More people are starting to realize the importance of life experiences. Something about actually experiencing a place cannot be compared to other activities.
Regrettably, some activities are more expensive than others, but those who are hoping to travel on a budget may be in luck because SE Asia is perfect for the thrifty experience-seeker. The following is a simple guide that is going to make traveling through Southeast Asia on a budget a bit easier than you might have imagined.
Find Good Deals
There are a number of expenses that you will not be able to get away from without considerable sacrifice. Think of expenses such as your hotel or your flight to South East Asia.
You will need to book these before you get to your destination. The prices are relatively flexible because you can get good deals with vouchers and bundles if you know where to find them. What you can do is search for bundle packages that combine things like your hotel and a tour or something similar. Make sure you start your hunt months before your trip to have the best chance of finding great deals.
Reference: Plus Voucher Code, Groupon
Get the Most Bang for Your Buck
It is important that you realize you can stretch a dollar more than you might realize. Sure, one thing you can do is find those vouchers or deals mentioned earlier, but your lifestyle can also make a big difference. For one, you have to reconsider the idea of eating out, which is okay from time to time, but it is certainly not economical to depend on prepared meals entirely.
Learn to make your own food, especially dried foods that you can take with you and eat without worrying about cooking or refrigerating too often. You should also consider walking to most places or traveling as the locals do, which is on motorbikes that only cost five dollars to rent per day. These are just some things to reconsider, but pay attention to everything you do. Look for every day, cost-cutting choices you have during your travel.
Split the Costs, and You’ll be Happy
The next thing you may want to consider when traveling is downloading a backpack-friendly app that helps connect you with other travelers. Those lucky enough to have friends willing to travel should make it a point to do so because you end up saving even more money. You can split costs all around, meaning that you’ll be paying less for things like traveling, accommodations, and even eating out.
The more people you travel with, the better, especially because many businesses give extra perks to travelers who are traveling with a group. You can seek out deals that are specific to big groups like yours such as charter buses or restaurants that want to cater to large groups. Plus, you get to have more fun because experiences are shared, which is quite extraordinary.
Reference: Telegraph
Give Yourself Time to Breathe it in
An effective way to save even more while you travel is to take things slowly. You may think that extending your trip is going to cost more, but slowing down means that you can spend less on accommodations as you travel since you stay in one place at a time; plus, you get to learn where to shop while you are there. Staying in one place also gives you the opportunity to do some odd jobs for some extra spending cash.
It would be great if you know the local language. Even if that is not the case, there are plenty of manual labor jobs that you can do while traveling through South East Asia. Keep in mind that moving slow also means that you are going to be able to submerge yourself in these new cultures, learning much more about them. It also gives you an opportunity to meet new people, which is probably one thing you wanted to do while exploring.
Reference: CNBC
These are just some of the things you can do to travel on a budget in South East Asia. It is true that this area is one of the more inexpensive regions to visit where your cash will really get you a lot, but that does not mean you can’t save a little extra by traveling smart. Be sure to do your best to travel during the off season when others do not want to travel because you will likely find some of the best deals during this time.
Hanoi is undoubtedly one of the most dynamic cities in South East Asia and the hub of mouthwatering street food. If you’ve been there, then you’d know that there are so many places to explore and tons of crazy things to do. If you haven’t, then aren’t you curious about what the 1000-year-old capital of Vietnam has to offer?