Many travellers chose to contribute their time and energy to some cases and in return are able to get the satisfaction that only comes with helping other people. Do you have what it takes to embark on such a journey?

Construction Volunteering (creative commons)

When it comes to volunteer travel, a strong will may not be enough. True, the determination to sincerely help others is a good place to start but if you are to make a real difference, you must be realistic. You must understand that you will spend a few weeks or even months in a place that you have to become familiar with in order to be able to bring a small change for the better.

Aside from being realistic, you have to have the right expectations. While volunteers offer a lot they don’t seem to get much.  So get ready for a lifetime adventure that will bring you spiritual growth and personal fulfilment.

Depending on the kind of volunteering project you take on, you will be expected to really exert physical and mental effort. Volunteers are usually treated like one of the members of staff and work just as long and aren’t given any special privileges.

Benefits of Volunteering (creative commons)

Desire is another must-have when considering volunteering abroad. If you are doing it half-heartedly it will come out sooner or later.  More importantly, you will not be able to really enjoy your experience if you aren’t doing it for the right reasons.

Volunteer travel not only benefits the recipients of your skills but does a lot of good for you personally. Many who have experienced such journeys return home as different people, more thankful for their blessings and with a better understanding of the world. These qualities are indeed worth having in life.

There are many options to choose from when it comes to the kind of volunteer service you engage in but all have one thing in common- they allow you to experience a destination in a way a regular tourist will never be able to.

“Pay now, Travel Later” themed offers are something to be aware of. Scammers typically will not provide complete information in writing until they get your credit card number or money order or any other way they can ensure payment from you.

According to the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), there are some suggestions that can help you evaluate travel offers:

Scepticism isn’t always bad and when it comes to identifying scams, it’s a must. When you receive any kind of unsolicited email, phone call saying that you are one of the ‘lucky’ few who have been selected to avail of an ‘awesome’ bargain-beware! Though there are some legit offers out there, being sceptical never hurt anyone.

Having an eye for detail is another good protection against scams. Everything may seem OK on the surface but the fine print may tell a totally different story. Make sure to read all the terms and conditions and make sure there aren’t too many requirements and restrictions that will cause you more expense or even ‘disqualify’ you for your trip.

Pay attention to detail (creative commons)

Check the company’s credentials. Use the Better Business Bureau site to confirm whether a company is legit. Another good place to search when doing a background check is the popular complaint websites like ripoffreport.com.

Get your facts straight. If you find that indeed you are dealing with a legitimate company, don’t let your guard down just yet-get all the facts. Insist on receiving all details first and allow yourself time to go through them before making any payment.

Play safe by using a credit card. The beauty of the credit card is that you can refuse to pay for services not rendered in case your legitimate company goes bankrupt for some reason.

Use credit cards (creative commons)

Lastly, know when to walk away. If you really feel sceptical about the offer, forget all the ‘what if it’s legit’ notions going through your head and simply walk away. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Getting yourself a good travel deal can save you a lot of money but falling for a scam can cost you just as much.

“I can’t travel abroad because I don’t have anyone to go with and don’t want to travel alone”. Travelling alone is not as bad as it seems. In fact, many people prefer travelling alone because of all the chances you have to cultivate new friendships with the locals. If you have no travelling buddies, then go take on the world alone! It is far better than giving up travelling all together.

Travelling solo (creative commons)

“I have a family and responsibilities”. Ask your wife and kids how they would like to experience living in a different country and see what they say. Chances are, they’d love it! If you save enough or even search for job opportunities that allow you to work from home, you will be able to experience true independence.

“Travelling abroad is too dangerous”. Ok, it’s true that there will be some safety issues but that’s part of the fun! As long as you find the right location, do a lot of research and take all the possible security measures, there is not much that can go wrong.

“I’ll get sick in a foreign country”. Just because you are travelling abroad doesn’t mean that you have to try out so many things and do all the activities tourists do. Try to always be aware of what your limits are and don’t try your luck by eating street food or doing extreme adventures that would spoil your natural balance.

“I can’t afford to travel abroad”. There are many inexpensive places that you can choose to go to on your vacation and if you really plan your costs, they won’t be as expensive as you imagine. This is especially true if you are from a first world country-the currency exchange rate will allow you to have more than enough for your needs abroad.

Have a travel budget (creative commons)

Long term travel abroad is something everyone ought to experience at least once in their lives. Don’t be deterred by the common misconceptions-do your own research and get on your way!

Travel expenses can be broken down into five sections-weekly expenses, one-time expenses, budget for your bills at home, income while travelling and your fall back fund. Here is a breakdown of each of these sections and what they entail.

Preparing for long term travel (Creative commons)

Your weekly travel expenses will include your daily costS for living abroad. Meals, transport, insurance and the like should all be included in your weekly expenses. It would be good to get a rough idea about how much things cost wherever you plan to go so you know what to expect.

Onetime expenses include your international flight cost which you can easily find out in advance.

The bills that you have to pay for even while you are at home such as rent, plans, credit cards and the like are what will eat your savings. Try and minimize these as much as possible before you travel.

Reduce your Bills (creative commons)

The income that you expect to receive while abroad can be anything from the part time teaching job you get while you are there or the online work you pursue for additional income. It is important to have an estimation of this as well so you can better allocate your funds.

Your fall back fund is the finances that you will need to get back to your normal routine when you get back home. Remember that you probably will be out of work and you will need to have a fund for these immediate needs before you start generating enough income to get back on your feet. A good place to put this fund is in a bank account that gains interest with time. This way, it will not be sitting there doing nothing.

Figuring out your travel expenses will never be 100% accurate so don’t look for perfection. All you need is a close enough estimate so you don’t go short. If the figure you get to originally seems large, don’t be discouraged-there are many ways to earn more income and cut costs that you can yet discover.

Ear plugs. Remember, you are not alone on the ship and there are bound to be times when you wish you could plug your ears so take a few sets of earplugs for your comfort.

Zip lock bags. These are irreplaceable when on a cruise trip. You can use them for packing wet clothing, food for your day excursions, shells you collect, cards and the list goes on.

Zip Lock Bags (creative commons)

Thermos bottle. If your cruise is one of those that last a few weeks, you will surely get tired of room service delivering your coffee each day. Get a little taste of independence with your own thermos bottle.

Extra batteries and a portable charger. You don’t want to run out of batteries for your camera and be stuck in the middle of the ocean with no place to shop. Never overlook these seemingly minor  things or you might be left without your most valuable memories from the cruise.

Extra SD card and flash drive. You don’t want to make the huge mistake of running out of memory and purchasing some ‘fake’ SD card that turns out to be a total failure that makes you lose all your photos. So keep this mind.

SD card and flash drive (creative commons)

A flashlight just in case. Yes, accidents do happen at sea and if they do, you wouldn’t want to be stuck in pitch darkness relying on whatever the crew can offer. Bring a flashlight for your own sake.

Handy dandy suction hooks. These can be stuck wherever you wish-in the bathroom for hanging towels, or on the walls for jackets-they are simply very handy. They are suction hooks so you can easily remove them when your journey reaches an end.

Off course, you don’t have to take your entire home when on your cruise holiday but the fact that you will be spending quite a lot of time at sea means you ought to be as comfortable as possible. These little things mentioned won’t take too much space but will go a long way in making you feel right at home.

Make sure you have a plan and go over it. Although you want to be flexible and have room for unexpected excursions, you still ought to have an overview of where you want to go and what you want to do. This will help your mind prepare for what lies ahead and allow you to stay calm during your travel.

Prepare your itinerary (Creative commons)

Have tools that you plan to use for communication during your stay abroad. One of the things many long term travellers experience is home sickness due to lack of communication with the folks back home. Plan ahead on how you intent to keep in touch with your loved ones and let them know of your plans. If you have an action plan when it comes to communication, your mind will be more at ease.

Have a means to communicate (creative commons)

Have a fixed period of time that you will be gone so that you can also mentally prepare for this time. Travellers who decide to prolong their stay out of the blue or to cut their stay short find themselves psychologically unprepared for the sudden change of plan.

Be prepared for the unexpected. One of the things that usually cause unwanted mental stress is when things that you didn’t expect happen. To prepare for this, try and have contingency plans for some scenarios that you can think of may happen. From getting robbed to getting lost or whatever possibilities you can think of, try and imagine a plan of action in event it happens.

Avoid stressful situations if you are the type who easily gets disturbed. Prevention is always better than cure so when you sense that a situation is getting intense, find the nearest exit.

However, vacations are meant to be enjoyable and in most cases they exceed our expectations. An optimistic approach towards your trip and a few practical plans might just be the perfect recipe for your happy holiday. Have fun!

Think “One big instead of two small”

This simple suggestion can go a long way in helping you save during your travel. How do you apply it? Well, if you are travelling in a group, instead of renting two rooms, rent just one room with two king-sized beds. When renting a car, instead of going for two small cars, take one big SUV instead. Believe it or not, it is cheaper!

Save on Gas with an SUV (creative commons)

Go for inclusive packages

Inclusive packages at resorts or cruises can save you a lot when on vacation. Try to find a package that has meals and other facilities included. Resorts have a reason for having these inclusive packages and if you calculate the cost for paying for everything separately, you will find that it is actually more expensive.

Always pack lightly

Packing lightly isn’t only applicable during flights in order to reduce the amount you pay for your extra luggage but there are other opportunities during your vacation that you ought to pack lightly for. For example, when going on a car trip where you paid for renting the car, packing lightly can actually reduce the amount of gasoline consumed.

Pack your car lightly (creative commons)

Keep your eyes open for freebies

Always ask the hotel, resort or whatever place you are at if they have any special offers or promos. Sometimes, it is easy to overlook a great deal simply because you didn’t ask. Watch out for complimentary breakfasts or whatever gimmicks are being offered and see if you can avail of them.

If you are travelling with kids, try and ask your agent to look for hotels where kids get free accommodation. If you want to save on your meals, check into a hotel that has a kitchenette so you can cook some of your meals.

Even though you can’t afford to have an expensive travel, you can still enjoy the perks of being in an amazing place without paying too much. So rather than giving up your chances of getting that well-needed vacation, why not be creative and think of more ways to save for your summer trip?

Places You Can’t Afford to Miss

Montmartre - the place where you will walk on narrow cobblestone paved roads, admiring the hidden gardens, the cemeteries and the beautiful vineyards. All of these demonstrate clearly why Montmartre was until recently a village where numerous artists painted and produced their famous works of art because of the inspiration the place offers.

Louvre Museum – This beautiful museum is so large that you could spend several weeks inside it, and only see a small part of the exhibits. Louvre is the former royal palace that was a 12th century fortress at the very beginning. The palace was transformed into a museum over the centuries and today is one of the major art attractions in the entire world, the place where extremely valuable artworks can be admired.

Louvre Museum (creative commons)

Musee d’Orsay – This is the museum where you will marvel at the work of Monet, Delacroix, Degas, Gaugin, Manet,Toulouse-Lautrec and the very famous Van Gogh. You will also have the chance to admire a large collection of paintings and sculptures that have been created between 1848 and 1914. Aside from the historical art, a lot of modern pieces of artwork are displayed there as well.

The Notre Dame Cathedral  is the most impressive Gothic building in the entire world, having been built between the 12th and 14th centuries. It is suggested that you visit the cathedral when it isn’t very crowded, especially in the weekday mornings and in the evenings. If you decide to visit it in the evening, you will be able to admire the sunset through the amazing stained glass of the building.

Notre Dame Cathedral (creative commons)

Paris can be admired while taking a boat trip along the Seine, as its canals stretch several miles, offering you a nice opportunity to relax and admire the shores and the beautiful buildings. The best time interval to sail on Seine starts in May and ends in September, when the weather is perfect. The most popular rides are organized by the Bateau Mouche Company, which operates nine boats; some of them offering the tourists the possibility of having lunch or dinner while on board. Bateau Parisiens is another famous tour company which provides the services of a guide; you can have dinner on the deck as well.

Generally speaking, tipping isn’t really ‘expected’ in most Asian countries. But of course, being a foreigner means that there are exemptions to what is expected of you.

If you find yourself in the bustling city of Bangkok for example, tipping will not be expected or solicited if you are eating in one of the local restaurants. However, if you opt for a more ‘Western’ place, then you’ll have to incorporate a more ‘western’ etiquette when it comes to tipping. It is also common for some high end restaurants to add a 10% service charge to your bill. Porters can be tipped 20 to 50 baht.

Indonesia has a very similar tipping etiquette to Bangkok and you will generally not be expected to give tips. The 10% service charge is also applied to restaurants and hotels so don’t bother to tip your porter unless you really want to. When riding taxis, you will not be expected to give a tip unless perhaps the driver has been exceptionally helpful in giving directions or with your luggage. A 1,000rp is enough for such services.

Fancy Restaurant in Hong Kong (Creative commons)

Hong Kong is a great exemption when it comes to giving tips and has adopted most of the Western culture in this regard. In all but its lowest establishments, it is expected that gratuity will be shown by leaving a tip. Although the same 10% service charged is followed, this usually stays with the owner so if you receive exceptional service, remember to personally tip your server. Remember though that Hong Kong is not to be confused with mainland China where tipping is a huge no, no and frowned upon.

Other countries in Asia follow the same general rules as the ones mentioned so simply keep in mind the etiquette in the previously mentioned places. Words of caution though-do not allow yourself to be taken advantage of for your good tipping etiquette.