I’m writing this as a solo traveler who travels with maximum of 1 or 2 companion without having to bring the whole family on a trip (which requires different strategy). As you read on, you will be able to find the guideline below is useful for you to start planning your trip in advance.
People always ask how do I manage to travel frequently. They have the preconceived ideas of traveling needs a lot of money and time. Which is partially untrue, with proper planning and management, you can do it on a budget without compromising travel experiences.
Determine What is Important to You
Everyone of us value different things in life differently. Two person can go on a same trip but with different agenda and come back with different experiences. Travel can opens up your mind and perspective about life, people and places. That is if you observe the history, culture, tradition in a country and do a bit of soul searching. If all that you care about is to snap a quick photo from one place to another, fun, enjoyment and shopping, then by all means, you will enhance your material collections and inject short booze of adrenaline rush, but deposit nothing long term for the soul and spirit. Examine what is it that you want to get out of at the end of a trip. A relaxed mind? More stuff to bring home with? Or simply go out there and see the world? This will then determine your travel style and preferences.
Travel Style: Backpackers (low-cost), flashpackers (backpacking with more disposable income, higher budget), boutique and lifestyle travelers (medium to luxury level). Travel independently gives you more control on how you spend. Travel as a bus load of tourists and as cruise ship tourists are more straightforward, more expensive, less decision to make and no freedom to choose once you chose your package.
Travel Preferences: Cultural explorer (explore local places, food and interact with the locals), outdoor explorer (trekking, caving, mountain climbing), history buff, free and easy (check off your own bucket list and keep moving while remain flexible), shopping mall hoppers, rejuvenator traveler (sit back and relax), adventurer (leaning towards extreme activities – bungee jump, skydive, sea dive etc.)
Travel within Your Means
Do your research, choose a destination and travel style that suit your budget. If you can’t afford it now, you have to properly plan your resources (time and money) to make it happen few years down the road (if only you are serious about it). At the end of the day, traveling on a budget means stretching your dollar travel even further.
Your travel style determines how you spend. For example, USD500 would last you 2 weeks in Cambodia if traveling as backpackers, but only last you 2 days if you choose to travel luxuriously (stay in expensive hotel as compare to hostels, engage private chauffeur instead of Tuk-Tuk driver).
Your travel preferences determine your destination. If you want to relax at a beach front with occasional cultural and outdoor experiences, with USD500 you can explore comfortably in Thailand as a flashpacker for a week. Though Maldives may sound attractive, if you have more than USD500 to spend and only looking for a short weekend getaway, Maldives can be on the list.
Plan Early
If you have a business to run or a 9 to 5 job, great! You pretty much know when is the busiest month and which month is manageable for you to be away for a week or two (or more). Check out your next year calender and identify the public holidays. Make full use of your local public holidays and you might end up taking 3 days leave and yet entitled for 9 days holidays including public holiday, Saturday and Sunday. Moreover, airlines usually have early sales when they first open for booking especially low cost carriers. Grab the deals before the prices go rocket high. Set aside a sum of money every month so that you can afford a trip at the end of the day.
Look out for Low Season and Peak Season
Low season and peak season is fixed differently in every country. Peak season usually has the best weather (not too cold, not too hot, less rain) and usually coincide with school holidays and festive seasons. It also means that tourist destinations are crowded with people, air tickets and accommodations are more expensive too. Low season is the best time to travel because it is able to lower your fixed expenses (cheaper air tickets and accommodations) and this is my personal favorite; less crowded.
But you might ask if peak season is equivalent to good weather, then low season means heavy snow, typhoon, flood and rain? There is always a time called transitional period. Today could be the last day of peak season and tomorrow onward is low season. Try to go for the first two weeks of low season rather than in the middle of it.
Alternative Accommodations
Travel to a foreign place doesn’t mean you must stay in international 5 star chain resorts with 5 star service. It goes back to what you value most when it comes to travel. Do you want to make a significant good impact towards the community by patronizing the locally run boutique hotels or hostels/backpackers? If you make full use of TripAdvisor and choose your accommodation based on past reviews and your priorities (cleanliness, safety etc.), your experience will not be compromised.
If you hate hotel settings, not a problem, there is a growing demand of travelers seeking authentic experiences with hosts offering unused space to rent like Airbnb and CouchSurfing. Not only you save on rental but you get to interact with your host (either lived in or not) and learn more about their culture. You may save up to 30% yet stay in a comfortable place. The golden rule of thumb in choosing a good accommodation is to pay attention to the past reviews.
Utilize the Public Transport
Check out the routes for places of interest and get a rough figure of how much you need to spend with different types of transportation to go around. Sometimes it is cheaper to get public transport travel pass in countries like JR Pass to go around Japan, Singapore (Ez-Link), Taipei (EasyCard), Hong Kong (Octopus), London (Oyster), New York (Metro Card) than paying for taxi or go on a tour bus.
Entrance Fee, Food and Shopping
These are other expenses that is within your control. You know how much you have in your pocket, go and spend within your means. Cheap stuff doesn’t mean you need it. If you don’t need it, don’t buy it. Entrance fee to tourist attractions can be reasonable or sometimes expensive. Prioritize your itinerary and choose those that you like most. You don’t have to dine every meal in an air-conditioned 5 star restaurants, sometimes the best bowl of noodle soup can be found in a shop with no fancy tiles and ceiling. Perhaps treat yourself well with fine dining or Kobe Beef if you are in Japan on the last day of your trip if you still have extras.
When your resources is limited, you need proper planning, ample research and no excuses. At the end of the day, don’t compromise on quality, but get the maximum value out of your trip with alternatives. Endless research is the key to unlock the unknown.