Take Better Travel Photos

Photos make the best travel souvenirs. So why not take a moment to make those visual memories even better? And no, you don’t need to purchase a better camera in order to take better photos. Instead, a good photo is about composing a scene with your own eye and capturing the moment.

• Get away from the unexpected. Don’t just snap pictures of the main attractions and monuments. Look for the things that make your destination unique and different from your own home: the food, people, architecture, and markets. Capturing everyday moments will help you remember what you experienced on your trip.
• Learn to compose better pictures. Don’t just center your subject in the frame, but move it off to the side and capture the surroundings, too. Research the Rule of Thirds and find some tips for enhancing your Street Photography skills.
• Look for people. Everywhere in the world has one thing in common: people. Whether it’s a man-made environment or natural scenery, your photos will be more interesting and more memorable if you include the smiling faces and colorful clothing of the local people.

Step Outside of Your Comfort Zone

Do you make the same trip every year? Even if you visit a different place, sometimes a trip can have the same overall vibe as your last vacation. The answer to monotony is shaking things up a bit. Try staying at a different type of hotel, with locals at a home stay, or hop on to AirBnB.com. Visit a different type of destination. If you always go somewhere warm, then try a winter locale. The possibilities are endless; just expand your horizons and keep an open mind.

Pick a Theme

Are you tired of the usual tourist activities? Do you always visit the major attractions, but wish for more creativity? Instead of taking the same trip that everyone else experiences, plan out your journey based on a theme. Perhaps you should take a food tour and experience the culinary wonders of a country? How about a religiously themed trip where you might visit all of the historic churches in an area? Or maybe you could visit all of the old castles in central Europe?

Another option would be to follow the route of a historical figure. Imagine tracing the route of Napoleon through Europe, Ulysses S. Grant through civil war battlefields, or Pizzaro through Peru. We once met a guy in Ethiopia who visited because of the Queen of Sheba (we had to look that up, too). During such a journey, you could learn about history while experiencing the modern culture.

Other themes could be outdoor-oriented: hiking and trekking, rafting various rivers, surfing, bicycling, scuba diving, etc. If you’re not up for a physical challenge, just a simple road trip could suffice if you plan a creative route. And that’s the real key: creativity.

Visit a Developing Country

Many tourists visit developing countries as part of a volunteer program or mission trip. The general mindset is that we as a wealthy and educated group of people can provide assistance while teaching the local population how to raise their standard of living. On the contrary, we actually have a lot to learn from them instead of teaching them about our way of life. Whether you visit as part of a volunteer trip or for vacation, a journey to a developing nation can be the trip of a lifetime.

Anyone who has ever visited such a country can recall swarms of smiling and laughing children on the streets and innovative and hardworking salesmen in the markets. Despite the level of poverty and lack of wealth, in most developing countries the general level of happiness is high. People value their friends and family, and they welcome visitors into their homes with pride. It is not what we have to teach them that is so important, but what we have to learn from them. Even though we live in luxurious comfort by comparison, are we really happier or better off? Becoming familiar with the people of a developing country is the only way to reevaluate what matters in life, reset your priorities, and make memories for a lifetime.

Go with Friends

Doug Coupland said, “People are pretty forgiving when it comes to other people’s families. The only family that ever horrifies you is your own.” Thus, sometimes you need to take a vacation away from your family. Get a group of old friends together from a period in your life and plan a trip together. Even something as simple as a week at the beach can become an adventure with a group of long lost friends.

Support Local Businesses

Traveling often involves comfort, and comfort often involves doing familiar things. Chain hotels, restaurants, and businesses are comfortable because we know what to expect. However, supporting local businesses can boost the economy, provide more job opportunities, and raise the standard of living in an area. Additionally, supporting these local businesses usually means that you’ll have a more unique and interesting experience. Only the locals can provide the “local” flavor, after all. Chain businesses have their place and provide jobs as well, so it’s not entirely black and white. So, on your next trip, try to branch out and spread your money to every type of business.

Tell us about your trip. Where are you going?
We are currently about two months into our trip. So far, we’ve been to Mongolia, China (Beijing, Shanghai, and Yangshuo), Hong Kong, Vietnam (just Hanoi), and now Thailand (currently in Bangkok). The plan is to continue traveling for another 10 months. We will be going to Cambodia later this month, and then hopefully Laos, northern Thailand, then traveling down into Malaysia. We want to wait out the winter in Southeast Asia. After that, in March or April, we’ll be flying to Turkey. From there it’s Croatia, Italy, France, and Spain. The dream is to then take a transatlantic cruise home – limiting our flying as much as possible. That depends on the budget though. We’ll see.

Jeff at Lamma Island, Hong Kong (by Rachel)

What motivated you to go on such a trip?
Both of us have had really enjoyable experiences with travel before, and have traveled together quite a bit. Never anything quite this ambitious though! We started our trip from South Korea, where we had been teaching English for a year. That’s how we saved the money for the trip. We figured that since we were already doing an epic journey of living and working abroad for a year, we might as well turn it into a legitimate odyssey!

Have you done a lot of traveling in the past?
We have both traveled quite a bit. Jeff’s parents took him around the country and to Mexico, Canada, and Europe as a child. Rachel’s family does a lot of road trips. Her grandparents took her to Paris and London for Christmas one year, and then she went on school trips to Italy and Costa Rica. We both studied abroad in college – Jeff in Japan, and Rachel in New Zealand. That’s how we knew we liked living abroad. We had traveled together around the US and to Costa Rica before this whole journey began.

How did you save money for your trip? Do you have any money-saving strategies?
As we mentioned briefly, we saved all our money by teaching in South Korea. The pay is pretty good there, while the cost of living is fairly low, especially since public schools pay for your housing. I have a few easy money-saving strategies that really add up: first, keep track of your spending. You’ll be able to see where you can cut costs. Drink mostly water – daily coffees or sodas, not to mention alcohol, definitely puts a dent in your savings. Use public transportation as opposed to taxis when possible. And finally, don’t buy things you don’t need! When you sit down and go over your expenses, you’ll be surprised at all the things you can cut that aren’t really necessary, and that won’t even inconvenience you that much. Though we saved about 75% of our paycheck in South Korea, we still ate the food we wanted mostly and traveled around the country a lot. It’s very doable, even without living like a hermit.

Rachel on the Great Wall (by Jeff)

What advice would you give to other would-be travelers planning something similar?
Remember that this isn’t really a vacation. If you’re traveling long-term, travel becomes your life – give yourself time in your schedule to stay in one place for a while sometimes. There’s nothing wrong with staying in and watching a movie some days. Don’t try to cram too many things into each city, and don’t move around as much as you think you can. Slower travel will ensure you don’t burn out too quickly, and also it will save you money since getting from one place to another is often the most expensive part of travel.

What’s the craziest thing that has happened to you so far?
Well, this isn’t going to be very encouraging, but we’ve had some bad luck so far. The most crazy (and awful) thing that has happened was that Rachel’s laptop case, with her laptop, e-reader, iPod, and a couple of credit cards in it, was stolen out of a hostel’s luggage storage in Hanoi, Vietnam. Luckily we have travel insurance – you should absolutely not travel without it!

What’s your favorite place(s) that you’ve been so far?
So far we have really liked both Beijing and Hong Kong. Beijing has incredible food, is extremely easy to navigate, and has a host of amazing sites to see. We loved Hong Kong because it was the sort of place we could easily call home. It’s so international and so it’s an extremely comfortable place to travel. It also has great food, at all price levels. Though it is different it’s the sort of place almost anyone could fit into.

Where haven’t you been yet that’s at the top of your to-do list?
Our next destination is Siem Reap, Cambodia. We can’t wait to go see the temples of Angkor Wat! If you haven’t heard of them, go do a Google image search, and recall that Angkor Tom was featured in the movie Tomb Raider. These are huge Khmer temples built in the 12th century, and by all accounts they are just simply mind-blowing to behold. We are extremely excited.

Thanks Rachel and Jeff, your trip sounds amazing and we can’t wait to see more photos!

If you want to follow their adventures, check out their website, World Flavor. Or you can find them on Facebook, Twitter, or Flickr.

-How did you get into fashion? When did you first become interested in fashion?

I first became interested in fashion at age 13 and longed to one day own a retail shop. With this childhood dream, I studied at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, my hometown, and worked in the fashion industry for seven years before I left my life to travel.

Alex, the Travel Fashion Girl

- How did you decide to mix fashion and travel? What led to the inspiration to create TravelFashionGirl.com?

As a long term traveler, I was frustrated that I did not have any skills that I could use to get work while traveling – such as carpentry or jewelry making. I wanted to find a way to apply my personal knowledge with a life of travel.

Frustrated with my own Round the World packing mistakes I realized there was a lack of female oriented resources for women that were interested in more than just practical travel gear.

A light bulb went off in my head and I spent a year planning Travel Fashion Girl testing out different packing styles and travel gear. Through trial and error and in speaking to other travelers I researched what worked and what didn’t.

I’m happy to say that my efforts “paid” off as the reader response has been more than I could have ever imagined :-)

- How long have you been traveling?

In January 2013 I’ll be celebrating my five year travel anniversary. I plan on continuing my lifestyle for at least a few more years if possible and hope to establish a location independent income.

- What was your motivation to leave your job and start traveling?

When my job of 6 years let me go I was devastated. My job was my life and it completely defined who I was. Five years prior, I had made a promise to myself that if I ever stopped working for the company I would take a few months off to travel. After a life changing experience in India, I never looked back.

- Do you find that most travelers are or are not fashionable? (I know that I’m not!)

I don’t think traveling is about being fashionable. It’s more about feeling like yourself. Many people are more concerned with following the traditional packing rules that they neglect the little things that make them feel like rock stars in regular life. Whether it’s a favorite pair of jeans, a little bit of lip gloss, or a dash of cologne, it’s important to not sacrifice everything about you to fit into a “mold” of what a traveler should look like.

- What’s your favorite aspect of travel?

My favorite aspect of travel is freedom and fate. Living life for yourself and taking whatever comes your way – whether a travel buddy or exciting adventure – is a surreal experience that you will always treasure.

- What is your favorite destination (or favorites)?

My five favorite countries are India, Thailand, Peru, Guatemala, and Egypt. I am particularly fond of South East Asia.

- Where in the world do you really want to visit that you haven’t yet?

Although I’ve traveled briefly through western Europe I am interested in spending more time here as well as Eastern Europe. After spending the last year between Central America and South East Asia, it’s time for a change of pace for 2013.

Also, while I have done a few cross country trips in the USA for work I want to do a proper road trip across the States. I want to try all the food joints shown on the travel channel and eat my way across America!

Thanks for the great information, Alex! If anyone wants to learn more about Alex or traveling more fashionably, you can check out TravelFashionGirl.com. Or visit her travel site at Wanderlust and the Girl, visit her facebook page, follow her on twitter, or view her pinterest boards.

Lazing around on a beach, swaying back and forth in a hammock and listening to the waves with nothing more than a book & a beer…is there anything better than that?!  The routine of tan, swim, read, drink and repeat is so relaxing and so enjoyable that it’s hard to pull yourself away.

We know that we haven’t seen every  beach in the world.  But, based on the ones we have seen, these are our favourites in terms of peacefulness, seclusion, colour of the sand, clearness of the water and the all around vibe.  Our top 5 are:

1.  Koh Rong, Cambodia:  This unbelievable beach, about a 2 hour boat ride outside of Sihanoukville, is a dream come true.  From what we’ve been reading about our hidden gem (maybe not so hidden anymore) is that there are plans to make this “Asia’s first environmentally planned resort island”, complete with an airport, casino, golf course, resorts, etc.  For the time being, there’s a couple of companies with huts/bungalows on different beaches on the island.  The beach we’re talking about is one that is 8km long,  where the water is so incredibly clear that it literally looks like you’re in a swimming pool.  There’s not a rock or speck of seaweed in the water, it’s just sand.   Looking back at the beach from the water, you’ll see nothing but sand, jungle and the odd buffalo who got lost on his way to the village.  The sand is so blindingly white and powdery soft that it looks like it just snowed right there in Cambodia!  You have to go now before the huge resorts take over.

Beautiful Koh Rong Island, Cambodia

2.  Matemo Island, Mozambique: This beach in the Quirimbas Archipelago is stunning. Imagine rounding the corner of this island in your boat and seeing nothing but a very long stretch of perfectly white sand littered with shiny shells, a sandbar jutting out into the sea, palm trees swaying in the wind, crystal clear turquoise waters shimmering like glass and not a person in sight!  There’s one exclusive resort on the island that you have to fly into, other than that, there’s just one local village at the other end.  This archipelago is stocked with amazing islands and beaches, but the beach at Matemo Island is our favourite!

blindingly white sand and crystal clear waters on Matemo Island, Mozambique

3.  Kuta Beach, Lombok Island, Indonesia: The main beach in Kuta town is fairly popular and not all that good for swimming.  However, if you rent a motorbike and set off to explore the area, you’ll drive down a very steep, very rocky road, pass by villages, rice plantations and herds of buffalo and then BAM!  You’ll find yourself staring face to face with a beautiful beach and you’ll be one of the few people there.  The water here is turquoise-blue, the sand is white, it’s surrounded by cliffs and the gradient is steep into the water, which makes for perfect swimming.

Kuta Lombok, Indonesia

4.  Balos Beach, Crete Island, Greece:  This beach is pretty difficult to get to but oh so worth the effort!  You walk down a steep, rocky pathway and as you round the bend in the mountain you’ll be staring in awe at a beautiful bay of turquoise, royal blue waters.  The sand here is pure white, the water is very calm and there’s nothing more than a few beach chairs with umbrellas.  One word:  stunning.

Stunning Balos Beach, Crete, Greece

5.  Haad Rin, Koh Phangan, Thailand:  We’ll admit that this beach is hardly secluded, but outside of the Full Moon Party you can have the place virtually to yourself.  It’s one of the nicest we’ve seen.  It has it all: white sand, crystal-clear water, a good gradient into the water for swimming, some restaurants and bars on the beach for entertainment & an all around fun vibe.  That’s why it’s at #5, because it’s not secluded or difficult to get to, but that’s one of the reasons why we love this beach and we think you will too!

Chillin’ in the beautiful waters at Haad Rin, Koh Phangan, Thailand

This list could go on and on and on…there’s so many fabulous beaches, some we’ve seen and others we have yet to see. We hope this list helps you find your dream beach, whether it’s somewhere off the map or somewhere planted firmly on it.  There are many stretches of coastlines, islands and coves waiting to be discovered, so what are you waiting for?

Feel free to comment below and add your favourites!

What’s included?

The following information is included in every Travel Cost Guide:

• Typical costs for a variety of categories such as food, accommodation, transportation, and entertainment. All of these costs are displayed on charts showing typical budget, midrange, and luxury costs, giving you an idea of what to expect to pay when you arrive at your destination.
• Specific, actual expenses from various destinations such as taxi rides, meals, entrance tickets, and more. These expenses come from real travelers and can give you a starting point to know how much you should be paying, or could expect to pay, when planning your own trip. Are you visiting a country where negotiating is necessary? These costs can give you a place to start, ensuring that you don’t get over charged.
• A huge array of travel budgeting tips and advice such as handling and accessing money, avoiding scams, preventing theft, learning how to negotiate for prices, and dealing with charitable donations. How do you get the best exchange rate? How do you negotiate with a market vendor for that perfect souvenir? What can you do to prevent a pickpocket from taking your wallet? All of these issues are addressed with expert advice from travelers who have blazed these trails already.

Where do I get one?

Our guides are available as PDF eGuides from BudgetYourTrip.com, or from Amazon as eBooks for Kindle, or from Barnes & Noble as eBooks for Nook. Don’t have a Kindle or a Nook? You don’t need one: Kindle and Nook reader apps are available for a variety of devices such as the iPad/iPhone, Android phones, Windows and Mac Desktops, and more.

As our guides are new, we only have a handful for now. Don’t worry, more are on the way soon!

Italy Travel Cost Guide on Amazon

Thailand Travel Cost Guide on Amazon

Vietnam Travel Cost Guide on Amazon

Or click here for the eBooks on Barnes & Noble.

We’ve just published the first of our series of travel cost guides. If you’re headed to Thailand and are looking for detailed budgeting advice, then this guide can help you get started. The guide is available for the Kindle on Amazon.com. For the affordable cost of $2.99, this guide is the perfect supplement to your travel planning resources.

Included in the guide is detailed information you can’t find anywhere else on our website. Typical daily travel costs are presented in concise graphs and budget, mid-range and luxury costs are available for food, accommodation, entertainment, transportation, and more. You’ll see call-outs to typical purchases made by actual travelers during their trips. Whether you’re still in the planning stages, or are already on the road, this information can help you avoid rip offs and make sure you get the most bang for your buck.

The guide also contains cost saving tips for every location covered, plus advice on how to negotiate for better prices and tips on accessing and carrying money. The guide is full of advice from seasoned travelers that will help you prevent pickpockets, deal with touts, and avoid scams.

In addition to a general overview of Thailand, you can find city specific information for many different cities including Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Koh Tai, Koh Pha Ngan, Koh Phi Phi, Krabi, Railay Beach, and Koh Lanta.

See more of Matt’s adventures at www.wherethehellismatt.com.

Tokyo, Japan’s capital, is a fusion of the traditional and the contemporary Japan. Although Tokyo has been dubbed one of the most expensive cities in the world, there are still many ways you can enjoy the city without making a hole in your pocket.

Take a cultural trip for free by visiting the temples around the city. Most temples do not charge an admission fee. Visit the Yakusumi Shrine in Chiyoda and learn about the fight for the Emperor of Japan. There are over 2,466,000 people listed here whose lives were lost during the war. Find the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa. This Buddhist temple is one of the oldest in Tokyo, and probably the most important. The trip here is worth it as there is one other shrine located across the temple, the Asakusa Shrine. The Tokyo Imperial Palace also offers free admission. With a total of 3.41 square kilometers, the palaces serves as the main residence of the emperor of Japan. The area includes the palace, administrative offices, residences of other royalty, as well as museums and gardens.

Take a bike ride for free at the Palace Cycling Course. There are five hunderd bikes loaned for free every Sunday. Most gardens are open for free as well. Then go to the Harajuku area after and check out the outrageous outfits worn by the young Japanese. Try the Yoyogi Park, the largest park in Tokyo, where the first Japanese flight took off in 1910. If want to see the beautiful cherry blossoms, go to the Ueno Park. Dating back to 1873, it has the most beautiful cherry blossom trees from March to April, and has many lotus flowers during summer. The park is truly photogenic.

Visit the Tokyo Tower – this is a nice site for pictures, although there is an entrance fee of fifteen dollars to get to the top. You can also opt to go to the Shinjuku’s Twin Towers where there is no charge to get to the top deck. Here you get a beautiful view of the city, overlooking Mt. Fuji.

Learn more about Japan’s history, arts and culture. Visit the museums – lots of them are free, too! Some interesting specialty museums that offer free admission are the Sumo Wrestling Museum and the Kanto Earthquake Memorial Museum. You can also watch as Sumo match for about twenty dollars.

Shibuya intersection in Tokyo, Japan, by Guwashi999

One of the cheapest accommodations is the ryokan, or the local Japanese bed and breakfast. Ryokan Sawanoya is one of the most popular. Sleep on a futon here for about 5,000 Yen, or about sixty dollars per person. There are also capsule hotels for only twenty five to thirty dollars, although the space is very limited. Try the Asakusa Riverside Capsule Hotel which is right in the heart of Tokyo.

Eat authentic Japanese food for less. The Tokyu Department Store has a wide selection of sushi, sashimi, etc for a cheaper price. Menya Musashi has yummy but affordable ramen. Yoshinoya sells huge rice bowls for only five dollars each.

Experience Japan’s culture and heritage without having to splurge. Pack your backpack and grab your travel buddy. This is a trip you will surely enjoy.

Where are you going?

We started our trip near the end of February. Originally, we wanted to fly direct to South America from Seoul (which is where we started our trip), but it turns out that you have to connect through North America somehow. So, rather than waste segments on our RTW tickets, we chose cities in North America where we could visit with friends and family, recover from jetlag and shop for travel gear and supplies. (We also took advantage of free accommodation!!)

The Inca Trail

Our trip really started, when we got to Colombia on March 5th. We stayed pretty close to Bogota and it’s surrounding area for a few weeks, and then took off for 3 weeks in Peru. We hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu (which has always been a dream) and visited Lake Titicaca, Arequipa, Cusco and Lima. We headed back to the Caribbean coast of Colombia after that for a little R&R on the beach. Right now, we’re in Salvador, Brazil and after a little more time here in Brazil, we’ll be heading to Uruguay, Argentina, Bolivia and Chile if we can squeeze it in somehow. In total, we’re spending about 3 months in South America, but as we’re discovering, you could easily spend much more time here.

When we’re done with South America, we’re heading to South Africa and Tanzania, where we’re doing a safari in the Serengeti, and then chilling out on the beach in Zanzibar. After a month there, it’s off to Turkey, and then Croatia, Montenegro, the Greek Islands, and Albania by land, before we end up in Italy and western Europe for about 3 months. We’ve met other travelers on the road, and now have invites to Switzerland and Germany, so we’re trying to figure our how to work that in. Free accommodation when traveling makes such a huge difference to the budget, and well, we’ve always wanted to have a real Swiss fondue. ;)

After that, we head to the Middle East – Jordan, Egypt and Israel, and then cap off the trip with 6 weeks in India, and some beach time in Indonesia and Thailand.

We’d never been to South America, so it was high on our wish list, as was a safari in Africa. We mostly tried to pick places that neither of us had been to before, but some of the destinations on our itinerary are to visit friends or family, like in Albania, Italy, Jordan and Thailand. We also tried to mix it up with a good variety of cheaper and more expensive countries to try to balance the budget a bit. The other way that we selected destinations is by following the sun! We’re trying to avoid the cold as much as possible, first because we don’t like the cold, but also, because it makes your bags so much lighter, when you don’t have to pack winter clothes and we’re really trying to travel as light as possible.

What motivated you to go on your trip?

Shelley and Agri

Hmm…the motivation for the trip? Well, we’re big time travelers already. It’s a way of life for us, and we get super itchy feet, if we haven’t gone somewhere new for a little while. We think we’ve traveled an average of 2-3 months of every year, for the last 5 years.

This is the first time we’ve done a trip of this length though, and it’s because we plan to have a baby at the end of the year. We know that you can travel with a kid, and believe us, we’re definitely planning on doing it, but the way that you travel definitely has to change when you have a child. So we’re kind of having one last hurrah before we “settle” down.

What did you learn about yourself?

Shelley: One thing that I’ve learned about myself is that I’m quite shy and timid. I feel nervous approaching strangers, so traveling has been a great lesson in opening up. To me, all of life is about the battle of love vs. fear, and travel underscores this in a big way. Do you approach new people and countries with fear and worry, or with trust? It’s challenging because when you’re traveling, everything is new and unfamiliar, so it’s easy to fall into fear, but I’ve found that people all over the world are overwhelmingly good and kind, and that we all ultimately want the same things – security, peace and authentic connection with other human beings. It’s a beautiful thing to realize everyday.

Agri: Personally, I have learned that I feel at home in every corner of the world and that I can find my way around most situations. I have also discovered that all people around the world are truly one, we all have the same needs and wants and that cultures and skin colors just give us different flavors.

What’s the best place you’ve ever been to so far?

Shelley: This is a tough question. Every country has great things and bad things…but I’ve had some truly magical experiences in India. India is definitely a challenging destination, but if you open yourself up to it, crazy stuff can happen. It’s just that kind of place. In Pondicherry, a friend and I knocked on a door, thinking it was a hotel/hostel…turned out it wasn’t. It was someone’s house…but the lady invited us to stay with her, cooked us amazing French/Indian food and took us touring around to all the temples in the area. She also took us on a crazy adventure to meet an old raja who was destitute and selling off the last of his family’s fortunes to make ends meet.

Colombia was also totally amazing, but once again, I think it’s because we met a bunch of locals right off the bat. They took us to an authentic ayahuasca ceremony – not one designed for tourists – and we hung out with them on their farm, eating organic food from their garden and hiking the beautiful mountains around Lake Guatavita.

Later on, we met up with them on the Caribbean coast, and they took us to a coconut plantation on the beach that isn’t in any guidebook. We slept in hammocks, bathed in a lagoon and cooked our meals on a wood fire.

In both cases, integrating with locals made all the difference…and we’ve found this to be the case, in almost every place we’ve been.

Agri: Though quite cliche, Thailand is also very high up on the list. The combination of factors there is so unique that it’s hard to find it anywhere else. It has stunning beaches, jungles, beautiful architecture, it’s a deeply spiritual country, the people are amazing, the food is great, and it’s dirt cheap. We love it so much we decided to get married there and we keep going back time after time.

How did you determine your budget for your trip?

Agri and Shelley

We don’t actually have a budget that’s set in stone, but we’re attempting to average $100/day for both of us, not including flights and big ticket items like our safari in the Serengeti (which is mad expensive), and our hike to Machu Picchu.

We’re fortunate, in that we didn’t have to do too much saving for the trip. We got married last summer and coming from Asian and Eastern European backgrounds, well, we got a lot of cash as gifts. On top of that, we’ve made some investments over the last few years, that have allowed us to take this trip.

HOWEVER, the investments have not paid us so well, that we don’t have to watch our dollars! We make decisions everyday that allow us to save money. We don’t shop. Period. Before the shopping we had to do for this trip, we can’t really remember the last time we spent money on clothes etc…

The best way to save money is to prioritize. Do you need a latte from Starbucks and another pair of jeans, or can you make a coffee at home and wear your jeans from last year? In our minds, the question is, should we spend money on “things,” or should we travel? For us, it’s an easy choice to make. :)

Any advice for other travelers?

Shelley: Definitely interact with the locals in a country. They will show you things that aren’t in any guidebook and make your experience of a place more real and authentic. Also, don’t plan too much. We’ve already had moments on this trip where we regretted having plane tickets booked etc…

We think it’s best to have the frame of the trip laid out but not the details, hoping and allowing for the magic to happen.

Agri: Pack light! My backpack for the trip only weighs 14 kilos and I still don’t even use half the stuff in it. If you need something you can buy it along the way. Shelley’s backpack is carry on size and she’s having no trouble at all.

Shelley and Agri have a travel blog at Travel-Stained.com where you can follow their footsteps around the world. Have a great trip, guys!

While spending time as hobos moving slowly around the world, they have blogged about their travels at www.hobos.ch (in German with English and Spanish translations). They even carry a GPS with them, leading to some very detailed route maps on their website. We asked them a number of questions about their trip, and here is what they said:

Where did you go?

The beach in Cuba, by David and Karin

We started in Argentina in November, 2010, and spent the first nine months in South America (Chile, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador & Columbia). We continued traveling north to Cuba and Canada. At that point one of our dreams came true and we crossed the pacific ocean from Vancouver to Tokyo on a freight ship. After five amazing weeks in Japan we left for the Philippines from where we continued to New Zealand. Our last flight took us from Christchurch to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Many hours in buses and trains brought us to our current location: China.

Why did you choose those countries?

Our plan was not to have one! We only booked a one way flight from Switzerland to Buenos Aires and decided spontaneously. Recommendations from other travelers are a great help, as well as the internet with all the travel forums and travel blogs. Also very important is  the climate and the traveling season in general. The roads for example can get very dangerous during the rainy season. We realized that cultural and climate changes are really important to make the journey interesting. After spending weeks in the heights of the freezing Andes Mountains we were looking forward to go to a nice beach in Brazil. Remaining independent was really important to us. We have good equipment including a tent and warm sleeping bag. Worst case we can sleep almost anywhere.

How do you usually get around?

We try to avoid flights. Usually we travel by bus or train. This way you can get in touch with  the locals and their culture much easier.

What’s it like traveling for a long period of time?

It took quite some time until we were able to get away from it all. In our case it took around three months. From then on we were living in our own world and could do whatever we wanted to do. We’re enjoying the freedom very much. The relationship between us became better and things just work without many words. After a while we each had our own tasks. If one of us is not feeling well we can motivate each other. It is just important to appreciate every single day of the trip. We also think that it is important to have a next big goal, this way we can always look forward to something.

What motivated you to go on your trip?

Karin in Torres del Paine

We just wanted to have a change from our everyday life. The world is so big, and we wanted to discover it, learn about other cultures, languages, foods, religions and lifestyles. For us it was also a challenge to just make a cut in our lives and do something we do not know how it will end. We also loved the idea of total freedom, to decide every morning what to do next, without any restrictions.

Where are you going?

We will stay in China for another three weeks. From China we are going to take the trans-Siberian railway back to Europe. We hope to visit some countries in eastern Europe at the end of our trip.

Why and how did you decide on those locations?

The plan was not to fly anymore. First we planned to start our trip by taking the train from Europe to China, but the season was not the best. Now we just end the trip that way.

What did you learn about yourself?

• To be more patient; many things don’t work out as expected, you just need to learn to accept it.
• To be more enduring; you learn to stay in buses for 30+ hours, you also learn to wait for a bus which is late for a couple of hours
• We have come to know our preferences better; at the beginning we couldn’t tell if we prefer the mountains or the beach, now we know. We also learned to say what we think, if we are not satisfied with a certain service, we tell them.
• We can handle stress situation much better now; on a trip you will get confronted with many of these situation. After a while we could take it easy.
• To have no prejudices: treat every person the same way. Now it is also easier for us to assess a person’s character.

What’s the best place you’ve ever visited so far (and why)?

That is really hard to say. The special moments we will always remember don’t need to be at specific places but can be encounters with other people. Generally speaking, we liked South America because family seems to be more important than in the Western world. Every city and village has a central square where people gather to talk, play or dance. Some really nice places we have seen so far include: Patagonia, the whales on Península Valdés, Easter Island, Galapagos, Iguazu Falls, Salar de Uyuni, Cordillera Blanca, Macchu Piccu, Japan, the great walks in New Zealand and the Meili Xue Shan moutains in China.

How did you determine (or manage) your budget for your trip?

New Zealand, by David and Karin

We budgeted to spend about 20,000 Swiss francs per person per year (about US $20,000). When we look at the expenses today we have only spent about 15,900 francs per year per person. The estimated budget of 20,000 francs per year was based on information of friends of us who were doing a similar trip. Budget Your Trip helps to keep control over our expenses. It is also really fun to know how much you spend in what country and in what category. Sometimes it feels like a game.

Any advice for other travelers?

1. The best plan is not to have a plan: If you are doing a trip around the world and time is not a concern, do not book any flights or accommodation in advance! We met people that liked a certain place but they had to move on because they already booked the next flights/hotels. On the other hand we also met travelers that did not like to stay where they were, but they had to because they already booked an apartment in advance.
2. Stay flexible: Don’t make any appointments with friends or family on your trip a couple of month in advance. It is of course amazing to meet them, but only if they are spontaneous enough to book a flight last minute where ever you are. Your visitors will most likely have a completely different style of traveling, they are willing to spend a lot of money and they probably want to see a lot of tourist attractions in a short time – that’s mostly not the way of traveling if you are on a trip around the world .
3. Bring good equipment: Even though you can buy almost anything for a better price in Asian countries and South America it is probably best to buy all the equipment at home. This way you can test it before you actually take off and you can get used to it. Most probably the quality will be better when you buy it at home. We met too many people in Patagonia sleep in tents with water in it :)
4. Be prepared: check all the travel alerts before you visit a new place. Also take note of the typical scams, you can find them in any travel guidebook. Most incidents can be avoided by being prepared. Always be careful with your valuables.
5. Choose your travel dates carefully: always check the climate and weather. You don’t want to be in Bolivia during the rainy season. Be sure not to travel during any public holidays or around politically sensitive dates.
6. Travel slow: if you are traveling slow, you will be able to get to know the culture much better. You will also have the chance to visit places which are off the beaten track. We never try to stay less then four weeks in a country.
7. Always appreciate that you can go traveling. It is a privilege to be able to travel for that long.

This sounds like an amazing trip! Thanks guys, and we hope you enjoy the rest of it.

You can follow David and Karin’s adventures and see more of their amazing photos at www.hobos.ch.