Tips for low budget travel in Asia

Tips for low budget travel in Asia

source

Here I wrote down a few tips on how to save money while travelling in the countries of southeast Asia. I know there are hundreds of tips like, but these are the ones we have found to be effective when trying to stay on a low budget.
What tricks do you use while travelling? Please share any other ideas to save money you use on your way through the world and maybe help other people with it.

Thank you and happy travels!

FOOD AND DRINK

• Carry a spiral water boiler and a cup in your bag along with some coffee or tea.
  This way you’ll always have coffee and tea available without having to buy it at a coffee shop, which helps if you need a cup in the morning right after you woke up. You’ll also have drinking water this way, as in most Asian countries you can only drink tap water once it’s been boiled. Sure when you’re out you’ll get some at the shop, but maybe it’s night and all the shops are closed when you realize you don’t have any water to drink or brush your teeth.
  

• If you still want to buy water…
  Water can be quite expensive at touristy places. Look for small local shops and ask for 'not cold' -not refrigerated water, which is usually cheaper, and if practical, get an even better deal by buying 4-6 big bottles of it. At some restaurants they even refill empty water bottles for you for a much better price than buying a whole new bottle if you ask for it, though they don’t advertise this option too much. At some places they even have water vending machines, where you stick a bottle under the machine’s spout and it gives you drinking water for very little money.
  
  source

• Eat street and market food
  Don’t eat at touristy restaurants. We all know these are always the most expensive and the food isn’t necessarily better or less risky. Find local and cheaper places where locals eat not tourists. You probably won’t understand the menu and nobody will speak English, but it will be fun 😊 Every city in Southeast Asia has a market. If you know how to say ‘market’ in the country you travel in, you can save a lot on food. There is always good local cooked food at markets, just like on the streets where all the locals eat. If it’s an option for you, eat less meat as it is always the most expensive option.
  
  source

• Don’t buy a drink when you sit down to eat.
  We often feel compelled to buy a drink when we eat at a restaurant even if we’re not thirsty. If you realise it’s just a habit and you don’t have to get a drink every time you order food, you can save a lot on your bill. And local places sometimes give you green tea anyway.

ACCOMMODATION

• Don’t book hotels online.
  You won’t find the cheap places online, so look for accommodation when you get to a place. Hotels with websites are always more expensive. Locals (e.g. tuk-tuk and motorbike drivers) are always around when there are buses coming and they know the cheapest places to stay. The only time you’ll need to book a room ahead of time is when you’re arriving late at night, and even then just for the first night, after that find a cheaper place to stay.
  
  source

• No air-con, shared bathroom
  Get a room with just a fan, no hot shower and shared bathroom. Less comfortable but a great way to cut down on your budget.
  
  source

• Travel in 2s
  It makes a great difference if there are two of you travelling, you can share the cost of the room, and you don't have to sleep in dorms with 10 other travellers. Also dorms are not always available.

• Ask other travellers you meet on the way about where they stayed. Take business cards from the cool places you stay in to recommend them to others on your way. And you’ll be able to find your hotel with a card in your pocket easier when you get lost wondering in a new city.

• A few issues that you’ll want to be careful about when looking for accommodation.
  Ask if it is quiet at night if you’re planning to sleep. Many places in Asia have karaoke or music playing loud all night, which is great if you’re there to party but not if you want to be active during the day.

Look at the mattress before you take a room, it will have blood spots if there are bedbugs.

Get a room with a window if you’re going for the no air-con option, you will want some fresh air to come in.

TRANSPORTATION

• Buy bus tickets at the bus station, not travel agents or hotels, it’s always cheaper.

• Walk a lot.
  Download an offline map from Google maps or similar navigation app and then walk to your destination. Locals will usually tend to say everything is too far to walk, but that’s because it’s not in their culture to ever walk more than a few 100 meters.

• If it’s really far to walk.. Learn to ride a motorbike.
  It’s a lot cheaper to rent a motorbike than taking a tuk-tuk everywhere. Rent one when you want to spend the day exploring a place. They usually give you a better deal as well if you rent a bike for a few days.

• If motorbike is really not an option.. Use public transportation
  In a new city you can just get on a bus and get off when you see something you like. It’s almost like going a sightseeing tour, but a lot cheaper.

• If public transport is really not an option.. use car-sharing service
  Services like Uber and Grab! are always cheaper than taxis… Being the most expensive of all options, a taxi should be your last option. If you still use one, make sure to fix the price before you set off!

• Travel at night when possible.
  If you take a night bus for longer journeys, you save 1 night on accommodation

INTERNET

• Obviously, use Wi-fi (and VPN) service where available. Many restaurants, hotels have their own, though they may give passwords only for their customers. Do not pay for Wi-fi unless it is absolutely necessary.

• It might be a cheap option to buy a “tourist-SIM card” with big data allowance. Configure your phone to work in data saver mode (e.g. turn off auto sync). Share your data connection with your other devices or your travel company.

VOLUNTEERING

• Sign up to workaway
  Become a member on www.workaway.info
  You’ll find volunteering opportunities in the whole world. At some places you can stay for free, or for a small fee and just help out for food and accommodation. We stayed in a monastery and an orphanage in Asia and had great experiences.

SHOPPING and Cash

• Easy. Don’t buy stuff you don't need.
  Keep in mind that every time you buy something, you’ll have to carry one more thing in you backpack. I usually throw out one thing when I buy another one. When there is nothing I am willing to throw away, I can’t buy anything new.

• Paying by card and cash
  The charge comes from two places: From your bank for spending your money abroad and from the bank/ATM or POS terminal where you make the payment. So, get a debit card which has low fees and good rates (e.g. Revolut). When spending money, always select to pay in the local currency so your bank does the conversion and not the local bank. If you withdraw cash, try to find out which ATM is free or charges the least. As an example, in Cambodia only the Canadian bank is free, all the others charge 4$.

DAILY BUDGET

• Make a daily budget and try to follow it.
  In an Asian country you’ll get by on 20$ a day on average with everything included, except long distance bus tickets and visa fees.
  If you spend more one day, the next day try to spend less.

BARGAIN

• When shopping, especially at a market, ask about the price of what you want to buy, then establish a price you are willing to pay for it and start bargaining towards that. But don't start bargaining if you are not really interested in buying it.

These are just a few ideas on this topic, so please add your own and share this post with your friends!