I didn’t start traveling until I was about 30 years old, so I never experienced the gap year/party hostel mode of travel. But I have always been a budget traveler, so I’ve had to learn how to balance budget strategies with making decisions that felt age and comfort-appropriate. I don’t think budget and comfort are mutually exclusive concepts, but I do think you have to know the budget travel tips and tricks that will give you a happy medium while on the road.
It can be difficult for teachers to plan their vacations when so many others share the same holidays and breaks. However, there is one great advantage to this – many homeowners who need housesitters also tend to travel during these times. So, if you’re a teacher who likes immersive travel experiences and saving money, this is the perfect travel opportunity!
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The Galápagos Islands. They’re famous for being the place where Darwin made some important observations which contributed to his world-changing theory of evolution. It’s a paradise for lovers of birds and wildlife and geology. Giant tortoises, iguanas that have adapted to swimming in the ocean, Galápagos penguins and other unique and endemic species live in abundance here–and they’ve never developed a fear of predators. You can walk right up to wild birds and they keep on doing their thing, as if you weren’t even there. Snorkeling and diving opportunities balance out the hiking and wildlife activities for a very fun, well-rounded and educational vacation.
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Sometimes my readers write to me with travel-related questions. I always do my best to help out, and sometimes share some of the questions and answers here in my blog posts. I hope you find them helpful! Feel free to add pointers of your own in the comments below, or ask me anything about travel. Who knows, maybe your question will be featured in a future blog post?
My trip to Benin, West Africa. (The airfare cost me $86 from Denver & included several days in Paris on the way home–find out how in the teleseminar!)
If you missed my call last week, I’ve got the replay ready for you! I’ve also added slides to it for your viewing pleasure. Before you start watching, be sure to grab a copy of the free handout HERE.
In this call, you’ll see and learn:
UPDATE: This issue is now available for sale in PDF format. CLICK HERE to buy it now!
This month’s issue was compiled with teachers in mind. As they return to their classrooms this month, I’d like to plant a little seed of excitement for the coming year. How about a trip abroad next summer? Not possible on a teacher’s salary, you say? I hope that the articles in this issue will convince teachers and others that not only is it possible, but as a teacher, travel can revitalize not just you but your classroom lessons as well.
As a fellow teacher, I have a special place in my heart for educators. I also have a special place in my heart for travel, because I believe that the more we learn about our world and teach others about it, the less we will fear people who are different from us, and as the young minds of today learn to appreciate, understand, and tolerate those who are different from them, the world can be transformed into a more peaceful place. Is this a trifle naïve? Perhaps, but it is my biggest dream. Continue reading
The bright yellow house down in the green jungle valley below beckoned us. We were in Baños, one of the most popular tourist towns in Ecuador, walking up a dirt road off the tourist radar, beyond all the hostels, tour companies, and restaurants and into the surrounding farmlands. Huge greenhouses growing babaco fruit (which resembles a papaya but tastes completely different) and tomates dulces (”sweet tomatoes”—another tropical fruit that resembles a tomato but is unrelated) dotted the hillsides. The yellow house had a huge sign on it which read, “Cafe Bar.” We strained to see a road to the place, perhaps in the trees behind the building… But it looked like it was down there by itself, in the jungle across a river canyon, with only a footpath leading to it. Continue reading
Image credit: ChazWags
I was first introduced to the concept in late 2005, just months before a planned trip to West Africa, with a multi-day stopover in Paris on the way home.
“Have you ever heard of Global Freeloaders?” a friend asked me.
I laughed. “No…what is it?”
“It’s a community of travelers that host other travelers for free in their homes, all over the world.”
I was instantly in love with the idea and quickly signed on. I filled out a profile and listed myself as a host.
I then began scanning the profiles of members in Paris, France, Continue reading