The Challenges of Being a Gay Solo Backpacker

In an effort to expand the site, I’ve been adding more guest contributors and, today, I’m announcing a LGBT column for the website. In this column, we will hear from voices in the LGBT community about their experiences on the road, safety tips, events, and, overall, advice for other LGBT travelers get the most out of their time on the road! So, without further ado, I’d like to introduce everyone to Adam from travelsofadam.com. He’s going to be the lead for this column (though we’ll shortly have writings from other voices in the community too!).

Backpacking is one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences that opens you up to the world and allows you to experience new things no matter who or where you are. It can be challenging for every type of traveler, but for LGBT travelers, there are a handful of added, unique challenges. I share not this as a way to scare off gay travelers from backpacking — because it’s truly a rewarding experience — but as a helpful guide for how to best enjoy (gay) backpacking in a safe and fun way.

1. Knowing where to go

First off, there’s the fact of where to travel.

Sure, if you only travel to the most conspicuous gay-friendly destinations, you might find them easier and more attractive in terms of LGBT culture, nightlife, parties, and festivals (and sex). There are hot-spot gay cities and safe choices on every continent — from Mexico City to Madrid, Berlin to Bangkok, Sydney to São Paolo — but there’s even more fun outside the gay bubble.

Just about anywhere can be a “gay travel destination.” (Of course, not everywhere can be a gay-friendly destination.) There is a world of other cities with millions more LGBT individuals. Backpacking opens up that world and is a great way to introduce yourself to new people and new cultures.

Yet, you’ll still find yourself facing some added challenges.

2. Dealing with loneliness

As a minority group, gay people always struggle to feel included. Dealing with loneliness is just an extra challenge when you’re in a foreign environment.

Traveling in Thailand, I found myself staying in Bangkok’s backpacker ghetto (shout-out to Khao San Road!) where, despite the hordes of backpackers, I never did find another gay backpacker to explore the city with. Sure, I found other backpackers interested in the ladyboy bars and strange strip clubs, but I was after a more local experience.

So instead, I found myself venturing out to Bangkok’s gay nightlife in Silom alone. Under ordinary experiences I would never go to a club alone. And yet, here I was — that urge to find something familiar had brought me out of my security shell.

Since the Orlando nightclub shooting last month, there’s been renewed interest in the gay bar as a safe space, a place for fostering and creating LGBTQ communities. And in so many gay bars around the world, if you walk in as a foreigner, you’ll often find yourself immediately comforted by being around others like you.

3. Meeting other LGBT backpackers

While some accommodations exclusively target gay travelers — such as some gay-men-only hostels and gay hotels in Europe — most hostels are still very much a part of the heterosexual world. So to meet other LGBTQ backpackers, I use websites like Meetup, Facebook, and Couchsurfing, which all feature LGBTQ-specific groups for each destination. Usually I’ll find an LGBTQ local who’s more than happy to show off their home or get together, whether it’s for a coffee in Berlin, a night out dancing in Dallas, or an impromptu walking tour in Manchester.

But, perhaps the biggest not-so-secret gay travel tip is that the ubiquitous gay dating apps provide so much more than the carnal experiences stereotypical of gay men. In the past year, many of the top gay apps have launched more social networking features to make them more PG and to make it easier to meet for “more social” encounters. The Hornet app now includes a Facebook-like newsfeed and a “discover” map as a way to connect by searching hashtags, cities, and topics, while Scruff has a feature called “Venture” that includes the ability to connect with other tourists, search events, and find local ambassadors. (And, controversially, even some heterosexual people seem to be using gay dating apps simply to make “gay best friends.”)

4. Staying safe in unfriendly places

No matter where you are in the world — from Dubai to Dublin — there are always going to be other LGBTQ individuals around. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean every place is safe or friendly. And while some gay travelers may choose to boycott particular destinations, not all of us do. If you happen to travel to one of these places, be sure to know the local legislation and the current state of gay rights.

In the past several years, many Western governments have started to include LGBTQ safety information as part of their general travel advice, which makes this pre-trip research that much easier. No matter where you’re from, it can be useful to check both the UK’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office LGBT travel advisories, the US State Department’s LGBTI travel information, and Equaldex’s crowd-sourced LGBT rights database before traveling.

Asking friends who’ve previously traveled to your destination for LGBT safety tips before visiting is also helpful, while both Internet forums and news outlets can provide useful information on the current state of LGBT issues. Many guidebooks include information about existing local LGBTQ organizations or clinics.

Trusting your instincts when backpacking is an important skill. I remember my first visit to Amman, Jordan, where I wanted to explore the city’s gay culture, but I was too afraid to meet anyone from the gay apps — even if it was just for a coffee. We’ve all been there — starting conversations with a local guy on an app and then flaking out before meeting in person. A habit of our generation, really, but that’s OK. You do you.

Bonus: Check out Ellen Page and Ian Daniel’s Gaycation travel TV series (from Viceland), with episodes on Jamaica, a country notorious for its homophobia; Brazil; and Japan (as well as the US).

5. Coming out again and again

Anyone who’s been backpacking for an extended trip probably recognizes the familiar five-minute friendships. You connect with someone quickly and intensely — sharing your life story, your secrets from home, and travel tips from wherever you’ve just come from. These fast friendships are fun and one of the most amazing experiences, but as a gay traveler, there’s an added challenge: most people assume that others around them are heterosexual — it’s just a habit of the world. (Admittedly, it’s a habit that’s breaking down in recent years.) And while coming out to family and friends back home is a truly rewarding experience as an LGBT individual, doing so again and again on the road quickly loses its appeal. Sometimes you end up sharing more than you care to, alternately answering and dodging questions from inquisitive strangers.

Traveling in Jerusalem, I met a group of backpackers at my hostel and ended up carousing through Jerusalem’s surprisingly hip nightlife. We were hanging out at Bar Sira, sitting at an outdoor table, when the topic of relationships finally came up. After listening to the guys talking about their conquests of Israeli women, I had to come out: Well, I’m gay. And let me tell you — the guys are as hot as the women. My new collection of European friends seemed surprised, and the conversation changed quickly. Out of an awkward, overcompensating kindness, the questions turned back to me: Are you a top or a bottom? What does anal sex feel like? Do you basically just get sex whenever you want? Their curiosity was sweet, but also slightly annoying. I found myself suddenly an encyclopedia of gay sex, acting the role of teacher. Sure, it feels good to impart some sexual knowledge to a stranger, but night after night with new travelers each time? No thanks! It’s too personal, too sexual. Don’t get me wrong: I like to talk about myself, but my sexuality isn’t the only thing about me.

6. Safe sex and traveling

Anyone who has ever stayed in a hostel or hung around many backpackers knows that the hook-up culture is alive and well among backpackers. In fact, a recent study revealed that many travelers ignore safe-sex practices when on the road and tend to engage in risky behaviors. For LGBTQ individuals, if you’re newly out and exploring your sexuality while also out there exploring the world, chances are high that you’ll find yourself in some compromising situations.

Sex while traveling can be a lot of fun, especially when it’s a passionate, fun-filled holiday romance, but unless you want some unwanted souvenirs, it’s best to stay safe. Of course, in the throes of passion and inhibited by drugs or alcohol, unexpected things can and do happen. Thankfully many gay bars and clubs around the world keep condoms and lube readily available, and local LGBTQ centers often provide rapid HIV tests, free counseling, and STI testing. However, if you find yourself at a hospital having to explain your sexuality and sexual habits in a foreign country, you might encounter difficulty as an LGBT person depending upon where you are and who you’re dealing with.

****

Backpacking hasn’t always been a heterosexual-only experience. LGBT people have been traveling since…well, probably forever. With modern technology, improved equal rights, and new communication tools, gay travel is becoming easier and easier.

But while backpacking can be rewarding and a lot of fun, ask any traveler regardless of sexuality and you’ll find that the experience is definitely challenging. I’ve had to fend off a queer Couchsurfing host in India who was edging for a Christmas Eve bisexual orgy, fight to make it back to my hostel in London after passing out in a club bathroom, and deal with a broken motorbike on a mountaintop in Cambodia, but the stories and experiences I’ve racked up have turned me into a better traveler and a better person.

Adam Groffman is a former graphic designer who left a publishing job in Boston to travel around the world, before settling in Berlin, Germany. He’s a gay travel expert, writer, and blogger and publishes a series of LGBT-friendly Hipster City Guides from around the world on his gay travel blog, Travels of Adam. When he’s not out exploring the coolest bars and clubs, he’s usually enjoying the local arts and culture scene. Find more of his travel tips (and embarrassing stories) on Twitter @travelsofadam.

P.S. – If you are a lesbian traveler or a transgender traveler and would like to share your experience on the blog, please send me an email at matt@nomadicmatt.com

The post The Challenges of Being a Gay Solo Backpacker appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

July 21, 2016 at 03:16PM

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Too Many Places: Overcoming the Paradox of Choice

“Where should I go?” is a question I frequently ask myself.

Wanting to escape the oppressive summer heat of Austin in August, I’ve spent the last few months staring at a map, unable answer that very question. I toyed with the idea of heading to Madagascar, Hawaii, Malta, Kenya, the Caribbean, the Maldives, Dubai, or Sri Lanka.

And, because I couldn’t choose and was so afraid to commit, it wasn’t until this week I finally decided — just weeks before I wanted to go. (More on that later.)

Why?

I was suffering from what psychologists call “choice overload.”

Whether we have two weeks, two months, or two years, deciding where to go is the hardest part about travel. Once you have the time, picking the destination becomes a task of whittling down a long list of “must-see” destinations.

When people are faced with too many options, they are sometimes so paralyzed by the fear of making the wrong choice that they don’t make any choice.

Think of standing in the cereal aisle. We have all these options right in front of us, but we keep going back to our old favorite, Fruity Pebbles. (Or, Cinnamon Toast Crunch if we’re feeling crazy!)

We may want to try something new, but we can’t figure out what we want the most — there are just too many options! How do we choose? How do we know we won’t make the wrong choice? So, paralyzed with indecision, we go back to what we know. And, if we don’t have a favorite, often we just choose what is popular and familiar to our mind (Cheerios).

In psychology, this is called “analysis paralysis.” Contemplating our options becomes such a taxing mental burden that we don’t make a decision. Our minds want shortcuts. It’s how we process all the information thrown at us each day. It’s too difficult to think about every simple decision all the time. Going with what you know and is familiar is how we shortcut our analysis paralysis. (This is all explained in the 2004 book The Paradox of Choice, which I highly recommend reading!)

Think of the world as the proverbial cereal aisle. We’re looking forward to picking a cereal (a destination), but suddenly realize we have too many options. Faced with so many choices and without a strong opinion (e.g., I really want to go to Thailand this fall!), we stare blankly, wondering if picking a destination is the right choice, so we end up (a) fretting about it for months like I did, missing flight deals and precious planning time or (b) end up with what is big, popular, and familiar (let’s visit Paris for the tenth time!).

I often get so paralyzed by choice that I don’t book a trip until the last minute, and even then, I often suffer from buyer’s remorse. Did I really want to book that flight to Dubai? Or should I have gone to Madagascar instead? If I do this trip, will I have time to visit Peru later this year, or should I just go to Peru now?

Last week, after months of fretting, I finally bit the bullet and booked tickets to Dubai, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka. I’m beyond thrilled (especially for Sri Lanka) but in the back of my mind I still find myself thinking, “Is 15 days really enough to enjoy Sri Lanka? Maybe I should go somewhere else until I can spend more time there!”

Of course, when I get to the destination — any destination — all of that second-guessing melts away and I have the time of my life.

If you’re a long-term traveler, you can go anywhere for as long as you want. But when you only have a limited amount of time — because you’re like me and slowing down, or because you just have a few weeks off from work and need to make the most of them — you have to be more selective.

So how do you narrow down your destinations, get on with your trip planning, and not suffer the anxiety that comes with choice overload?

This experience has given me a new philosophy on trip planning. I’ve changed how I decide on destinations:

First, embrace the variety. You’re always going to be overwhelmed by choice. There will always be more destinations to visit than you have time to see. The list of places to visit will only get longer the more you travel, not shorter. Don’t fight it. Recognize it, but don’t let it control you.

Second, start with list of ten places you want to go right now. Come up with the destinations that are at the top of your mind. This year, now that I am taking fewer trips, I want my trips to be to places I’ve never been and are as culturally different as possible, so I came up with the list at the top of this blog (yes, I know not all of the places are culturally different from each other!).

Third, figure out when you can go and how long you have. For me, since I was only going in August, I knew I had exactly a month (since I have to be stateside for weddings in September and October).

Fourth, think of the time of year. Which country has the weather you want to enjoy the most? I’m trying to escape the heat of inland Austin, so I wanted beaches. I crossed Hawaii and the Caribbean off the list, but I still wanted something beachy and adventurous. The Maldives and Sri Lanka may be hot, but they have beaches!

Fifth, make the length of your travels proportional to the size of the country. I didn’t want to attempt to visit large countries like India, Brazil, or China when I have just a few weeks. I wanted to see smaller destinations that I could explore more in depth during a shorter period of time. By this point I knew I was down to using Dubai as a hub and finding destinations from there.

Finally, look up flights. From Dubai, it was $1,700 USD to Madagascar but $400 to the Maldives, and $0 to get to and from Sri Lanka, thanks to airline miles. I didn’t have enough points to fly on the African carriers I wanted (I burned 100K United points last month on other flights — whoops!) so Madagascar and Kenya were out of the question. That left the Maldives and Sri Lanka as the best places to visit from Dubai.

And, with that, where I’m going was settled.

Once I stopped letting too much choice keep me from making a decision and after logically going through my checklist, I stopped hemming and hawing about where I wanted to go, found my destinations, booked my trip, and got on with getting excited about visiting new places.

Overcoming choice overload in travel is about first realizing that there will always be more places to visit than you have time, then figuring out what destinations fit what you can do right now. Once you start with your list of destinations, getting down to the perfect one becomes a process of elimination.

I know many of you suffer from the same problem I do (your emails to me are proof), and I hope you use this advice to overcome choice overload.

Because there will always be too many destinations to choose from and too little time to see them in.

The post Too Many Places: Overcoming the Paradox of Choice appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

July 18, 2016 at 03:48PM

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My Guide to Eating in Austin

I’ve been living in Austin for two months now, and in that time, I’ve consumed a lot of food. After all, Austin is home to an incredible food scene — from BBQ joints to food trucks to healthy, organic outlets to (of course) Mexican restaurants. As more and more people move to Austin (close to 160 a day at last count) and the city balloons with a more diverse population, Austin has expanded its dining fare to include more varied and higher-quality food.

Part of the reason Austin’s food tastes so delicious is because of the locally-sourced ingredients. As the birthplace of Whole Foods, Austin has always embraced organic food, and it was one of the frontrunners in the farm-to-table movement.

Moreover, to meet the needs of the expanding population, nearly 200 new food trucks and restaurants open up each year! With so many eateries opening all the time, you’re going to get hugely increased variety, selection, and quality.

While I still have much more exploring to do and food to eat, I want to share some of my favorite places to eat in the city for your next visit:

Asian

If there is anything I dislike about Austin, it would be the lack of good Asian cuisine, as it is my favorite in the world. When it comes to Asian food, it has a lot of those fusion joints that serve Chinese, Thai, sushi, and Korean all at once. Most are simply acceptable; they won’t blow you away. However, there are a few restaurants worth eating at:

• Bar Chi (206 Colorado St., (512) 382-5557, www.barchiaustin.com) – Decent sushi but an unbelievably affordable happy hour (5-7pm each day). My friends and I come here because it satisfies the sushi craving on the cheap!
• East Side King (1618 1/2 E. 6th S., (512) 407-8166, www.eskaustin.com) – Located in The Liberty Bar (also a kick-ass bar), this is best Asian-Thai fusion food truck in the city! Be sure to get the pork buns, tori meshi, or the chicken buns.
• Lulu B’s (3632 S. Congress Ave., (512) 921-4828, http://ift.tt/29Lu1QD) – I found this place thanks to Jodi from Legal Nomads. I’m not the Vietnamese food expert she is, but this place was delectable. I’ve only had the beef pho, but it was a flavorful broth.
• Piranha (207 San Jacinto Blvd. #202, (512) 473-8775, http://ift.tt/29hawNE) – My all-around favorite sushi joint. The sushi here gives you the most value for your money, and it’s always fresh and of high quality. I particularly love their yellowtail.
• Thai-Khun (1816 E. 6th St., (512) 407-8166, http://ift.tt/29EylgY) – As a Thai food snob (ever since I lived in Thailand), I’m always disappointed at Thai restaurants because I never think the food is as breathtaking as in Thailand. This place in Austin is the closest to true Thai food that I’ve found so far.
• Uchi (801 S. Lamar, (512) 916-4808, uchiaustin.com) – The fanciest high-end sushi restaurant in the city. They also have a sister restaurant called Uchiko. Both live up to their reputations and are good date places. Reservations recommended!
• Wu Cho (500 W. 5th St. #168, (512) 476-2469, wuchowaustin.com) – This is one of the best Chinese restaurants in the city. They serve a very popular dim sum brunch on Sundays. Be sure to come early as it gets packed during dinnertime and Sunday brunch, and the wait for a table can be up to an hour.

Americana

If there is one thing Austin does well, it’s “Americana” food. I define that as a fusion of multiple cuisines: burgers, fries, steaks, seafood, and the like.

• Launderette (2115 Holly St., (512) 382-1599, launderetteaustin.com) – Located in an old laundry store, this restaurant is one of the hottest spots in town and serves an amazing menu of Americana and seafood, as well as a decent selection of wine. Some of my favorite dishes include crab toast, burrata, okra, brussels sprouts, and grilled octopus. If you’re coming for dinner, come early, as it fills up fast.
• Truluck (400 Colorado St., (512) 482-9000, trulucks.com) – This is my favorite steak restaurant because it’s one of the few places where you can also get fresh seafood (crab, oysters, lobster). It’s not cheap, but if you want a upscale steak house, try this.
• Péché (208 W. 4th St., (512) 494-4011, www.pecheaustin.com) – A New Orleans–inspired restaurant serving Bayou food, and it has a very friendly staff, tasty cocktails, and an extensive whiskey list.

BBQ

Austin is world-famous for its BBQ, and you can’t walk down the street without running into a restaurant that serves it. The title for Austin’s best BBQ is hotly contested among fans, and I don’t claim to know who’s right — to me, BBQ is either good or really damn good. But these are among my favorites:

• Franklin Barbecue (900 E. 11th St., (512) 653-1187, franklinbarbecue.com) – This is considered the top of the top of the top BBQ joints in the country. Even the president ate here! It’s open from 11am until they run out of food (usually in a few hours). Lines start at 8am, so it’s best to go midweek in summer when most people don’t want to wait in that line and you don’t need to line up until 9 or 10am.
• La Barbecue (1906 E. Cesar Chavez St., (512) 605-9696, www.labarbecue.com) – BBQ is a matter of perspective. A lot of people say Franklin’s is the best, but La Barbecue is #1 to me. It opens at 11am. Expect two-hour waits during lunchtime, so get here early.
• Iron Works BBQ (100 Red River St., (512) 478-4855, ironworksbbq.com) – Located downtown, this restaurant serves above-average BBQ with large portions and hearty helpings of side dishes. I come here for the lunch brisket plate.
• Micklethwait Craft Meats (1309 Rosewood Ave., (512) 791-5961, craftmeatsaustin.com) – An awesome food truck on the east side of the city. I’m in love with its ribs, brisket, and BBQ sauce. While it’s very popular, the line here isn’t as long as the other places listed.

Tacos

Tacos are serious business in this city. I have yet to fully experience much of the wonder that Austin has to offer on this front, but I do like a few of the big names:

• Veracruz (1704 E. Cesar Chavez St., (512) 981-1760, veracruztacos.com) – The best food truck in town (conveniently located across the street from my hostel). It makes wonderful breakfast tacos, and the migas was voted #1 in the country. There is never really a line, but service is slow.
• Torchy’s (multiple locations, http://ift.tt/28S1mtY) – World famous (and another spot where the president ate), this taco place has multiple locations in the city. It lives up to all the hype! I’m a big fan of the fried avocado and trailer park tacos. Every location is always packed, so expect a wait, especially on the weekends. The food here is pretty spicy, too.
• Taco Deli (multiple locations, www.tacodeli.com) – Another delicious eatery serving mouth watering breakfast tacos.

Mexican & Tex-Mex

Like tacos, there are a lot of world-class Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Austin! There are plenty of people who can dissect their finer points — I am not one of those people, however. But these establishments will never steer you wrong:

• Vivo (6406 N. Interstate Highway 35, (512) 407-8302, vivoaustin.com) – Solid Mexican with huge portions, spicy dishes, and friendly staff.
• Benji’s (716 W. 6th St., (512) 476-8226, benjiscantina.com) – Amazing margaritas, huge portions, and an outdoor patio area. Their incredible guacamole is made tableside.
• Tamale House East (1707 E. 6th St., (512) 495-9504, http://ift.tt/29LuGBK) – Located in East Austin, this hole-in-the-wall is only open for breakfast or lunch. It’s famous for its tacos, but like the name suggests, get the tamales!

Indian

There isn’t a lot of good Indian food in town, mostly because there just isn’t a lot of good Asian food in general. I’m not an Indian food expert, but these two are my favorites:

• The Clay Pit (1601 Guadalupe St., (512) 322-5131, claypit.com) – I order from this spot through UberEats all the time since it often has fast delivery. I love the samosas and jasmine rice, and their naan is just perfect!
• Masala Dhaba (75 Rainey St., (512) 665-6513) – A higher-end, sit-down restaurant with a flavorful chicken tikka masala!

Miscellaneous

Some other of my favorite must-eats:

• P. Terry’s (multiple locations, pterrys.com) – This is the best burger bar in the city. It’s delicious and cheap (you can get a burger, fries, and a drink for $6 USD), with filling portions. This is one of my all-time favorite spots in the city, and since it’s close to my house, I tend to eat here too often!
• The Onion (408 Brazos St., (512) 476-6466, onionbaby.com) – Coming from NYC, I’m spoiled for pizza — you can buy tasty dollar slices anywhere you go there. That’s not the case in Austin: slices are around $4 USD and not as good, but if there is one pizza place I do like, it’s this one.
• Gus’s Fried Chicken (117 San Jacinto, (512) 474-4877, http://ift.tt/29LtVst) – The sister restaurant to the famous location in Memphis, this place has juicy, moist chicken with battered skin that bursts with flavor in your mouth. It’s freaking amazing! They also serve mouthwatering fried green tomatoes and pickles.
• Leaf (115 W. 6th St., (512) 474-5323, leafsalad.com) – This new lunchtime salad place is incredible (also the line is long). Its gigantic salad bar has anything and everything you could ever want to put in a salad. It’s one of my favorite places for a healthy meal in Austin.
• True Kitchen (222 West Ave. #HR100, (512) 777-2430, truefoodkitchen.com) – This new restaurant is incredibly popular with people after work. All its food is natural and organic. You’ll find healthy wraps, salad bowls, sandwiches, and fresh and flavorful seafood, as well as an incredible selection of wine and cocktails.

Austin’s growing food scene means that there are still plenty of places I haven’t eaten at yet — and a few locations I probably left out, as a result — but during your visit to Austin, you’ll find yourself with more than enough choices by using this list as your guide!

Photo Credit: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8

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July 14, 2016 at 03:17PM

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How to Travel Easter Island on a Tight Budget

On the second Wednesday of the month, Kristin Addis from Be My Travel Muse writes a guest column featuring tips and advice on solo female travel. It’s an important topic I can’t adequately cover, so I brought in an expert to share her advice for other solo female travelers! This article is applicable to everyone though!

In the movie 180° South, a guy from California sets sail to Patagonia, has ship trouble along the way, and gets marooned on Easter Island. Oddly, it was that movie that inspired me to want to visit Easter Island. After watching it, I needed to visit Easter Island and see it with my own eyes.

My week there was a mix of exploring the gorgeous coastline and walking around the mysterious Moai statues, marveling at their size and wondering how in the world people who only had access to stone tools could create something so massive. I sometimes wondered if there were as many horses as there were people, running all along the green grasses of the island and on the rugged coastline, full of volcanic rock and powerful waves.

I spent most of my days motor biking around the island, getting to know the locals and admiring the skills of the original settlers. The first people came to Easter Island around 300-400 A.D.
The island is most famous for the 900 giant stone statues dotted around the island. Legend tells that the island used to be full of trees, and when climate change hit the island, locals built the Moai as a way of appeasing the gods, and eventually toppling each other’s statues over and warring as conditions worsened leading. However, much of this is just speculation.

But visiting this out of the way destination and seeing these statues has been a life long dream of mine.

Unfortunately, Easter Island is hideously expensive to visit because it’s so remote – over 3,700 kilometers away from Santiago, Chile. Very few crops grow here, there is very little “industry”, and nearly everything on the island is shipped from the mainland at great expense.

Geography means that the costs of good are high and it’s not the most budget friendly island in the world.

However, it’s not impossible to plan a budget trip there if you do so in advance:

How to get there

One of the biggest costs of visiting Easter Island is transport. There is just one airline that flies there — LAN — and it only flies once per day, departing from and returning to Santiago. That also means it can pretty much charge what it wants, which is usually $500-600 return, but with the following tips you might be able to cut it down:

• Book ahead and go during off and shoulder seasons: You might get lucky and score something closer to $400 or even the coveted $300 if you go during a season that isn’t popular and book way ahead of time.
• Stay for a while: It also really helps to stay for longer, like a week or more. For some reason the flights get really expensive if it’s a shorter trip. I realize that seems like a really long time in a place that expensive, but don’t worry, because we’ll make sure you’re covered with the advice below.
• Check the price of business class: This may sound crazy if you’re trying to save money, but I personally scored biz class tickets for two pesos cheaper than economy class for my return flight. This seems to be somewhat common on these flights, as I saw it more than once while searching.
• Use Google Flights’ calendar function: You can see the cheapest dates all month by using the fare calendar, then book directly on LAN’s website for the best fares.
• Travel hack: LAN is a part of the Oneworld alliance and, though availability is rare, you can also get seats via points, so if you have miles on LAN, American Airlines, British Airways, or another partner, you can try to score a free flight.

There are occasional boats that sail to Easter Island from New Zealand or elsewhere in the South Pacific that take passengers, but they are priced incredibly high. At this time there is no public boat option from Chile’s mainland, mainly because Easter Island doesn’t have a harbor that can accommodate ships. Therefore, those who do sail there normally do so on private boats and drop anchor close to land.

If you want to sail there, some travelers successfully volunteer as crew as a cheap or free way to travel.

Where to stay

You have three affordable options if you’re traveling to Easter Island: book a hostel dorm bed way ahead of time, as there are few and they fill up quickly; camp in a tent; or rent an apartment on either Airbnb or Booking.com.

If you want to stay for free there, Couchsurfing is also an option but there are only 50-60 hosts on the island, so connect them well in advance.

If renting an apartment: Many places on Easter Island are cabana-style and can accommodate up to seven or eight people. When split among that many people, they end up costing each person less than $20 per night.

If it’s low season, I recommend only booking one or two nights on Booking.com and then working out a deal directly with the owner to stay for the remaining days. Since booking.com takes a cut of profits, ask if they can pass on a discount to you if you cut out the middleman. It’s nice to have the place booked when you land, though, since they almost always include a free airport pickup in the price, but thereafter try to work out something cheaper.

If your camping: There are a few camping grounds on Easter Island that also offer hostel-style accommodation for pretty cheap. I personally recommend Tipie Moana (but book ahead of time, as they fill up!).

If you already have camping gear, bring it along! You’re allowed to check two bags for free on flights to Easter Island as long as they total 25kg or less.

If hosteling: There are a few hostel-style accommodation options for $25+ per night, which is among the cheapest you’ll find on Easter Island. Some of the best are Vaianny Guest House, Hostel Petero Atamu, Kona Tau, and Casa de Fatima Hotu. (You can also check out private rooms on Airbnb but most rooms there run closer to $50+ per night.)

What to eat and drink

Eating meals out gets super expensive on Easter Island because it all has to be brought in from mainland Chile, so cut out the middleman and bring your food yourself! I went to the island with one other person and between us, with some clever cooking, I was able to feed us all with just the food brought from the mainland. Here was my list:

• 1 bag of small onions
• 1 head of cauliflower
• 2 red peppers
• 2 handfuls of button-top mushrooms
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 potatoes
• 5 carrots
• 1 eggplant
• 2 beetroots
• nuts and fruits for snacks
• 1 packet of turmeric for curry
• 1 garlic clove
• 8 packets of dried beef broth
• 1 loaf of rye bread
• 1 small packet of mayonnaise
• 2 packets of salami and ham (the sandwiches only lasted for two days)
• 1 kilo of brown rice
• 1/2 kilo of lentils
• 1 bag of oatmeal
• 1 kilo of milk powder
• 1 packet of milo (chocolate powder)
• 1 small bottle of sunflower oil
• 1 small can of coconut cream
• 2 bottles of wine

The total cost for all of that was about $130, meaning we spent an average of $4.65 per meal per person, plus wine! I alternated the meals between a vegetarian Thai yellow curry, fried rice, lentil soup, beetroot salad, and potato salad. I had to substitute ingredients for all of the recipes, but it all turned out delicious!

Put the food in a box or an extra backpack and check it with the rest of your luggage. Remember that since you can check two bags (25 kilos total), you’ll have room to bring both the food and your belongings.

When I ran out of supplies, I supplemented by eating empanadas for lunch, which are only a few dollars and can be found at most small shops, and by buying a fish from a local fisherman for the equivalent of $8 and cooking it myself (it would have cost $20 in a restaurant). You can find fish for sale every morning except for Sunday at Hanga Roa’s cultural center.

If you do buy food on the island, budget at least a dollar or two per fresh fruit or veggie item, at least $10 per meat item, and $15 or more per restaurant meal.

How to get around

Within the town of Hanga Roa, taxis are cheap at just $3.00; bicycles are great as well for the town and surroundings. A taxi doesn’t make sense for longer distances, as the price goes up significantly, and it takes about 90 minutes to make it from one side of the island to the other.

To visit the moai and the beach, I suggest driving yourself. Tours are expensive, so to get around I rented a motorbike and shared it with one other person. The motorbike cost $40 USD per day ($20 each), which afforded us freedom on the island. If renting a car, keep in mind that the price is negotiable and you can probably work out a discount.

Activities

The entrance to the national park is $60 for foreigners and is valid for the entire island. For most of the Moai, you don’t need any kind of entrance ticket and can visit as many times as you want, except for the quarry where the statues were carved and the museum at Rano Kau. You can visit each only once and they will demand to see your ticket. It would be a pity to travel all the way to Easter Island and miss these things, so I recommend coughing it up at the airport and just buying the ticket on arrival.

Additionally, besides seeing the famous statues, you can go scuba diving to see the sunken moai (spoiler alert: it’s actually just an old movie prop, but still cool!), go surfing, or just drive around to just see where the day takes you.

****

Easter Island was a trippy walk through the past. Few of the descendants of the original tribes are still left and nobody is exactly sure how or why the Moai were carved. That’s part of what makes Easter Island so alluring and interesting to visitors – it’s still partially an enigma.

By bringing my own food, scoring a cheap business-class ticket, driving myself around the island, and working out a deal with the owner of my accommodation, I saved myself hundreds of dollars off of what most tourists usually pay when visiting Easter Island. Easter Island was one of the most unique places I’ve ever visited. There was no way I would visit Chile without going. Through very careful and smart planning, you can visit the island without blowing your budget.

Kristin Addis is a native Californian who has been traveling the globe solo for four years now, visiting every continent (except for Antarctica) on her own. She’s hitchhiked solo around the world, climbed to some of the tallest peaks, and dived some of the deepest dives. She’s been featured in Buzzfeed, Business Insider, Glamour, and Daily Mail to name a few. Check out her award-winning blog, Be My Travel Muse, and find more of her amazing photography on her Instagram!

Conquering Mountains: The Guide to Solo Female Travel

For a complete A-to-Z guide on solo female travel, check out Kristin’s new book, Conquering Mountains. Besides discussing many of the practical tips of preparing and planning your trip, the book addresses the fears, safety, and emotional concerns women have about traveling alone. It features over 20 interviews with other female travel writers and travelers. Click here to learn more about the book and start reading it today!

The post How to Travel Easter Island on a Tight Budget appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

July 13, 2016 at 03:39PM

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One Month Left: A Call for Help

Dear Reader/Travel Lover/Good Soul,

As Maya Angelou said, “Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.”

You and I know the power of travel and how true that statement is. Travel gives us added perspective to see that we are all in the same boat. It broadens our horizons and helps us dream big. No one who has gone traveling comes back the same. We come back with bigger dreams, goals, and desires.

Today, I come to you a final time — asking with all my soul — for your help to give this power to others who couldn’t experience it on their own.

As you know, last year I started a nonprofit called FLYTE (The Foundation for Learning and Youth Travel Education). The goal of the organization is to help underserved high schools around the United States go on educational trips, and to fund these overseas journeys for communities and students who could least afford it.

I want to bring travel to those who think it’s something they could never do — that it’s just something rich people do. I want FLYTE to help expand the minds of the youth of tomorrow, to show them that there is a big world out there, and that they can dream past their small towns.

Earlier this year, we sent a group of students from Atlanta to Mexico. One of those students is now going to do a study abroad program when he enters college next year. His eyes were open the beauty of travel because of that trip! These students were powerfully impacted by their experience.

We’re currently fundraising for our second trip, to send a group of students from Washington, DC to Cuba next month. We’ve raised $22,000, but that’s only 64% of our goal. We have another $13,000 to go! We’ve had over 400 donations so far but, if everyone who read this blog donated just $10, we could fund the entire trip – and many more like it – right away. The more we raise, the more we can help these students and others like them.

Please help me in reaching our goal for this trip. By doing so, you can give back and pay forward all the kindness you received on the road. I know we are all budget travelers and short on funds, but for a donation of as little as $10, you really can help make an impact on the world.

Remember, we don’t travel in a bubble. At some point, a kind stranger has helped us. On my travels I’ve had many people help me, giving me meals, rides, information, and places to stay.

Let’s pay it forward. Let’s be that kind stranger for these kids.

One less beer, a cheap meal, a bigger dorm — in the long run this won’t make a difference to us. But a trip to Cuba for these kids will be with them for their entire lives!

I have always deeply believed in the power of this community. One just has to look at the comments on the blogs or in the forums to see how helpful and supportive we are. I think this is one of the nicest, most supportive travel communities on the Internet. We lift each other up!

This organization means the world to me, and I want to see it succeed. We’ve got our 501(c)(3) tax status (so your donation is tax deductible) and are getting ready to apply for grants and big donations from foundations. We’re getting an intern. We’re lining up sponsors for later trips. These will allow us to jump-start the foundation, but right now, I need your support to get this trip funded.

I wish I could fund this myself all myself but I can’t. I need YOU.

I hate asking for money. I don’t want to keep coming hat in hand. Since I don’t want to ask for something and not at least offer you something in return, if you do contribute, I will throw in some added bonuses too:
$25 – For donations at this level, I’m offering my e-books How to Teach English Overseas and The Ultimate Guide to Travel Hacking, and my guides to NYC, Paris, Bangkok, Amsterdam, Stockholm, and Hong Kong.

$50 – For donations at this level, you will get the e-books and city guides PLUS a signed copy of the print book How to Travel the World on $50 a Day, a FLYTE t-shirt, and a t-shirt with the saying “Keep Calm and Travel On” (US shipping only).

$100 – For donations at this level, you will get all of the above PLUS a free membership in our new “How to Improve Your Travel Photography” course and a personal thank-you message from the students of Anacostia International Club after they return from Cuba.

$500 – For donations at this level, you will get all of the above PLUS an hour of travel planning with me, a souvenir from Cuba, and a care package from my new home in Austin!

All of your donation will go to fund this trip. I’m covering all administrative costs. Your donation goes directly to these kids. Simply use the widget below to contribute:

Fundraising Websites – Crowdrise

We will go back to regularly scheduled travel content in the next post, but I wanted to make one last plea for support.

Let’s do this together. We have one month to go and I know we can do this and fund this trip! Ten dollars will change these kids lives. Out of little things, big things can happen!

You can also help by sharing this campaign on Facebook and Twitter, and by emailing your friends, family, cousins, penpals, coworkers – anyone – and letting them know about this. Help us spread the word about this cause so we can change as many lives as possible. The more people know about this, the better!

Here are some links worth sharing:

Taking FLYTE: How You Helped These High School Students Go to Mexico
Take FLYTE: How You Can Help Students Get a Better Education and Travel More
Giving Back: How You Can Change the World

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for any help you can offer.

It means the world.

Sincerely,

Nomadic Matt

P.S. – If you don’t have the money to donate, our platform allows people to set up individual campaigns so you can fundraise yourself. Just email Courtney@takefylte.org and she will help you set it up!

The post One Month Left: A Call for Help appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

July 11, 2016 at 03:47PM

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Reader Mail: Answering Your Questions!

It’s been a long, long time since I did a reader Q&A on this site and, after being inspired by a post on Wait but Why?, I decided it was time to do another reader mailbag! So, I sent out a call on my newsletter for questions, and got a few hundred! Some of them were personal questions I answered over email, some require long posts that I’ll write, I saved some for a part 2, and some are here now!

I thought this would be fun and questions range from travel to politics to science to the zany!

So let’s get to it: (Note: some people asked the same questions, so I lumped their names together!!)

“What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?” – Kimberly

I don’t eat ice cream anymore (I know. I’m crazy.) but, when I did, I used to love mint chocolate chip and eat it like it was my job! That stuff is DELICIOUS! Also, Ben and Jerry’s Peanut Butter cup. MMMM. I hear they don’t make that anymore, which is sad.

“How do I get out and travel? I’m a poor college student with loans and slightly crazy parents, and it sort of seems impossible to just get up and go. Where did you find the motivation to travel?” – Chelsea

I would probably get a job overseas as a way to earn money and fund your travels when you are done with college. There are a ton of jobs you can get that will help you pay off school and save for traveling! I wrote this post on Thought Catalog about working overseas that can help. It lists all the jobs you could do as a traveler that can fund your travelers!

And some of these interviews might help too:

• How Emily Taught English to Fund Her RTW Adventure
• How Arielle Found a Job Working on a Yacht
• What’s It Like to Actually Work on a Cruise Ship?
• How Jessica and Her Boyfriend Worked Their Way Around the World

“What are you’re views on ‘Lost?’” – Michael

It was a great show in the beginning but got really bad and convoluted in the end. I mean if the entire show was really about Jacob and the Smoke Guy, why not explain more about them and the history of the island? And, moreover, if Jack and Co.’s time on the island was so important, what was that purgatory they were all in all about in the last season? It made no sense. The show runners left too many loose ends and unexplained plots. I’m sad I wasted all that time watching that story unfold. It just got worse and worse. If I knew it was going to end so poorly, I would have never started in the beginning.

That’s also my feelings on How I Met Your Mother!

“Do you have any experience with Couchsurfing? We are a UK family and we have come up short on couchsurfing offers. Is it because we are a couple traveling with a 10-year-old?” – Dean and Irine

Couchsurfing is a community and you can’t use it as a place to just get a free night to stay. You have to offer something and show interest in getting to know the hosts. And yes, there are a lot of families on Couchsurfing. While the predominate people on the site are solo travelers looking to host only one or two other travelers, I’ve seen and heard from a lot of families who use the website. You can also check out Servas and Hospitality Club, which tend to be more family oriented!

This new blog post on Couchsurfing might help you too!

“Has your circadian rhythm been affected over the years by traveling to so many different places in different time zones?” – Amanda

I’m not a great sleeper to begin with but, after years of traveling, I don’t get really bad jetlag as I try to get on the time zone I am traveling to the day before my flight. If I’m traveling half way around the world, I will shift myself close to that time zone in my sleep pattern (going to be earlier/later) and on the flight usually take a sleeping pill to synch myself up with the destination’s time zone. Sleeping pills help a lot!

“How in the world has our country gotten to the place where Donald Trump is a frontrunner for President!” – Linda and Carrie

Well, here is what I think:

First, the Republican Party has stocked nativism for about twenty years as a way to divert attention away from real pocketbook issues and improving our infrastructure. “You didn’t lose your job because you’re bad at it, you lost it because of immigrants.” or “Obama is coming for you guns!” A great book on the subject is “What’s the matter with Kansas?“

Second, the U.S. in general has done a really poor job of transitioning to the current global economy we have. The irony of all this anti-trade, immigration rhetoric is that it was the United States after World War 2 that championed a more economically-open and connected world. In the end, as other countries rose, we didn’t adjust to that reality or do much about it to keep our edge. Factory jobs went overseas, purchasing power went down, and job skills became obsolete. The U.S. didn’t do much to help to readjust workers to the new system, train them for new jobs, or simply provide for them in way that help them become economically secure….because honestly some jobs are just gone and never coming back. Whereas people had pensions before, now they are left to fend for themselves. How many people are going to hire 65 year old factory workers with high school educations? Hardly any!

Plus, during this time, education and health care costs have risen and we’ve retreated from the world – our education system is cut, we don’t focus on world studies, travel, and most of the news about the world is negative.

All that combined has become a powerful cocktail that allows a Trump to sneak in. It gives the afraid, the racists, the bigots, the nativists a chance to finally come out of the shadows. There is a wide section of the population who feels so left out by the system that they would just burn it down and see what happens. Just look at Brexit. A lot of people felt so left out in the cold they wanted anything because to them nothing could be worse.

And it’s that kind of feeling that let’s a Donald Trump come to power. The system created him by ignoring the basic needs of so many people and trying to divert their attention for so long.

“Any tips for settling back in after being away for 6 months in Asia and coming home and feeling super depressed?” – Rachel

Ahh yes. We’ve all been there. Coming home is often harder than going away. I fully believe in post-trip depression. I’ve written a lot about the subject on my website and you can find the articles here:

• Post-Trip Depression: It’s Often Emotionally Harder to Come Home Than Go Away
• The Culture Shock of Coming Home

“The biggest thing holding me back is the anxiety of what happens when I return to the United States. Do you have any friends in their mid-30’s who have put their successful careers ‘on-hold’?” – Todd

I dealt with this by remembering that I’m are going to work until I die. The old idea of retirement doesn’t hold a candle anymore unless you get really rich! There’s no pensions. Moreover, why save the worst years for doing the best stuff? You can always find some job when you get back and more employers want employees who have lived life and experienced the world. I used to worry about this but the more I see employers looking for experience and the more common a career break becomes, the less I think this matters.

Go have fun. Don’t let some future “what if” keep you from living your dreams. You might find a new passion or career. Gary Vaynerchuk, the media mogul, always says his best motivation is remember he’s going to de. You’re going to die one day too so take all the chances and opportunities you have. Not even is lucky enough to be able to even think about quitting their job. You are. Do it! Go have fun!

“I live in the UK and with the debate currently raging about whether the country should leave the EU or not, my question is this. Would you rather have a head the size of a golf ball or feet the size of canoes –  and what are your reasons?” – Richard

I’m going to go with option C and say neither. I don’t want to shrink my brain and having feet that big would make it really hard to find shoes that fit. Plus, with feet that big, I’d never be able to sit on a plane comfortably!

“I am currently debating whether to travel before I go to university. Do you think it’s worth waiting until I’ve established myself more, or to go now? I’ve never been overseas before, and would be traveling by myself if I were to go.” – India

This is a question I get often by young travelers – do I put off school or wait to travel?  I think education is more important than ever and you should never, ever, ever, stop educating yourself. That being said, with university costing so much money, why waste money and time if you aren’t sure of what you are going to do yet? If you have an idea of what you want to study, have a scholarship, or just want some more time “growing up,” I say go to school. You can always travel later. Don’t waste a chance to get educated. And, if you don’t like it, you can always go back. But if you have no idea what you want, maybe delay a year and go work or travel. Don’t waste money on school when you don’t know what you are there. I wrote about this subject in detail here.

“If you could have one superpower for a day, what would that be and why?” – Franco

I would like the power to teleport anywhere in the world. I’d visit a lot of out of the way places in that short period of time! I suspect this was a pretty obvious answer!

“How do you publish your books? I am thinking of all the practical stuff, when you (almost) have your manuscript for a (travel) book ready.  Do you send the manuscript to a company or how does it work, when you want a book ‘out there?’” – Michael

The book publishing process was a bit different for me. I had a publisher come directly to me with an offer for How to Travel the World on $50 a Day. I didn’t have to pitch it elsewhere. Once we worked out the contract details, I submitted the draft about 6 months later and then it went through two rounds of edits before being sent off to printing.

For my upcoming second book (a travel memoir), the process will be a bit different. Since I don’t already have an offer, I’ll need to write a book proposal outlining what the book is about and my plans to promote it. I’ll submit that to my current publisher as they have the first rights to it and, then based on that, I can either accept or take the offer to other publishers to see what their offer could be. After I accept an offer (if I get one), then the writing process is the same.

“Are you happy? What do you think about happiness?” – Assunta

Happiness is a state of mind. I’m pretty happy with my life. I have no real complaints and have it pretty easy. Is it perfect? No, but what life is ever perfect and what really is perfect anyways? I don’t want perfection. I want every day to be better than the last!

“If you could time travel to any time and place on earth, when & where would you go? And why? Top 3 choices.” – Sarah, Rod, and Laneen

The first one would be 1920s Paris so I could live out all my jazz age dreams with Hemmingway, Fitzgerald, Picasso, and all the other amazing artists of the day.  The second era would be Colonial America because I studied that time period in school and would be really interested to see what was really going through people’s minds about independence then!  Lastly, I would probably time travel to ancient Rome. The Romans were far more technologically advanced than we give them credit for and I would love to explore the ancient streets of Rome.

“I’ve want to travel more but I am afraid to travel alone or only with female friends. I don’t want to be paranoid but you always hear in the news women being raped, backpackers getting beat up, or killed.  Any tips on which destinations are good for backpacking beginners?” – Zoé 

I can only offer limited advice, as I’m not a woman, but fortunately, Kristin Addis writes a regular column here about female travel and even wrote a book called Conquering Mountains, which is about getting over the fears and misconceptions about traveling solo as a woman.

To the larger issue of travelers being in danger, I don’t think travelers are in any greater danger than their home country (unless maybe you live in Iceland or Japan where crime is a rarity). That’s not to say bad stuff doesn’t happen for no reason but it’s not as common as the news makes it out to be and there is usually more to the story.

“Do you subscribe to the idea that we should make decisions based off our emotions? Or, do you think we should ignore our emotions, and be rational? Or is it even possible to do one without the other?” – Adam

Deep. I think it’s complicated and intertwined. You can’t escape your emotions no matter how rational you think your decision is. If people only made decisions based on reason, the world would be a lot different but humans are an emotional and irrational bunch. Our emotions always guide our decisions not matter what. In the end, I think you should do what makes you happy and brings you the most joy in life (as long as you don’t hurt anyone else).

“For a man who has traveled the world, why did you decide to settle in Austin, Texas? If I remember correctly, you are originally an American, so why would you after all that traveling decide to stay in your home country?” – Robert, Lisa and Najwa

I moved to Austin for a couple of reasons: I opened a hostel with a friend and I wanted to get more involved in that; I have a number of business contacts here; I have a number of friends here; and I was looking to get out of NYC for a little and move to a smaller, quieter place where I could work, sleep, and develop more positive habits.

At this point in my life, I’m excited to spend more time at home with friends and family and not looking to restart a new life in another country right now. I just want to relax. I wrote more about my move here.

“I am starting a blog. Since you are one of my favorite bloggers, I want to get your opinion: some people say go niche while others say blog about lifestye.  Do you have an opinion or advice on this topic?” – Barbara 

It depends on what your long term goals are – hobby? Profession? Side income? The more narrow a blog can be, the easier time it will have being heard above the noise. That being said, there are a lot of personality-driven lifestyle blogs. There’s no right or wrong way to blog – you just need to find the style that best suits your needs.

Start a blog and blog about whatever you want and figure it out along the way!

You can read more of my advice in this post.

“My question is regarding how I handle insurance.  I’m confused about how to manage the United States mandatory health insurance laws while I’m attempting to travel long-term.” – Joseph

This is a common question. You need to have US health insurance if you are in the States for 330 days in a calendar year. I don’t know how long your trip is but I would say if you are going for a year or so, not to worry about until you come back.

“What’s your biggest fear right now? How has it changed from before you started blogging full-time?” – Ethan

My biggest fear is of dying in a plane crash. I’m terrified of flying. The idea of falling for 20 seconds scares me to death. Other than that, I’m also afraid of snakes.

“What are some difficulties you have faced or seen related to love and relationships while on the road?” – Nati

Being on the road long-term can make relationships difficult. I know lots of people who find love on the road. You meet people all the time and it’s very easy to fall in love but eventually someone has to go home (unless you are both digital nomads and can travel forever) so someone else has to make the decision to follow or not. That’s not an easy decision to make. It happens though. I just haven’t found it yet.

“I’ll be making a trip to Amsterdam this November. I was wondering if you have any must-see places in Amsterdam and possibly Brussels too.” – Brian 

All my tips for both places can be found in my (free) destination guides. Here‘s the one for Amsterdam and here‘s the one for Brussels.

“How do you deal with language barriers when you don’t have technology and things like Google translate on your phone?” – Laneen and Carrie

Pantomime. Seriously. While basic English is pretty much understood in most places tourists go, when you are really pressed for luck, pantomime. I had a friend cluck like a chicken in Laos and I went “choo choo” in Ukraine to get the taxi to go to the train station. People want to help. You just have to let them. I’m lucky in that I speak English as a first language but even if you don’t remember that most human interaction is nonverbal so work on using gestures and symbols to get your point across!

“Why is it rude in some places to switch the fork + knife between hands after you cut your food?” – Jordan

I have no idea. I didn’t even know this was a thing. If anyone knows, please share in the comments!

****

That’s it for round one! I’ll have the second batch of questions I got in a few weeks! Feel free to leave any in the comments too! Always happy to answer questions!

P.S. – In case you missed it, if you are looking to get into travel video, I just launched a new course with two big travel Youtubers! You can learn how to make amazing videos by clicking here!

The post Reader Mail: Answering Your Questions! appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

July 07, 2016 at 02:12PM

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