Posted: 4/2/2019 | April 2nd, 2019 Editor’s Note: I wavered on writing about this for a long time since I didn’t want to put people off on Colombia. As you can tell from my posts here, here, here, and here, I really love the country. I mean it’s awesome. (And there will be plenty more blog posts about how great it is.) I didn’t want to play into the negative image surrounding the country. But I blog about all my experiences – good or bad – and this story is a good lesson on travel safety, the importance of always following local advice, and what happens when you get complacent and stop doing so. “Are you OK?” “Here. Have a seat.” “Do you need some water?” A growing crowd had gathered around me, all offering help in one form or another. “No, no, no, I think I’ll be OK,” I said waving them off. “I’m just a little stunned.” My arm and back throbbed while I tried to regain my composure. “I’m going to be really sore in the morning,” I thought. “Come, come, come. We insist,” said one girl. She led me back onto the sidewalk where a security guard gave me his chair. I sat down. “What’s your name? Here’s some water. Is there anyone we can call?” “I’ll be fine. I’ll be fine,” I kept replying. My arm throbbed. “Getting punched sucks,” I said to myself. Regaining my composure, I slowly took off the jacket I was wearing. I was too sore for any quick movements anyways. I needed to see how bad the bruises were. As I did so, gasps arose from the crowd. My left arm and shoulder were dripping with blood. My shirt was soaked through. “Shit,” I said as I realized what had happened. “I think I just got stabbed.” There’s a perception that Colombia is unsafe, that despite the heyday of the drug wars being over, danger lurks around most corners and you have to be really careful here. It’s not a completely unwarranted perception. Petty crime is very common. The 52-year civil war killed 220,000 people — although thankfully this number has drastically dropped since the 2016 peace agreement. While you are unlikely to be blown up, randomly shot, kidnapped, or ransomed by guerrillas, you are very likely to get pickpocketed or mugged. There were over 200,000 armed robberies in Colombia last year. While violent crimes have been on the decline, petty crime and robbery has been on the upswing. Before I went to Colombia, I’d heard countless stories of petty theft. While there, I heard even more. A friend of mine had been robbed three times, the last time at gunpoint while on his way to meet me for dinner. Locals and expats alike told me the same thing: the rumors of petty theft are true, but if you keep your wits about you, follow the rules, and don’t flash your valuables, you’ll be OK. There’s even a local expression about it: “No dar papaya” (Don’t give papaya). Essentially, it means that you shouldn’t have something “sweet” out in the open (a phone, computer, watch, etc.) that would make you a target. Keep your valuables hidden, don’t wander around places you shouldn’t at night, don’t flash money around, avoid coming out of nightlife spots alone at night, etc. Simply put: Don’t put yourself in a position where people can take advantage of you. I heeded such advice. I didn’t wear headphones in public. I didn’t take my phone out unless I was in a group or a restaurant, or completely sure no one else was around. I took just enough money for the day with me when I left my hostel. I warned friends about wearing flashy jewelry or watches when they visited. But, the longer you are somewhere, the more you get complacent. When you see locals on their phones in crowded areas, tourists toting thousand-dollar cameras, and kids wearing Airpods and Apple Watches, you begin to think, “OK, during the day, it’s not so bad.” The more nothing happens to you, the more indifferent you get. Suddenly, you step out of a cafe with your phone out without even thinking about it. In your hands is papaya. And someone wants to take it. It was near sunset. I was on a busy street in La Calendaria, the main tourist area of Bogotá. The cafe I had been at was closing, so it was time to find somewhere new. I decided to head to a hostel to finish some work and take advantage of happy hour. I’d been in Bogotá for a few days now, enjoying a city most people write off. There was a charm to it. Even in the tourist hotspot of La Calendaria, it didn’t feel as gringofied as Medellín. It felt the most authentic of all the big Colombian cities I had visited. I was loving it. I exited the cafe with my phone out, finishing a text message. It had slipped my mind to put it away. It was still light outside, there were crowds around, and lots of security. After nearly six weeks in Colombia, I had grown complacent in situations like this. “What’s really going to happen? I’ll be fine.” Three steps out of the door, I felt someone brush up against me. At first, I thought it was someone running past me until I quickly realized that a guy was trying to take my phone out of my hand. Fight or flight set in — and I fought. “Get the fuck off me!” I shouted as I wrestled with him, keeping an iron grip on my phone. I tried pushing him away. “Help, help, help!” I yelled into the air. I remember distinctly the confused look on his face as if he had expected an easy mark. That the phone would slip out of my hand and he’d be gone before anyone could catch him. Without a word, he started punching my left arm, and I continued to resist. “Get off me! Help, help!” We tussled in the street. I kicked, I screamed, I blocked his punches. The commotion caused people to run toward us. Unable to dislodge the phone from my hand, the mugger turned and ran. After people helped me sit down and the adrenaline wore off, I got lightheaded. My ears rang. I had trouble focusing for a few moments. Blood was dripping through my soaked shirt. “Fuck,” I said looking at my arm and shoulder. I tried to compose myself. Having grown up surrounded by doctors and nurses, I ran through a quick “how bad is this” checklist in my mind. I made a fist. I could feel my fingers. I could move my arm. “OK, I probably don’t have nerve or muscle damage.” I could breathe and was not coughing up blood. “Ok, I probably don’t have a punctured lung.” I could still walk and feel my toes. My light-headedness dissipated. “OK, there’s probably not too much major damage,” I thought. Words I didn’t understand were spoken in Spanish. A doctor arrived and helped clean and put pressure on my wounds. A young woman in the crowd who spoke English took my phone and voice-texted my only friend in Bogotá to let her know the situation. As an ambulance would take too long, the police, who numbered about a dozen by now, loaded me onto the back of a truck and took me to a hospital, stopping traffic on the way like I was an honored dignitary. Using Google Translate to communicate, the police checked me in at the hospital. They took down as much information as they could, showed me a picture of the attacker (yes, that’s him!), and called my friend to update her about where I was. As I waited to be seen by the doctors, the owner of my hostel showed up. After having taken my address, the cops had phoned up the hostel to let them know what happened and she had rushed down. The hospital staff saw me quickly. (I suspect being a stabbed gringo got me quicker attention.) We went into one of the exam rooms. My shirt came off, they cleaned my arm and back, and assessed the damage. I had five wounds: two on my left arm, two on my shoulder, and one on my back, small cuts that broke the skin, with two looking like they got into the muscle. If the knife had been longer, I would have been in serious trouble: one cut was right on my collar and another especially close to my spine. When you think of the term “stabbing,” you think of a long blade, a single deep cut into the abdomen or back. You picture someone with a protruding knife being rolled into the hospital on a stretcher. That was not the case for me. I had been, more colloquially correct, knifed. Badly knifed. But just knifed. There was no blade protruding from my gut or back. There would be no surgery. No deep lacerations. The wounds wouldn’t require any more than antibiotics, stitches, and time to heal. A lot of time. (How much time? This happened at the end of January and it took two months for the bruising to go down.) I was stitched up, taken for an X-ray to make sure I didn’t have a punctured lung, and required to sit around for another six hours as they did a follow-up. My friend and hostel owner stayed a bit. During that time, I booked a flight home. While my wounds weren’t severe and I could have stayed in Bogotá, I didn’t want to risk it. The hospital refused to give me antibiotics and, being a little suspicious of their stitching job, I wanted to get checked out back home while everything was still fresh. When I was leaving the hospital, I even had to ask them to cover my wounds. They were going to leave them exposed. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Looking back, would I have done anything differently? It’s easy to say, “Why didn’t you just give him your phone?” But it’s not as if he led with a weapon. Had he done so, I obviously would have surrendered the phone. This kid (and it turned out he was just a kid of about 17) just tried to grab it from my hand, and anyone’s natural instinct would be to pull back. If someone stole your purse, took your computer while you were using it, or tried to grab your watch, your initial, primal reaction wouldn’t be, “Oh well!” It would be, “Hey, give me back my stuff!” And if that stuff were still attached to your hand, you’d pull back, yell for help, and hope the mugger would go away. Especially when it’s still daytime and there are crowds around. You can’t always assume a mugger has a weapon. Based on the information I had at the time, I don’t think I would have done anything differently. Nature just set in. Things could have been a lot worse: The knife could have been longer. He could have had a gun. I could have turned the wrong way, and that small blade could have hit a major artery or my neck. The knife was so small that I didn’t even feel it during the attack. A longer blade might have caused me to recoil more and drop my phone. I don’t know. If he had been a better mugger, he would have kept running forward and I wouldn’t have been able to catch up as the forward motion made the phone leave my hand. The permutations are endless. This was also just a matter of being unlucky. A wrong time and wrong place situation. This could have happened to me anywhere. You can be in the wrong place and the wrong time in a million places and in a million situations. Life is risk. You’re not in control of what happens to you the second you walk out a door. You think you are. You think you have a handle on the situation — but then you walk out of a café and get knifed. You get in a car that crashes or a helicopter that goes down, eat food that hospitalizes you, or, despite your best health efforts, drop dead from a heart attack. Anything can happen to you at any time. We make plans as if we are in control. But we’re not in control of anything. All we can do is control our reaction and responses. I really like Bogotá. I really like Colombia. The food was delicious and the scenery breathtaking. Throughout my visit there, people were inquisitive, friendly, and happy. And when this happened, I marveled at all the people who helped me, who stayed with me until the police came, the many police officers who assisted me in numerous ways, the doctors who attended to me, the hostel owner who became my translator, and my friend who drove an hour to be with me. Everyone apologized. Everyone knew this was what Colombia is known for. They wanted to let me know this was not Colombia. I think they felt worse about the attack than I did. But this experience reminded me of why you can’t get complacent. I gave papaya. I shouldn’t have had my phone out. When I left the cafe, I should have put it away. It didn’t matter the time of day. That’s the rule in Colombia. Keep your valuables hidden. Especially in Bogota, which does have a higher rate of petty crime than elsewhere in the country. I didn’t follow the advice. And I got unlucky because of it. I’d been having my phone out too often and, with each non-incident, I grew more and more relaxed. I kept dropping my guard down more. What happened was unlucky but it didn’t need to happen if I had followed the rules. This is why people always warned me to be careful. Because you never know. You’re fine until you aren’t. That said, you’re still unlikely to have a problem. All those incidences I talked about? All involved people breaking the ironclad “No Dar Papaya” rule and either having something valuable our or walking alone late at night in areas they shouldn’t have. Don’t break the rule! This could have happened to me anywhere in the world where I didn’t follow the safety rules you’re supposed to that help you minimize risk. But, also know, if you do get into trouble, Colombians will help you out. From my hostel owner to the cops to the people who sat with me when it happened to the random guy in the hospital who gave me chocolate, it turns out, you can always depend on the kindness of strangers. They made a harrowing experience a lot easier to deal with. I’m not going to let this freak incident change my view of such an amazing country. I’d go back to Colombia the same way I’d get in a car after a car accident. In fact, I was terribly upset to leave. I was having an amazing time. I still love Bogota. I still have plans to go back to Colombia. I have more positive things to write about this. Learn from my mistake. Not only for when you visit Colombia but when you travel in general. You can’t get complacent. You can’t stop following the rules. And still go to Colombia! I’ll see you there. A couple of other points: They did catch the kid who tried to mug me. There’s security everywhere in Bogotá. He made it one block before they caught him. My hostel owner tells me he is still in jail. He was only 17 too. I feel bad for him. There’s a lot of poverty in Bogotá. There’s a very stark income divide there. Assuming he’s not some middle-class punk, I can understand the conditions that led him to rob me. I hope his future gets brighter. While the doctors were nice and the stitching turned out to be great, I wouldn’t go to a public hospital in Colombia again. That was not a fun experience. It wasn’t super clean, they had patients in the hallways, they didn’t give me antibiotics or pain medicine or cover my wounds, and they wanted to send me home without a shirt (thanks to my hostel owner for bringing me an extra!). There were just some basic things I was shocked they overlooked. This is a strong case for travel insurance! I’ve always said travel insurance is for unknowns because the past is not prologue. In my twelve years of travel, I was never mugged — until I was. Then, needing medical care and a last-minute flight home, I was glad I had insurance. I needed it bad. It could have been a lot worse than a $70 hospital bill and a flight back home, too: if I had required surgery or had to be admitted to the hospital, that bill would have been a lot more. Don’t leave home without travel insurance. You never, ever know when you might need it, and you’ll be glad you had it! Here are some articles on travel insurance:
Book Your Trip to Colombia: Logistical Tips and TricksBook Your Flight Book Your Accommodation Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Looking for the best companies to save money with? Looking for more information on visiting Colombia? Photo credit: 1 The post So, I Got Stabbed in Colombia appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site. from https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/getting-stabbed-in-colombia/
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Food can be a wildcard when you travel. Will it be tasty, spicy, chewy…cold? Certainly, part of the beauty of traveling is the unknown delicacies that await, but if you’re gluten-free, it’s nice to avoid the guessing game. Let our Diet Friendly Locations Guide point you in the right dietary direction, with countries that have options for vegan, vegetarian, keto, paleo diets, and more:
Sources: Images credit (in order) – averiecooks.com, whereismyspoon.co, BBC Good Food, kosher.com, Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials, aicr.org, Nutribody, Times Now. The post Discover Corps Diet Friendly Locations Guide [Infographic] appeared first on Volunteer Vacations | Discover Corps. from https://discovercorps.com/blog/diet-friendly-locations-infographic/
The capital of Colombia, Bogotá was the home to the region’s indigenous people, the Muisca, when the Spanish came around plundering gold and resources, and it’s been the country’s main city ever since. Before I went, everyone told me Bogotá wasn’t anything special: dirty, crowded, hard to get around, and lacking the charm of the other big cities in Colombia. “Spend a few days there and move on,” they all said. Well, I spent a few days there — and then a few more. I LOVED Bogotá. It felt like the most “Colombian” city I visited. It’s not like the gringofied cities in the rest of the country. Its “gritty” nature was what appealed to me. Bogotá was a vibrant, lively city I couldn’t get enough of. The museum scene is incredible, there’s a lot of history, a blossoming art community, an exciting food scene, a wild nightlife, and super welcoming people. It is also a huge city with a ton of tours, day trips, and other things to do. You could easily spend a week here. To help you make the most out of your visit, here are my top 20 things to see and do in Bogotá. 20 Things to See and Do in Bogotá1. Take a Free Walking Tour BeyondColombia has a great free walking tour that will give you a solid introduction to the city. It also has a free food tour, which is a terrific way to get a taste of some local Colombian dishes (you’ll spend around 18,000 COP/$6 USD on food for the tour). Just be sure to tip your guides! For a more specialized tour, check out the Bogotá Graffiti Tour. This one operates by donation, using the money raised to reinvest in future community art projects. 2. Stroll in the Botanical Gardens Cl. 63 No. 6895, +57 1-437-7060, jbb.gov.co. Open daily 8am-5pm (9am-5pm on weekends). Admission is 3,500 COP for adults and 1,800 COP for children. 3. Climb Monserrate The funicular runs Monday-Saturday 6:30am-11:30am and Sundays 5:30am-4:30pm. The cable car is available Monday-Saturday 12pm-11:30pm and Sundays 10am-4:30pm. Tickets for either vehicle are the same price: round-trip tickets cost 21,000 COP for adults (12,000 COP on Sundays). 4. Visit the Museo del Oro (The Gold Museum) Cra. 6 No. 15-88, +57 1-343-2222, banrepcultural.org/bogota/museo-del-oro. Open Tuesday-Saturday 9am-6pm and Sundays 10am-4pm. Admission is 4,000 COP for adults and free for children. Admission is also free for adults on Sundays, but it gets busy quickly so be sure to arrive early! 5. See the Salt Cathedral Parque de la Sal, +57 315-760-7376, catedraldesal.gov.co. Open daily 9am-5:40pm. Admission is 58,000 COP for foreigners, with discounts available for seniors. 6. Check out the Museo de Botero Cl. 11 No. 4-41, +57 1-343-1316, banrepcultural.org/bogota/museo-botero. Open Monday and Wednesday-Saturday 9am-7pm and Sundays 10am-5pm (closed Tuesdays). Admission is free, and free guided tours are available daily; see the website for updated times. Audio guides are available for 10,000 COP. 7. Explore La Candelaria 8. See the Santuario Nuestra Señora del Carmen Cra. 5 No. 8-36, +57 1-342-0972. Open Monday-Friday 7am-7:30am and 10am-4pm, Saturdays 7am-7:30am, and Sundays 7am-12:30pm. 9. Visit Simon Bolívar Metropolitan Park Open daily 6am-6pm. Admission is free unless there is a concert or event in progress. 10. Wander Plaza Bolívar 11. Head to the Laguna de Guatavita (Lake Guatavita) Day trips to the area last around 6 hours and will vary in price. Expect to pay at least 180,000 COP per person. 12. Explore Parque 93 13. Attend Gringo Tuesdays Street 85 No. 11-53, Promenade del Faro, +57 311-492-0249, gringotuesdays.com/en. Every Tuesday, the language exchange occurs 4pm-8pm, followed by the party, which runs 8pm-3am. 14. Discover the National Museum of Colombia Carrera 7 No 28-66, +57 1-381-6470, museonacional.gov.co. Open Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm and Sundays 10am-5pm. Admission is 4,000 COp for adults, 3,000 COP for students, and 2,000 COP for children aged 5-12. 15. Wander the Usaquén Market The market runs 11am-4pm every Sunday in Usaquén. 16. Explore the Museo Santa Clara Cra. 8 No. 8-91, +57 1-337-6762, museocolonial.gov.co. Open Tuesday-Friday 9am-4:30pm and Saturday-Sunday 10am-3:30pm. Admission is 4,000 COP for adults and 2,000 COP for children. 17. Grab a snack from La Puerta Falsa Calle 11 No. 6-50, +57 1-286-5091, restaurantelapuertafalsa.inf.travel. Open daily 7am-10pm though its schedule isn’t set in stone. 18. Visit the Iglesia de San Francisco Av. Jimenez De Quesada No. 7-10, +57 1-341-2357. Open Monday-Friday 6:30am-10:30pm; 6:30am-12:30pm and 4pm-6:30pm on Saturdays; and 7:30am-1:30pm and 4:30-7:30pm on Sundays. Admission is free. 19. Sample the local brews Tours are available daily 4pm-9pm and need to be booked in advance via their website. Tickets are around 95,000 COP per person. 20. Take a food tour Tours are available Monday-Saturday and begin around 7pm. Booking in advance is required so you can secure your transportation. Tickets are 188,500 COP per person. It’s true that Bogotá is an “edgy city” with a lot of petty crime. Yet I loved the atmosphere and vibe of the city. It had grit (kind of like Naples, Italy). I loved the art, the museums, the food. The city has so much to offer travelers. You can really fill a lot of time between all the sights, tours, parks, and activities. I would have liked to stay longer in Bogotá if I could. I’d budget three to five days for your visit. It will definitely be worth it. Book Your Trip to Colombia: Logistical Tips and TricksBook Your Flight Book Your Accommodation
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Looking for the best companies to save money with? Want More Information on Colombia? Photo credits: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 20, 21 The post 20 Things to See and Do in Bogotá appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site. from https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/things-to-see-and-do-in-bogota/
It’s been exactly one month since I moved to Paris. During that time, it’s been nonstop wine, cheese, brasseries, influencer meetups, fashionable social events, writer salons, museums, picnics, and late-night jazz concerts. It’s been a whirlwind of adventure and romance. Just I imagined it would be. Actually… It hasn’t been that way at all. I just made that up. Life here has been the exact opposite of that (though that kind of fabulous lifestyle does sound like fun). I arrived after a much-delayed flight, plopping my jetlagged self into bed and not waking up until the following day. From there, I met my one Parisian friend and her friends for some wine and cheese. That little outing to a park turned into a late-night wine fueled bar crawl that ended at some ’50s-style American sock hop. (Seriously. I couldn’t believe it. Here I am, in a bar in Paris, and people are dressed up and dancing like it’s 1953. It was kind of incredible.) But, after that wild night, life slowed to a crawl. I spent my first week here settling in: I got a SIM card, saw a plethora of apartments (and finally picked one), signed up for French classes, and tried to catch up on work. (I thought about joining a gym but, in paperwork-loving France, you need a doctor’s note saying you’re fit enough to join. I’m told most people don’t follow that rule but, for now, I can’t be bothered.) After that first week, I moved into my new apartment, went to some meetups in hopes of making friends, and flew to Berlin for ITB, the largest travel conference in the world. Upon returning to Paris, I came down with a terrible cold and spent the last week inside my apartment trying to recover. Just when I had hoped to hit the ground running, life had other ideas. Now, as I hit my first full month here, I’m finally feeling better (and thanks to spending so long inside, I’m fairly caught up on work). The timing couldn’t be more perfect. The weather is getting warmer and sunnier again. Over the next few weeks, I start hosting a plethora of visitors, which will finally get me out of my apartment and exploring the city more. (I’ve lined up a lot of activities, which are basically the museums, tours, and shows I’ve yet to see, so my friends are going to get a very off-the-beaten-path look at Paris.) Life here is very different than what I imagined it to be. In my head, I imagined hitting the ground running. I imagined perfectly scheduled days balanced with work and play, including regular French classes, meetups, sightseeing, food tours, and nights out. I imagined myself like Owen Wilson’s character from Midnight in Paris where I just wander around town and stumble into this action-packed life. But, instead, my time here has been similar to when I moved Bangkok where I spent much of my early weeks there alone playing video games, discouraged that life just didn’t “happen” to me. It took a long time to find my groove in that city. But living in Bangkok taught me two things: First, life just doesn’t happen. Sitting at my kitchen table doing work isn’t going to show me life in Paris. Neither is going to the same co-working space. This first month has gone by the in the blink of an eye, and, with only three more left to go, I know I have to make the most of every single day. I need to go out and make thing happen. I need to be more proactive in doing things. But, when I think of some of my motivations for coming here — to escape the fast pace of New York City, to write more, to relax, to sleep, to be healthier — I realize that, by those metrics, my first month has been a success. I’ve done all those things. Yeah, it would be nice to live this life I imagine in my head. But what I really want is exactly what I’ve been doing. Now I feel settled in and ready to take on the city. So, though, I’m 25% of the way through my time in Paris, I still have plenty of time left to accomplish the other things I want to do. I didn’t come here in hopes of establishing a new life. I came here for a fresh start and to try out what it’s like to take a really extended holiday to one of my favorites cities in the world. To no longer be just passing through but rather to peel back some of the layers of the onion that is Paris. No move to a new place is ever going to be easy. Because the second thing living Bangkok taught me? If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere. Bangkok showed me that I could be self-reliant and independent. It showed me that I could adapt to anything. I’ve done this before. And I can do it again. I’ve been getting a lot of questions about my time here, so here are some answers to for anyone wondering: 1. How did I find an apartment so quickly? Finding an apartment here in Paris is hard even for the French. It’s a long process filled with a lot of paperwork. The way New Yorkers talk about the price of an apartment is the way people here talk about finding an apartment. It’s the first topic of discussion, as a way to bond with strangers. 2. Are you studying French? If so, where? 3. How are you meeting people and making friends as an expat? 4. I heard you’re running walking tours. Is that true? Book Your Trip to Paris: Logistical Tips and TricksBook Your Flight Book Your Accommodation
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Looking for the best companies to save money with? Looking for more information on visiting Paris? The post Life in Paris: One Month Down appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site. from https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/life-in-paris/
There are a lot of hostels in Medellín. As “gringo central” for Colombia, you can’t walk five feet without coming across one, with majority located in El Pablado (Gringoland) and Laureles (up-and-coming Gringoland). In fact, if you look on Hostelworld, you’ll find 93 hostels in this city. That’s a lot of hostels. I spent close to three weeks in Medellín: first for an extended time over the holidays and then again as I made my way from north to south. Like I do whenever I’m in cities that long, I decided to stay in as many hostels as possible to find out which were the best. A lot of online lists purport to tell you the best hostels in the city, but I found that my experiences staying in them differed so greatly from the reviews, I began to think, “Ya know, I don’t think people really stayed here!” So, after spending three weeks there and moving every other day, here is my list of my favorite hostels, based on actual firsthand experience. The 8 Best Hostels in Medellin1. Los Patios
Each dorm bed comes with a privacy curtain, and the private rooms are as comfortable as hotels. The bathrooms were amazing and the beds super comfy — I got some of my best nights’ sleep here. It offers free tea and coffee, great happy hours, amazing parties, and activities like salsa classes and street art tours, plus there are free bike rentals. The staff is also super friendly and welcoming. Overall, this hostel just gets it. Beds from $17 USD, privates from $50 USD. —-> Click here to book your stay at Los Patios! 2. Hostel Rango Boutique
I found the open, industrial décor is super fashionable, and the hostel’s restaurant and bar area great for grabbing a meal and a really good professional cocktail (honestly the bar alone is worth visiting). The staff will also help to set you up with activities like food tours and free walking tours. Beds from $18 USD, privates from $75 USD. —-> Click here to book your stay at Hostel Rango Boutique! 3. Sugar Cane Hostel
Beds from $10 USD, private rooms from $28 USD. —-> Click here to book your stay at Sugar Cane Hostel! 4. Happy Buddha Boutique Hostel
Thankfully, the huge bar area is separate from the rooms, so it’s pretty quiet. But the rooms are fairly basic and the beds nothing special — you’ll sleep but won’t be blown away by anything. The real reason to come here is to be in the middle of the party! A lot of pub crawls stop here. Beds from $10 USD, private rooms from $28 USD. —-> Click here to book your stay at Happy Buddha Boutique Hostel! 5. The Wandering Paisa
Beds from $8 USD, private rooms from $23 USD. —-> Click here to book your stay at The Wandering Paisa! 6. Black Sheep Hostel
Beds from $11 USD, private rooms from $25 USD. —-> Click here to book your stay at Black Sheep Hostel! 7. Purple Monkey
Beds from $11 USD. —-> Click here to book your stay at Purple Monkey! 8. Casa Kiwi Hostel
Beds from $11, private rooms from $31 USD. —-> Click here to book your stay at Casa Kiwi Hostel! Two places I would not recommend staying are Monet’s and Selina. Monet’s is new and cheap and has friendly owners, but it’s far from the action, the walls are thin, and the accommodations pretty basic. If you were on a tight, tight budget and everywhere else was full, it would be good for a night. I wouldn’t spend more time there than that. Selina is a super popular hostel with digital nomads and has locations around the world. It’s always so hyped up that I was pretty excited to stay there. However, I was greatly disappointed with it. It was good spot to work from (they have a co-working space), there are resturants on site, and the bar, though overpriced, was nice place to meet expats and travelers, but the beds were hard, the rooms had little privacy, and the bathrooms weren’t well kept. Given the high premium it charges, I just didn’t see the value in staying there. Better to stay elsewhere and go party at Selina instead! You get more bang for your peso elsewhere. So there you have it: the best hostels in Medellín based on my recent firsthand experience. You can’t go wrong with any of them, but by far the best, best, BEST hostel in the city is Los Patios. It’s one of the greatest hostels I’ve ever stayed in! Did we miss any? If you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments. Book Your Trip to Medellin: Logistical Tips and TricksBook Your Flight Book Your Accommodation Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Looking for the best companies to save money with? Looking for more information on visiting Colombia? Photo credits: 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10 The post My 8 Favorite Hostels in Medellín in 2019 appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site. from https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/best-hostels-medellin/ After being a tour guide for so many years, you might think Discover Corps Guide Siwarkorn Hkt, or “Tam”, has probably done and seen it all. There’s something, however, that keeps him smiling and talking about how much he loves his job: the people. Of course, the wildlife and beautiful scenery on the Thailand: Elephants & Islands Expedition are incredible, but it’s the people that really stand out for him. From the conversations and shared experiences between travelers, to the time spent with locals, these relationships built while on your volunteer vacation stay with you for a lifetime.
Tam expertly guides travelers to historic sites, panoramic views and up-close encounters with another huge (literally) motivation to travel to Thailand: the elephants! Hear it from Tam himself in the video below as he provides an in-depth rundown of what to expect on this family-friendly adventure:
The post Interview from Thailand: Discover Corps’ Guide Tam appeared first on Volunteer Vacations | Discover Corps. from https://discovercorps.com/blog/thailand-elephants-islands-expedition-discover-corps-guide-interview/
Colombia’s troubled past – cartels, paramilitaries, poverty, petty crime — casts a long shadow that still reaches to today. The country is still viewed by many as a place where danger lurks around every corner.* Having grown up hearing stories of Colombian drug lords, kidnappings, murders, and muggings, these ghosts haunted the back of my mind as prepared to visit the country. Was the country going to be safe? Should I bring my electronics? The stories and images we grow up with don’t leave us easily. They slide to the recesses of our mind and wait there, ready to jump back to the forefront and whisper fear into our ears. Even though I knew otherwise, the old image of Colombia — born of decades of media bombardment — still circled around me as I touched down in Medellin. It quickly evaporated once face with reality. Colombian history is just that. History. Yes, there are still many problems here in Colombia: the drug trade is still strong, paramilitaries still exist, and petty crime is a major problem. The murder rate, though falling dramatically over the last decade, was still 11,781 in 2017 and petty crime and armed robbery are still a regular occurrence with 2018 seeing over 200,000 armed robberies in the country. Locals often suggested not going out to certain areas at night and being extra careful with my stuff. There are still issues with the paramilitaries (there was a bombing while I was there by the National Liberation Army, a radical paramilitary group). Income inequality is high. Poverty is rife. About 29% of the population lives below the poverty line. Colombia is not perfect. It’s still growing, it’s still developing, and it still is trying to cast off the long shadow of its troubled past. But the big cartel days are over, and most paramilitaries have entered peace agreements with the government. Major crimes are decreasing each year. Kidnapping has decreased by 92% since the cartel years and homicides have dropped by around 50% over the past two decades. Poverty is decreasing as well. Since 2002, when the government started tracking poverty statistics, the poverty rate in the country has dropped from almost 50% to 29% — and it’s still dropping by around 3% each year. On top of that, their GDP per capita has increased almost five-fold since 1980. Slowly but surely, things are improving. Tourism from around the globe is on the rise, as well, with tourism doubling since 2010. Foreigners are moving there in droves (Colombia gets a new immigrant every 18 minutes). The country is a hub for digital nomads and tech companies like WeWork, Facebook, and Google. It’s making big strides, generally dispelling visitors’ previous preconceptions. Danger doesn’t lurk around every corner the way it used. Colombia is a country on the move and people are eagerly wanting to shed its past. This is not our parents’ Colombia. The country constantly blew away all my expectations. (Even my dad, who was sure I was going to get kidnapped, commented after seeing my photos that it wasn’t anything like he thought it was.) The people were curious, friendly, warm, and helpful. I had some great conversations with students and Uber drivers (I bonded with one over classical music and another over our mutual love of the book The 5 Love Languages). Colombians I met in Cartagena took me out and treated me like we had been friends forever. I had countless other positive encounters with people who seemed generally happy to show their country to visitors. The infrastructure rivaled what you see in the advanced countries of Europe. Seriously, the roads, the ski-style gondolas leading into the mountains, the subways, the rapid bus routes, the trams — I only wish the United States had such a comprehensive system. The culinary scene — high-class gastronomy throughout, mixed with incredible hole-in-the-wall restaurants and ceviche and fruit smoothie street vendors — is one of the most eclectic and cutting-edge in the region. And with lightning-fast Wi-Fi and tons of cafés, I found working there a breeze. Colombia is packed with things to do and see, from beautiful colonial towns like Popayan and Cartagena to vibrant cities such as Bogotá and Medellín, from dancing in Cali to the Lost City Trek, from the beaches of the north to hikes in the coffee region, from the desert of Tatacoa to the ruins of San Agustín. I thought that spending six weeks in the country would allow me to dig a little deeper, but even with that amount of time, I still barely scratched the surface. Colombia is no Shangri-La. But it’s damn close. I give it an 11 out of 10. It may be clichéd to say but I can’t wait to go back. Colombia was one of the best countries I’ve visited in years. I can’t speak highly enough about it. Book Your Trip to Colombia: Logistical Tips and TricksBook Your Flight Book Your Accommodation Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Looking for the best companies to save money with? Looking for more information on visiting Colombia? The post This is Not Your Parent’s Colombia appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site. from https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/amazing-colombia/
Before I first visited, I imagined Budapest to be this rundown former Communist capital with little to do. But I was wrong. Dead wrong. Budapest turned out to be a vibrant city with a rich history, beautiful parks and buildings, bustling food halls, cool underground bars, and centuries-old thermal baths. There was indeed a lot to do. Since then, I’ve been back many times and have even led tours there. I love how Budapest’s drab exterior hides an inner warmth. It’s hip. It’s cool. There is so much more to the city if you can look beyond its concrete façade. Do that, and you’ll be rewarded with a visit to one of the best destinations on the continent. Budapest is actually two cities straddling the Danube: Buda on the west side is hilly and classy, while Pest (pronounced “pesht”) on the east is its flatter, wilder neighbor. (A third, Óbuda, merged with the others in 1873.) Each part has its own personality as if the river not only divides the city geographically but metaphysically too. To help you plan your visit to this marvelous Central European capital, I’ve created this itinerary with the best things to see and do in Budapest, taking you on — and off — the beaten path so you not only check out the main sights but you also get to know the locals and culture too. Visiting Budapest: Day 1
To kickstart your trip, start your visit with a free walking tour! Take a Free Walking Tour After the free walking tour, which will last about three hours, head over to Castle Hill. Tour Castle Hill The cheapest and easiest way to get up the hill is on the No. 16 bus. The funicular is another option, but it usually has a lengthy wait. I actually prefer walking, as I don’t think the hill is that steep. Once there, explore some of the sights listed below: Buda Castle Beneath the castle, there is a labyrinth that you can explore. You’re free to wander the damp maze, which includes a section of pitch-black winding corridors (don’t let go of the guide rope!). What makes the labyrinth particularly interesting is that Vlad the Impaler (who we know colloquially as Count Dracula) was imprisoned there for 14 years. Szent György tér 2, +36 1 458 3000, budacastlebudapest.com. The courtyards are open 24/7 while the castle has hours that align with the museum and gallery below. Admission to the labyrinth is 3,000 HUF for adults, with discounts available for students and seniors. Budapest History Museum +36 1 487 8800 , budacastlebudapest.com/budapest-history-museum. Open Tuesday-Sunday 10am-4pm (6pm in the summer). Admission varies by season (2,000-2,400 HUF), with discounts for students and seniors, and an additional charge for taking pictures (free admission if you have the Budapest Card). An audio guide is available for 1,200 HUF. Admission is free on national holidays. Hungarian National Gallery 1014 Budapest, +36 20 439 7325, mng.hu. Open Tuesday-Sunday 10am-6pm (last tickets sold at 5pm). Admission is 1,800 HUF, with discounts for students and seniors, and an additional charge for taking pictures. Audio guides are available for 800 HUF. Hospital in the Rock Lovas ut 4/c , +36 70 701 0101, sziklakorhaz.eu/en. Open daily 10am-8pm. Admission is 4,000 HUF for adults, with discounts available for seniors and anyone under 19. Matthias Church Szentháromság tér 2, +36 1 355 5657, matyas-templom.hu. Open 9am-5pm on weekdays, 9am-1pm on Saturdays, and 1pm-5pm on Sundays. Admission is 1,800 HUF for adults, with discounts for students and seniors. Guided tours are available for 2,500 HUF. Fisherman’s Bastion Szentháromság tér, +36 1 458 3030, fishermansbastion.com. Open daily 9am-11pm. Admission is free, with an additional charge of 1,000 HUF (500 HUF for students/seniors) to visit the upper turrets. Hungarian Presidential Palace Szent György tér 1-2, +36 1 224 5000. Admission to the changing of the guard is free. There is an additional fee for palace admission (when available). Buda Tower Kapisztrán tér 6, budatower.hu/en. Open daily 10am-6pm (but only on the weekends in January and February). Admission is 1,500 HUF for adults and 600 HUF for students. Visiting Budapest: Day 2
Visit Parliament These days, you can tour the Gothic Revival edifice and watch the changing of the guard. I recommend purchasing your tickets in advance, as the lines to buy tickets on-site can be incredibly long. Kossuth Lajos tér 1-3, +36 1 441 4000, parlament.hu. Open daily 8am-6pm. Admission is 6,000 HUF for non-EU adults, 3,100 HUF for non-EU students, 2,400 HUF for EU adults, and 1,300 HUF for EU students. Stroll Along the Danube Walk Across the Chain Bridge Eat at the Great Market Hall Vámház körút 1–3. Open Monday 6am-5pm, Tuesday-Friday 6am-6pm , and Saturday 6am-3pm. Closed on Sundays. Admission is free. Gaze at St. Stephen’s Basilica Szent István tér 1, +36 1 311 0839, bazilika.biz. Open weekdays 9am-5pm, Saturday 9am-1pm, and Sunday 1pm-5pm. Entry to the basilica is by donation, though it’s 600 HUF per person for the tower/observation deck. Check out Dohány Street Synagogue Dohány u. 2, +36 1-343-0420. Hours vary from month to month; call ahead for details. Admission is 4,000 HUF for adults and 3,000 HUF for students. See the Hungarian State Opera House Andrássy u. 22, 1061, +36 1-81-47-100, opera.hu. Tour admission is 2,900 HUF for adults and 1,900 HUF for students. Party at the Ruin Bars
For a longer list of the best ruin bars in Budapest, click here. Visiting Budapest: Day 3
See the Cave Church Sziklatemlom út Gellért Hill, sziklatemplom.hu/web/fooldal.html. Open Monday-Saturday 9:30am-7:30pm. Admission is 600 HUF. Visit the Museum of Terror Andrássy út 60, +36 (1) 374 26 00, terrorhaza.hu/en. Open Tuesday-Sunday 10am-6pm. Admission is 3,000 HUF for adults and 1,500 HUF for students and seniors. Tour Heroes’ Square The square is at the entrance to City Park, where you can visit the zoo and the Széchenyi Baths (see below) if there’s time. The Museum of Fine Arts and the Palace of Art are located nearby as well, making for interesting stops if you’re interested in art. Soak at the Baths Állatkerti krt. 9-11, +36 1-363-3210, www.szechenyifurdo.hu. Open daily 6am-10pm. Admission starts at 4,900 HUF (2,000 HUF for a tour) and depends on the day/time of your visit. These are some other baths around town:
When visiting the baths, don’t forget your bathing suit and flip-flops. You can typically rent towels and lockers. Other Things to See and Do in Budapest
Visit an Island
Visit the House of Houdini 11 Dísz Square, +36 1-951-8066, houseofhoudinibudapest.com. Open daily from 10am-7pm Admission is 2,600 HUF per person. Take a Tour
Budapest is a fun city that really does have something for everyone. Don’t let the grim façade fool you. Budapest is vibrant and modern and packed with awesome things to see and do, whether you’re a history buff or night owl looking to party (or both!). It’s one of the best capitals to visit in all of Europe so you better make sure you add this quirky, historic destination to your bucket list! Book Your Trip to Bangkok: Logistical Tips and TricksGet Your Guide Book Your Flight Book Your Accommodation
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During the narco heydays, Cartagena was considered the only “safe” spot in Colombia for tourists. It was where foreigners vacationed, cruise ships docked, and rich Colombians built their vacation homes. Today, this colorful colonial city remains one of the most popular destinations for tourists and Colombians alike. Rich Colombians — and now foreigners — still build vacation homes here, cruise ships still dock, and the influx of tourists has grown with an increasing number of direct flights from North America and Europe. Out of all the stops on my Colombian tour, Cartagena was the place I was least excited about. As one of the best-preserved and historic cities in Colombia, I knew I would love its narrow colonial streets, ancient walls, grand plazas, and Spanish-style houses with their giant doors and wooden terraces, not to mention the restaurants whose tables spilled into busy plazas. But I was not so eager to be in such a touristy, crowded city for five long days. A friend was flying down for a quick vacation and he was not keen to go elsewhere on a long bus. I would be stuck in this tiny, tourist town. Cartagena turned out to be everything I thought it would be. It had the kind of heat and humidity that melted you in place, it was very expensive, and it was filled with throngs from cruises, tours, bachelor and bachelorette parties, and gringos trying to score drugs (and shady streetside pushers happy to oblige). Throw in packed streets and too few “tourist” activities and I was ready to get out of there as soon as I had arrived. (Seriously. After a couple of museums, a walking tour, and a visit to a beach or two, you’ve pretty much seen the city.) But, when it did come time to leave, I found myself downright crestfallen. I had grown to really love Cartagena. In the midst of all those touts and tourists, I found an architecturally beautiful and vibrant city. A place on whose edges the crowds disperse and lovely little Colombian cafés appear. A city with cutting-edge restaurants, lively music, town squares full of life, and funky bars. Early in the morning, before the heat of the day drove me inside and the cruise ships let their armies loose, I’d wander the empty streets of the old town, taking copious pictures as the light dangled perfectly between streets. I got my tea and breakfast at the same shops. Waved hello to locals sitting in the parks. Busy Cartagena is a quiet little town at 8am. In Getsemani, the backpacker area, I found colorful homes, squares filled with street vendors, cheap eateries, and heaving bars. I’d sit at night with my street food watching bands and street performers, including a duo who flawlessly reenacted “Thriller.” And, in Bocagrande, a Miami-style neighborhood for the rich and famous, I saw how the well-to-do lived, enjoyed some of the better beaches in the area, and strolled along its long promenade. My friend and I dove into the city’s fabulous gastronomy scene and gorged on delicious ceviche, empanadas, brick-oven pizza, and traditional Colombian food. The food scene here was one of the best in Colombia. (It was really impressive for such a small city. See the bottom of the post for recommendations.) In beautiful colors that must be mandated by the government, the vibrantly painted buildings and heavy doors with shapes and designs that could be their own blog gave Cartagena an upbeat feel to it. Spending extra time doing nothing allowed me to linger a bit longer, explore some hole-in-the-wall shops, sit along squares with a beer, and head over to the least touristy beach possible: (It was me, my friend Ryan, and some kids on a boogie board) I had fallen in love with Cartagena because there wasn’t much to do there. I couldn’t fill my days with activities. All I could was just chill and relax. Sure, the crowds couldn’t be ignored since I always had to jostle for space, but as I drank tea, ate well, strolled the picturesque city walls, and made a local friend who took me out with his family and friends, I thought about how there’s always another side to a place. Whenever you visit somewhere, there always seems to be an area that most travelers never go past, as if an invisible barrier keeps them from going just one step farther. But it’s in that extra step that we find the “local,” non-touristy parts of town, away from the crowds. So too is there a time barrier. As travelers, we often swoop in, take photos, see the attractions, eat the food, and leave claiming some sort of deeper knowledge. We see a snapshot of life and create a complete history from that one image. I heard it from many people before I visited: “Cartagena is an overpriced, touristy city. It’s good for just a few days. See it, leave it.” On one level, that is true. It is overpriced. It is touristy. And, if you’re in a rush, you don’t need a lot of time to check off the boxes. But, beneath the layers, like all cities, there was a non-touristy version of Cartagena. Like the invisible line that keeps tourists in their zone, all I had to do was wait out the invisible time barrier to see it. Suddenly, the switch was flipped, the doors opened, and Cartagena revealed some of its secrets. Cartagena is not about seeing the sights. And, when I stopped trying to be a tourist looking for sights and accepted for the city as it was, Cartagena became a place I couldn’t get enough of. If I had only stayed a few days, I probably would have felt about the city the way everyone else did. But when you stop putting cities into the pre-framed images you have for them, they tend to surprise. Those extra days just allowed me to enjoy the city for what it was: a place to relax, eat, and slow down. Recomennded places to eat
Book Your Trip to Cartagena: Logistical Tips and TricksBook Your Flight Book Your Accommodation Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Looking for the best companies to save money with? Looking for more information on visiting Colombia? The post Cartagena: A City of Color, Tourists, and Food appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site. from https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/surprising-cartagena/
Over the past few years, there has been an explosion of people giving up the daily grind to live and travel in vans, RVs, and other nontraditional abodes. While traveling in an RV has been something people have been doing for decades, new sharing economy websites, better resources online, more modern vans, and a growing community that can provide support have made it easier for anyone to travel full-time in an RV. What used to be traditionally and predominantly an activity for older, retired, or family travelers is now something people of all ages are trying to do. One just has to look up #vanlife on social media to see! (An aside: I hate the #vanlife movement. The faux Instagram movement does nothing for me. Just a bunch of millennials searching out that perfect sponsored photo and talking about how woke they are (for the most part)). But #vanlife aside, RV travel is a wonderful way to see the world. “How do you travel in an RV?” is one of the questions I’m most asked. So today, we’re going to the experts and talking full-time RV with nomads Marc and Julie from RV Love. This couple joined my blogging program a few years ago, hoping to find a way to spread the gospel of living and traveling in an RV to the wider world. (Spoiler: they did. And they just published a book with Simon & Schuster about it too!) They’ve been driving around in their RV for nearly five years and, today, they share their wisdom about how to travel by RV: Nomadic Matt: Tell us about yourselves! How did you get into this? Why did you pick traveling in an RV as your way to get around? We considered international travel, but there were two main reasons why wasn’t a fit: the challenge of time zones, and more specifically, we wanted to travel with our dog Coda. Plus, we love to drive, so RVing was really the ideal solution for us. We love that wherever we go, we’re always home, and we’re not living out of suitcases. We’re both passionate about driving, so it makes sense that we would choose to live and travel by RV, although we usually prefer more sporty rides when it comes to entertainment, as we both have a love for sports cars and convertibles. What’s life like living and traveling around in an RV? Traditionally, we spend about 80% of our time in campgrounds and about 20% dry camping, but we recently installed a big lithium battery bank and solar system on our RV, so we plan on spending a lot more time camping off the grid out in nature in the coming years. We try to spend 2-3 weeks in each location, but that varies on where we are, the weather, and what projects we have on our plates. We moved pretty fast in our first 3+ years, having visited all 50 states while still working full-time. This year, we have so many big and exciting projects on our plates, we’re really feeling the need to slow down, catch our breath, and get caught up on our content! We tend to wing our plans a lot more than we used to, as we’re more comfortable and confident RVers now. An average day depends on whether you have to work or not. We love that we no longer have a commute and that the views outside our windows change every week or so. Nature is a big part of our everyday life, so it can be easier to get in more walking, hiking, biking, or kayaking. We definitely get to see more sunsets — that’s a big thing for a lot of RVers. RV life is still life. You need to go grocery shopping, make meals, do laundry, pay bills, and do housework. Then there’s RV maintenance and repairs! There’s almost always something to do on an RV — tighten screws, replace parts, troubleshoot issues, check your tire pressure, fix whatever’s broken. Upon arrival at a destination, it usually takes less than 30 minutes to set up. It may sound like a hassle, but if you’re staying a week or more, it becomes a small percentage of your time. And RV life can be as social as you like. We tend to mostly stay in campgrounds, so it’s not too difficult to meet new people. And we also go to RV rallies to meet up with our RVing friends, who we stay in touch with online. It can take a little time to build your RV community, but if you put yourself out there, it can happen pretty quickly! Do you need a lot of mechanical skills to do this? We recommend sticking with a less complex RV when starting out. The more simple the RV, the more reliable and easy to fix they are likely to be, and you can tackle many repairs yourself. As full-time RVers driving a Class A motorhome, we only need to take our RV into repair facilities 2-3 times per year on average. Many RV repairs are fairly simple, and that’s when YouTube and Google are your friends! One of our favorite YouTube channels is the RV Geeks, who make DIY how-to videos to help you make simple repairs and upgrades. It’s often more convenient (and definitely cheaper) to do many RV repairs yourself. And you may even want to consider an extended service contract to cover your RV for repairs outside of the manufacturer’s warranty period and help limit repair costs. Are there any personality traits you think are necessary for living in an RV? Anyone can RV if they really want to. It doesn’t matter about your age, life stage, relationship status, or financial situation. In our book, we share the inspiring story of 69-year-old Frieda who hit the road solo after her husband passed away and drove to Alaska to celebrate her 70th birthday. She’s been on the road for two years now and is still going strong. Another great case study from the book is Nik and Allison (31 and 30). They share why they decided to RV and explore the country before they started a family. They follow the FIRE philosophy (Financial Independence, Retire Early) and save more than 50% of their income so Nik can be a stay-at-home dad. RVing for a year and a half while still working allowed them to do a lot of travel affordably while keeping them on track with their financial and life goals. There really is no “one way” to RV, just the right way for you. That’s why, when writing our book Living the RV Life: Your Ultimate Guide to Life on the Road, we wanted to create a roadmap for people that would help them hit the road and thrive, keeping them on track with their personal goals while they’re doing it. That’s been a big part of our own success. We’re almost five years in now and still living and loving the RV Life. Now we’re showing others how they can do it too. A lot of people are embracing RV/van life these days. Why do you think that is?
How much money will people need before they dive into RV life? It all depends on how you want to RV, and your budget. Generally, we recommend people try to save up a few months of living expenses to get started, and as a backup for unforeseen challenges and expenses. Life happens, and you just never know when you may be hit with an unexpected expense or expensive RV repair. As a guide, as long as you plan and budget carefully, and make a good RV purchasing decision, it’s possible to RV full-time for about $2,000–$3,000 per month. Some do it for less, and others do it for way more. But across the board, we find most RVers end up spending about the same in their RV life as they did in their regular life. Just like in traditional life, you just have to plan to live and travel within your means. Plus, your ability to earn an income while you travel is a huge factor. If you can work from the road while you RV — as was the case for us — it can be a pretty simple trade. For example, we sold our townhome and traded our mortgage payment, HOA, utility bills, and two car payments for:
What we previously spent on home repairs and maintenance for our home is now redirected to our RV. Same goes for RV insurance and roadside assistance. We tend to spend a bit more on eating out and entertainment, as we’re always on the move and experiencing new places. But it’s easy to save money by making meals in your RV, and there’s no shortage of things you can do for free, like hiking, biking, and kayaking. Many people (like us) are able to work remotely with just an internet connection. Some work seasonally, then take a few months off to travel and explore. Other careers, like nursing, hospitality, agriculture, and construction are highly transferable to new locations, especially for seasonal work. For some lines of work, it can actually be easier to find jobs by having the ability to follow the work around the country. We have met people who live full-time in vans or RVs frugally, for less than $20,000 per year. And we have seen others who spend well over $60,000 per year. Like all other forms of travel (and life!), expenses are variable, depending on how you do it. What tips do you have for people who aren’t sure what RV, van, or trailer they should get?
Generally speaking, you’ll want to choose the smallest RV that you feel that you can comfortably live in. Smaller RVs offer more flexibility to access more places. Larger RVs are more comfortable for extended travel but will be more limiting in terms of where you can take them, especially if you want to stay in national parks and do off-grid camping. Don’t overinvest in your first RV — it’s the one that will teach you what is most important to you and your travel style. Start out by buying used. You will avoid the steepest part of the depreciation curve. Plus, you’ll have a much better idea of what’s important to you when it comes time to buy your second RV. It’s possible to nail it with your first RV purchase, but not without a lot of research and clarity around your priorities. What are some common pitfalls to avoid when starting out? Second, it’s easy for people to think they need a big RV to be comfortable, especially when coming from a bigger home. In the RV lifestyle, your environment and views are constantly changing, so your world feels a lot bigger, even if your living space isn’t. It’s easier to live in a smaller space than you might expect, especially with way less “stuff.” Remember our advice above when it comes to choosing the right RV, so you can avoid that expensive mistake. And finally, it can be hard to resist buying gadgets and gear before you even buy your RV! Every RV has cupboards and storage of different sizes and shapes, and you won’t know what fits where until you have your RV. Save money by hitting the road with the essentials, then spend some time traveling before investing in too many upgrades or gear. You’ll want to make sure they are going to be a fit for your preferred travel style. You can always buy what you need as you go. Don’t take too much stuff! You need less than you think and can get what you need as you travel. Do you have any recommended companies for vans/RVs? What about resources for finding where to camp/park? It is difficult to make specific recommendations about buying RVs, as there are hundreds of manufacturers, models, and types, and RVs are not like cars. The options, features, and price range of RVs vary widely. That said, we generally recommend buying a preowned RV, as they are usually more affordable, and, contrary to cars, you will generally experience fewer issues with a well-maintained preowned RV than with a brand-new unit. That’s because every RV — much like building a new house or condo — will have a “punch list” of items that need to be fixed for the first few months (or more) after you drive it off the dealer’s lot. You can find RVs at RV dealers, on websites like RVTrader.com, as well as on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, and from friends and family. Local RV parks often have a community notice board of RVs for sale, too. If you want to camp for free on public lands, there are websites like Campendium.com and Frugal Shunpiker’s Guides to find free camping areas. And there are thousands of RV parks and campgrounds around the country, which you can you find online, through apps, and in camping directories. You can also look into camping memberships that offer discounts on your stays. For example, we spend a lot of time in a campground membership network that literally saves us thousands of dollars per year. Other websites and apps we recommend include CampgroundViews.com, Campendium, and AllStays. There are a ton out there, and you can find many more resources in our book and at our website, RV Love of course! ? If you want more information, Marc and Julie Bennett are RVers who live, work, and travel from the road full-time, and since hitting the road in 2014, have visited all 50 USA states, plus Canada and Mexico. They are co-authors of Living the RV Life: Your Ultimate Guide to Life on the Road, and you can follow along on their journey via their website RV Love as well as their social media channels! If you’d like to dive deep and get hands-on help on starting your own RV life, they also run online courses at RVSuccessSchool.com. As a Nomadic Matt reader, you can get 10% off their course with the code NOMADICMATT. Just input the code when you sign up! Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and TricksBook Your Flight Book Your Accommodation Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
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Jeffrey ClinardHi I am Jeffrey Clinard ,35 years old, By profession I am a photographer,I love to catch the beauty of Nature for this purpose I love to Explore the world. ArchivesNo Archives Categories |