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For my upcoming book about trying to visit Kiva and other microfinance clients in the field, I toured five continents and visited two destinations that often traveled (
Siem Reap Cusco, Cebu)and less so (
Sarajevo in Kigali, Chennai).
Considering that any savings of $25 can be invested in more loans, saving money while traveling safely is a major consideration.
There is no excuse to introduce a comprehensive guide to budget travel, and there is no recognition that other people will have different preferences, here are some things that help me to stay cheap, safe and sensible: you can imagine, there is almost nothing packed.
If you are checking a package, you are doing it wrong.
I have traveled three times around the world without checking the bag: Backpack, sports jacket, camera or computer bag.
Unless your job requires heavy but important equipment. -
Maybe you're a golfer, supermodel, band roadie, or all of the above-
Checking the package means you bring too much.
Easy Travel is a happy trip. Go full-
Buddhist here.
Release your property and cut down bones at least on the floor of your living room.
Move everything down.
You can save money, energy and working hours on the baggage conveyor belt.
Also, no airline will ever lose anything of yours again and it's easy to pack for the next destination.
Once your personal list becomes familiar, you will never have the nagging feeling of leaving something.
Skip foreign currency packages, traveler's checks, etc.
ATMs connected to the international banking network become ubiquitous almost anywhere you may access, and you can also get a favorable interbank exchange rate.
If you want to be sure, please check the website of the destination airport in advance, but there may be an ATM available after customs.
Electrical adapters are also easy. Cheap all-in-
A unit of soap cake size is easy to buy online and works almost anywhere (
South Africa is the main giant.
Except for the three-pronged).
I packed two and a little U. S. multi-
I never worry.
Laptops, cameras and other small electronics are designed to work in the international arena on almost any supply you may encounter. (
Again, please check in advance if you have any concerns. )
Items like hair dryers require special adapters, but you read the wrong article if you bring a hairdryer.
All in all, here is my basic packing list: the number of socks and underwear and the coat I can wear.
Sunscreen, insect repellent, sun hat.
Shorts with double swimming trunks.
Foldable Mosquito Net depending on destination. (
This is the size of the CD suitcase. )
Maybe it's a light rain shell, which is ruthlessly pressed to the bottom of the package according to the destination.
Toothbrush, dental floss, Shaver, travel medicine (see below), thermometer.
Electrical adapters and moreplug.
Laptop. (
I prefer to bring an old one with all the data except the basic software. )
Headphones and basic computer cables (
Ethernet comes in handy sometimes).
Digital Camera with extra battery, memory card and charger.
ATM and credit card.
Vaccination card and travel health insurance information.
Earplugs and sleep masks.
The pages on the guide are torn off the spine to reduce weight and volume. Ballpoint pens.
Small black moleskine notebook that can doodle, share ideas or map for strangers.
And my passport, of course.
We're going to the airport. . . Bob's stuff--all of it --
2008 Round at Beijing airportthe-
World travel: a sports jacket on a backpack and computer bag.
AirfaresI does not know enough about the credit score, does not know how many readers can even try to do so, and does not know how many people will reject their credit (
As far as I know, my probably toast)--
But whenever a bank or airline wants to give me tens of thousands of kilometers of free air miles, I take them away.
Some airlines credit cards offer 40,000 miles or more miles for registration only, with a lower purchase threshold, paying an annual fee comparable to the airport taxi fare for the first trip.
I must have burned half a dozen of these while writing the book, but it paid off for the thousands of dollars it saved.
When I visited Cambodia in 2011, I first flew to Tokyo from Los Angeles International Airport and spent 20,000 miles, $102.
£ 50 for a major US economyS.
Then proceed to Singapore for $30, 10,000 miles.
Another charge is £ 90.
Short trips in Singapore
The airline at headquarters sent me to Phnom Penh for less than $120.
Total price from Los Angeles to Cambodia: less than I usually spend on flying to Ohio.
Be flexible in routing, and for long trips, figure out how to cross the ocean first and then work backwards.
When I need to go back to AmericaS.
For example, starting from Lebanon, I first searched for the cheapest transatlantic fare, regardless of the departure city.
It was Barcelona-
It costs only 10,000 miles and $85.
So now I just need to get a little cheaper from Beirut to Barcelona. -
This is a simple task because there is a competitive market for discounted air travel across Europe. (
See what the budget is.
Match any two cities. )
It took about 10 minutes to find a cheap one.
Travel to Barcelona via Czech Airlines in Prague;
Finally, I'm cheaper from Lebanon to New York than from California to New York.
Be prepared to believe that you may encounter some incredible deals.
Singapore, Bangkok, London and several other cities are very competitive markets, and there are often such markets --I-see-that-right fares.
I made two rounds. the-
$2,000, including taxes and fees, comes from the UK. (
Great off track is a good start. )
Still, deals like this are often made on airlines that many Americans may not be familiar. No worries --
Just check the airline's safety records yourself so you can stay away from falling and thriving aircraft.
Generally speaking, flying abroad is safer and more comfortable than flying in the United States. S.
The most important thing is to prepare for the surprise. On the Sharjah-to-
On the Nairobi route, Arab airlines prayed to Allah by replaying Pinky and brain.
"Little finger and brain" on Arab Airlines "(
Note the Arabic text on the back of the seat).
On the other hand, walk around the local area and don't cut corners on local transportation.
Spend the money on a train, bus, a scheduled van or taxi instead of a smaller, more vulnerable vehicle like a motorcycle taxi and a tuktuks.
The price difference seems to be large, but the safety difference is even greater.
In general, if you have a convenient knee transportation, the money you save is not worth it.
I always carry a small notebook and ballpoint pen with me.
In addition to simple notes, there are millions of uses for this
Take the address-
Share, I can just go to the monuments by taxi by drawing the monument;
Just by drawing a map of our respective hometowns, our family tree and the simple graffiti of the people around us, we spent hours with our teammates who didn't have a common language.
I even used to navigate to the hospital by asking the neighbor to write its name in the local script and then show it as needed.
Learn the name of a major landmark near where you live.
In some cities, this may be more useful than the names of any address, Cross Street, or even Hotel or guest house.
If it is a well-known famous statue, tower, bordello, sports arena or Holy Land, you will never get into trouble on your way home.
When such a thing is only a few blocks away from your hotel, even a simple facial expression can help the taxi driver take you home.
Where is one's preference to find a locally owned, perhaps a family --
Run the hotel where I can feel more hopeful about my money staying in the country for the time being. (
International chains may return most of their revenues to business motherships in Europe or the United States, contributing less to the local economy than people would like. )
For the same accommodation as large hotels of international brands, these hotels may only charge about half of the cost.
In many developing countries, some very good options may not yet be available on the main tourist search engines.
If you're curious but not sure how to proceed, simply book some regular stuff for the first few nights and ask around.
You may soon find a better deal for you and the person you are visiting.
That's why God gave us Skype.
Over the years, I took a four
The Motorola Razr band is almost compatible with at least one local frequency anywhere on Earth, all by T-
Mobile devices, but it's just necessary to stop.
It's still a good idea to have some type of phone in an emergency, and cheap, ubiquitous, easyto-SIM-
Switching Razr is still a very useful option.
If you have some great roaming plans on your iPhone, give you more power.
But I, I'm on Skype now.
Keep healthy.
Don't screw.
Consult with a tropical disease specialist and/or CDC to make sure you are vaccinated for your destination and if not, go for it.
For the malaria area, make sure you have proper prevention for the area (regimens vary)
And do not hesitate to accept it in other insect-infested areasTransmission of disease (dengue, etc. )
It is local, keeping the skin exposed to a minimum and wearing appropriate insect repellent.
My doctor always sends me a prescription for two antibiotics and guides me when to start using them if necessary.
This saved my Kester several times.
Highly recommended.
The sun is an almighty God that can be feared.
Not with tropical or high
High sun if you are not used to it.
Keep your head covered and skin screened.
When applying sunscreen and mosquito repellent, apply sunscreen first, and the insect repellent layer will be outside and face bugs.
Many travel sites cover basic food and water hygiene.
Study hard and follow the rules.
It only took me a mistake.
In China, I spent a whole week traveling and shooting dragons. Ninety-
9% of the people you meet will go from very good to very good.
Trust your intuition.
People are people.
If your consciousness starts to become active, trust it and free yourself from this situation.
If you do find yourself in a position of robbery, please hand over your goods with pleasure, do not show fear and leave as freely as you can.
If you pack properly, every item you have can be easily replaced.
Your internal organs are another matter.
Customs, like in the country
Boundaries kind prepare your Visa card, control stamp, entry and exit paperwork in advance, or anything else the bureaucracy wants you to do.
If there is a fee upon arrival, make sure they will accept the currency you carry or you may find a rare exception --need-currency-in-advance rule.
If you're going to smuggle anything-
Wine, pot, bits of historical relics, Magic Monkey claws, anything-
Please stop reading now and hit around your eyebrows repeatedly with the ballpeen hammer.
If customs officials want to confiscate something, let them confiscate it.
Consider this an official robbery to play the game according to the same rules as above.
Easily protest with a smile and explanation if you have--
No good police officer in Beirut, my computer security cable has been traveling unexpectedly to 23 countries and can't be used to limit the pilot submission despite your fever-
But after that, let it go.
You can buy more and it's much easier than you can buy a way out of trouble.
Customs, like a person.
You forgot to bow, kneel down, take off your shoes or be suitable for yourself.
There is whip ellate on Tuesday. Don't worry: just ask.
That's simple.
When in doubt, just as a visitor, express your desire to respect others and ask with kindness and humility.
In my experience, reactions range from patient help to the joy of being flattered.
Learn basic greetings (
Including any gender
Specific wording)
, Plus words like "please", "thank you" before you consider getting into someone's country.
It's just polite, and even if it's all you 've learned, you 've spent weeks roaming the countryside and saying, "Hello, thank you, Hello, thank you, hello," people will at least get entertainment.
In addition to these phrases, enjoy this puzzle if you can't cross the language barrier.
People on the other side will most likely join you in a group event that crosses obstacles.
Take out your notebook and start drawing.
Pictionary is international.
To avoid accidental offense when gestures: few cultures frown to get your hands close to your body, and most gestures that cause trouble involve personal numbers moving in the direction considered offensive
Solution: you knowRefers to the paddle-
Gestures used by airline crew
Safety briefing for takeoff?
Very safe.
Find a way to say "I want to buy this" or "is your taxi free ? "?
"Your hands are flat, your facial expressions are open, and you are rarely offended by accidents. (
You may even need very little language through practice. )
Don't let your hands touch others before you know the local basic rules.
Some cultures are not particularly interested in men and women and do not even like to talk in some cases.
A friendly American hand on the shoulder could be a major faux pas.
When in doubt, asking again in good faith is a manifestation of your respect for the intentions of others.
Honest curiosity-
"Is this a bow or a handshake? " --
Usually buy friendly laughter and lots of social breathing rooms.
Put your feet on yourself too.
Pay attention to where your shoes and soles should go.
It's not just about Arabia or Asia;
It's almost a good habit to pay attention to your shoes and keep the sole out of sight. Finally, good-
Passionate patience and genuine interest in the host are two of your most important travel gear.
Pack these first, double.
Check if you have it all the time and you rarely make mistakes.