Travel Tips
Currency
Always pay in your own currency at ATMs or shops abroad rather than the local one. The conversion rates will be much better with your own bank.
Hotels
If you want the best possible prices always book hotels as far in advance as possible. Last-minute deals never tend to be as good.
Packing
If you struggle to travel light, pack your bags and then after you’re done commit to taking half of the things back out. You’ll end up only taking things you really need.
Change the way you travel
Travel planning is a science in itself and takes some practice to do correctly. That’s why a lot of tourists prefer pre-planned or all-inclusive trips which are easy to book but can also be pricey. We prefer more authentic experiences so planning them yourself is absolutely essential. Check out the posts below for some of our best travel tips and advice on how to make your trips unforgettable.
Gap Years
I might just be the biggest advocate for taking a gap year. For me, it was the best decision I ever made and helped me discover my passion for full time travel and content creation. Even if you’ve never considered it before why not give it a try and you might just discover a new path in life. Check out our gap year guides for some incredible ideas for what you can do on your gap year and how to get started.
Quotes and Instagram captions
Packing tips
Traveling light is an absolute game-changer. There’s nothing worse than carrying a giant piece of luggage around with you when you’re trying to explore and get to know new places. It starts at the airport where you have to worry about whether your bag is overweight and if the hand luggage fits the size requirements. Then you have to unpack everything and live in a mess of clothing during your stay. You’ll end up wearing or using maybe half the things you brought, will waste time packing everything back where it belongs and won’t have any room for the things you bought during the trip. Whenever you have to check out of your hotel early or want to spend some time in the city you have to carry everything around. Packing light just makes everything so much easier.
The most important rule is only packing things you absolutely love. Don’t take any clothing you rarely wear or things that are completely new. Only pack established outfits that work well together and can be combined easily. If you have a pair of shoes that can only be worn with one outfit they might not be the best choice for a trip. Instead stick with versatile pieces. Only take the absolute necessities when it comes to electronics. As a blogger I travel with a lot of equipment and gear but I like to keep it to a minimum if possible.
Travel planning tips
Effective travel planning is absolutely essential to save money and time. A lot of people don’t like to plan before they travel and that’s fine. I agree that over-planning can impact your trip negatively and will put too much pressure on. However, in my experience it’s really important to know what you want to see and what there is to do when you visit a new place. Do your research before you go somewhere and make a list of all the things you want to see. You can always change your plans spontaneously but you’ll know what there is to see and do so you know you won’t miss out.
Paradoxes of Tourism
Our Paradoxes of Tourism Series is a bit of an experiment that combines the usually objective elements of travel blogging with a subjective commentary. Usually travel advice is meant to be as neutral as possible with actual information unclouded by personal opinion. Our Paradoxes of Tourism Series investigates political, social and societal issues in tourism and how they shape the way we travel.
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Hi, I'm Victoria
Welcome to Guide your Travel – a blog about South East Asia and how to travel on a budget.
I’m a blogger, writer and photographer and love to introduce my favourite destinations to others and encourage them to see the world.
I’m originally from Germany but spent four years living in the UK, quite a bit of time in Spain and Malaysia, and am now travelling full time with a home base in Bali, Indonesia.
