Travel and adventure seem so out of reach sometimes. We work day in and day out, waiting for the day we have enough for that perfect vacation. Fortunately, in this day and age of connectivity, there’s more affordable options to travel around the world than ever before. Some may go the backpacking route. Others might find inexpensive tours to get as much as they can out of a given area within a fixed budget. Whichever one may choose, there is no denying that international travel, unlike before, is here for everyone. But how does someone get across the world on a budget? Here we’ll explore some of the tips and tricks that travelers have been using to make their vacation both memorable and easy on the bank account.
Have A Budget
The number one rule of travelling on a budget is to have a plan. Have a base set of activities you want to do in the country of your choice and set your savings around those. Don’t go overboard. There are some beautiful places that, given the right season, turn into absolute tourist traps. Another thing you have to keep in mind is that any place you go, people are actively trying to get you to spend. Most travel destinations are ripe for overpricing. So get your research down and collect stories and reviews. Plan out how you’ll get to and from your hotel or hostel and factor in 15% above any figure you find on a travel blog.
Choose Regional Airlines To Get Around
Rule number is to use regional airlines once you’re in the area. There are plenty of budget airlines that have customer-centric business models geared to giving you the absolute best price. Southeast Asia has Cebu Pacific. The Middle East has Air Arabia. And South Africa’s fairly new Mango Airlines sets its course around the country, with the addition of beautiful Tanzania. Having these options eliminates having to book expensive regional flights through giant airlines.
Don’t Go Overboard On Food
The easiest thing to overspend on is food. People are generally used to eating three meals a day, but on a vacation? That number can shoot up to, well, whatever one’s stomach can handle. Yes, South African cuisine is absolutely delicious (Potjiekos, anyone?). But remember that most meals, especially in trendy restaurants and tourist spots, are going to add up. Try the local snacks and vendors, but keep large meals to a minimum.
Be mindful of the currency exchange. It’s really easy to look at something and assume that it’s inexpensive. While travelling we often do the quick math in our head, often wrong, and finally just agree to a price. Do not go by your home currency as the standard. That never works out. Try this: take the average price between a liter of petrol and a can of Coca Cola. The average should be an accurate unit of buying power in any given country, not a unit based off your home currency. Try it out!
Travelling around the world is easier and cheaper than ever before. It’s a great way to expand your knowledge of cultures and experience what it is like to be in a completely new place. More than anything, what travel does is help us remember that, no matter where we are on this earth, people all love the same things. And getting to know that through the eyes of a new world is both invigorating and unforgettable.
