What You Need to Know About Angkor Ruins!

Today we are fortunate enough to have a guest post from bloggers, Sam & Kirsten of www.sandktakeontheworld.com

Check out all Sam & Kirsten's inspirational thoughts and pics at: 

Website - www.sandktakeontheworld.com

Facebook - www.facebook.com/sandktakeontheworld/

Instagram - www.instagram.com/sandktakeontheworld/

About Sam & Kirsten...

Photo: @sandktakeontheworld

Sam and I met 4 years ago in a nightclub in Adelaide, Australia. We hit it off and he told me he was leaving in a few months to live in Europe for 2 years on a working VISA. It was crushing and he didn’t want to leave anymore having had met me. He plucked up the courage and asked me to be his girlfriend; it was an easy question to answer. His 2 year trip turned into a 6 month visit. While he was away our relationship was based on late night/early morning Skype dates. This lasted 6 weeks until he booked his ticket home. When I picked him up from international arrivals he said “Seeing all of those beautiful sights was meaningless without you. We’re going to travel together one day!” and now we are currently over 3 months into our world trip where we have sold everything we own and quit our jobs. We couldn’t be happier with our life changing decision :)
current location is South Korea!

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat and the surrounding ruins should definitely be on the official list for one of the Wonders of the world. We spent a full day exploring the Angkor ruins via tuk-tuk from sunrise to sunset and it was a mystical day. I won’t spend my time listing the details of the ruins and all it’s history. That’s for you to find out on your trip. This is a succinct run down of how to go about planning your day tour of the Angkor ruins.

We decided that 1 full day of exploring the ruins would be enough for us. The Angkor ruins was definitely on our list of things to see in Cambodia but we didn’t feel the need to spend more time and money on extra days. Your options at the gate are 1 day- $20USD, 3 day- $40USD or 7 day- $60USD. You get your picture taken for your ID like entrance ticket which can be laminated especially if you’re using it for the week. It is a cool little memento I am keeping for sure.

Photo: @sandktakeontheworld

As we opted for the day tour only we got up for the famous sunrise over Angkor Wat! We were up and ready to go by 5am *yawn* I knew it would be worth it. Our tuk-tuk driver picked us from our hotel and then onto our friends; Kavi and Ann’s hotel before driving us to the entrance gate. We lined up for our above mentioned ID ticket and once we had them we were driven through to Angkor Wat. In the dark we walked along the first pathway and through the main entrance. We walked with the crowds (yes it’s early but it’s the famous sunrise after all, don’t expect there to be less people!) through the great temple to our decided spot overlooking a swampish lake towards the main building of the ruins. It was absolutely breathtaking watching as the sky became brighter, lighting up what is one of the most phenomenal relics of human history until the bright orange sun shone over the entire landscape. I recommend sunrise to absolutely everyone who is visiting. It is a must do. I love sleep and I did it. You can too!

Photo: @sandktakeontheworld

During our entire tuk-tuk trek of the ruins complex (stretching over 400 square kms!) we visited a total of 10 temple ruins. It is up to you how many and which particular temples you wish to explore. From memory we visited:

1. Angkor Wat
2. Angkor Thom- The Bayon
3. Ta Prohm -aka Tomb Raider Temple
4. Elephant Terrace
5. Banteay Srei- “Citadel of the Women” (an hour North via tuk-tuk but most worth it as I found it one of the most beautiful and detailed temples)
6. East Mebon- The Water temple
7. Preah Khan
8. Baksei Chamkhrong
9. Ta Som
10. Pre Rup- Our sunset spot (get to it a good 45 minutes to an hour before sunset for the perfect spot at the top of this temples many steep steps!)

We explored the ruins by walking, climbing and riding in our tuk-tuk from 5am until 7pm when we arrived back at our hotel. It’s a long day for sure but so worth it. The price we and our driver agreed upon after bartering was $26 USD which was split between 4 of us. Not bad for an 11 hour day. He was a lovely fellow but on our way to the furthest temple, Banteay Srei, he was pulled over by the police and fined for not having 2 side mirrors to which he cried about the sad corruption of Cambodia. We paid his fine of $4 USD and he knocked that money off the final price for us. He also gave us bottles of water for the day!

You should know this before you go…

This was a very long and tiring day! Not only was it a very hot day (the climate is generally very hot in Cambodia) but we were walking around the vast temples and climbing extremely steep steps the entire time! Make sure you haveplenty of water and some snacks. We took baguettes and those mini bananas (great to feed one of the monkeys you will definitely see here! Warning. Monkeys can get aggressive if you wave the banana around for too long. They don’t muck about) from the market place near our accommodation and some Laughing cow cheese blocks. They’re so good. As for lunch we asked our tuk-tuk driver to take us to a stall that was good and had cheap prices. We had a good chicken and garlic dish but my oh my there were massive overloads of full cloves of garlic in there!

Wear appropriate clothing and footwear!

I saw too many tourists dressed like they were going to the beach. I understand it is very hot and shorts and a singlet seems like a good idea BUT these are sacred temples you are visiting. There are rules about modest attire. Cover your knees and shoulders at all times. I was more than comfortable in my Thai happy pants and a t-shirt. Easy breezy.

When I say appropriate footwear runners would be a good idea. They will get very dirty and dusty though. I wore my thongs (flip flops). They are well and truly dead now. RIP pluggas.

There are many children beggars around the ruins. Angkor Wat at sunrise had the most we found. They’re trying to sell you postcards, guide books, scarves you name it. I don’t agree with getting young children to beg and vendor items to gain the sympathy of travelers. Instead maybe offer them a banana? I don’t know I actually didn’t think of doing that until now. At the end of the day when one of me pluggas *excuse me* when one of my thongs kept breaking (you know how the bit that goes in between your toes pops out the bottom? Yeah) a child picked up my thong and fixed it for me and then demanded I pay her for my shoe back! It is very sad to see the poverty here and the children who know nothing but working and money hustling.

Overall the day we spent here was incredible. Each temple is fantastic in its own right and well worth the 11 hours we spent exploring. This was one of my favourite travel experiences so far. From sunrise to sunset, the wind blowing the sweat on your body and instantly cooling you while you ride in the tuk-tuk, the blaring sun and seeking refuge to relax in the shade of a tree this was, again, a fantastic experience. The Angkor ruins should be on your travel to do list.

Would You Rather Your Hotel Offer You Free Happy Hour or Breakfast?

Isn't it wonderful when you book an amazing hotel, only to find out it also includes breakfast or a free evening cocktail reception? Unfortunately this does not happen as much as we travellers would like, or as often as it used to with the cost of everything on the rise. But when it does, it is often one or the other, but we have been lucky enough to stay somewhere that included both....more on that later.

Happy Hour:

Some hotels offer a happy hour, or evening reception for their guests. Often each guest room is given a drink or two in the early evening in the hotel bar or lounge. No one enjoys an evening beverage more than Richard and I, so an evening reception is always a draw or wonderful surprise for us. We have experienced several. One that stands out is the Kimpton hotel in San Francisco. They had a managers reception that focused on Napa wines. The wines changed during our stay, and there was even a house made sangria with fresh fruit one night. It is a nice touch when the beverages from the area are highlighted or featured

Free Breakfast:

Okay so there is free continental breakfast, and then there is free breakfast...We have stayed at some hotels that include incredible full, healthy, and cooked to order breakfast. If you like to indulge in eggs, freshly squeezed juice, and other savoury delights then Southeast Asia hotels are for you! When Richard and I stayed in Bali we had the best breakfasts ever! When we stayed in Seminyak, Indonesia and stayed at Sun Island Villas, we were given a menu each morning with numerous choices. There was traditional North American breakfast fare to choose from as well as Indonesian dishes such as savoury noodles topped with an over easy egg. Richard tried a new item each of the 5 mornings we stayed. To accompany your meal there was a light buffet of breads, sweets, and fruit. I also have to share that we have never been coffee drinkers until we had a latte made for us each morning with Balinese coffee.

One other breakfast hot spot for us was when we stayed in Ubud, Indonesia. First off let me tell you that this hotel is amazing. Words cannot describe it. So of course the breakfast was special for us too. The staff at Ubud Padi Villas brought us a menu each evening, allowing us to select which breakfast items we would like for the morning. The menu varied each day. We could choose to have it delivered to our villa, cabana, or enjoy it in an outdoor bungalow on the hotel grounds (picture below). They made coconut sugar and palm sugar filled crepes among many other great items.

Ubud Padi Villas, Ubud Bali
Photo: @conciergecouple

Best of Both Worlds:

Yes, we are not blind to the fact that our room rate likely covers the cost of the breakfast or happy hour, but when you get a great deal on a great hotel and there is a bonus, why would we go to the competition? Example: The Kinzie Hotel in Chicago. Not only do they have an evening cocktail reception in their upper floor bar, but they even have created their own signature cocktails if you are interested. Even once your 2 drinks per night vouchers are finished, the prices of additional drinks are fair. Please note: Richard and I never ran out of vouchers...we simply asked for more and they gave us more at the front desk! During this reception they also have major appetizers and small bites. I am not talking about fried appetizers, they are snacks like: charcuterie trays, dips and veggies, mini sliders, spicy meatballs and fresh bread, even some desserts. Okay I am getting off topic..

Breakfast here is very innovative and centered around a fresh idea. They deliver breakfast to EVERY floor EVERY morning. Yes, you read that correct. Each room has a serving tray for you to bring out into the hall and gather the food items you would like. They encourage you to wear your robe, and don't feel embarrassed because everyone is. You gather boiled eggs, yogurts, fruit, bagels, cereal, cheese, and so much more on your train and then....Enjoy it in your bed. Ahhhh.....Isn't this concept so simple yet amazing?! We think so. I tell you, we barely eat out at restaurants in Chicago when we stay here...but we still do :)

BELIZE: 5 Things You Must Do (And One You Shouldn't)

Today we are fortunate enough to have a guest post from blogger, Monica of www.fromheretosunday.com

Check out all Monica's inspirational thoughts and pics at: 

Website - https://fromheretosunday.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fromheretosunday/

Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/fromhere2sunday/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fromheretosunday/

About Monica...

Photo: @FromHeretoSunday

Hello and welcome to From Here to Sunday! My name is Monica and I started a nomadic journey in the summer of 2014. I became a minimalist and picked up a wandering lifestyle where I immerse myself into new areas to get a taste of what life is like there.

I am from the U.S., originally the Midwest (born in Ohio, raised in Wisconsin, and schooled in Minnesota).  A few days after I graduated, I hopped on a one way flight to San Francisco with the intent to live there temporarily. I stayed for nearly 7 years and attended every hippie festival and fair you can imagine, year after year. I will always love San Francisco, but I was finding myself in a routine and needed some change. At age 27, I felt the urge to hit the road after I landed a remote job where I worked full time and took advantage of being a digital nomad. I lived in 6 US cities for several months at a time and was always on the go. Then, the countdown to my 30th birthday was getting lower and lower and it hit me that I needed a change! A big one! So, I quit my full time job in the corporate world and decided to follow my passions and explore the world.

Click the link below to read Monica's great post with tips for anyone traveling or even thinking about traveling to Belize. The pictures alone make me want to get on a plane and go right now!

BELIZE: 5 THINGS YOU MUST DO (AND ONE YOU SHOULDN'T)

Great Blue Hole, Belize
Photo: @FromHeretoSunday

Would You Rather Food Poisoning While on Vacation or Bring Back Bed Bugs?

Would You Rather Wednesday!

Richard and I have had some experiences with food poisoning, but now that I think about it , it usually happens to me. Once when we were in the Dominican Republic, I was sick in bed for an evening after eating salad at the buffet. We had been warned not to eat any produce that may have been washed with local water, I did not listen. This was one of our first resorts ever, so let's just say it wasn't the swankiest place and there are much higher standards now.

In Bali I was sick in bed for 24 hours. I had to stay in the cool air conditioned room in the dark while Richard was out sightseeing. I had intense stomach pain and a small fever. The strange thing was, I think it was the North American, BLT I ate that may have caused the sickness. In the Philippines this past year I was bed ridden again. After a day out on a 7 island tour I fell quite ill again. Sleeping and cool air were the only things that made me feel slightly better. Could it have been the "fresh" fish that was barbecued for us on the boat trip? The all day sun? The waves rocking me side to side? Or the large amount of alcohol I consumed? It very well could have been a combination of all these things, or food poisoning. Although I do love vacationing, being sick is the only time I wish for my own bed and home.

We have luckily not seen, heard of, or "caught" bed bugs in any of the hotels we have stayed at. Maybe it is all the reviews we read on TripAdvisor that have saved us! We have had friends who slept on a boat overnight in Australia and woke up with little bites all over their bodies. Thats right....they confirmed it was bed bugs. Now bringing them home would be another whole nightmare. It makes me think of the chaos that used to ensue when me and my two sisters had head lice in elementary school. And that is just head lice!

Our pick: Food poisoning. It usually only lasts 24 hours, and if you are anything like us, your body probably needs those 24 hours of rest after too much partying, late nights, or jam packed schedules of sightseeing.

Puerto Vallarta Street Food
Photo: @conciergecouple

Travel FAQ

Last night Amrita and I hosted a dinner party for a few friends. The usual question, "Where are you two going next?" came up over dinner. We posted on our Instagram earlier this week that Hawaii will be our next major trip in August.

The more you travel the more friends, family, and co-workers will ask for traveling advice. Amrita and I love helping others plan weekend get aways or exotic vacations. It is part of the reason we started this blog and intentionally called it Concierge Couple.

As we ate Amrita's amazing Thai dishes, a few common travel questions came up that we seem to get from many people. We decided to share with you a few of the most popular questions we get asked:

Do you book things before you arrive?

The simple answer to this question is yes. We are not full time travel bloggers and have jobs so time is not on our side.We do have high standards and the truth is many of the great places get booked up quickly because their loyal customers are either returning or the hype of a place has made it in demand. We also do like to have a rough outline of what we want to do and when so we can purchase tickets for events, again aiming for the best seats or for hot ticket events. When we have a good picture of what we are doing and where we are going it also helps us to identify the cost of the trip and we budget for food, drinks, and shopping accordingly.

What "sites" do you use when booking?

We started off loving Travelzoo. It is still great, but we find it most useful for great hotel deals in big American cities. We often book our annual Christmas time in Chicago using Travelzoo. We booked a lot of  Southeast Asia using Expedia. Mostly because we decided not to go with rentals, because we were not sure of the standards of the accomodations. So Expedia made it easy to get a great price, especially when we booked out hotel and flight as a package. When we are looking for stand alone hotels Richard has grown to like Booking.com. If you book with them ferquently, you do get a small discount for your loyal use. During our travels to Europe, we used VRBO a decent amount when booking apartments.

Do you ever feel scared or unsafe?

We have been very fortunate and we have almost entirely felt safe throughout all of our travels. We consider ourselves fairly "travel savvy" and "street smart". Most of the people we have met all over the world have been welcoming and friendly. We likely wouldn't travel as much if they weren't. Sure there have been a few taxi drivers here and there trying to overcharge us, but not much out of the ordinary. One place we visited that made us feel unsafe and uneasy is Morrocco. For the few days we were there we did not feel like it was a relaxing vacation. We were constantly on edge and felt like we had to be alert and cautious. Without getting into too much detail, we have decided we will never personally return. There are so many other options out there.

Where is the best beach?

Is there just one best beach in the world? Doubt it. There are many. Each person has their own opinion of the best beach. We personally like white sand beaches with calmer waters. We like beaches where you can get a drink while you look out far out into the turquoise depths. Beaches that are not incredibly crowded also win in our books. We personally loved Puka beach in Boracay, Philippines.

Puka Beach, Boracay, Philippines
Photo: @conciergecouple

Where should we go?

There are so many choices! As much as we would love others to see all that we have, there is a lot to consider when choosing a destination. Cost? Season? Distance? Number of days? Romantic? Adventure filled? Whenever we talk about somewhere we have been, someone always says "I have always wanted to go there". Well there it is. That is how you pick. If you have wanted to go somewhere for a while, what are you waiting for? "Life is short", "you only live once", there are so many seize the day quotes I could go on with. If there is somewhere you want to go, you can almost always make it happen. Whether it means staying in budget hotels only, splitting accommodations with another couple, going for a shorter stay than you imagined, etc. The only excuse standing in your way is the ones you are making up. Take the kids, get an extra part time job, skip Christmas gifts, ask for that time off. I don't care. If you don't end up going in the next 2 years, than you never wanted to go that badly after all.

*Sorry for the harsh words in the above paragraph, but sometimes people need to stop finding excuses and live.

Email us conciergecouple@gmail.com if you have travel questions. Your question may even be featured in the next FAQ post.

Vacationing in St. Barts

Today we are fortunate enough to have a guest post from blogger, Anisa of www.twotravelingtexans.com

Check out all Katherine & Anisa's inspirational thoughts and pics at: 

Website - www.twotravelingtexans.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/2TravelingTexans/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/@2travelingtxns/

Instagram - https://instagram.com/2travelingtxns/

You always hear about celebrities vacationing in St. Barts (more formally referred to as St. Barthelemy).  The island, which is a short ferry ride away from St. Martin, is known as a playground for the rich and famous.  So of course, when Katherine and I were in St. Martin, we decided we should do a day trip to St. Barts and see what all the fuss is about.

We did some research and felt like the Great Bay Express from Bobby’s marina (on the Dutch side of St. Martin) was the best option.  It was actually a pretty rough ride but luckily it only takes 45 minutes.   Some people refer to it as the “vomit comet”.  We sat on the upper deck and tried to enjoy the views while we were being rocked up and down.  If you are worried about getting seasick, there are also flights.  The airport in St. Barts is between the sea and a mountain, so I can imagine that the landing might be a bit scary.

We rented a car so that we would be able to explore the island at our own pace.  St. Barts is beautiful, with lots of greenery and mountains.  The driving was relatively easy although we did accidentally go down a street the wrong way once!

The beautiful and quiet Saline Beach
Photo: @twotravelingtexans

Our first stop was Saline Beach, which was absolutely beautiful.  The beach is a 5 minute walk from the parking lot.   The walk is very easy – no speciality footwear is required.  We were lucky to almost have the beach to ourselves, so we were able to both be in the water while our belongings were in a bag on the sand.  We carefully monitored the bag to ensure that no one was getting near it, and we didn't go too far out in the water.  There was one guy who was totally naked that decided to sunbathe on the beach (without a towel) which seemed odd to us, but we just carried on as we had faced similar situations in St. Martin.  If you do visit Saline Beach, you should be aware that it doesn't have any facilities.

The water at Saline Beach was just perfect
Photo: @twotravelingtexans

Our next stop was lunch.  We decided to splurge and visit Sand Bar, a Jean George restaurant, which is located at the Eden Rock hotel.  The setting was stunning, we sat with a view of St. Jean Beach.  From our table we could see the planes take off and land from the airport.  The food was excellent as well, although it was expensive.  After lunch, we walked on the beach and got in the water for a little bit.  Also, close by there is a location of the internationally known beach club Nikki Beach, which is a nice place to get a drink.

Truffle pizza at The Sandbar
Photo: @twotravelingtexans

Then, it was time to continue our drive.  We headed to the northwest part of the island.  The mountains were beautiful and the views of the ocean were just stunning.  So we stopped frequently to walk around and take pictures.  Then we decided to return the car and head back towards the ferry.

View From our drive on the northwest part of St. Bart
Photo: @twotravelingtexans

Since the ferry terminal is in Gustavia, there are some nice shops and places to grab food and drinks close by.  Before looking at the shops, we stopped in at Le Select, which is known for its burgers and as a great place for casual drinks.  Some people even think Jimmy Buffet's song "Cheeseburger in Paradise" is written about this place.  Then we visited shops along Rue de Republique, but it was more expensive than in St. Martin or the US.  Most places in St. Barts do accept both Euros and Dollars.

Nice view of the sun setting on our ferry back to St. Martin
Photo: @twotravelingtexans

Then after a lovely day of exploring a beautiful island, it was time to head back.  I was a little hesitant to get back on the ferry, but luckily the ride back was smooth.  I can understand why celebrities like to come to St. Barts, it really is beautiful and sophisticated.

Would you rather an airline lose your luggage for 48 hours or have a 12 hour flight delay?

Would You Rather Wednesdays! 

Losing luggage…my worst nightmare. My hair is a frizzy mess most of the time, and it’s not my clothes I would be upset without for 48 hours… it would be my hair dryer and straightener! Has it ever happened to me? No. Richard? Yes. Now let me start off by saying that for all the trips we have been on, it has only happened to us once. So we acknowledge how lucky we are.

Let me tell you about the time when Richard did lose his luggage. We had spent 3 ½ weeks in Indonesia and Thailand. Taking in all the sights, sun, and delicious foods. We captured every moment (all 1200 shots) on camera…of course. We had hauled our luggage, carry on, and camera bag with us on each small flight (5 of them) within Southeast Asia. We were not looking forward to our 18 hours of travel ahead and dragging all those same bags with us through another airport. So we did the dumbest thing we have ever done…shoved our camera bag into Richards suitcase. We figured just one more flight, what could happen now?

Well I will tell you what happened. We watched all of my bags arrive in baggage claim, but none of his. At first we didn’t believe it was possible. But once we realized how careless we were; we were filled with regret. We had lost all of our memories and more! When we contacted our travel insurance provider to see what our options were, they were not promising. Yes, we were home safe and sound but it was like we had left some of us behind.

We did end up getting Richards bag back 48 hours later. We were extremely relieved. Let’s just say we learned a valuable lesson. No matter how tired and delirious you are, NEVER leave the valuables you cherish in your suitcase! Or at least remove the memory card.

A flight delay has not happened to us yet. Sure we have had to wait a half an hour here and maybe an hour there, but that is all. We again acknowledge how very lucky we have been. Nothing is more disappointing then having a whole plan of what you want to do when you arrive in a new country, only to miss out on a whole day. Richard and I, as I am sure is also true of many others, have a travellers high on our way to a new destination. Nothing like an unexpected flight delay to really suck that enthusiasm out of you. God forbid if you only have a few days booked off from work, and you are spending a percentage of it eating whatever fast food is available in the terminal and likely listening to people complain about something that is completely out of everyone’s control.

Our choice…

We would choose to have our luggage misplaced for 48 hours. As long as we are away and chilling by the beach or a new hotel pool, we are content. We would be distracted by the “buzz” of a new city, and complaining about our luggage would be low on our priority list. 

Ahhhh, flight delays
Photo: @conciergecouple

Unique Ways to Cherish Those Travel Memories

If you are reading this we already know you love to travel. Everyone claims they like to travel but there is only a small group of us who actually do it without getting caught up in our 9 to 5’s . Richard and I travelled a little here and a little there through University. Our vacations then, to various U.S cities, were the stepping stones to our travel now. Our friends, just as they do now, always asked us about our experiences and for suggestions for their next trip. One night as we were hanging out with friends and praising a Chicago restaurant, someone asked “what’s the name of the restaurant?” It had only been 6 months and neither of us could remember.

I wanted to think of a way to record, document, cherish, and reminisce about our travels. Since I am more of a traditional gal, I decided I would write it all down. That day the Annesley travel journal was born. I bought a vintage, leather bound journal and hauled it with me on our next trip. We headed all the way to Europe that summer for 3 ½ weeks. It was going to be a big job… I wrote down the date we arrived in a location, the hotels, the methods of transportation we took, the markets we visited, the restaurants we enjoyed and so much more! I did not just list them, I wrote each day as a real journal entry with feelings and anecdotes.

Photo: @conciergecouple

Was it a lot of work? Yes. Were there a few evenings when I was exhausted and did not feel like doing my “homework’? Definitely. On those night Richard encouraged me to get it down. But much of the time I would use our travel days (flying from one destination to the next) to catch up. I am now onto my third journal. People buy them for me as gifts and I have written about places all over the world. The journal is so important to me. It compliments all the pictures we have taken and all the other travel paraphernalia (airline tickets, attraction tickets, wristbands, etc.) we collect.

Our children and family will be able to read about out adventures. Maybe follow in some of our footsteps. When Richard and I are too old to climb mountains or surf, we will always have our memories of travelling the world with us, written in great detail.

These journals help us remember details for this blog, and offer specific suggestions of sites to see and places to eat when others ask us. Using it to refer to as concierge couple, is just an added bonus for us.

Below are some other ways we cherish our travel memories:

Cork board: We keep many of our airline tickets, attraction tickets, business cards of places we have visited, wristbands, and old passports pinned on a corkboard.

Photo: @conciergecouple

Travel tags: Rich came across Traveller Collective about a year ago. It's a Canadian company that creates metal rings for each country you've travelled to. Not only do they look great while you travel, but you can feel good about yourself. As 10% of sales goes to Education projects in the world. Currently, the funding is going towards building a school in Dum, Ethiopia. 

Photo: @conciergecouple

TripAdvisor: We review pretty much every restaurant, hotel, attraction, etc. we go to. We do it to help others out, because we often look to TripAdvisor for tips when we are booking trips. TripAdvisor has a cool feature, which allows you to track how many countries, continents, and cities you have visited. You know just for bragging rights or to check off that bucket list.

Gallery wall: We print pictures of scenes we love and frame them. We have to be selective with so many memories we love. The pictures hang in our bedroom. They are mostly printed in black and white or sepia so they are more understated and complement the décor rather than look like a large scale scrapbook.

Photobooks: We often get deals on photobooks sent to our email. We use whatever company we have a coupon for at the time. We take the time to select our favourite shots and only add minimal text, usually just the name of the destination. We have these books on our coffee table. They turn into great conversation pieces when we have friends over. 

Photo: @conciergecouple

What unique ways do you savour your travel memories?

How To Save For Your Travel Fund

Today we are fortunate enough to have a guest post from bloggers, Kieron & Lewis of thebackpackertravels

About Keiron & Lewis

We are two guys from the UK planning to travel the world who strongly believe that anyone can travel if they really want to. It doesn't matter where you are from, how much money you have or what experience of travelling you have, there is enough information and enough friendly helpful people in the world to help you.

Kieron (The Creative, Loud One) was born in South Wales in 1985 and grew up in Blackwood, South Wales where he lived until 2012.  Originally he was training to become a solicitor which he thought was his calling in life until he discovered how much desk work this involved!!

Lewis (The Sensible, Detailed One) was born in the South East of England in a town called Chatham. He grew up in Dartford for 19 years and has lived all over Kent and Essex since. He left school and worked in an office 


Follow them:
Online - www.thebackpackertravels.com
Email - thebackpackertravels@gmail.com
Instagram - @thebackpackertravels
Facebook - The Backpaker Travels

There is a lot of information and advice on the internet about how little money you need to travel.  This works for many people and could work for you too!  That being said, surely it is only an advantage if you have money in the bank to spend if you need or want to?

We plan to spend little and do and see a lot but we are also trying to save as much as possible.  If we end up bringing it all back with us, that can only be an advantage!

How much money do you need?

The are two ways of looking at this.  The first way is to work out what you want to do, how long you want to travel for and where you want to go.  In 99% of cases you can find out how much this will cost you before you even leave the house.  Add it all together and you have your target savings.

The second way of looking at this is working out when you want to travel and then working out how much you can save before you set off.  This will of course potentially limit what you can do, where you can go and the length of time you are travelling.

Neither of these are wrong, it is just different ways of looking at it.  Either way, you will need to be smart with your money!

Which ever method you choose, have a target and write this down.  When you write it down it will help you to focus on it.  If you are travelling with someone, make sure they know your target and challenge each other on this.  If you’re travelling alone, tell friends or family as they will soon remind you of it when you go to purchase those shoes you don’t actually need!

How to start saving!

If you are anything like us, the more you have saved, the more you want to save. But where do you start?

The first thing we did was print out 2 months’ worth of bank statements and performed two simple tasks.  The first was to look at every direct debit we had and simply cancelled the ones we didn’t need.  We noticed that we were spending a lot of money on rent and bills and with these costs, it would take us years to save.  We will cover this later in the blog.  The second thing was to work out where our money goes.  Simply create a simple excel spreadsheet, create a number of headings i.e. socialising, food shopping, eating out etc and start populating the spreadsheet with the average spend over the past 2 months.  This was a massive realisation for us!  We didn’t realise how much money we actually wasted!

Once you have completed the spreadsheet, you can then start looking for ways of saving money.  This can be simple things such as changing your barbers, I was paying £22 per haircut when down the road I can get it for £8.  It may not be as nice but that’s £14 every three weeks I can save which is £238 a year.  Swapping expenses lunches whilst at work for the dreaded packed lunch saves £500 in a year etc.

My biggest outgoing was going to watch the football either live or in a pub which always resulted in alcohol consumption and spending money.  Paying £20 to have this at home costs me £240 a year but saves me nearly £800 in a year. I could of course give this up but I need some enjoyment this year!

Moving out

This could be a hard decision for you.  We worked out that living in our own apartment was costing us over £2000 a month. That is a lot of money that we can travel a long way on.  Lewis’ parents kindly have allowed us to move in with them for the remainder of this year until we travel.  My family all live in Wales which doesn’t help when you work in South East England but I am very grateful to them for allowing us to move in with them too! With living on your own comes an array of belongings, junk and memories.  Having to sell everything has been tough but all helped towards our travelling fund and the way I look at it is that I had nothing 10 years ago before I moved out and so it can all be bought again.  Everything that was sentimental or had memories attached I decided to keep.  It started off as a memory box but has turned into a trunk!!

No more holidays sadly…

This was the toughest one of all the saving.  The thought of going 12 months without a holiday is tough but at the end of the day, we will be on “holiday” for a long time at the end of it.  We can’t justify spending hundreds of pounds on a week away when that will keep us going a month in Asia on food and accommodation.

No more alcohol

We quickly realised when doing the spreadsheet that we spent a fortune on alcohol.  This is an easy thing to cut out and make instant savings.  Switch your alcohol to tap water and you can save a lot of money if you drink like we did!  If you’re T total, this won’t save you anything sadly!

How to get the most out of your savings

Everyone knows that the interest rates are low and leaving your savings in a savings account will not amount to much.  Many banks have introductory offers for new customers and I would recommend doing your research.  We switched to Lloyds for their 5% introductory offer and put as much into this as they allowed.  We also shopped around for an ISA and got the same interest rate.  By doing this, you can spread your money around and get the most out of it.  The down side is you don’t see your money growing in one place.  If you are like me, seeing a large balance helps me to save more.  The way I resolved this was to keep a spreadsheet with the overall amount and that is what I focused on rather than the individual balances.

Top Tips….

Whenever you are about to spend money ask yourself “will I take or use this travelling?”.  If the answer is no, don’t buy it.  You will have less to store or dispose of when you eventually leave!

When you are spending money, don’t think about it at UK value, convert this into what it will get you when you’re travelling.  £10 isn’t a lot in the UK but in some parts of Asia this will fund 2 nights’ accommodation in a hostel.  That will help you to say no! I am always putting back cans of Redbull and sweets as this would pay for another night’s accommodation!

Ways to Immerse Yourself Into New Cultures

When you travel to a new country there are so many recommended attractions, sites, and must-see opportunities. Many travellers want to go beyond that and "feel" the culture of a new place. They want to see how others live, work, and play. They want to eat at restaurants off the beaten path and go to markets and shops that are not only flooded with tourists. These tourists want to immerse themselves into a new culture experience.

Here are some tips/ideas on how you can get a peek into other cultures while travelling:

1.  You can begin your research before your trip. Read books, read blogs, and watch YouTube videos, such as vlogs like Aspyn & Parker create about the location you plan to visit. You may want to learn basic greetings and ways to express your gratitude. Having an understanding of the religions, languages, and financial environment can build sensitivity to the culture. 
2. Hire a local driver- instead of joining the large tourists companies who travel around with a crowd, look on-line for a local driver to show you around. Using recommendations on TripAdvisor may work, but dig deeper into the TripAdvisor forums for local expert recommendations. Richard and I did this in Bali, and our driver not only showed us great food stops and nature sights along the way to our destination, but chatted with us about her schooling and daily family life during the drive. 
3. Stay in small boutique hotels or B&B's- the owners of these types of accommodations are often on site and great sources of information. They know of any special events of festivals taking place, where to eat, their favourite beach, etc. While staying at SomeWhere Else Boutique in the Philippines, Richard and I were told to not only see the large waterfall that was so popular, but another one that was much smaller but much more picturesque.  
4. Drive yourself- when possible, you may want to consider driving yourself around. Now this is not recommended in busy cities (e.g. Rome, New York, etc.), but can be quite enjoyable on islands or smaller locales. We have scootered through islands of South-east Asia, 4-wheeled the islands of Greece, and drove a rental car around Croatia. Yes, there can be some confusion and stresses with these methods of transportation, but you get to familiarize yourself with the streets, directions, and most importantly you can stop at your leisure seeing things you would not have seen otherwise. You will surely drive by homes and waving locals as an added bonus.
5. Take a cooking class- I have taken a cooking class in many of the cities we have visited, and its a great way to not only try local foods but often locals are teaching the classes. Some classes start off with a market visit too, which can be an additional way to see how the locals shop and barter for their food. In Morocco we went to a market that was strictly for spices. Not only did we get to see a variety of unique spices, but we were able to purchase spices such as saffron at a fairly decent price to bring home                                    .                                   



Photo: @conciergecouple

6. Go for a run- Richard and I try to stay physically active while on vacation. Going for a run is not only a good way to work up an appetite for a big breakfast, but it also gives you a chance to actually get out and navigate the areas around your hotel or accommodations. We sometimes even bring a small amount of money with us to stop at a fruit stand or buy a souvenir we are interested in.                                                                        . 
7. Go to a sporting event- Richard is a sports fanatic, so we try to see some sporting activity when we are away. He would have to say the highlight so far was a soccer game: Barcelona vs. Real Madrid. We gathered on the subways with the locals, we purchased and wore team memorabilia with the locals, we drank at the pubs with the locals, as we experienced the game. After there was cheering, yelling, partying in the streets and more. It really gave us a look into the importance of not only sports but football to the locals.

Camp Nou, Barcelona
Photo: @conciergecouple

When travelling as a tourist you will have many thrilling experiences. It is the experiences where we are closest to the people and embracing their culture and lifestyle that has brought us the best memories. In education (as teachers) we promote and encourage real "hands-on" learning, and this is it at its best.  

Would you rather have a pizza from Italy or a dish of Pad Thai from a food stall in Thailand?

Would You Rather Wednesday!

Pizza:

Richard has always loved pizza. When we travelled through Italy, I learned that I also love pizza. Wait, not just any pizza. The thin crust pizza with minimal, yet fresh from the market toppings, baked on a light thin crust in a wood-fired oven. We tried them all: margherita, anchovy, spicy sausage, etc. We fell in love with one pizza in Milan. Let me set the scene for you. Just the two of us seated at a small table with a checkered table cloth on the side of a cobblestone street. A candle on the table, and a few street lights glimmer in the night. We are sipping wine of course...and our pizza is delivered. It is a four cheese pizza. The cheese is bubbling as they place it down on the table. It is likely a bad idea to take a bite when it is this hot, but we do. It's amazing! We are in love!

Pad Thai:

I love ethnic food, spice, and anything that is booming with flavour. We have had some good Pad Thai in North America, but I often found it a little too sweet for my liking. In Thailand there are many options for street food, and we loved almost everything we tried (chicken feet were a no). We ordered a dish of Pad Thai from a street vendor in Phuket. We topped it with crushed peanuts, lime, and cilantro, all which were carefully cut and available on the side of the food cart. We walked down to the beach to enjoy it. We sat there using our chopsticks to enjoy this noodle dish as the waves crashed in and the sun was setting. The spices, the warm evening sun on our backs, and the view of the ocean really made this a memorable meal and dish.

So which would you rather? Pizza or Pad Thai?

Our choice:

Pad Thai! A dish made by a local using only the equipment within their food cart and a likely passed down, traditional recipe wins in our books!

Pad Thai
Photo: @conciergecouple

Unique Experiences

Fact: picnicking by the Eiffel Tower in Paris is mesmerizing, riding in a gondola through the canals of Venice is romantic and sipping Chianti at a vineyard in Florence is relaxing. As memorable and bucket list worthy these destinations are, they are just scratching the surface of what is out there to explore as travellers. When Richard and I spent 2 months in Southeast Asia, our preferences for travel were forever changed and our exposure to raw culture blew our minds. 

We travelled off the beaten path to a small island in the Philippines called Camiguin. There were very few accommodation choices, restaurants, and most importantly tourists. But there was enough lush scenery, breathtaking beaches and smiles from the locals to change us. We rented a villa from a local, ate daily breakfast on a deserted beach, and swam in freshwater pools with the Filipino children. We spent hours covering the perimeter of the island and in between by scooter, with the sunshine on our faces as we left each morning and the sunset/dusk at our backs on our way home. There were waterfalls so tall and beautiful, and it was only hours at that moment in time. Sometimes letting your curiosity and desire for unique experiences will bring you to a place that is far less “travelled” and much more precious. 

This past Saturdays guest post connects to the "off the beaten path" notion. TL Travel has tips for travelling in a developing country. These tips will certainly help as you venture to places of the world not over populated with tourists. 

What country would you like to explore next?

Camiguin, Philippines
Photo: @conciergecouple