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How to Travel on a Budget



Traveling is stressful, 
but it doesn't have to be expensive... 




I have been thinking about this post for awhile. Everyone always asks me how we are able to travel so much. In the last 3 years I have been to Japan, Hong Kong, Fiji, Australia, Philippines, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Singapore, North Korea, Cambodia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Tahiti, India, & Thailand. It definitely helps that we are temporarily living in Asia which puts us close to so many great destinations.










Wherever you live, planning a trip can be expensive and stressful. There are a few tricks on how to save money when you are planning your next adventure. Here are just a few of them for you-


Number one rule of saving money while traveling is: PREPARE AND PLAN! Spending time online, googling hotels, airfares, and reading books about cultures will help in the long run. It may not sound fun, but saving money and finding deals can be thrilling. Peyton could spend hours and hours looking at different destinations and itineraries that would work. It is a hobby for him. 


Where do you go to help plan your vacation? 

First of all- we have NEVER used a travel agency. Peyton enjoys planning everything and getting the deals himself. Also, we don't have to pay the agency for their assistance. They usually have limitations and restrictions on what they offer you. Who wants that? But, we do spend a lot of time online and here are the resources we use so that we can find the deals. 



  •   Wikitravel.com is a great free resource and travel guide online. It is best for seeing top activities in destinations, where to eat, where to stay, what to do. It also, gives you additional info on sightseeing around the area and lots of information and what to expect so you can plan accordingly. When we went to India we looked up information through this website and found out not to take the fake taxis when we exited the airport as they would take us a bad route and charge us double the money to get to our hotel. With this knowledge we took the correct city taxi. If we were not prepared we would have trusted them and paid a price.  (Now, A lot of scams and rip-offs rely on you to be unprepared. So if you do your research and know what to expect you can save hundreds of dollars and have a peace of mind and knowledge of where you are traveling. Wikitravel is a great resource for warnings and cautions while traveling.) 


  • Tripadvisor.com  is a travel site where you can compare hotels and activities through user ratings. For instance, I can go into this site, search Los Angeles and see where to stay for the cheapest and ratings from people who have stayed there. It is incredibly helpful when you want "real" reviews and suggestions.
  • ITA software matrix  is a website where you search by airport of where you want to go and it shows you all airlines and when the cheapest itinerary is. This layout helps you compare airlines and when the cheapest ticket is available. For example, we are planning an Africa trip for next year and found that if we go in a different month than we originally had in mind we can save hundreds of dollars on airfare for the reason of it being low tourist season. We use this site instead of kayak, Priceline, etc.  
  • Travel is Free - is a great resource for anyone trying to find deals and tricks on booking travel.  It includes guides for stopovers (discussed later) and how to collect frequent flier miles.
How do you have so many miles to go to these places? 
  • A few different ways. Peyton used to travel a lot for work so he has collected some miles over time for his business trips. In addition, we collect miles by signing up for credit cards that will give us frequent flyer miles. We have done a few, but our top favorites have been the United miles cards. Travel is free website does a great job explaining all this information to use United miles here.  We have used different cards for different award deals, but it all depends on how much you are wanting to acquire and what cards are offering.
(FYI- I strongly discourage opening credit cards if you are not able to pay them off. If you acquire miles it will do you no good if you are in debt because of it.)

How can you go to more than one destination each trip? 
  • This is something called stopovers. When you use a stopover it allows you to stay in your connection city for greater than 24 hours and LESS than the duration of your trip. They call this "a stopover" (similar to a second destination) when you use international award flights. We were able to do this when we went to the Maldives, Singapore, Sri Lanka and India because we used stopovers and the 3 destinations were shorter periods of time. The Flight Deal website does a great job of explaining this in further if you go here.



How do you find out where to stay?
  • As always, a lot of research is done. But we have also had some great credit cards that have awarded us with Hyatt and IHG points which helps bring our hotel costs down considerably.
    When we do not stay in a hotel and use any miles or points we always turn to TripAdvisor and WikiTravel first. Both sites will show you the best options for your budget.  
  • Always remember, the best location is not always right in the middle of time square. For instance, staying outside the city is great if you can find a proper way to get into the city and how. Plus, it will save you money to stay a little further away from your main destination or tourist spot.
  • Stay in a prime location to public transportation. For example; close to a bus, subway or train stop. Not too far from the airport, unless you know what to expect for transportation.  (Always check how much parking is at hotel. Not always free.) 
  • Wikitravel is good for learning how your destination gets around, eats, and functions so you are more educated and prepared. Some countries rely on public transportation like subways and taxis. Or if you are not comfortable driving on the other side of the street, you may need to take a bus. These things should be researched beforehand so there are no surprises when you get there. 

    • One of the biggest suggestions I can give you in relation to hotels is truly ask yourself how often you will be staying at your hotel. If this trip will be a busy one, you may be able to find somewhere that is cheap but provides a shower and a bed. All you need!
      --- In the Maldives we knew it was going to be very expensive so we decided to stay somewhere on the main island in a small and some-what ghetto hotel. We decided to do a day trip to swanky resorts and paid a small fee every day to go to different ones. This allowed us access to their pool, beaches, sauna, restaurant, etc. 

    Got any more little travel tricks? 
    •   After you make you reservations through your hotel, you can ask them additional questions about your location like how much transportation is and if there are things nearby like a general store.  Also, asking them about personal needs like a crib, a fridge, water, etc. 
    • Bring powdered laundry detergent. I know it may sound a little ghetto, but doing this will allow you to not have to pack so many clothes, and thus save you luggage fees. We started doing this when Samantha was born and we saved so much room and money when we washed stuff in the sink and hung it up to dry. Also, disposable utensils are a good idea, too. I know you can get disposable placemats and bibs in the states. 
    • Toiletries- don’t forget things that you will have a hard time finding in your destination. Example- diapers, formula and medicine. Also, sanitary items (Do I need to say more?) 
    •    Food- snacks for children, protein bars, trail mix, beef jerky- things that will keep you full if you can’t find somewhere to eat. We have had this problem more than once. 

    So there you have it! Travel lots, make good memories and don't spend a fortune.






    24 hours in North Korea

    Who else gets to go to North Korea for their Birthday? Okay, I understand not everyone is interested in going, but the curiosity was killing me.

    Quick Lecture- as of December 2013 North Korea started approving tourists with a special visa on the terms that you use a designated tour group from North Korea. It is also very controlled by the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) Government. Which is why many people do not visit it. Journalists are strictly not allowed to enter, and everyone that visits is given distinct access into the country. In fact, only about 1,500 westerners visit the DPRK each year. (This is also how Dennis Rodman got to visit NK about a year ago.) So, YES it is legal. YES, I had a special visa to go inside. NO, I did not sneak in or climb over any barbed wire barriers, and YES it was outrageous.

     We started researching North Korea and found a tour company called Uri Tours that leaves from either Beijing or Shanghai airport. (You can find more information about them here) You fly in a plane from Air Koryo Airlines which is North Koreas only airline. (It is surprisingly (not!) the lowest rated airlines. Just FYI)
    The tour company offers different tour packages but when we heard about a 24-hour tour bundle we were sold. We knew we didn’t want to spend that much time there. Duh. I know we were researched prior to getting access into their country. Our tour guides knew all about Samantha and her big blue eyes and dimples. (Creepy!) They knew our birthdays and where we were from. Lets be honest, they are probably reading this right now. Hey, Kim Jung-un!  

    We got to go with our good friends Jake and Chelsie Watts. Apparently, they are as adventurous and silly as we are! We kissed our kids goodbye and left them safely in Shanghai with some friends. We paid extra attention to hug them real tight. I even left my wedding ring behind in case Samantha needed something to remember me by. (Okay, not funny).



    I literally asked Chelsie at least 10 times if it was too late to turn back. I guess this was the last chance! During the flight I saw that the flight attendants had hidden microphones on their shirts. You know, in case they needed to record that we wanted extra peanuts. 

    The flight was a few hours and when we landed in Pyongyang (the main city and capital of North Korea) we were pumped on adrenaline but very sleepy since it was about 2:30am.
    Funny/not-so funny story- when we got to immigration, Peyton goes through, no problem, but they took my special visa and passport and then started passing it around and talking in Korean to each other. I had to wait and they took it to a back room for what felt like forever. I was so nervous and no one could tell me what was happening. I kept telling myself, “This is it. This is when they take me.” But after what seemed like 10 hours they came back and gave it to me. I guess someone forgot to give it an official stamp or something. I was sweating.

    Our tour group- 2 germans, one from Mexico City and South Africa


    Our North Korean tour guide
    Anyways...because of the electricity restrictions in the DPRK the city was pitch black. It was hard to see where we were or where we were going. Besides some monuments, statues and a few light posts, we were in the dark. A part of me believes that this is all part of the plan, so that we don’t get to see what North Korea fully looks like. It took about 45-minutes to drive to the hotel where we could sleep for a few hours.


    We were awoken in a few hours due to a propaganda recording in Korean accompanied by a pleasant song. On repeat. These people sure know how to party!



    We went to breakfast and then started our long day. They took us to many different monuments and statues. We were also allowed to use our cameras! (A common misconception). Although, there were a few places and things that we were told we couldn’t take pictures of. Like, any military personnel. Which accounts for 40% of their entire population, BTW.


    Our first stop we pulled up to a deserted amusement park. We all joked how this was where Peyton leaves us. (Well,  It was funny at the time.) 


    Their current leader is Kim Jong-un. His Father Kim Jong-il and Grandfather Kim il-sung’s pictures’ are on almost every building. They have statues and monuments in a million places. We went to a few of them. There are also a few murals and mosaics all over town. These leaders are not only their presidents but it has been said that they are even referred to more like “Gods” of North Korea. You must bow to the statues and every day people pay respects with large bouquets of flowers that are laid at their feet. (I am reading a book right now that writes that the people were so distraught by Kim il-Sung’s death in 1994 that some died themselves by heart attacks and distress over his passing. I will leave it at that.)



    We next went to the Pyongyang subway system that is actually one of the deepest metros in the world. Because…it doubles as a bomb shelter! It is 110 meters (or 360 ft) underground!! Holy cow. When we started on the escalator we had no idea. 30 minutes later when we got off, it was very beautiful with murals and mosaics with lots of detail. We got to ride the subway which was actually a tad outdated. 

    That escalator just kept going! 


    Instead of printing the newspapers they have them put out in the subway so that the citizens could gather around and read the news. 

    Peyton riding the subway




    On a side note- it really looked like this city was in a time warp. It was extremely eerie to see how underdeveloped compared to the rest of the world that they are. Old cars, old clothes, old stores … it felt like we were in the 70’s. Because yes, I was around back then.


    We got to see the Arch of Triumph, which is right in the middle of the city. It was huge! The locals were practicing for the big 70th Anniversary celebration that was going to happen in a few days. The whole city was practicing their parts for this huge parade and festivity. It was cool to see a little Korean culture. I saw the parade 2 days later on TV and recognized right where we were. The World cup preliminary games against the Philippines were also happening that day. We asked to go, but after we were first denied access they wanted us to pay a crazy amount to attend. We decided to continue with the tour.









    We were next taken to the “Victorious War Museum”. We were not allowed to take pictures inside of the actual museum, which I am actually grateful for. The museum made me enormously uncomfortable for the fact that they truly dislike America. They blame us for all the past battles and conflicts in the past wars. It was very obvious how they feel about us. I had never been to a place where I was so hated and despised so openly. It was the worst part of the trip.


     We then ended the day at the city square where more practicing was going on. This time hundreds of schoolchildren were doing their dances. It was huge!





    This is the Monument of the Party. They have a hammer, paintbrush and sickle. This is sadly the only group picture we have of the trip. Epic date night! 







    We then got to have dinner at Korean BBQ and went to a post office where we could send a few post cards.



    Our BBQ was duck, and it was delish. 


    We left North Korea 24 hours after we arrived and we were ready to do so. We love our home in America and we love our momentary place in China. 


    For safety and respect reasons I will not tell you my sincere thoughts on North Korea, but I will say that coming back from our trip there I feel extremely grateful. I am thankful that I am an American. I am appreciative that I can leave my home country on trips and return when I desire. I am so very thankful that I have access to many different resources, food and opportunities. I am truly blessed to live the life that I do. I am glad that I got to see North Korea for the fact that I got to experience a culture that is very secluded and not many people get to do that. I am also pleased that I got to see how things are diverse all around the world. If anything, my day in the DPRK will go down as mind-blowing, wild and an experience I will never forget.