in Pai

For a backpacker staying in Pai, the typical day involves riding your scooter and exploring the town, eating various cheap and delicious food, socializing with other backpackers, fitness, yoga, drinking, dancing, and much more.

1. Wake up in one of the famous hostels: The Pai Circus Hostel or Common Grounds
2. If you're at Circus, you go over to their breakfast buffet and pay 100-200 Baht ($3-$6 USD) and eat a combination of Western and Thai food.
3. You might go for a quick morning swim in the pool overlooking the beautiful mountains and hills in the distance.
4. You and your backpacker friends get on scooters that you've rented from 100-150 Baht a day, either in town or just outside the hostel.
5. You go for a ride to one of the many morning yoga places and get in some exercise, socialize a little.
6. Then you go to one of the hot spots that we'll get to in the things to do section - you spend the day exploring there.
7. You come back into town and have some Northern Thai food like Khao Soi for a late lunch.
8. You head back to the hostel and relax, get some work done, maybe you go to the gym or attend a Muay Thai class.
9. You finish up and meet with fellow travelers for a fantastic variety of street food at the lovely Pai Night Market.
10. You move on to the partying, open mics, or shows at one of the many bars in town - more on this soon.
11. You party it up and stumble to your hostel room with your fellow backpackers smiling at a night well spent.

You rinse and repeat.

We touched on many things to do on a typical day in Pai, but let’s get into everything on the menu. Though before we do that, you need to know how to get there. Skip ahead if you already know.

How Do You Get to Pai?

There are three ways you can get to Pai, and they're both from Chiang Mai, and both by road; you can't fly into Pai.

1. Get a 300 Baht (US$9-$10) van/mini-bus from Chiang Mai Bus Station to Pai town center. This takes 3-4 hours.
2. Rent a one-way drop off Scooter in Chiang Mai and ride it 3 hours to Pai, where you'll drop it off in the city center. Keep in mind; you’ll likely get a 500 Baht fine on the way for driving without a Thai license - the police regularly do this for tourists that want to make this trip.
3. Organizing a private car or taxi to take you to Pai - This is the most expensive way, but it can be worth it for groups.

Things to Do in Pai

Pai has a crazy variety of food, nature, fitness, day activities, and nightlife to keep you busy. I've broken them down into four sections below.

Food to Eat in Pai

This list has the potential to be unlimited. Try out every little shop you can, but there are a few that you should know about.

1. The Pai Night Market - Opens at 6 PM, and you can get everything right here, from delicious Thai staples like Pad Thai to popular world dishes like Lasagna, Gyoza, Burgers, and more.
2. Any Restaurant Serving Khao Soi - A northern Thai dish that you shouldn't leave Thailand without trying.
3. If you’re looking for vegan food, Pai has you covered. Ci Xin Jai is a fantastic Chinese restaurant that’ll cover all your vegan needs - the curry is on point. And for vegetarian meals, healthy smoothies, fresh juice, OM Garden Cafe’s got your back.
4. If you’re craving that juicy burger, though, visit Maya Burger Queen, totally not infringing on a certain chains trademark there.

Health & Fitness in Pai

Pai’s got Muay Thai camps, swimming pools, enough yoga sessions to satisfy a master, and a particular gym that has everything you need for a killer strength workout. You could turn a week in Pai into a health and fitness retreat if you were so inclined.

1. Pai Fitness Home has everything you need for a strength workout. They don’t have airconditioning but plenty of big fans that’ll blast you with a breeze. And with 50 Baht entry, it’s a steal.
2. Charnchai Muay Thai and Sitjemam Muay Thai are some of the top places to get some Muay Thai training in Pai. From beginner lessons to more intermediate training sessions and camps - these places have you sorted.
3. Bodhi Tree Yoga Studio is the perfect place for all your yoga needs; you can also stay here and treat it like a yoga retreat. It’s 200 baht for 90 minutes session, perfect.Fluid Swimming Pool is a public pool that’ll run you 60 to 80 Baht for entrance - it’s a high quality Olympic sized pool if you’re looking to swim for fitness rather than fun. For fun, there are plenty of hostels that have swimming pools. But don’t worry, this place has multiple, so you can come here to relax too.

Nature & Sites in Pai

Pai has some fantastic views and a lot of sites that you can scoot down to and experience.

1. Pai Canyon is probably the most popular attraction - you’ll see crazy views, and you’ll be on high alert too. This place can get very narrow with sheer drops on each side.
2. Santichon Village is a lovely 15-minute scoot away where you’ll get some fantastic food and explore with a very relaxed vibe.
3. Namtok Mo Paeng and Pam Bok are natural waterfall and rock pools nestled away in outer Pai - when the waters are flowing, they’re quite quaint and worth a trip. But there’s a chance you’ll get unlucky, and it’s dried up. It’s a nice scoot anyway, though!

Entertainment & Nightlife in Pai

There are quite a few entertaining things to do in Pai, and as a disclaimer, I’m not a doctor or an expert and in no way advocating that you break the law or do drugs. However, Pai being Pai, I want to paint you a full picture and let you know what’s out there. It’s up to you to explore or steer clear.

Pai will bring you live music, bars, alcohol, weed, and psychedelics.

If you’ve been backpacking around Southeast Asia and are reading this article, you might have heard about the various bars with secret menus that offer marijuana and mushroom shakes. In my own and many backpackers experience, Pai is the place in Thailand where this is the most common, safe, and ingrained in the backpacker culture.

This isn’t to say there aren’t risks involved with doing psychedelics; you should do your research on psychedelics before trying them. And even then, you should consult experts.

Some resources here and here might help.

Note that these are technically illegal, though the places that offer the drugs are legitimate establishments. It’s quite evident that there’s been some sort of deal with the authorities and business owners to operate in this way.

Here are the two bars where you can get mushroom shakes and weed, not that these are regular bars too, and you can sit in to enjoy a beer or cocktail.

• Sunset Bar - This place has relaxing views, chilled music, and a place to lounge around on some soft rugs. You can buy alcohol when they open, but to get the other stuff, you’ll need to ask for the secret menu after 6:00 PM.
• Pai Backpackers Paradise - This place is also a hostel, but you’ll get live music, fire shows, open mic nights, and all of this happens at the bar that’s attached to the hostel. At this bar, you can get a secret menu for everything mentioned above as well.

Again, please ask around, and do your research.

Now for the more vanilla of us, there’s plenty of bars and pubs in town—usually small dance floors and intimate vibes.

Just about every hostel in Pai will do a pub crawl, and these are fantastic for you to meet other people that are staying at the hostel and have a rowdy night.

Here are some bars:

• Don’t Cry is a mostly outdoor bar with a lively vibe.
• Paizy Bar is a great relaxed cocktail bar.

And in between these two are countless others.

All of this should get you started with Pai. You’ll discover way more when you head up there, but these should give you more than enough to get stuck into your Northern Thailand adventure.

Have all the fun!

- Sah

Holy crap! Dude, $40,000 is not “traveling on a budget.” — a dear friend.

The funny thing is that I didn’t even spend half, and I tried.

And here are some other comments:

“There’s no way I can save that much for travel.”

“If I had that much, I could get x, y, or z, instead.”

Let me tell you where I’m coming from, who this is for, and why it isn’t all made up.

But before that, this is the first part of my solo traveling on a budget series.

1. Saving money before the trip.
2. Saving money during the trip.
3. Getting back to everyday life after the trip.

In 2019 I went off on a 297-day solo adventure. It inspired me to make ultimate guides on free travel strategies and more. And even though I’ve given away a lot of tips — I haven’t shared my experience with the money side.

The most common question I get: “How did you afford it?

Mostly asked by friends my age, 20 to 30. And the thing that gets me giddy is that they have similar lifestyles to me — meaning they, or you, could do exactly the same thing.

They have a salary between 40k to 100k AUD (29k to 72k USD). They’re young, ambitious, and teeming with life goals, and they want to travel. That’s the person that this article is for. So if that’s you, welcome to the front row seat of how I executed my long-term travels.

Commitment

Before saving a crazy amount of money, I was dealing with a wave of uncertainty about the future.

Thoughts like whether or not I should spend the money on travel and anxieties about the impact on my career were creeping up on me.

• There was going to be a “gap” in my resume.
• There were more “responsible” things to invest the money in.
• I was going to put my life “on hold.”

These were the shitty thoughts going through my head, and if you’ve got goals, especially career-wise, you probably have some similar ideas.

But here’s the thing.

As further back as I can remember, I wanted to travel. No biggie, right? Everyone and their dog will put “travel” as an interest on anything they can. From Instagram to Tinder, you’ll see it plastered in bio’s along with “Food” and “Fitness.”

I was right there too, but I didn’t want it to be text anymore; I needed to take the plunge.

• Traveling turned out to be a part of my resume, not a gap.
• Traveling was an investment, probably the greatest one I’ve made.
• Traveling didn’t put my life “on hold,” it made me live it.

After you have the confidence to say, “I’m going to be fine,” you can start saving.

1. I Prioritized The Goal

The problem for me, and probably for you, was the money aspect.

• Making money.
• Saving money.
• And prioritizing those savings.

A fact: There’s always something else you can spend your money on. Big offenders are eating out, clothes, gadgets, etc.

If you get those out of the way and start saving, the problem becomes your options because they expand. You can suddenly afford to get a new car, the latest MacBook, that dress, or that suit.

Or if you’re more the adult-ing, responsible, considering-the-future type, you might think, “Well, the goal was to go on a long term trip, but I could wait, buy a house, pay it off, then try to do this later.”

And that’s your prerogative, it’s a lot of money — but that wasn’t the goal.

There was a reason you decided to save, and that was to go traveling. You obviously valued that investment over a house. So what’s changed?

If you want to create a big safety net, tick off those bucket list items, and have the solo travel experience, you need to resist the temptation.

• You’ll always have time to owe money to the bank.
• And investment opportunities making you more money won’t disappear.

Traveling, although still excellent, isn’t the same in your 50s.

Top Priority: Your future adventure.

Get that right, and you’re halfway there.

2. I Got Rid of The Impulse Buying ($9600 Saved)

Yeah, yeah. We’ve all heard this one. Don’t eat out often, don’t spend your money on useless crap yada yada — we all know this, but we do it anyway.

The thing that helped me here is something you might not have considered.

Start a Strict Workout and Diet Routine.

How in the shit is that relevant, right? You might see where this is going, or you might be surprised.

My biggest offenders were eating out and going out.

“I like eating, and I like beer, sue me.” — Me, circa 2017

But committing to my solo trip as early as January 2017 accidentally came together with another goal I had — wanting to get in shape. This coincidence saved me thousands.

You can’t outwork a crappy diet, and even nice restaurants cover their food in butter.

• I opted to cook my own food for the love of it and to control my calorie intake.
• I stopped drinking too much to increase my gym performance.
• I changed my impulse/lazy food habits to “once in a while for a treat.”

I went from 3–4 meals out per week to just one. I went from a night out every week to once in a while. I went from drinking mid-week to drinking on occasion.

This wasn’t perfect, I’m sure I slipped up, but this saved me approximately $9600 over the two years before my trip.

3. I Didn’t Own a Car ($9,200 Saved)

You either just thought, “Duh.” or “There’s absolutely no way that this applies to me; I need it.” And look, in a lot of cases, it’s non-negotiable for people, but in my case, I made it work just fine.

Let’s do some Aussie maths, you can do your own, but this is what it looked like for me.

• The average car insurance in Australia, which is compulsory by the way, is $1,131.
• Registration for a year in my state is $939.60
• Average petrol consumption a month is $161
• Parking in the city at my work was $50 a week.

I’m not even going to add in how much a car costs, or the servicing fees. But even without including the extras, owning a car and using it as my peers would have cost me $12,800 over two years.

Instead, I used public transport at $17 a week. Uber maybe once a week at $14. Big train trips every 3–4 weeks at $26 return.

This ended up costing $3,600 over two years.

• I walked and cycled places.
• I moved closer to public transport and urban hotspots — this doesn’t need to be expensive (I’ll explain soon).

And boom, an extra $9,200.

4. I Avoided Lifestyle Creep ($4,680+ Saved)

“Lifestyle creep refers to the phenomenon where discretionary consumption increases on non-essential items as the standard of living improves.” — Investopedia.

Or, in my words, “big money makes me spend more.”

Just like the car we were talking about, there are very few actual “necessities” — these are just luxuries in disguise, and you’ve heard that line, so you know.

I’m a fiend for a micro-brewed stout, a fresh haircut, and some quality sushi, but they’re all extras built on top of my poor university student lifestyle. I don’t need them; I just added them as my pay increased.

I didn’t get those luxuries when I was making nothing, and depending on how quickly your lifestyle creeps up on you, you end up saving fewer and fewer dollars.

How did I avoid this?

• I capped my rent to a maximum of $50 a week over what I was spending during university.
• I didn’t buy a new version of whatever item I had until it broke, e.g., phone, mattress, wardrobe.
• I still stuck to my bargain hunting guns, whether that was groceries or gadgets — if it’s not on sale, nope.

And look, when you start your job right out of college, don’t be afraid to treat yourself, but setting some rules will help.

I limited my extra lifestyle boosts to three relatively small things. For me, it was paying extra for good haircuts and a lovely meal now and then. But besides that, you have to stop the creep from creepin’.

A reliable example I can use was avoiding a $220/week apartment and paying $175/week for a cheaper one. — $45 a week in savings because I didn’t upgrade my lifestyle. That’s a deal.

Quick tips:

• Get at least two housemates.
• Opt for the smallest room and pay less for it.

5. I Minimized My Tax Obligation

If you’re reading this when you don’t have money, these aren’t going to be lifechanging tips. But when you start making money, it’s the difference between three extra months of travel and not going at all.

Fringe Benefits ($5525+ Saved)

These are benefits that your employer offers you other than money, like holidays, dinners, gym membership. Some of these are taxable; others are exempt.

Exempt means you don’t get taxed on those expenses — cha-ching. 💸

Work with your employer to package your salary so that they pay for certain exempt fringe benefits that you were going to spend money on anyway.

Example:

Say your salary is $60,000, but you go to the gym and eat out every week, which costs you $2,000. That’s money you’re going to spend anyway.

But if it turns out that meals and the gym are exempt in your tax code, you can get your employer to pay for them while paying you a $58,000 salary instead.

So effectively, you still get $60,000, but you only get taxed on $58,000. In Australia, I’d pay $11,047 on 60K but only $10,397 on 58K.

That means I just got a free $650.

In my case, working for an NFP in 2018, I could get up to $17,000 in exempt fringe benefits, effectively saving around $5525.

Looking into it and talking with your work is a great way to sort this out — it’s a win for them too.

Claiming Expenses ($600+ Saved)

There’s a crazy amount of items you can claim depending on where you live and what you do. In my case, I could claim either whole or portions of;

• Floor space in my house.
• Internet, phone, and electricity bills.
• My phone, laptop, and office supplies.

Google is your friend here.

6. I Didn’t Take Any Paid Leave in 2018 ($4,934 Saved)

Classic delayed gratification, but this time there’s a real dollar value on it.

In 2018 I didn’t take days off. It was tempting, but I knew that any leave I wouldn’t take would be money for my solo adventure. So that’s exactly what I did, but the key difference to my situation and maybe not yours was that I quit my job.

You, on the other hand, might not be doing that. So for your long term solo trip, you should try negotiating unpaid time on top of your paid leave so you can:

1. Get paid for a portion of your trip.
2. Extend your trip so you can travel for longer.

And if you’re considering quitting. Here’s some reassurance — it’s not the end of the world. Especially if you’ve got a year or two of experience, you’ll always return to opportunities. In fact, you might find some while you’re abroad.

7. Get Your Side Hustle On ($2,846 Saved)

I was working as an analyst and an all-round web guy. Meaning there were tons of individuals, small businesses, and companies that would have some use for my skills.

But I sucked at it.

After doing it all day at work, I didn’t feel like doing more of the same for some extra cash — so I tried monetizing my hobbies instead.

I wrote a few relatively successful articles in 2018 that started circulating and ranking on Google during my trip.

I’d get little payouts that would go a long way every month — either paying for flights, accommodation, or food.

$200 could legitimately pay for a month of accommodation in some Southeast Asian countries — more on this in Part 2.

These savings were from efforts I put in the year before, and they paid off during the journey.

8. I Did a Fear Setting Exercise

“Fear setting? I thought this was about money?” — you.

And it is because here’s the thing, a lot of the fears with travel, at least for me, included money-related worries.

Fear setting is where you list fears for a big decision, and you write down how you would deal with it if it happened, or more importantly, things you could do prevent a situation from happening.

Here were some of my fears with money:

• Losing all my stuff and being penniless.
• Incurring massive fees for converting or accessing money.
• Needing to get back home as an emergency and not having enough.
• Coming back home and not having enough to last six months.

No matter how tiny or unlikely, I wrote them all down.

Writing down those little fears gave me focus and clarity on how to overcome them, and a lot of it involved a simple hack — throw money at it.

I made pots and set aside money for each fear.

• I got comprehensive travel insurance.
• I found travel cards that passed on the same exchange rates that Mastercard had.
• I set separate savings for an emergency flight back home, and a stash for when I was back and looking for jobs.

Treating these like separate additions to my travel costs let me have the confidence to pull the trigger on the adventure, and hey, it padded those savings to $40,000.

Quick Tips: Pre-travel checklist and how to manage money while traveling.

But the fears extended beyond money. The exercise let me confront other realities that might hit me like loneliness and career impact. It let me put systems and buffers in place, so taking the leap wasn’t a pain.

The Next Step

Saving money for the trip was one thing. It became a part of my lifestyle, and that was it — easy.

The real challenge was the unknown, the things I learned, and did on my trip — this was the good stuff.

• Traveling carry-on only.
• Staying in hostels.
• Taking jobs abroad.
• Picking where to travel.
• Hacking flight pricing systems.
• Understanding seasonal pricing for countries.

All of these and more came together to save me thousands while traveling, to the point where if I wanted, I could have traveled for multiples longer than I did.

I’ll be releasing Part 2 and Part 3 so stay tuned.

As for this one, I’m hoping you’ve got a few more ideas on how to save and a little more confidence about committing to the decision and pursing travel.

Good luck,

— Sah

In the massive pot of "life sucks" stew that's been brewing since the pandemic began, we can smell such staple ingredients like anxiety, panic, restlessness, and denial.

Rather than lingering around in a pool of negativity, travel enthusiasts are counting down the days to freedom with a smile.

And no, not the kind of freedom that will allow them to leave the house, but the more ambitious kind that will let them leave the country.

When the time comes, what's this going to look like?

Most countries are lifting local restrictions in a staged approach, and international travel will be similar. We can expect that states will first form agreements with neighbours by opening borders to create "travel bubbles."

We're already seeing this with Australia and New Zealand, and a popularity spike for the idea between the US and Canada.

Travel bubbles look like they'll initially be less of a bubble and more of a bilateral agreement, but expanding will be natural—the ABC's broken down the possibility for expansion to the Pacific Islands, in Australia's case.

"But Sah, I want to actually travel, not just go to my neighbours. When can I go to Asia, South America, or Africa?"

Good question, imaginary reader.

Just like real bubbles, these travel bubbles will expand over time, and although we can't tell the rate of expansion, we can pin down the variables at play and make some decent predictions.

The recipe for a bilateral agreement or the inclusion of a destination for your country's travel bubble will depend on a few things.

• Proximity
• Economic relationship (tourism especially)
• The number of tests/cases (in both countries)

Disclaimer** These are uncertain times, and the information below heavily relies on predictions based on current information, and heavy speculation. I don't own a DeLorean that runs on plutonium.

Phase 1: Holiday Hot-spots

Every considerable economic power has a "go-to" holiday destination. These places usually rely heavily on tourism, have low populations, and are of proximity.

• The US and Cancun, Mexico
• Australia and Bali, Indonesia
• Europe with holiday hot-spots like Ibiza, Spain

These are hardly the places we're imagining when thinking of backpacking or travelling. But they are poised to open first.

Why? A good analogy is that they're like businesses that aren't diversified.

Tourism contributes massively to these local economies, and when the stars align, these locations will open first.

Phase 2: Direct Flights & Handshakes

After these hot-spot holiday destinations open up, the bubble will expand, but it might start looking less like a circle and more like a star with an unknown amount of points. More on this soon.

As the infection rate and cases decrease, the local restrictions lift, and the testing capabilities rise worldwide. We'll start to see two things.

• Countries comparing each other's response efforts and numbers
• Countries striking deals based on these response efforts and numbers

There'll be a lot of factors when assessing these responses. When restrictions lift, we'll likely see localized outbreaks of the virus here and there.

In some cases, we'll see communities and provinces, or even states to whole countries open locally too early. We saw this in Hokkaido, Japan, where they had to go into lockdown twice - and we'll likely see this again and again.

When we account for all of this, we'll see some countries being able to strike bilateral agreements with each other. These agreements will be with states that:

• Are a direct flight away from your country
• Don't have agreements with other countries deemed unsafe
• Offer incentives and deals to tourists
• Have a set of rules and regulations that are COVID-19 specific

Japan is a direct flight away from Australia, both countries are transparent about numbers, and both show stabilizing conditions. So when Japan says that Australia is one of the first countries that it'll strike a tourism deal with, it's because of these factors.

7 News, in the article above, also highlights the fact that Australia and Japan are in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement with several other Southeast Asian countries.

The already existing trade agreements, productive relationships, and clear communications between these countries are a fantastic sign that they'll likely be in this phase of the travel bubble expansion.

Couple this with the amount of testing done, and stability in numbers, and we've got a great path to a broader bubble.

Australia and Japan are just an example. You'll start seeing similar agreements being struck among other countries too.

If you're from the US, expect South America to be a talking point when it comes to expanding travel bubbles. Unfortunately for Americans, the COVID-19 numbers aren't stabilizing just yet, and there aren't any official agreements that are in the works.

If you're from the UK, however, travelling within Europe will be a reality in the coming months. Officially speaking, under EU Guidelines, countries are allowed to re-open borders on the 15th of June, 2020, according to Forbes.

We're already seeing groups of neighbouring countries forming travel bubbles. For example, the Baltic states have done this recently. It'll only be a matter of time when backpackers can start taking off, even if it's a relatively close destination.

Phase 3: The New World

I'm just being dramatic; it'll be the old world with a few little changes.

Yes, there will be changes in how we travel, what rules will be in place, and the destinations that we're allowed to visit - but it will be in the short and medium terms.

Vaccine breakthroughs are happening weekly and you can track these with a dedicated page updated by The New York Times. And as of the 27th of May, 2020. The World Health Organization has 135 candidates for the COVID-19 vaccine - things are looking up.

Travel bubbles will gradually expand as cases slow down, countries stabilize, and the masses adopt anti-spreading behaviour. The first round of vaccines will start to come around to seal the deal and re-open previously thriving tourism hot-spots.

What can we expect in the short and medium terms?

After phase 1 and 2, we can expect a few changes in how we travel.

• Countries that do open their borders will require travellers to be tested, regardless of the length of stay
• Some states will require self-quarantine in the short term, which will likely lead to travellers taking longer-term trips rather than opting for two week holidays - the holidaymakers might opt for more popular destinations that open in phase 1
• Although countries may open, there will be internal restrictions on where you can go, we see this in the proposed travel agreement between Australia and Japan
• Travel insurance will either be much more expensive or won't be on offer at all. In fact, this happened almost immediately once COVID-19 hit the mainstream
• There will be a polarizing mix of Visa's that are either granted much faster than usual or waiting periods that will last months at a time.
• You may experience some form of racism and xenophobia, especially in countries that were hit hard and regularly see tourists not adopting the cleanliness/courtesy relating to masks and other distancing measures
• Off the back of that last point, this is very much a global issue. There were countless articles of discrimination against "foreign-looking" citizens or tourists in this time of panic; this has happened in Australia, UK, Europe and the US. It may happen to you abroad as well.

Maybe the last couple of points weren't warm and fuzzy to end on, but let me adjust your mood for you. Although we're not in the clear yet, things are doing much better.

As a fellow traveller, I've got my hopes up, and these predictions aren't pulled out of thin air. I genuinely believe that we're getting towards a stage where travel will be the norm again.

Like we mentioned before, we can expect a whole host of incentives to restart the industry.

• Cheaper flights
• Cheaper Hotel/Hostel deals
• Fewer people in hot-spots letting us truly see places like never before
• Some countries are even prepared to reimburse up to half of the travel costs for tourists.

Off the back of massive global challenge, us travellers will be able to look at a whole host of silver linings. Until then, keep up to date, stay safe, and get excited!

Thanks,

Sah

You've got your flight, packed your bags, watched about 27 YouTube videos, and checked double that in blogs for your upcoming Thailand trip. You're excited, and you're ready for a new adventure.

And oh boy, it's going to be an adventure. Thailand is very tourist-friendly while still keeping that Southeast Asian charm. I'm talking street food, gritty bars, temples, beaches, diving, and the sweet coconut-on-a-beach island life too.

You're not letting the excitement take you for a ride though, you know there's some things to watch out for, and on the top of your list is probably food poisoning - but it's not the only thing.

How likely is getting food poisoning in Thailand? How likely is it that I get sick? Can I drink the water? Do I need vaccines? These questions are bubbling around in your mind, and for good reason.

We'll go through the common sense things, vaccines, and other nifty precautions you can take to avoid getting sick in Thailand below.

1. Don't Drink The Water

The problem with the tap water in Thailand is that it's not treated to the standard you're probably used to. It has too many foreign elements in it that can make you sick and be a massive pain to your adventure.

Instead, for about 10-20 baht, you can get bottled water from the many convenience stores scattered around any location you'll visit.

2. Be Careful With The Ice

Not ice in terms of snow, you won't find that in Thailand! But the ice in your drinks.

Vendors selling iced coffee, or smoothies will put ice in the drink. Now the ice is most likely bought and is made from treated water. They'll look like hollowed-out cylinders, and that's the default.

But sometimes, you might find a sneaky vendor just freezing their own tap water to save money. This isn't very common, but be careful. If you see something suspicious like that, don't by the drink.

3. Buy From Established Street Food Vendors

Street food is a massive reason why traveling is so great, yet so many travelers don't get out of their comfort zone to try some for fear of getting sick.

I get it, you don't know where it's been, it might be collecting dust on the street, the hygiene might be bad, all healthy fears. But the reality is that most of the food is authentic, delicious, and very safe.

It's easy to avoid getting sick by buying from vendors that;

• Are a part of larger markets
• Are grouped together, aka. not alone
• Are busy with locals buying from them too
• Don't have the food lying around at room temperature

If you exercise common sense here, see that the food is being cooked fresh, straight off the heat, and everything looks clean - you're safe.

4. Get Vaccinated

Before you arrive in Thailand make sure you've got your Hepatitis, Tetanus and Rabies shots. Another thing to consider is bringing some Malaria prophylactic drugs like doxycycline for prevention but beware of this one.

Malaria is mostly gone in Thailand. The places you'll visit likely have very few cases if any, but the drug's side effects can make you sensitive to the sun, or make you feel sick - not worth it.

The best thing you could do to avoid things like Dengue Fever or Malaria is to make sure that when you're a place with a higher number of mosquitoes, spray that repellent on and cover up - other than that, you're good to go.

5. Wash Your Hands Frequently

This is a big one. Things are dirty and covered in bacteria. As a species, we all touch our faces, all the time...

Washing your hands frequently, before eating, and before touching your face is a disproportionate indicator of whether you're going to get sick or not. Having some rubbing alcohol with you also helps keep those hands clean for when you can find running water or soap.

A side note here is to not worry about the tap water when it comes to washing your hands (or brushing your teeth). It's only a problem when you ingest it.

6. Avoid Bad Air Quality

Just like the weather, each city will have an air quality forecast. In Thailand, like other Southeast Asian countries, this is super important especially if you're an asthmatic person.

Being on beaches and coastal towns is usually fine, but being somewhere in Bangkok can sometimes be hard for people who aren't used to dust and exhaust. In this case, a bad forecast for a week might warrant moving locations.

You can download the AirVisual AQF App to check air quality as needed. Other apps that are useful for Thailand are listed in the article below.

The 7 Most Useful Apps For Traveling Southeast Asia

A list of the most useful travel apps to have on your phone for backpacking through Southeast Asia in 2020.

Thrifty BackpackerSah Kilic

7. Increase Vitamin Intake

When you go on your Thailand trip, you're going to make major changes to your diet for the duration, and this is great. You'll get to try all different styles of Thai cuisine and its a whole dimension of exploring culture - but there's a downside.

It leaves you open for neglecting nutrients and vitamins that you'd otherwise get back at home. It won't be a balanced diet, you might not get all the food that makes your immune system work well - so you need some "nutritional insurance."

You can buy dissolvable vitamin tablets from any convenience store, as well as making a conscious effort to have a variety of different foods throughout the day to shape your macro-nutrient intake.

This will help you have a foundation level of nutrients in your system that should keep you away from illness.

If you follow these 7 steps, is it guaranteed that you won't get sick? No, but the chances of you getting sick in Thailand will drop tenfold. And I'm liking those numbers 😎

Making sure you have travel/medical insurance, and following these steps is all you need to enjoy your Thailand travel adventure without worrying about getting sick. You can go a step further and check out the list of Thailand FAQ's that'll make sure you don't run into other problems as well

First-time travelers in Thailand or Bangkok ask a lot of questions about the infamous Khao San Road. What is it? What should I expect? Why should I go?

A lot of first-timers don't understand that Khao San Road is exactly that, a road.

It's a street covered in restaurants that serve western food as well as classic Thai food. Street hawkers selling unusual, tourist-specific novelties like scorpions on a stick to eat (yes really), and bracelets with some string of lewd comments for shock value like "I like tiny c*nts."Ah, tourism...

Do the Thai's even know what half of them mean? Who knows... All they know is that tourists find them funny, and will buy them - and we do.

You'll be walking through the massive street seeing lady-boys, bar staff, tourists, and other locals dancing together on the street, dancing in the gritty bars and clubs that cover each side of the street.

Khao San Road has no gates, and it's not owned by a company or organization. Again, it's just a road, a street. It's gotten popular because of all the craziness that surrounds it.

Can You Drink in Public? Is It BYO?

If you're in a bar on Khao San Road you definitely can't bring in drinks from outside, but if you're on the street it's completely BYO. You can buy the drinks from the 7-11 nearby, from street vendors, or anywhere else. You can freely drink right there on Khao San Road.

Most people will be dancing in a loud alcohol-fueled mosh, a friendly one, but a mosh nonetheless. The street will turn into a dance floor between the 2 most popular bars in the area. Each bar blasting their music from either side of the road, while a ton of travelers and locals dance the night away in the middle - this is the usual scene.

How Much are Drinks? What's Cheap?

A tall Chang beer from street vendors and bars around the area will costs you around 100 Baht, about $3-3.50. This is the usual price in this area.

The cheapest place you're going to get alcohol in this area will be the 7-11. It's very close to this speaker battle hot spot we were talking about before. It's always busy and will be the first place to shut once it gets closer to midnight, but until then, cheers!

You can get more bang for your buck if you're with a group and you decide to get bucket cocktails or beer towers.

Bucket cocktails are literally small sandcastle buckets, filled with 4, 5, 6? shots of your horrible low-grade vodka or another spirit, turned into a horrible low-grade cocktail - the true backpacker experience indeed.

This is the same type of stuff you'll get if you go to the full moon party in Thailand. Ultimate guide on that below.

The Thai Full Moon Party | Ultimate Guide

The Ultimate Travel Guide for the original Thai Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan. When and where it’s held, how much it costs, how to get there and more.

Thrifty BackpackerSah Kilic

Getting beer towers, and buckets are more expensive (200-250 baht) but will have more alcohol. Hence more bang for your hangover buck.

Make sure you don't get one for yourself though. Especially the towers, you don't want to be sitting there drinking liters and liters of liquid by yourself.

Every single photo you take abroad is a memory that you can flashback to sometime in the future and feel a wave of nostalgia that'll take you right back to when you were traveling.

Unfortunately, sometimes we lose our phone, or we've forgotten to upload our photos to the cloud, or iCloud's full and we don't want to keep feeding Apple our money - trust me, I've lost enough photos to know this feeling.

Now, we could back up our photos every day and save ourselves the horrible feeling of losing a memory, but you and I both know that it can get tedious. So what do we do?

There are a few ways we can keep our photos alive but the easiest and most convenient, because it's seamless and free, is Google Photos.

• Google Photo's for iOS
• Google Photo's for Android

There is, of course, a paid version but the free version will allow you to upload an unlimited amount of high-quality photos - this is a massive tick of approval from us.

If you want to upload the full quality, so anything above 1080p, it'll start counting towards your quota. But keep in mind, all we're looking for is to make sure our memories are safe from being lost - we can back up the full quality images once in a while too.

Of course, while traveling we sometimes don't have access to high-speed internet but this shouldn't be a problem. Make sure that the app automatically backs up photos when you're connected to Wi-Fi, and this should be enough.

Things to Keep in Mind

As useful as Google Photos is, it's not perfect and can take you by surprise. I've lost my phone twice while traveling (yes, stop judging), and both times I had Google Photos.

The problem was that there were photos in the queue that hadn't backed up yet. Finding this out when looking for my photos was an emotional roller coaster because there was about a weeks worth of gaps in some memories. So what are the lessons here?

• Your phone might prioritize other processes rather than backing up your photos, so;
• You need to open the app and let it do it's thing when you come back to the hostel/hotel at the end of the day

Other Cool Features

The app isn't only great for making sure your memories don't get lost, it helps a lot with reliving them too.

The Google Photos app has;

• A timeline - so you can search for photos by date
• Face recognition - so you can sort by faces and find memories of specific people
• Advanced search - if I type beach or concert, or whatever, the Google AI will find photos that match that description

Instead of going through a zillion photos every time you want to find a specific memory, you can use the search features and timeline to find them faster - I love this.

Alternatives

Google Photos isn't the only option. There are tons of cloud storage apps like iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive and more. All of these are great for backing up your photos while traveling.

• iCloud will work better with your iPhone as it's fully integrated into the iOS software
• Dropbox is the very best when it comes to seamless file transfer - so fast
• OneDrive is native to Windows so it does a good job there

However, Google Photos is a dedicated app for photos. It allows all the search functionality we talked about before and works amazing on both Android (Google native) and iOS.

This is why Google Photos is the go-to option for backing up photos while traveling.

I hope that helped you with keeping your photos safe! If you're looking for some other apps to make your life easier while traveling, the article below might help. It's for Southeast Asia, but a lot of the apps can be used everywhere.

The 7 Most Useful Apps For Traveling South East Asia

A list of the most useful travel apps to have on your phone for backpacking through Southeast Asia in 2020.

Thrifty BackpackerSah Kilic

Safe travels!

Sah

When traveling to Bali your travel insurance should cover the most common problems you'll encounter while there. Those problems are going to be;

• Getting sick from either food or change in environment
• Potential accidents while driving a scooter
• Losing cash or personal items either on the street or in your hotel/hostel

If you've got those bases covered, you're going to be completely fine and have a fantastic time in Bali.

We've found the best travel insurance for visiting Bali as an Australian or American citizen, especially for backpacking, is World Nomads. We've found it covers the most common issues we mentioned before and is designed for heavy traveling.

Whether you're a backpacker that travels a lot, or someone going for a holiday, it won't hurt to make use of an insurance company that's run by travel enthusiasts and backed by some of the most famous backpackers of this generation like Nomadic Matt.

So why do we love it so much?

The Price to Value is Insanely Good

The Explorer Plan is not only one of the cheapest in the market, which is a massive tick of approval from us, but it covers unlimited medical, emergency, and cancellation costs. Full details for Australia, and The US.

A month in Indonesia/Bali from Australia is about $151 AUD, and from The US it's about $215 USD. It changes from state to state in the US as travel times and prices, as well as medical expenses, change significantly - the example is from NY.

And you might be thinking "I've seen cheaper" but there you'd be omitting one thing. The massive list of travel activities and sports that are covered by both Standard and Explorer plans, that other insurance companies charge a hefty premium on if you want them.

• Scuba Diving
• Snorkeling
• Skydiving
• Jet-ski
• Parasailing
• Boxing

It's got all of it, and if you're in Bali, you can best bet you're going to be doing some or all of these, and not that it matters for Bali, but it has some amazing cover on snow sports as well - that's for another trip though.

Another thing worth mentioning is that World Nomads has an excess of $100, which is sometimes twice as low as other insurance out there. Win-win.

Customer Service is Above and Beyond

Every plan that World Nomads offer has 24/7 assistance, which is perfect because no matter where you're from or what the timezone is, you'll be able to reach someone.

They have a detailed page on what to do in any situation where you need to contact them, and they're very clear about each situation. Once you get through to them, which is very quick, they give you all the attention you need and solve your problem.

With an industry that can be one of the most frustrating on the phone, these guys have only ever been a pleasure. That alone is worth every penny when you're already frustrated because something bad has happened and that's why you're calling.

It's Used by Seasoned Travelers

Any travel insurance company can get off the ground and take in new customers while cycling through them relentlessly. With World Nomads, especially for Bali and other Southeast Asian hot spots, the seasoned travelers keep coming back - for good reasons.

These guys keep getting loyal customers that will continue to use them for many trips after their first one. Its a combination of a good deal, great support, and a whole toolbox of little benefits that bring people back.

The logic for Bali would be: If the seasoned backpackers and frequent travelers come back to this - it's good enough for me too.

Other Useful Info for Bali Travel Insurance

There are a few things to keep in mind while you're in Bali so your insurance policy can cover you and you don't run into any problems.

Riding Scooters

World Nomads cover bike accidents however, you need to make sure you're allowed to ride the same bike in your home country.

A lot of driver licenses around the world will allow mopeds to be ridden on the same license but restrictions may apply.

For instance, you're not allowed to ride a bike over 50 cc if you're from Queensland, Australia but you can ride a 50 cc or under on the same license. In Texas, however, you need a separate license to even operate a 50 cc bike.

Partying & Alcohol

There are a lot of insurance companies out there that will void your policy if you were drunk when an accident happened.

World Nomads is good with this but within reason. Definitely don't do things that aren't common sense, or illegal things. Your personal liability or medical expenses might be void if you were for instance drink driving.

When you go out, make sure you're not carrying all your money, make sure your things are secure. Prevention is much better than dealing with loss or theft - even if the insurance is on point.

Learning Your Policy

Going through your policy and finding out some key information will save you countless headaches with every trip, not just your Bali one. For instance, if the policy you bought has a cash theft allowance of $250, make sure you're carrying less than that, etc.

Policy links are all above in the main body of the article. And if you want to grab a quote on a specific trip, you can check the quote box above as well!

This is all you need to know from an insurance perspective for you up and coming Bali trip, I hope you found some value in it!

Safe travels,

Sah

Disclaimers

• Remember to compare policies and providers, don't take this article as the source of all truth! If you find a better policy, let us know in the comments below.
• Remember to carefully read the policy before committing!
• We support World Nomads as our go-to insurance provider and therefore have partnered with and are an affiliate of their products and services. This article, therefore, contains affiliate links. Check our terms and conditions and disclaimer pages for more information.

Strength training when traveling is a pain. You always have to hunt down decent gyms that not only have all the machines, and are cheap, but also do day passes. We're not looking for yearly memberships when we're in town for a few days - day passes rain supreme 💪

These gyms are perfect. They both;

1. Have all the equipment your need
2. Are under 1000 HUF for a day pass

The list also includes gyms that are 1000-1600 range that are worth mentioning, but the first lot are all 1000 or under - note that 1000 HUF is about 3€ or $3.3, and all these gyms will sell protein powder at reception. No worries there.

So kick it into gear and get onto it, the list is below 💪 Note that all prices are for a day pass unless stated otherwise.

1. Multifit Fitness Studio (990 HUF)

Great small-mid sized gym with every bit of equipment you'd need to get a killer strength workout. The gym offers day and weekly passes, the weekly being worth it if you're going to go more than 3 times.

The equipment is in great condition, well looked after. Of course just like any gym, there will be some scuffs here and there, all cosmetic and nothing lost for functionality.

Some people find the gym small, and it is. There's an abundance of equipment and not a crazy amount of room. That being said, that's only for the strength training area. The gym has a separate larger room for classes that are cardio based.

💰 Cost: 990 HUF
🏋️Equipment: Great condition
📍 Location: Budapest, Lázár u. 9, 1065 Hungary

Multifit Fitness Studio

★★★★☆ · Gym · Lázár u. 9

Multifit Fitness Studio

2. The Training Station (1000 HUF)

Large underground gym with all the machines you'd need for a great workout. In addition to strength training equipment, they also have a couple of boxing bags for high intensity sessions.

The machines are in good condition, though some are old. Free weights are all completely fine, and it's got all the basics like lockers etc. It's also, much like the others on this list, central and easy to get to.

💰 Cost: 1000 HUF
🏋️Equipment: Great condition
📍 Location: Budapest, Aradi u. 4, 1062 Hungary

The Training Station - Gym & Fitness

★★★★☆ · Gym · Aradi u. 4

The Training Station - Gym & Fitness

3. R70 Fitness (900 HUF)

Not as central as the others, but still very close to the action. Large gym with all the strength and cardio machines you need - a very wide variety. Also, the cheapest gym on the list.

Lots of mats, free weights, foam and hard rollers. Very popular with students, residents, and foreigners because it checks all the boxes. Be prepared for a very good workout.

💰 Cost: 900 HUF
🏋️Equipment: Great condition
📍 Location: Budapest, Rákóczi út 70, 1074 Hungary

R70 Fitness

★★★★★ · Gym · Rákóczi út 70

R70 Fitness

4. W54 Fitness (1600 HUF)

Yes this is above our range, but it's a good gym and the mention is worth it.

The equipment is brand new, the gym atmosphere is very modern and in addition to brand new machines, they have an entire gymnastic/calisthenic area to do a HIIT training session or even get a better flexibility workout in.

Great staff, and plenty of other membership options. Like 5 session passes for 7,500 HUF or a month for 13,000.

This gym is a very clean and comfortable workout environment and is consistently rated high by members and travelers. So it's on the list 😎

💰 Cost: 1600 HUF
🏋️Equipment: Excellent condition
📍 Location: Budapest, Wesselényi u. 54, 1077 Hungary

W54 Fitness

★★★★★ · Gym · Wesselényi u. 54

W54 Fitness

5. Super Gym (1800 HUF)

Yes this is more than 1000 HUF but we've included it as the price includes access to saunas, and wellness facilities as well, so it's like a 2 for 1. Their monthly rate is around ~10,000 HUF.

It's a very popular, old school, strength training gym with everything you need. It covers a large area and has multiple rooms so you won't feel claustrophobic. The equipment is in decent condition barring some cosmetic wear and tear, but all very functional.

They have a squat rack and everything else you might want, barring a deadlift platform unfortunately.

The gym offers multiple saunas, fitness classes and more at a higher rate, but it's daily rate for the basic equipment is also very attractive - especially if you're visiting and only need to get in a strength workout.

💰 Cost: 1800 HUF
🏋️Equipment: Good condition
📍 Location: Budapest, Hajós u. 25, 1065 Hungary

Super gym

★★★★☆ · Gym · Hajós u. 25

Super gym

These strength training options should be more than enough to keep the muscle maintenance routine perfect while traveling. There are plenty of other gyms at similar ranges but these are all very popular and vetted.

Enjoy your cheap training, and enjoy your budget travels!

Sah

For any gym-goer or fitness fanatic, going backpacking or traveling abroad comes with some serious lifestyle questions. Mainly speaking, "how do I keep fit while I'm traveling?"

Back home, you've got your routine down pat, diet under control, and you're looking good. When you travel though, it threatens all of your progress. This is a thought that most of the fitness community will have when going off on a travel adventure - luckily this isn't true.

Deviating from your routine, trying different authentic foods, and keeping active in different ways is all a part of the experience of travel. You shouldn't be worried or anxious about this, you should be excited.

Keeping fit isn't that difficult. Muscle mass is hard to lose, and putting on fat is also difficult. You would have to let yourself go completely and really binge on everything for an extended period to see a massive difference.

That being said, there are plenty of things you can do to keep fit. The fundamental things to watch out for (but not obsess over) are; food variety, protein intake, alcohol & sugar consumption, cardio, calisthenics, strength training, and sleep.

Focusing on a handful is very much manageable, and we go into the details below.

Eating Healthy While Traveling

This can be a massive struggle while traveling but it's not impossible, in fact, it's very doable. Whether your goal is keeping fat low, or maintaining muscle mass, you'll be able to do it while traveling.

It won't be like home. You won't have perfect macros, you won't always have access to protein shakes, or superfoods. In fact, a lot of the local cuisine will be heavy in oil, fat, and carbs.

But this is the fun part of traveling, you should embrace it. All you have to do is keep a few things in mind to maintain a healthy diet that hits everything you need while on the road.

• Restricting excessive sugar and alcohol consumption
• Getting all vitamins and minerals necessary for the day
• Eating enough protein to maintain muscle mass
• Drinking a lot of clean water every day
• Common sense dietary decisions (avoiding high caloric foods/portions)

Follow these and you'll not only stay fit, but you'll avoid getting sick. That's everything you can hope for while traveling.

Restricting Sugar & Alcohol

Sugar and alcohol are the top culprits in falling into the weight gain trap while traveling. Say you're in Thailand, so you get mango sticky rice, a fruit shake, or a bucket of cocktails (yes that's a thing) - all of this is heavy in sugar.

Sugar, in basic terms, if not burned off immediately will get stored as fat. By restricting sugar, and other empty carbs like alcohol, you'll be ahead of the game.

It's difficult because most things you do while traveling will have a 'vacation' component to it, and that's usually alcohol or sugar if we're consuming something. Gelato in Italy, bubble tea in Taiwan, cocktails on a beach somewhere in Croatia, and just generally everything in Asia as a whole.

You and I both know that eating/drinking these is unavoidable. So following a few simple tips can help immensely help even if we're consuming these as a part of our day to day intake.

• Be active while having your sugar - if you're walking around in the heat with your ice cream, or playing beach volleyball and stopping to have some of your cocktail every now and again, you'll be fine as you're burning it off immediately.
• Have a few days on, and a few days off when it comes to alcohol - If you're traveling long term take even more time off. Don't drink every single day, don't make it a habit. Having a few days on is much more fun, and something to look forward to anyway.
• Ask for no sugar - This is a real issue in Asia where any smoothie or shake you get, they'll add extra sugar to it right in front of you as sugar water. If you're having a fruit or vegetable shake, it defeats the purpose. It already tastes great without.
• Buy smaller servings or lowest caloric options - Do one scoop of ice-cream, no sugar in your coffee, a smoothie every other day, vodka soda instead of a beer.

Getting Your Vitamins & Minerals

Variety is key here and luckily for you, you're in a different country with a ton of local and international cuisine. Making sure that you eat those different foods will ensure you get every vitamin and mineral you need.

It won't be perfect. But as long as you don't stick with one thing, you'll do very well in this domain. When in Japan, don't just eat ramen. When in Germany, don't just have bratwurst.

Make sure your meals are different when it comes to the ingredients. Change up the macro-nutrient mix. If you had a heavily carb-based lunch, have a fiber and protein-rich dinner.

Another big one for "nutritional insurance," are vitamin tablets. You'll be able to find cheap dissolvable tablets from any pharmacy or corner store wherever you go. These are great to make sure you get anything you missed - but they're not a substitute for your diet

If you're feeling a bit off, and you think it's because of diet, it's usually because of a lack of vegetables, fruit, or water. Have these down and you'll be feeling better.

Eating Enough Protein

This is a big one if you're all about strength training and muscle mass. We'll talk more about strength training and maintenance in the working out section, but it's important to have this down pat from a diet perspective.

A lot of the time abroad, you'll be getting excessive carbs and not enough protein. Meatballs and pasta will be more pasta than meatballs, a chicken wrap will be more wrap than chicken.

This is where you'll need to seek out the best protein sources depending on the area, and consume enough.

• If you do strength training - consume a 0.7-0.8 grams per pound or 1.5-1.65 grams per kilo of body weight. This is how you'll maintain your mass.
• If you don't do strength training - consume the RDI for your weight which is about half of what we mentioned above.

Where are the easiest and most effective places to get protein abroad? Whether it's upping your intake or actually finding protein powder, there're multiple ways to go about doing it.

• Food market snacks - In Asia especially, you'll come across food markets that will have a lot of snacks that are predominantly meat. Chicken, pork, and seafood skewers, chicken/tofu stir fry, dumplings packed with protein - these are your friends.
• Ready-made protein shakes - More and more convenience stores, supermarkets, and other shops are selling protein shakes. These usually have 20-30 grams in there but are packed full of sugar as well. So work it into whatever activity you're doing!
• Nuts, Legumes, Tofu - Some places will be predominantly meat everywhere you go, but others will have a lot of vegetarian cuisine. When you're in these places and meat isn't the default, make sure you're eating high protein substitutes like nuts, legumes, and tofu. Even in meat-heavy areas, try to add this into the mix.

Drinking Water

How can people mess this one up, right? 8 glasses or 2 liters a day. It's not that hard, but sometimes it just doesn't happen or you need to change it up a little. Here're are some things you should keep in mind.

• If the location is hot and humid, you'll likely need more water to prevent dehydration, so make sure to increase your intake.
• Balancing salts is important too. When you sweat a lot, you're losing a lot of sodium. This isn't usually a problem, but on the off chance you haven't had anything salty during the day, and you've had a lot of water, increase the salt.
• Make sure the water is clean - The first thing to do in a country when you land is to google whether you can drink the tap water. If it's not a resounding 'Yes,' definitely stick to the bottled water.

Working Out While Traveling

If you follow all of the eating well tips above, you're already more than halfway to staying fit while traveling - even if you do no exercise and just keep active in your day to day routine. But for some, that's not going to be enough - especially if you're looking to stay toned or keep the same muscle mass.

Cardio & Flexibility

The best thing about cardio and flexibility workouts is that it doesn't matter where you are, these are completely location independent. Here's a quick list.

• Running
• Swimming
• Cycling
• Skipping
• Hiking
• Yoga
• Pilates

You can always go for a run on the beach, streets, valleys, wherever you are. Add a skipping rope (weighs practically nothing), and you could add some intensity to your workout. Make sure you have shoes for these activities. Getting a pair you can use in multiple different settings is a plus, article on that below.

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A lot of the time swimming, hiking, surfing, and other activities will be on your travel itinerary as well, all of which will give you a leg up in your fitness without you even trying to make it a part of your trip.

A lot of destinations will also have communities around Yoga and Pilates. However, not only do you not need an instructor for these, but you can do them right there in your hostel dorm or in a public park.

Integrating these things into your week 2-3 times is the difference between putting on weight, and keeping or even become toned.

Strength Training & Calisthenics

In terms of strength training, muscle maintenance, and calisthenics - there's also great potential for location independence.

There are many gyms all around the world where you can get a really cheap or reasonable day rate to train. There are some limitations to this, so keep these in mind.

1. You're not in a single place for a long time
2. There isn't a gym everywhere
3. All gyms don't do day rates/passes

To be cost-effective, and realistic while traveling, you need to adjust your workout routine. Finding a gym to do a full-body heavy lifting session once or twice a week is your best option.

Yes, back at home you might be going 3-6 times a week, you might have a split that's push, pull, legs, hell you might have a HIIT training regimen. But while traveling, we're all about muscle maintenance because that's the best we can do if we're constantly on the move.

Switching to a full-body workout, once or twice a week will ensure optimal performance and maintenance, so when you get back home and go back to your old routine - you're ace 👍

There are some limitations to the gym life though.

Like we mentioned before, some places don't do day rates, or are simply too expensive. Sometimes you won't find a gym at all - when you can't find a gym, calisthenics is your best friend.

If you have something to do pull-ups on, you'll be able to work your back and biceps. And if you can work your back and biceps, you're all set. The rest you can do with your body and floor alone.

• Chest and Triceps
  Push ups: wide, close, one arm, incline
  Dips
  Muscle-up
• Back and Biceps
  Pull ups: wide, close, overhand, underhand, muscle-up
• Abs
  Crunches: regular, bicycle
  Sit-ups
• Legs
  Squats: regular, split
  Lunges

Mixing it up, watching a few tutorials and seeing what works for you, and what doesn't is how you'll get better at this.

Don't underestimate how effective this can be while traveling. Not only for convenience but for results in terms of endurance, and working stabilizers that you miss when you're back home. You'll be surprised at what you decide to integrate when you get back 😎

Other Considerations

It's not only about what you put in your body, and how you work your body, but it's also how you treat your body when it comes down to fitness - especially when traveling. What do I mean by this?

• Sleep, Rest & Recovery - You'll have tiring days and if you don't take the time to stop and rest, you'll definitely see the effects of it on your fitness.
• Massages - You'll be tense from all the activity, incidental and otherwise. Hiking, surfing or even walking for long periods. It's a great opportunity to get massages to help you loosen up the muscles for faster recovery.
• Mental health - Meditating, taking some alone time, recounting your adventures, and writing in a journal will all have significant physical effects as well. When you're stressed and anxious there is a very real physical tax.

Here's a helpful article if you want to look further into all of this:

How to Avoid Travel Fatigue During Long Term Travel

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If you follow the steps above, pay attention to what you eat, make sure you get the right amount of protein and vitamins - you'll most definitely keep fit while traveling.

You can even improve how toned you are and maintain (or improve) muscle mass if you follow a basic workout routine as well.

I hope these tips and strategies help you out!

Best of luck,

Sah

What does the backpacker lifestyle look like? How is it different from life back home? What should you expect, and is it worth it? All great questions, and we're going to go through all of them.

Backpacking around the world is a very unique way to travel. Instead of secluding yourself in hotels and taking pictures of very popular attractions, you find yourself opting for more social settings and going off the beaten path.

There are many pros and cons to backpacking, with many aspects that are very different to life back home. So we're going to go through what it looks like to socialize, travel, and live as a backpacker - then we're going to compare it to what's it like at home. Starting with friends 😎

Social Life & Friends

Backpacking is going to be one of the most social experiences you'll ever have in your life.

Meeting people from all over the world, sleeping in dorm rooms, having new experiences together in foreign countries, week long romantic relationships, and day old friendships that'll be strong for a decade - it's really special.

What to Expect

The majority of the people you meet will be from socializing, partying, talking, and organizing what you're gong to do next, mainly in a hostel environment - but that's not the only place you'll meet other travelers.

Expect to meet people by attending big events like the Thai Full Moon Party, during activities like hiking/surfing, visiting popular attractions, or even at a hot spot during a night out.

Backpacking gives you opportunities to socialize that you just don't get back home. At home, you're usually with your close knit group of friends, which is of course great, but opportunities for meeting other people are limited unless you're still in college.

With backpacking, socializing in endless.

However, as social as it is, and keeping in mind that you will be meeting a lot of people - these people will be transient friends. What do I mean by that?

The vast majority of them are traveling. They won't be at your hostel forever, and they aren't like your friends back home. They aren't in your long term social circle.

You'll find yourself going through the same introductions, same stories, and same type of conversations over and over again. Because, as one new set of friends come, another set go. This can be extremely emotionally taxing. Something I talk about in the article below.

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You're meeting people, getting attached to people, and then having to let them go - with the potential of never seeing them again. It's the harsh reality. But, the silver lining here is that if you truly do have a connection, both of you will make the effort to stay in contact!

Besides all of that, you will make connections that will last a life time. You'll have conversations that you never have with your friends back home. And you'll feel a level of comradery and openness that you've never felt before 💯

Summary | Pros & Cons

You'll be meeting a lot of people and consistently doing fun activities with them. You'll make a lot of connections really quickly, connections you couldn't otherwise make back home.

But the downside is that these friends won't be around forever, the conversations might feel repetitive at times, and it's difficult saying goodbye.

Dorm Life & Hostels

As a backpacker you'll sooner or later get acquainted with the hostel/dorm life, where you'll be greeted with a mix of a college dorm lifestyle and an adventurous group of backpackers that want to have new experiences.

Of course AirBnbs and hotels are an option too, but you'll see a lot of backpackers opt for hostels, as these days hostels go above and beyond in terms of facilities, comfort, social life, and location.

What to Expect

When backpacking you're most likely going to be staying in a dorm room within a hostel. There will be around 8 beds in a dorm, some more, some less. With options to book private rooms if you're looking for privacy but still want the social aspect.

There will be common rooms for socializing. And basic facilities liked shared bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, outdoors area etc.

We've done a deep dive on this with all questions answered relating to privacy and more, in the article below.

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Why is it likely that you'll stay in a hostel? Why should you stay in a hostel?

• It's the cheapest option
• It's super social
• There's a variety of different hostels depending on your wants/needs
• There's plenty of activities you'll only have access to if you're staying there

Staying in a hostel feels like you're relaxing and living your life with a bunch of friends that are doing the same thing. Because you're all traveling, there's no work to do, or obligations, so your day to day is all about how you're going to exercise your freedom.

No housework, no cooking, no cleaning; maybe once a week you'll do laundry and some admin travel planning, but all in all, you're focused on whatever experiences you can get in the place you're currently traveling.

You can expect hostel hosted parties, tours, and other activities. Note that the type of activities will heavily depend on the type of hostel you're staying in. The most ludicrous, and crazy activities will be at party hostels. Details below.

Should You Stay in a Party Hostel? | What to Expect

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Summary | Pros & Cons

Initially, if you haven't been in a hostel before, you may feel uncomfortable due to the lack of privacy. After all, you will have most likely gone from having a single room with your own bed, to being in a dorm with dozens of people.

Luckily it's not as bad as you think. Everyone has a similar mindset with wanting some peace and quiet, people are generally respectful, hostels include little curtains for each bed these days, and you can always change hostels/rooms if you're uncomfortable.

This feeling will quickly go away as you'll start to grow accustom to the dorm lifestyle. You'll opt for meeting people, rather than having privacy. You'll realize that hostels will have all the facilities you want, comfortable beds, and an atmosphere that you won't find in a hotel.

This, along with the fact that there will be plenty of activities and experiences to be had in these environments, will allow you to see that the pros definitely outweigh the cons.

Daily Life | Traveling & Experiences

Your day to day back home might look something like work, classes, house chores, exercise, friends/family, and down time. With backpacking it's all about new experiences, exploration, people, and fun.

What to Expect

Your day will revolve around having excess freedom and wondering what you should do to pass the time, and of course there will be a lot to do. The usual suspects for the daily life of a backpacker will include;

• Trying the different types of food
• Exploring markets, streets, cultural customs
• Meeting travelers and locals
• Hitting the main attractions in a particular place
• Trying out the activities available like hiking, tours, nightlife
• Doing some digging to find the hidden gems
• Relaxing and doing nothing

And you'll be doing all of this either by yourself (by choice) or with the people you've met at your hostel, met throughout your trip, or bumped into at the last place!

All the great things aside, there's also some work involved, it isn't always sunshine and rainbows, but that's what makes the experience worthwhile. It's discomfort, problem solving, being open to new experiences that might not be up your alley - but will be a part of the day to day.

You might struggle with the public transport sometimes, have no internet while trying to navigate, get food poisoning, have issues with your accommodation, feel lonely or agitated, be in unfamiliar/uncomfortable settings, feel unproductive - it's all expected.

You'll grow as a person every time you encounter these situations, and it'll get easier as you gain more experience. You'll deal with them in your own way, and in your own time. But as a tip, you should try having rest days, calling people back home, and not being afraid to ask for help in these situations.

The article below covers these difficulties. Highly recommend it.

Is Backpacking Hard? Is It Worth It? The Reality of Backpacking

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Summary | Pros & Cons

When you start traveling, you're going to be in complete bliss exploring everywhere you go, trying different foods, and making a whole lot of friends. The daily new experiences are going to add highlight over highlight to your trip.

After doing this for a while though, you will definitely feel travel fatigue come on and you'll find that you're feeling the need of a routine, time spent relaxing, or even some productivity.

When this happens, don't be afraid to take the downtime and stay in a place for longer to really immerse yourself in the culture to combat the fatigue. The article below delves into this.

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This should have given you a great introduction to the backpacker lifestyle and how it's different from home. We'll keep this updated and add a section on working, as there are many backpackers who also work while traveling.

But until then, this should cover everything you need!

Happy Backpacking!

Sah

Theft is something that's always on a backpackers mind as it's a reality of travel. Especially before heading off on an adventure, and most definitely if it's your first one, it's understandable that you'd be concerned.

We'll cover everything your need to know in this article from what to expect, to ways to prevent theft in hostels.

Theft in hostels isn't very common. Things rarely get stolen as travelers that frequent hostels are mostly backpackers, all with the same concerns. Also, hostels have rooms and lockers for baggage and personal items that you can easily use to secure your things - usually you'll have to bring your own physical lock.

That being said, there is potential for theft as the hostels usually house multiple people in multiple rooms. It would be a lie to say that things never get stolen. Luckily there's more than a few things you can do to prevent or mitigate this.

1. Lock Up Your Valuables

As mentioned before, hostels will always have lockers for you to store personal items. Some will be combination locks, some will have keys that the hostel will give you, but most of the time, you'll be required to bring your own physical lock.

Putting your valuables in lockers is one thing, but you should also consider locking your bag too.

Someone trying to steal something valuable will be less likely to walk out of a hostel with a full bag worth of things. And when your bag's locked, it'll be that much more difficult to get the one valuable thing and leave.

Make sure your bag has lockable zips. Our favorite backpacking bag has hard plastic ones that are perfect for locks. Review below.

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2. Get Insurance Cover That Includes Theft

Sometimes, whatever precautions we take, something still gets stolen. That's life and it's OK, but this is when we want to have a backup plan - travel insurance is the best option here.

Most travel insurance cover will include theft and other staples like medical and flight cancellation etc. but you want to make sure that it covers high value items and the excess isn't a crazy amount.

You should compare insurance companies to see what works for you, but getting a backpacker specific one which covers bike rental, and is generous when it comes to theft, is a must.

The go-to recommendation at Thrifty Backpacker is World Nomads. Especially because of how comprehensive it is when it comes to medical and other things that could go wrong - but definitely check first, this is just our recommendation.

3. Have a Backup Card, Cash & Phone

If your main functional things get stolen or lost, the biggest pain point is the fact that you're now incapable of doing basic things while traveling.

If your phone is gone, it's hard to book hostels without having access to a computer or someone else's phone. If your card is gone, you've already locked it to prevent theft, so you can't use it to book things.

Having a backup of all these things will ensure that in the event that something goes wrong, you can easily manage to recover.

• Most travel credit/debit cards will have a secondary one. Always keep one on you, and always keep the other in your backpack. It won't hurt to have multiple travel cards from different banks too.
• We all have an old phone that we're not using, make sure to pack it in your bag, just in case you lose or damage your current one.
• Carry a small amount of US Dollars in your backpack for emergencies. It's easily convertible into nearly all currencies, regardless of where you are.

More tips on managing money abroad below.

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4. Get a Money Belt or Travel Wallet

Especially if you're weary of leaving cash or cards in the hostel, a money belt or travel wallet will be perfect so you can carry the essentials with you, and prevent any theft you might encounter in the streets.

These strap around you, can easily be concealed, are hard to get into by pickpockets, and also have NFC blockers so thieves can't scan your card to take a contactless payment. They're number 10 on our list of essential items.

5. Keep Your Valuables Out of Plain Sight

You may have all your things locked up, but when you take them out to use them, whether it be a camera or laptop, don't announce to everyone that you have all this gear.

Stacking up your Macbook, DSLR, GoPro and jewelry on your bed while you ruffle through your clothes is very much an advertisement to any potential thieves that might stumble on you fixing up your bag. Keep the gear out of sight, and there'll be less incentive for any would-be thieves.

You don't have to go overboard with keeping everything a secret, just simply use caution when displaying your valuables to the world.

6. Book Smaller Rooms or Smaller Hostels

The fewer people in a room or fewer people in a hostel, the less likely it will be that your valuables get stolen.

The smaller establishments have dedicated staff, a more intimate atmosphere, and a smaller number of potential suspects in the event that something does get stolen. But even just having a smaller room means that there're fewer people who have access to the room, as most hostels have key cards for each dorm room.

Even though you should always be a little cautious and weary in hostels, you shouldn't be paranoid or overly worried. 99.9% of the people you're going to meet are going to be fantastic people, potentially life long friends.

You'll form a trusting bond with a lot of these people, and they'd go out of their way to help you if they could.

Just because there's a possibility that a very small minority might have loose morals, doesn't mean you should write off everyone and not leave yourself potential to make lifelong connections!

Hostels are also inherently safe. All dorms usually have key-card entry, which limits people coming in, they have lockers, and cameras too.

If you follow all the tips for prevention and mitigation outlined above, you'll be completely fine when it comes to things being stolen. You'll either never have it happen to you, or if you do, you'll be entirely covered.

I hope that puts your worries at ease!

Safe travels, and best of luck!

Sah

This is something every backpacker will struggle with over the long term. It's something really easy to overlook because before we leave and when we're planning it all, we're just so excited to delve into our adventure.

We often times forget that we're not a machine and that even if we're having all the fun in the world, it can still get exhausting.

You'll start to feel fatigued or burnt out sometime after that initial excitement goes away and you start feeling the effects of doing the many things that you were excited to do.

You'll eventually have 3 thoughts that are a clear sign that you're fatigued.

1. You're having a bad time or you're "over" traveling.
2. Feeling guilty that you're not enjoying yourself or aren't "doing anything."
3. Second guessing your current/next destination or travel goals.

Sometimes these can be an indicator that you might not like your current destination, and that you'd have fun somewhere else. This is the case if you have a clear idea on where you'd rather be or what you want to be doing.

But if not, if everything seems vague, you're definitely fatigued. You don't want to do anything, but laying around is making you feel guilty. You try to think of things to do, but nothing seems appealing. You wonder if you're done with traveling, and second guess your next destination.

This is completely normal.

When you're only on a 2 week trip, it's easy to go-go-go and hit as many attractions, locations, and activities as possible. You're trying to fit everything into a short period of time.

The mistake that people make is to have this same attitude when they're on longer term trips. I'm talking 3-6 months, or a year.

If you try to hit every temple, waterfall, museum, or party, every single day for an extended period of time - not only will you be physically tired, but you'll get super bored, and all the experiences will mesh together.

So when you're feeling run down, fatigued, and over your travels - there's a few things you can do to get yourself back on track. These are the tips to avoid fatigue, correct your outlook, and enjoy your long term travels without burning out. Hope it helps!

1. Stay at the Destination for Longer

The whole point of long term travel is to stay at destinations longer and really take in the scenery, food culture, local lifestyle, meet people and make connections aka. not give a f*ck about time passing.

It really isn't about having a checklist and plowing through things to do.

So if you're feeling run down, you may be putting too much pressure on yourself to check everything off on this imaginary list, finishing it, and leaving.

This will get old, and exhaust you. So the remedy is to book a place in a cool location and have no plans. See where the day takes you, and don't be afraid to do menial or 'regular' things. Do as the locals do, walk around, relax, read a book. You have plenty of time.

2. It's OK to Do Things That You Do at Home

Just because you can go see a movie, watch Netflix, eat a burger, or go to the gym at home, doesn't mean you're not allowed to do those things when traveling.

People wrongly assume that there's an opportunity cost to doing those things. Why eat a burger when I'm in the capital of ramen? Why go see a movie, when I could do this amazing hike? Valid concerns, but again, misguided.

You're traveling because you're seeking freedom. Restricting yourself for the sake of freedom is a paradox. If you feel like doing something, it doesn't matter if it's something you'd do at home, you should absolutely do it.

Not only will you be in a better mood, but you'll feel energized and realize that you're not over traveling, you just needed some down time because those things are your creature comforts, or your down time antics back home.

3. Don't Go to a Place Because You're 'Meant To'

FOMO is a real thing, but you can definitely conquer it. You can be in Florence exploring the architecture and opt to not take the hour trip to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa, in Pisa. You can be in Paris having a great time, and opt to not see the Mona Lisa because you're just not a fan of that type of art.

It's OK and you shouldn't do a thing, if you don't want to do a thing. Seeing a thing or visiting a place, just because it's popular will make your experience feel dry and forced. It'll lead you down the path of travel fatigue and general exhaustion.

Remembering point 2, it's OK to do things we want to do rather than checking off things from a list. So not only should you be OK with doing things you want to do, but you should also avoid things you just really don't care for.

4. Don't Get Stuck in the Party Trap

When traveling you'll quickly realize that partying, especially for backpackers, is a staple in the experience. It's super fun to go out, blow some steam, and enjoy yourself. The problem becomes when partying becomes all you do.

All the alcohol, lack of sleep, constant sound, and socializing can exhaust even the most extroverted backpackers out there. So make sure you limit the partying and be prepared to let it go for a while so you don't get to that point.

I talk about party hostels and the party trap in the article below. I go through the pros and cons of these hostels, and more. It might be worth a read if you're looking to understand how they're set up and what to expect. Especially if you're planning on taking up residence at one for a while.

Should You Stay in a Party Hostel? | What to Expect

Pros, cons, tips, and advice for staying in a party hostel while traveling. Should you stay in a party hostel? Is it worth it? All questions answered.

Thrifty BackpackerSah Kilic

5. Have a Small Routine

You're constantly on the move, constantly experiencing new things - day in, day out. This contributes to the exhaustion and leaves you feeling fatigued and wanting the comforts of a routine.

Back home, you're sick of routine and want some adventure, but once you're adventuring, there'll be times that a solid routine looks really appealing. This is why having a small routine will make sure you've got a foundation to work from.

And it really does need to be small.

I'm not saying treat your travels like your daily home life. What I am saying is that if you keep a journal that you fill out every night, or your morning is a coffee and 15 minutes reading a book - this will give you that nice layer of routine so your travels aren't chaos.

6. Recall Your Previous Adventures

Going through pictures, writing a paragraph in your notes on gratitude, and really reliving the adventures you've had on your travel so far will light you up like a firecracker.

It'll be impossible for you to not smile when you recount the fun times during your travels leading up to this very moment.

Gratitude is the ultimate cure for dissatisfaction with the present. If you're fatigued, you've obviously done a hell of a lot during your travels and sometimes we forget to recall and relive these moments.

The simple act of going back to those times in your mind, or even better, going back physically by looking at old photos and videos will help immensely. It'll help with your level of excitement, energy, and mood for the present and the future.

7. Call a Friend Back Home

A layer of travel fatigue or burnout can always be attributed to constant change. The chaotic atmosphere, constantly being on the move, lack of routine will all lead you down to a feeling of being a little home sick.

Not a lot, but enough that you'll feel lonely at times, or you'll miss aspects of home - your friends and family being one of them.

Don't underestimate how rewarding and positive it can be to call up a friend and talk about what's going on, life back home, traveling, and more. Sometimes listening to others' problems help you more than telling others your own problems. Talking with a friends will ensure you get both.

At some point you'll feel tired, and you'll second guess whether traveling is for you. When this happens, understand that it definitely is for you - you've just been making some common mistakes that are easily reversible.

So when you catch yourself feeling like this, follow the tips and recommendations outlined above, and you should be back on track in no time at all.

Safe travels,

Sah

It comes down to 3 things. Travel during the summer (Australian winter), use Skyscanner to search for flights, and have an intermediate destination.

When you book your flight during the Australian low season, there are less tourists making flights so airlines lower their prices to get more people flying in. This is a great opportunity for you to book a flight from 20% up to 50% cheaper than you could book otherwise.

And lets say you couldn't find a direct flight that was cheap enough. You could use this opportunity to book a flight to somewhere in between first. Not only would you be getting two separate flights for cheaper (most cases), you'll be getting a 2 for 1 holiday.

Let's go through a few options for making it to Australia on a budget. We'll answer some questions and go through the best tips.

What Are the Cheapest Flights From the US to Australia, and Where Are They From?

The cheapest flights to Australia from the US are usually from LA and Honolulu, to Melbourne and Sydney. In fact, at the time of writing and spending 5 minutes looking at deals, I found a 1 way flight from LA to Sydney for $388, and one from Honolulu for $154 - you just need to know how to look.

The article below will delve into how to use Google Flights and Skyscanner. Check that one out to see how you can look up flights, set up alerts, and keep under budget.

How To Find Super Cheap International Flights | Saving 40% to 90%

How to find super cheap international flights for a fraction of the price. Get flights that are 40% to 90% cheaper with these tips, tricks and strategies.

Thrifty BackpackerSah Kilic

The flights are cheaper during April and August, this would be a great place to start searching, and if you have specific dates you're looking for - set up a price alert instead.

What Are Some Good Stop Over Destinations on the Way to Australia?

Like we mentioned before, sometimes going directly to Australia isn't the very best option. It can be cheaper, and more of an adventure if you stop somewhere in between first.

If you read the section before, we established that Honolulu was a great place to get to Australia from - this is because it's one of the cheaper destinations to fly from in the US as its closer to Australia.

If you live in New York and can't find a cheap flight to Australia, you could opt for a mini holiday in Honolulu before heading off - as an example.

Both flights separately may cost you significantly less than a single flight from New York. But we don't have to stop at Honolulu, there's so many more options. The general principle when finding a cool destination to stop at before heading to the land down under is the following;

1. Find cheap flights to places closer to Australia from your home town (using Skyscanner).
2. See which one of those places has cheap flights to Australia.
3. Book both and have 2 trips in one.

It's as simple as that, but that being said, Honolulu has been consistent as the best option if you're all about minimizing the price.

But if you're all about the best bang for your buck in terms of adventure - going to a hot spot like Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok in South East Asia, although will be more expensive than your city to Honolulu to Australia, will still be cheaper than a direct route to Australia from say New York - at least with normal prices.

How to Make Traveling Australia Cheaper?

Flights aren't everything when it comes to budget travel and Australia is going to have plenty of expenses that you're going to notice straight away. The food, accommodation and alcohol are going to be much pricier than what you thought.

Why's this? Australia's minimum wage is higher, and the spending by the locals drive up prices. It's affordable for the locals but can get expensive for tourists. The good news is, the US Dollar is stronger than the Australian Dollar so you'll be saving money there.

Other tips to make your trip cheaper:

• Get a travel credit/debit card with no processing fees - In 2020, Australia primarily operates with cards and you won't see a lot of people using cash. This means you can save on ATM fees by just having a card with no processing fees.
• Stay in hostels rather than hotels - Although Australia doesn't have a massive hostel culture like Asia, there are still plenty that exist and are cheaper than alternatives like hotels.
• Travel with carry-on luggage only - This is 100% doable and will save you a lot with check in luggage fees.

We've got some dedicated articles on these below.

How To Manage Money When Traveling | Travel Cards, Currencies, Fees

How to manage money, exchange currency, avoid ATM & Account fees, secure your accounts, and find the best travel cards while traveling. Pros, cons and tips - Ultimate guide.

Thrifty BackpackerSah Kilic

6 Ways To Get Free Accommodation While Traveling

There’s cheap accommodation and then there’s free accommodation. We’re going over everything you need to know about getting the free kind. Tips, platforms, communities, and more.

Thrifty BackpackerSah Kilic

How to Travel With Carry On Luggage Only

How to travel with just your carry on luggage. Which backpack to buy, what to pack, how to fold your clothes, and other essential tips on one bag travel.

Thrifty BackpackerSah Kilic

This isn't a very long article but there's a few practical tips there to make sure you get a cheaper flight to Australia, hope they helped! The other articles linked in this one should help you out even further.

Thanks,

Sah