Seven Month Update – Seven Travel Tips

Month seven really flew by, I nearly forgot about this update. It feels good though, like we’re seasoned travelers now – even though we’ve really just scratched the surface on our trip and traveling in general. Still, now when we tell people how long we’ve been traveling and how much longer we’re planning, we get a lot more ooo’s and ahhh’s than before.

In honor of seven months on the road, I’m going to lead with seven personal travel tips we’ve learned from seven months on the road to show that I’ve actually learned a thing or two since we started.

Be flexible with planning

When we first came out with our proposed travel route for Asia and Europe, people said we were crazy.

To some extent we were.

We’re technically “way behind” in our route and have pushed off many of the Asian countries we planned to get to in 2013 to 2014.

But that’s OK – we consciously made that decision. It’s silly to think that you can better evaluate your circumstances and state of mind from at home while sitting in front of a computer than in the present.

Still, this shouldn’t be mistaken for “don’t plan at all”. On the contrary, most of the work that Vicky has put in the plan has been extremely valuable and will continue to be so. It’s just about finding a balance and being smart enough to make changes when they’re necessary.

Be spontaneous – but not too spontaneous.

Don’t take haggling to the extreme

Some people hate haggling. I for one never really hated it. In fact, I always thought I was quite good at it. I knew how to go up and ask about a product while pretending to not be that interested. I knew how to go back and forth, and how to walk away until they met the price.

I could tell when someone would sell it for less.

But lately, I haven’t had the haggling spirit. I guess I just got tired of walking around with Vicky all day, remarking at how poor everyone was and how they work for dollars a day, and then trying to rob them of 75 cents later that night at the market. It just didn’t seem right, hypocritical even.

I get that no one likes to be overcharged. I also am not saying I never haggle, especially if I know I’m being ripped off hardcore. But now when they throw out a price, I’m more inclined to throw out something smaller, and then just take the next thing they give me if it’s not too unreasonable – just shaving off the top a bit but not making a sport out of it. I’ve seen so many people walk away over less than a dollar and I’m starting to doubt whether or not they really don’t want to pay that price or are just upset that they didn’t get the arbitrary price they asked for. In some instances I really believe the person is not aware of the true cost of the item, and are probably asking the seller to take a loss, incorrectly assuming they are being grossly overcharged.

I also get that backpackers aren’t really the richest people in the world, but let’s face it, we usually have money, and we certainly have a much larger earning potential than most of these people in the markets. I mean 10 years from now I’ll hopefully be earning a normal salary, whereas most of the people I run into at the market will still be at the market – not making much money. So even if I can’t afford to pay now (and really, a dollar difference, anyone who is traveling can afford), I can definitely afford to pay it later – and I’m fine to borrow against that for a bit.

Spend a little more

If you’ve followed our wrap ups you’ve probably seen that Vicky and I are getting by for around $30 a day, each. That’s pretty cheap, considering in DC I used to pay that JUST for my apartment. What you might not know, is that if we REALLY wanted to, we could probably cut that in half. Yep – $15 a day, it’s possible.

But we don’t. We spend a little extra in areas where we feel it counts.

Take accommodation for example. We like to get a private room, with AC, TV, Wifi, and a private bathroom. In Laos, this will run around $17 a night.

We could definitely get accommodation for cheaper, but we like these amenities. It helps us relax, lowers our stress, and probably results in less fights while we travel. That’s something we’re willing to pay for.

There’s plenty of other examples. The important thing is to find what matters the most to you. Is it being the traveler who spent the least in Thailand or are there other things that might make you happier?

Meet people

It’s pretty much impossible to not meet people, locals and tourists, when you’re traveling, but it is very possible to miss out on a lot of personal interactions if you’re not actively seeking them out. I can pinpoint numerous times when I’ve been invited to take part in a conversation and for whatever reason declined (thought it was more important to get from A to B, for example). I wonder what those conversations could have led to – what fun experiences I could have had.

Other times you simply aren’t aware of the opportunities around you. Quite recently I was getting breakfast from a nearby restaurant. I was grabbing a few sandwiches to go, and after I placed my order with the proprietor, a young Scottish man, I sat down to await my sandwiches. In the past I would have just sat there in silence for a few minutes and waited for my sandwiches. I’ll probably do this plenty of times in the future too. However, this time I managed to have the presence of mind to realize that I could start a conversation with this fellow English speaking gentleman behind the bar, and perhaps learn a few things about him. I simply asked him how long he’d been in Laos and from that a conversation emerged. We had a nice chat and I still got my sandwiches on time and left without delay. I like to think that this simple morning encounter left us both in better spirits to start the day.

I often find that older people are the best at making banter with strangers. I don’t know why this is, but I suspect that they’ve just reached the point that they don’t really care anymore about what the other person might think if a stranger comes up and starts talking to them. They’ve learned that most people are pretty happy to chat for a bit, and if they’re not, well they’re probably a jerk, for lack of a better word – and who really cares if some jerk thinks you’re a bit strange? Is he going to make a public announcement about it? Unlikely. So make the effort – say hi to random people you pass by in your hostel, or people standing in line with you – you never know where those conversations might lead.

Weather is important

I can remember plenty of times sitting in our hostel in China at 2000 meters elevation not wanting to do anything but lay in bed, fully clothed, because it was just too damn cold. It’s a long standing debate as to whether or not the weather significantly influences your mood, but it’s no debate that sitting in bed all day when you could be out running around a foreign city is a lot less fun.

We planned our trip around weather and are still doing it, by cutting our Europe trip this summer short so that we’re back in Asia for the winter. For us, it really is that big of a deal that we will change our plans to accommodate the seasons.

Look out for festivals

One thing Vicky and I have not been very lucky with is hitting a lot of festivals on our trip. They’re very difficult to plan a trip around because in the grand scheme of things they’re often a very low priority. That said, if you are aware of any festivals in certain areas you might be traveling to, I highly recommend sticking around a few days or perhaps traveling a bit off your planned path to make them.

Recently Vicky and I had the pleasure of celebrating Songkran in Laos, which is their News Years during which they conduct one gigantic water fight all across the country. I think we both agree that these last few days (it’s a 3-4 day long festival) have been some of the most fun we’ve had on our trip to date. Everyone is just in such a hearty mood – it’s infectious and it really feels like a true local experience.

Your turn

If you’ve made it this far you’re probably wondering where the seventh tip is. Well, I’m going to leave it up to you. Give us your travel tip in the comments below!