Is overland travel always cheaper?
With airfares being so expensive, especially once you factor in all the extra charges, it often seems that overland travel will always be your cheapest bet. Don’t be so sure. Things to consider When doing price comparisons, there are some factors that need to be considered. Length of journey. Sure, saving $20 is always nice, but is that savings worth taking an 18-hour bus ride (which may not have a bathroom) when the airplane will get...
What I miss during my travels
We’ve been at this for well over 800 days. It would be completely normal to miss some things during my travels, especially after more than 2 years of being on the road continuously. What I tend to miss, though, are not things from “home,” but from the places that have left their mark on us. Culture No offense to Aussies or Kiwis, but the land down under lacks a lot of diversity in its culture. It’s a lot more noticeable after we’ve...
Embracing my travel style
When I was in university, every summer I would say goodbye to most of my friends as they departed for their family’s home for the season. A large group of them weren’t going home, though. Instead, they were headed for global destinations to backpack across Europe or some other place. I envied them. I stayed behind to continue taking classes so that I could graduate more quickly. But I remained enamored with the idea of being a...
The Myth of Living Like a Local
Many long-term travelers like to brag about how they live like a local when they travel. They eschew staying in hotels and tourist areas and prefer to live in neighborhoods full of locals. Our style is very much like that; however, none of us is really living like a local when we travel. There are some travelers who live on very meager budgets and stay in extremely humble conditions sometimes located in rural villages. They still...
Packing Tips for Long-Term Travel
If you’ve been on a 1- or 2-week trip, you know how much “fun” it can be to try to pack everything you’ll need, especially if you’ll have varied activities like snorkeling and hiking. Now try imagining packing for an indefinite journey. Yeah. I’ve been asked several times what we pack, so I figured it was time to share some of my packing tips. Backpack versus suitcase Since Tigger was 9 when we began, he carried his own backpack and...
