8 Ways to Spice Up Your Travels, by Nellie Huang

Since travelling became a significant part of my lifestyle, I’d come to realize that a conventional travel itinerary was just not enough to feed my thirst for complete cultural immersion or adventurous endeavors. It was time to ditch the guidebook and delve a little deeper, to get to know my destination inside out. Slow travel (usually means spending more than a month at a place) definitely does the trick, but if you haven’t got the time, here are some other ways to help spice up your journey and make it more than just travel.

1. Volunteer
Over the past ten years, voluntourism has gained popularity, especially among young travelers. Many people include a short volunteering stint in their travel plans. I personally volunteered at an education office in a small village in Tanzania two years back – the emotional ride was one of the best times in my life. Programs such as the Peace Corps assign volunteers to places that need help. Many organizations require a program fee, so do your research before signing up.

2. Hop on a Cruise
I’m not talking typical Caribbean party cruises. Think mid-sized cruises that bring you through the isolated Norwegian fjords or the massive icebergs in the Arctic and island-hopping in the Galapagos. Cruising offers a different perspective, especially in remote and secluded areas like the North Pole. They allow us to get to territories that cannot be visited otherwise. Discount cruises can be an interesting way to travel and even a cost-cutting one.

3. Learn A Skill
From culinary classes to meditation courses, there are plenty of learning opportunities that gives you the chance to know the local culture better. Traveling to China? Take a tai-chi class or a kung-fu introductory course and you’ll leave with more than just photographs. In Japan, you can take a class from a veterangeisha to learn about their traditional ethics and behavior. Many embark on culinary tours around Italy and Spain to dig deeper into their gastronomy, learning to whip up typical Mediterranean dishes and sample local wine.

4. Couchsurf
The trend is here to stay: couchsurfing is now used worldwide, where members contact locals who are willing to offer them a couch to crash in or just meet up for a coffee. I personally have tried couchsurfing several times and have had amazing experiences every single time. It’s the perfect way to meet locals, understand their lifestyle, cultural habits and customs.
5. Book an Adventure Tour
Whether you are climbing icebergs in the Patagonia or trekking through the Amazon Jungle, an adventure tour definitely gives you the thrills of travel. It challenges you to your limit, gives you an adrenaline-pumping experience and allows you to explore a part of the country you might not be able to on your own. A tour usually takes up a chunk of your travel budget, but hey, no pain no gain. It’s often cheaper to book the tour at your destination rather than through the internet.

6. Pick Up a New Language
Another popular traveling option is language immersion: the most typical being Spanish classes in Guatemala, Argentina or Spain. Latin America is a top choice for language courses thanks to the low cost of living, rich culture and wide range of options available.These days, Mandarin is becoming the hottest language – so why not head further afield to Beijing? English is not commonly spoken, so you’ll definitely get plenty of practice.

7. Homestay
Most study-abroad programs consist of homestays where local families host you in the comfort of their homes, cooking you typical meals and speaking to you only in their language. Those who have had first-hand experience only have good things to say about this. Many build strong relations with their host families and often keep in touch after returning home. Even if you’re not a on study-abroad program, there are still many opportunities to go on a homestay. For instance, accommodation in Cuba is often in the form of homestays. They are cheaper and a better choice for many.

8. Get a Part-time Job
Work as diving instructor, teacher, chef, au-pair or cruise crew, there are thousands of working options available. For many countries, being a native English speaker gives you the advantage to find work easily. In Spain, you can easily find work as a teacher in an English summer camp. Depending on your skills, short-term work not only allows you to earn an extra income, but also gives you the experience of living and working in a new country.

~~~ About the contributor ~~~

With an eye for adventure and a love for the unknown, Nellie Huang is a Singaporean travel writer whose work has appeared in National Geographic IT blog, CNN Go, Luxury Travel magazine, Travel+Leisure Asia and Jetstar in-flight magazine. From volunteering in East Africa to writing a guidebook in Guatemala, she has traipsed continents to find home in Spain. She blogs about her adventures at Wild Junket.

Let’s face it, traveling in Europe blows a big hole in your budget. A 6-month sojourn in Europe often takes up triple the amount of money you would have otherwise spent traveling in S.E.Asia or South America. Now that we’re back in Spain, trying to maintain our travel funds is proving to be a real challenge. Staying at home all weekend isn’t gonna solve the problem, so we’re still taking regular trips within the region, but keeping in mind budget-tightening measures. Here are 8 tips for shoestring travelers like us to explore Europe but without the hefty costs.

1. Choose Your Destination Wisely
If you’re tight on money, then try to avoid expensive countries in the north, such as Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Expenses in Scandinavian nations are extremely high, with the cheapest meal – a hotdog – costing around 7euros. Instead, venture out to Eastern Europe – countries in the Balkans such as Bulgaria, Montenegro and Croatia are extremely interesting and yet relatively cheap to visit. Equally attractive in terms of nature, beaches and historical monuments, the Balkans is one part of Europe that is relatively unexplored and definitely worth a visit.

2. Hunt for Cheap Accommodation
Cheap hotels and hostels are definitely the most important way to save money, since majority of travel expenses usually go to accommodation. Besides doing a search on hostel websites, it’s wise to check with friends and fellow travelers who have been to your destination for the best area to stay at and the hostel with best value for money. For big and expensive cities like London and Barcelona, it’s especially important to bear in mind that cheap hotels might be far from the city center.

3. Research for Free Things to do
If you look hard enough, there are tons of free attractions to visit and free activities to engage in. Most museums are free to visit on specific days of the week, parks and gardens sprinkled all over Europe usually have no entrance fee. These sites allow you to learn more about the city and its history. Other free things to do include watching street performers, strolling through antique markets  and vibrant food markets.(Check out my previous post on free things to do in London.)

4. Couchsurfing
A brilliant concept that brings travelers from around the world together, exchanging culture and experiences, and a free place to stay. The uninhibited can just sign up for free, do a search for locals living in your destination, write them an email and if they say yes, voila! – you have a free night’s stay on their couch! I personally adore couchsurfing, having done it a couple of times and always had an excellent experience.

5.  Make friends with Locals
There are thousands of social media sites in today’s world – twitter, facebook etc. Give a shoutout when you’re visiting a particular destination to get the lowdown on what’s good and what’s not. The locals will know the best value places to eat, the fastest and cheapest ways to travel, and  at times extend their hospitality by showing you around. At the end of your travel, you get a good understanding of the place you’ve just visited, you’ve shaved a considerable amount off your travel expenses and you’ve just earned yourself a new friend.

6. Find Temporary Work or Volunteer
Although it can be rather tough to find a job that pays, you can usually nab one that gives you accommodation and food in exchange for a few hours of labour each day. Start with the hostel you’re staying at or ask around. Other opportunities such as WWOOFing – volunteering on a farm – is also a great opportunity to experience living in  the countryside and saving some pennies.

7. Cook Your Own Meals
Although sampling a country’s gastronomy is a large part of traveling (and often is one of the most important for me), eating out tin Europe can be pricey. Making your own meals doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice on sampling local food. Instead, visit the local food market (which can sometimes turn out to be an awesome experience) and try out whipping up some local dishes in your hostel. Or are you tempted to splurge on that gorgeous restaurant poised above the city center? Try to find a quiet spot right next to it, and bring a picnic with you to enjoy the same views for a fraction of the price.

8.Fly Budget Airlines
These days, with strong competition among budget airlines, air travel within Europe is getting cheaper than train travel. A Ryanair flight can cost  as low as 5GBP if you’re luck enough to snap it. Make sure to check out every airline and last-minute travel deal when booking your trip, and compare prices between land travel and budget airfares.

~~~ About the contributor ~~~

With an eye for adventure and a love for the unknown, Nellie Huang is a Singaporean travel writer whose work has appeared in National Geographic IT blog, CNN Go, Luxury Travel magazine, Travel+Leisure Asia and Jetstar in-flight magazine. From volunteering in East Africa to writing a guidebook in Guatemala, she has traipsed continents to find home in Spain. She blogs about her adventures at Wild Junket.