The world beyond our borders is home to millions of other people, who all lead very different lives. Though have you ever wondered what it would be like to live among them? To experience a change of culture and scenery, and live abroad at least once in your life?
There are very many reasons people dream of relocating to a foreign land. This can be for work, to volunteer, study, pursue a change of scenery, or retire. Though whatever your reason, moving into a new country can be a rich and rewarding experience.
Here are my five reasons why everyone should find the energy to pack up and move abroad … at least once in their life!
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London is always abuzz with things to do, and come rain or shine, nothing dampens the spirits of this incredible city. Especially in April.
“The city finally sees some warm weather, meaning that outdoor London comes alive and some brave souls take on the London Marathon. If that all sounds far too energetic, just become an enthusiastic spectator and get stuck into some chocolate Easter eggs and the first bank holiday weekend of the year.”
Enjoy these cultural highlights through April.
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Often, we associate keeping costs down with sacrifice. We think that to spend less means to get less. But this is not always the case. Some of the ways in which you can keep costs down when traveling can actually lead to more wholesome and immersive experiences.
The key is to be able to keep your costs down so that you can do more of what you like, or stay on the road for longer. It’s a classic discussion, but in this article we want to show you how to keep costs down without assuming you want to stay in a two-man tent on the moors.
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You often hear people talk about the benefits of tourism for local communities. The main argument in favor of mass tourism is that it creates more jobs for locals and more opportunities to promote their culture. But is that all there is to it?
In reality, we witness large hotel chains spreading into developing countries, and cookie-cutter holiday resorts, not to mention foreign-owned food chains offering uniform food all over the globe. The world is becoming increasingly globalized and culture is being diluted and lost.
The situation is hardly black-and-white, though. For a local community to truly enjoy the benefits of tourism, we have to become more responsible as travelers.
As travelers with an eye and heart for adventure, we believe that sustainable tourism can and should be mutually beneficial, so have put together the following tips on how you can make a positive impact on local communities every time you travel. While still having the time of your life.
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Osaka is a darling city, offering tourists plenty of attractions without the stressful crowds like that of its larger city counterparts. And while it may prove difficult to pull yourself away from its charms, beyond Osaka itself are some lovely places to experience Japan’s culture and natural beauty.
The following are two great cities for exploring more of Japan, both under an hour away from Osaka, making each perfect for a day trip during your stay.
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In 2015 my boyfriend Tyler and I traded our stable jobs in South Lake Tahoe for a couple years of hot spring soaked adventures. We hitchhiked through Cuba and Central America, and cycled 1800 miles along the Pacific Coast.
When we loaded up Baby Beluga, a tiny Mazda pickup truck, we figured we’d be exploring North American national parks in luxury compared to the previous months of stuffing our belongings in a backpack or panniers. Au contraire.
For anyone considering the option of traveling and living out of a truck, I hope these tips will allow you to maximize the good, dwindle the bad, and prepare you for the smelly!
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The age of the socially conscious traveler is officially here – a recent movement towards responsible travel has seen travelers become more conscious of their environmental and social footprint when heading abroad. People are now realizing the importance of traveling with awareness and thought.
With the idea of being conscious of our impact on both nature and culture, here are 10 easy steps for being a socially conscious traveler in Iceland.
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Compliments of the internet age, resources to find affordable (and even free) travel options exist these days in droves. Everything we need in order see the world is ours for cheaper than it ever has been before, yet still, very few people decide to drop everything and go.
So when money is no longer an obstacle to experiencing the world, what’s stopping people? A lot of the time it comes down to internal resistance; you either want it badly enough or you don’t.
The following are 7 great ways you can travel more, though to actually benefit from these tips, you first have to be open to actually giving them a go.
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My greatest love as a child was LEGO. I would build intricately designed spaceships, multi-coloured castles, and re-enact scenes from various star wars films. The beauty of LEGO is that it is only limited by your imagination.
And while LEGO is little more than a passing interest of childhood for many people, it’s not just child’s play anymore. At 29 years of age, I’m an unabashed fan of Lego, and I’m far from being alone.
Adults with a passion for LEGO know the difference between a plate, brick, wedge, washer and stud. Some weeks we spend more on LEGO than we do on groceries. We can finally spend the sort of cash that as a child you rarely got to blow on plastic figures, and we’re happy to make pilgrimages all over the world for an international convention or new store.
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For more than a thousand years, pilgrims have been making their way on foot to the Spanish city Santiago de Compostela, the purported resting place of the remains of Saint James, one of the disciples of Jesus Christ. The pilgrims walk hundreds of miles that make up the Camino, which in Spanish means the path, a road, a route, a way.
Pilgrims from every background are today drawn to the Camino from all over the world and for a wide variety of reasons. Some are ill, some grieving, some confused, some celebrating, some walk out of devotion or in fulfilment of a vow and others are just simply curious. Some will have walked a hundred miles, others five hundred and others more than a thousand.
What is nevertheless common to them all is that they will have left behind what is familiar and habitual in order to wake each day to a new vista, to a new stretch of road, to the scents and flavours of a land other than their own.
The best way to prepare for such a walk? To know if this pilgrimage is for you? The Road to Santiago movie is a very real account of the journey as walked by Alan Fields; an authentic, down to earth documentary which will transport you to the trail and put you in his shoes.
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Water is the most crucial condition for life of all kinds. All living organisms need it in order to survive, though there are more than 780 million people worldwide without access to clean drinking water. 345 million of them live in Africa alone. Every 21 seconds, a child dies from a water related sickness.
Instead of turning a blind eye, Charlie Christensen decided it was time to do something about it. On May 18 2015 he freed himself of his job, his apartment, and most of his possessions to begin Walking for Water; a philanthropic pilgrimage, on foot, from Denmark to Tanzania.
This means walking for 18,000 kilometers, through 28 countries, over 2.5 years. It is a journey to inspire the beginning of a movement meant to combine the trends of explorations and self realizing journeys with the noble cause of supplying the world with clean drinking water, wherever needed.
Almost one year in, he will cross the straight to Africa on the 18th of May 2016 to continue his journey.
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Sri Lanka is many things. A mesmerizing and magical place, it is a beach lovers paradise kissed by tropical seas, and a haven for budget travelers and foodies with cheap prices, flavourful food and famous teas. There are oodles of heritage, wildlife, and incredible landscapes just waiting to be hiked. There are a huge range of timeless ruins and ancient sites.
Upon leaving New Zealand, I had no idea or expectations about Sri Lanka, only curiosity. Years of war and natural disasters like tsunamis have kept many travelers away. Though the country is quickly moving forward, and I found Sri Lanka’s myriad appeals alluring.
Arriving to a country that had seen so much suffering, I was humbled to see that the people in Sri Lanka were happy, friendly and optimistic about the future. The country is finally seeing peace and recovering from it’s tumultuous past, with a lot to offer those travelers willing to make a trip.
Sri Lanka is a small country, and you can pack a lot into a vacation of 12 to 16 days. The following are my favorite 5 reasons for why you should visit Sri Lanka. Travel now before the rest of the world realizes this unbelievable country has been hiding in plain sight.
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You wake up to the sound of birdsong outside your little stone hut, a fresh mountain breeze entering the space through the hand carved, traditional wooden vents that pepper the gorgeously textured natural walls. You wriggle out of your snug sleeping bag and step outside to be greeted by the Himalayan mountain range – the tallest peaks in the world rising resplendently from the green valleys far below you. Their flanks glisten in the gently filtered rays of another perfect sunrise. You say to yourself, today I’m gonna help some people, and it’ll be a good day.
This is life when volunteering, in particular, a work exchange in Nepal; but a similar scenario is attainable anywhere in the world. Replace the Himalayas with the Pacific Ocean; or replace your stone hut with a tent in a lush European forest, or a treehouse in the jungles of Costa Rica.
‘Voluntourism’ is a rather critical term thrown around a lot these days, but in my opinion it can be a wonderful, ethical, and sustainable way to travel, so long as you properly screen the families or local/international organisations with which you plan to work.
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Adventure has been the new pretty for a while now, and women who travel are continually redefining the traditional notion of “sexy” through their passion for exploring the world and adventurous soul.
These women are smart, independent and strong. They navigate unknown cities with a great sense of direction, but also enjoy the spontaneity of getting lost. They’re not searching for money, status or looks, they’re searching for knowledge and world experiences.
These women may not be the most dolled up, but they’re certainly the most authentic. Self sufficient women who challenge, encourage and inspire you to see, do and be more.
Though it’s not even that the following women have all of the above mentioned qualities which ultimately makes them sexy. It’s that they have gone against the “norm” to create a lifestyle that they love. It’s that they’re genuinely happy in life. And happy people are beautiful. They become like a mirror and reflect that happiness back on you.
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There are many options for free accommodation these days; between couch-surfing, house-sitting, home and work exchange, there are many hospitality exchanges which allow travelers to keep their accommodation costs quite cheap.
Though wouldn’t it be amazing if you could rock up to a regular guest house and grab a room for free? To be shown around a new destination, visit the sights, learn to cook local cuisine, without having to spend a cent?
With the hope to promote travel to Kyrgyzstan, this is exactly what Andrei Osianin is aiming to achieve. His vision is to create a “Home for Travelers” where travelers can stay and rest for free, immerse themselves into local Kyrgyzstan life, and learn more about the local culture and people. His goal is to create the first place in Central Asia where travelers from all around the world can stay for free.
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To those looking in, Craig and I are living the dream. Partying a SXSW music festival in Austin, trekking to Machu Picchu (Peru), discovering Colombia’s street art scene, diving in Cuba; at almost 30, we packed up our past lives as teacher and tradesman to backpack the Americas and Europe for 18 months, and our first five months on the road have produced incredible memories.
Though we’re often asked why we get to do it while many others have to settle for sitting at home dreaming about it. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You don’t have to settle for living vicariously.
We hope the following helps explain how to take a career break to travel. We imagine young ‘ins are as excited about spring break as we are about our career break!
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I’ve been quite lucky that in over 10 years of extensive travel I have never once been mugged, held up, arrested in a foreign country, or found myself in any kind of trouble which requires an embassy to assist. Knock on wood.
I have, however, made my fair share of stupid decisions and mistakes while traveling abroad, and hopefully you can make note so that you don’t have to learn the hard way too.
The following are my biggest mistakes while traveling abroad. Leave me a comment at the end of the post if you’ve had any epic fails too!
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As the holidays approach, destinations around the world are gearing up for the busiest time of the year, and prices on everything from flights to accommodation and food are getting ready to soar. It’s all well and good to advise that traveling during off season is the best way to score a cheaper vacation, though many travelers don’t actually have a choice, and especially for families with children, it’s impossible to avoid planning your travel over school holidays or during the Christmas and New Years break.
Though there are still a number of ways you can ensure a fabulous and affordable vacation even when traveling during peak season, and there are always ways to make your holiday dollars go further by thinking outside the box.
When it comes to travel, accommodation can easily make up the majority of your holiday costs, and your accommodation can make or break an entire holiday. It doesn’t matter if you’re planning on staying in a bungalow, a villa, a B&B or even a yurt; it’s important to make good decisions when it comes to planning your stay. To this end, use the following tips when booking holiday accommodation to guarantee a successful break.
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Regardless of which society you are born into, the gist for the majority of the world is that your life will follow a certain mold. There’s this traditional storyline that we’re meant to follow: graduate high school, move out, go to college and/or find a job, get married and have kids all before 25, and this has certainly been the way it’s worked for previous generations.
But that life-path is far from realistic anymore, and one of the greatest regrets in life is being what others would want you to be, rather than being yourself. Because if you settle for the mediocre, allow a life-path to be chosen for you, and think that waiting until you’re retired is the best time to travel the world, you’ve missed out on life and let it fly right by you.
Because one of the other greatest regrets in life is having missed out on all of the things you wanted to do.
This week’s inspiring traveler interview is with Megan Indoe and Scott Herder who believe that you should travel until you retire, and have been traveling South East Asia since 2013 living that very dream.
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We talk a lot about thinking outside the box to earn money on the road, that reality is negotiable, and that it’s absolutely possible in today’s day and age to follow your dreams. And the dreams of a traveler can be anything from having more time to spend on the road, to volunteering with children in Africa, to opening your own hostel.
And that’s exactly what a team of British backpacking entrepreneurs have done. Opening a hostel that is.
With a dream that was born in the Australian outback and carried across the world in a backpack, Podstel isn’t really your average business start-up. Developing a business and designing a crowdfunding campaign while hitchhiking and backpacking 5,500 kilometres across an entire continent is certainly not without its difficulties, and whether it be intermittent WiFi or having no permanent base to work from, Team Podstel’s critics haven’t held back in telling them it can’t be done.
But Team Podstel don’t do conventional. Despite the challenges, and in knowing that they are most inspired when doing what they truly love, the road really was the best office this hardy team of travel experts could think of.
This week I chatted to Daniel Beaumont, Podstel’s founder. This is the story of the world’s first crowdsourced hostel.
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What comes to mind when you hear mention of Nicaragua? Civil war and dictators? Revolution and unrest? Well that all finished more than 30 years ago, and now Nicaragua is one of the world’s most stunning tropical destinations, and an absolutely fantastic place to visit or live. Trust me – as an international expat now living here I would know!
Now one of the safest countries in the Americas, whether you’re looking to channel your inner beach bum on one of Nicaragua’s two coastlines (the Pacific’s got the waves and the Caribbean’s got the reefs), hit up a peaced-out surf camp, hippie enclave or remote fishing village, or perhaps even take in the smoking Volcán Concepción and witness “her almost perfect cinder cone rise from silvery, pure Lago de Nicaragua to pierce the cloudy sky”, Nicaragua has something to wow and awe you.
Land of Lakes and Volcanoes’ indeed, you’ve also got the option of colonial churches and museums, cloud forests, tumbling waterfalls, and incredible coffee. Here are 5 reasons to jump on a flight to Nicaragua today.
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It’s most people’s dream – to set up a location independent lifestyle which will enable them to generate an income online while travelling the world. Though these days this is more than just a dream – more and more people are realizing the infinite potential of our online age, and creating opportunities for themselves to work online, affording them the flexibility to set up their office from their computer while continually jumping around the globe. Sara Schneider is one such pioneer.
She morphed her part-time employer into a client and immediately started taking advantage of her newfound freedom with trips to Costa Rica, India, and climbing crags across the USA. And why not? All of our ancestors were wanderers and explorers of this new world at one point, she tells us, so why not embrace our heritage!
This is Sara’s story.
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If I were to tell you that you could travel the world for free, would you drop everything right now and go? Most would likely not believe me.
Despite the ridiculous number of resources that the Internet age has borne to help us travel cheaper, the overwhelming perception is that travel has to be expensive. But nothing could be farther from the truth. Resources to find affordable (and even free) travel options exist these days in droves. There truly are no more excuses that money is an obstacle to experiencing the world.
Everything we need in order see the world can be ours for cheaper than it ever has been before. With his unconventional and ruthlessly effective approaches to money, lifestyle design, and entrepreneurship, Andrew Walton reveals how it’s possible to travel longer, farther, and better, on any budget, even if you don’t have room for one at all.
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They’re the inspiring couple from Latvia who quit their jobs, sold everything they owned and took off to India with little more than a bike. For 5 months they cycled the country from end to end, accumulating phenomenal experiences with each of the 5,300 kilometers they went. Though this was in October 2013, and they have continued to travel full time ever since.
Kaspars and Una have spent the last two years living and working between destinations across Europe and Asia, with the ultimate goal of exploring every corner of the planet before returning home. They travel slowly to truly immerse themselves into each new culture and place, and keep their costs low by volunteering in exchange for food and board.
Because why not quit your office job, give away everything you own and travel indefinitely if you don’t want to return home? Seriously, why not!! That’s exactly this one inspiring couple’s story.
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She is a girl who dreamed of traveling the world, though like so many of us, instead chose to conform to society’s conventions and concepts of reality and found security in the 9-to-5 grind. Though miserable with a career and life that wasn’t really the reality of her dreams, she was too scared to leave that security behind and make the jump to seek out change. That is until she started meeting with others who had made that leap and had broken out from society’s carefully crafted mold.
Nowadays Aileen Adalid is a lifestyle traveler who has worked incredibly hard to establish an online business which enables her to travel the globe. She broke all of society’s conventions to go after the life she truly loved, and now seeks to inspire others to do the same.
She wants people to know that the dreams you have are really possible…and people are living theirs every day! Reality is, after-all, highly negotiable, and can be molded to suit your desired way of life.
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