Budget Travel Webpage

Recently, a friend of mine came back from a backpacking trip in Asia and gave me valuable backpacking tips which I’d like to share with you.

We know things  in some Asian countries are cheap in terms of commodities, food, transport and accommodation. Don’t get blinded by cheap goods. You will end up spending more than what you planned on in the first place! One of the pitfalls of backpacking, my friend commented,  is spending too much money without thinking. Plan your budget and be practical when buying things in the bazaars. Don’t be taken in by the array of products and their astonishingly cheap, negotiable prices. This will result in you being short of cash and having to cut down on your activities and having to travel back home a few weeks earlier or worse still, having someone to transfer money to your account.

Here are some simple steps on how to backpack on a budget:

Accommodation:
Choose a hostel instead of a hotel because it’s your cheapest option where you share a room with up to 6 people. Meals are often not included in the price, but that shouldn’t be a problem because buying groceries in Asia is fairly cheap. You can prepare your own sandwich or cup noodles within the hostel premises.
Hostels are very affordable, convenient and a great place to meet other travellers. Have in mind that hostels are popular among young backpackers and even families, so the rooms fill up quickly. My friend’s advice is to travel during the off-peak seasons. But if you want to backpack during the high or peak season and you’re planning to stay at tourist-packed hotspots like Koh Phi Phi in Thailand or Siem Reap in Cambodia, remember to book a room way in advance. If you don’t do this and all the budget places are fully-booked, you will likely have to crash at an expensive 5-star hotel as a last resort.

Food and Drinks:
Avoid eating at road side food stalls or buying food from food vendors if your stomach is not used to it. There are basically food stalls and cheap restaurants everywhere in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and India. But be careful when choosing a place to eat — take note of the hygiene and the way food is prepared before you make a choice.

Transport:
Ask the staff at the guesthouse or hostel where you can find cheap transport and how much it should cost. This way you will avoid being tricked by local taxi drivers.  It is a good idea like the public bus and train that charge standard fares.

Shopping:
Looking for cheap shopping? Where you shop is as important as bargaining. Shopping at the local markets is often cheaper than the huge malls. But have in mind that most of the markets are popular tourist spots, so they’re usually crowded. It’s usually harder to bargain at these places because the sellers know that if YOU don’t buy their products - someone else will.

Bargaining is the key to cheap shopping. But before you do that, I recommend that you stroll around to compare prices. If it’s your first time in a foreign country, it’s sometimes hard to know what things should cost. You can’t bargain for something when you even don’t know if it’s cheap/expensive. Bargaining is an art. You have to know how to bargain to get the best prices.

Money:
Avoid exchanging money at the airports. If you do this, you will get the lowest rate of exchange. Go to a bank instead as they can give you the best exchange rates available. My advice is to change enough for your stay before you travel. That will save you the hassle of finding a money changer or losing out on low exchange rates.
If you’re planning on travelling to several neighboring countries, avoid exchanging too much money if you’re leaving the country in just a few days. You may not have enough time to spend it.

Communication:
Instead of using your mobile phone for international calls, you should use Skype at an internet café. To save money on domestic calls, don’t use your mobile phone with your original SIM-card. I suggest you buy a local SIM-card. Have the owner from where you bought the card from help you activate the SIM-card.

Tours:
Visiting some attractions? Skip the package tours and rent a bike or taxi for a day. If you decide to rent a bike, it’s cheaper and you get to see the things you want to see in your own pace. For free information on history and sights, ask the local staff at the guesthouse or a fellow traveler. Otherwise, you can print it out from the internet. A couple of print-outs are cheaper and lightweight than a book.

My backpacker friend advises that you plan your backpacking trips carefully and check out how to get to destinations in the country. The internet is full of information at your fingertips. Happy backpacking!

Tags: backpacking on a budget, backpacking tips