Travelling in Your Twenties; Where To, How To & Why To

Travelling, at whatever age, is something that I personally feel is an absolute necessity for everyone. I know that it’s a very privileged experience to have, especially at the young ages that so many people are doing it at- but there are ways to do it on a tight budget and with a part time salary. And there are so many really affordable countries to travel to when the cash is tight but the cultural interest is high.

WHERE TO

South East Asia is my go to when I’m looking for a ton of culture and history, and not to spend a ton of cash for it. The exchange rate is usually really unbelievably good for every country, and if you eat locally and shop in the markets- products are incredibly cheap. I’ve only been to Vietnam and Bali but I’ve compiled a list of the cheapest countries in the East, from what other travellers have told me along the way

Cambodia: the currency is stronger than Vietnam but everything is cheaper (spoke to only two people about this so don’t know an awful lot- sorry!)

Vietnam: Super cheap (They work in thousands, it’s baffling at first but the first time you spend a million Dong, you still feel pretty cool) ($1is almost 23 000 Vietnamese Dong, which is half way to a pretty decent street food meal!). You get caught out quite a bit with the touristy things, as they can almost double the price of water at the sight seeing spots. But I met someone who was living on 65 000 VND a day (aka R37) and doing it pretty easily.

Thailand: I’ve heard it’s super cheap but becoming very touristy and so becoming increasingly more and more expensive to cash in on the foreigners. ($1 is approx. 33 Baht, but having been there, I can’t really tell you what that will get you.)

Bali/Indo: To me initially, Bali was super cheap. Then I got to Vietnam and saw otherwise. But as someone travelling on the South African Rand- it’s still incredibly cheap. Of course, being an extremely Westernised island and very touristy as of late, there are ways to do Bali extremely expensively. I’ll admit, I did the smoothie bowls, I did the health food cafes, I shopped at all the Aussie boutiques- because really, it’s hard not to. But if you eat in a genuine Warung or from a food market, I can assure you that you can get by with about R15 000 for two weeks there- including accommodation and transport.

Besides South East Asia; I’ve heard that areas along the Croatia, Istanbul, Turkey zones can be pretty cheap. Markets galore and super prepped for back packers and their need for cheap hostels. My friend also recently went to Portugal and said it was a lot cheaper than expected, and very jacked on the hostel front. More importantly, if you are a South African like me who has not travelled her own continent- then try change that. Flights into Africa can be a lot more expensive, but really- SA is on the border of so many beautiful countries; just drive! Make a killer road trip out of it. Just be street wise, aware, and careful, and you should be a-for-away.

HOW TO

I’ve travelled internationally three times in one year, and I’m less than a full year out of uni. I work a very averagely-paying full time job, earn one of the weaker currencies in the world, and still manage to buy my overpriced chia seeds and maca powder. How?

Firstly you’ll have to realise and accept that a lot of sacrifices will have to be made. My social life admittedly dwindled, I had to cancel my membership to my yoga studio, fewer coffees at work, postpone dying my hair, sacrificed a few dinners or nights out with friends and instead substituted them for at home wine evenings when we could. You definitely cannot live an extremely lavish and social life while saving for a big trip, especially if you are a student and/or working part time/ an entry level job. And while it is sad to miss out on some of the sushi nights or karaoke nights, my friends understood- and in the long run it was so worth it. I’d choose two weeks of yoga in Ubud over my six month neighbourhood yoga subscription ten times over.

Secondly, alongside the sacrifices, you may need to budget. I’ll admit, I’m really not good at this at all, and the minute I see a currency is weaker than my own, I become unnecessarily flash with the spendage. But if you’re trying to keep track of your expenses while here there are a few rules to follow;

• Stay in hostels; you don’t even have to go for the most ridiculously dirt cheap one, even the pretty nice ones are so affordable. And trust me, you might want to spend those extra bills on something a tiny bit nicer, remember you are sharing a dorm and a communal bathroom.

• Eat locally; not only is it a part of the experience and the act of embracing the culture, but the local food is often the cheapest option. However, we’ve found; while travelling Nam; that their food is rather oily and a lot of it is fried, so if you’re conscious of that too- stick to the fruit carts on the side of the road, or pop into the K-marts and 7-Elevens scattered everywhere and grab some instant oats and noodle cups. Most of the smoothie bowl places and very trendy spots are directed towards the tourist crowds and the Westerners, and while they might be cheaper compared to your own country, they’re still going to take a knock on that bank account in comparison to how little local food will affect your market crawl purchases.

• You don’t need that dress in every colour just because it’s only effectively R30 each. Yes the shopping is incredible, and I highly encourage you to buy things and don’t hold back too much. But within reason. It’s highly unnecessary to buy four of the same dress just because the lady offered you a deal if you bought them all- more often than not they just end up bending your rubber arm and you wind up with four times the amount of clothes or straw hats than you intended.

• Walk. Or take local transportation. Walking will let you see so much more and so much that you would never have noticed behind the tinted window of the Grab you ordered. Yes, you will sweat, and yes your feet will hurt, but you will not only feel pretty accomplished, but you’ll probably also have the best sleep once you make it back to your hostel. If walking is too much of a push and the location is hella far- take local transportation. I took a local bus from the airport to my hostel when I got to Vietnam and I loved it. Sure, the guy had to shout at me when to get off the bus because I didn’t know my stop, but I got to actually see it all through a locals eyes! I’m currently typing this from the overnight train going to Danang from Hanoi, and while I’m about to hit my head on the ceiling for the fourth time in an hour, and I feel like I’m actually river rafting, it’s so much part of the experience! We’ve got families crammed into the cabins next to us who probably take this train a few times a year to visit relatives. And we’re right here with them- having opted for the cheaper tickets as opposed to the super luxe first class beds in the other carriages (that I’ll admit, we begrudgingly shuffled past to our own).

WHY TO

Because to be honest, 15 or 20 years down the line, when you have little ones running around and you’re trying to plan your family holiday and having to ensure that the hotel has activities for the kiddies etc etc, you’re going to regret not doing it baggage free. I mean that in the nicest way possible- sure you can travel with kids. But that’s not the same. And kids or not; one day you’re going to be tied down to a full time job, relying on annual leave for your holiday as opposed to the very flexible schedule of a ‘working adult’ twenty year old. Save your drinking money and drink in Cambodia as opposed to the local bar. Just do it because these days international travel is to easy not to. Do it because you’re going to see everyone else doing it and feel crappy when you realise you could have done it to. Do it because there is so much in this world to see, so many people to meet, so many cultures to embrace, so much to see and learn.

Frankly; there are almost no reasons not to do it if you have the financial ability. Just buy the bloody flight ticket. Get on the bloody airplane. And drink your bloody cocktail on the bloody beach- and let me know if you have any complaints then.