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Ideas for Budget Travelers in the UK

January 25, 2013 By Lauren

The UK’s expensive, right?

English countryside — Beautiful UK countryside, and it’s all free!

Wrong.

Okay, well, right a little. At the time of writing, $100 US dollars will get you about £63 British pounds. Those are the kinds of numbers that can make traveling in the UK seem prohibitive.

But here’s the catch – it doesn’t have to be.

If you want to go to the UK on a budget, all you need to do is think outside the box. It won’t be as cheap as, say, Southeast Asia, but if you’re careful, it doesn’t have to break the bank.

Transportation

The UK has some great transport links, which give the budget traveler some options. Always check the buses first, as they tend to be cheaper. Companies like Megabus or National Express are good ones to try. Rail networks are available all over the country, and you can save by buying a rail pass, especially if you qualify for a student discount. To get from the west coast of the UK to Northern Ireland, try taking a ferry instead of a flight.

Accommodation

By now, you’d have to be living under a rock not to know about hostels, the go-to for most explorers on a budget. Sick of hostels? How about camping? The UK has plenty of spots conducive to camping. For a small fee you can rent a space for a tent or campervan, often with shared power points, showers, and kitchen facilities.

Off the Beaten Path

England Wookey Hole — Wookey Hole, England. So THAT’S where King Kong ran off to.

Groan. What a generic phrase, right? Hear me out. As congested as the main cities of the UK can be (London, Edinburgh, or Belfast), there are rolling acres of countryside waiting to be explored. Ever hear of Cheddar, England? For £16.65 you can get a day pass to the beautiful Cheddar Gorges and Caves. Bring your own lunch and cut down on costs. Look into the places you haven’t heard of, like Wookey Hole in England. Get over to Wales, which is still overlooked on many itineraries.

Although it’s small, the UK is stuffed with history, landscapes, and charm. Besides acting as a hub for travelers into Europe, it’s a destination all of its own.

*This post was brought to you in association with Butlin’s*

Dealing With Travel Envy

December 17, 2012 By Lauren

I was scrolling down my news feed on Facebook when I saw a photo my sister had posted. She was on vacation with her boyfriend at a beach house in North Carolina, and the scene was pretty flawless:

Instantly, I was insanely jealous. I wanted to be at the beach house! I wanted a Corona on the deck!

The weird thing? I was in a hotel room on the shores of Lake Titicaca in Bolivia, as part of a four-month journey through South America. Some of my Facebook friends probably envied me.

The problem is, it keeps happening.

I read someone’s tweet about the fun they’re having in Europe, and the envy kicks in. Until I remember – wait, I’m uploading pictures from Peru.

Machu Picchu — Meanwhile, I’m posting pictures like this. I know. It’s messed up.

Sometimes it makes sense, like when I see friends in a tropical location wearing clean clothes, makeup, and sporting impossibly glossy hair. That, I can understand; I haven’t used a hair dryer in three months and I don’t consider my clothes dirty until I’ve worn them a minimum of six times.

Then my travel envy got worse. I started getting pangs of jealousy when I saw that people were in places I’d recently been. Places I’d just left a few weeks ago.

Once I thought about it, a few things became clear about the cause of my particular green-eyed monster:

I spend waaaay too much time on the Internet.
I’m a naturally jealous person, even though I don’t like to admit it.

But I also worked out the triggers.

#1: Friends and Family

I travel with my fiancé, and he is unfailingly my #1 choice for a travel partner. But I will always wish that we could share our travels with the people we love. When I see other people in front of the Eiffel tower with their friends, I wish that I could be on more trips with my friends, too – nothing beats meeting your friends and family in a location that is new to all of you.

#2: The End is Near

As for being jealous of people who were in places I’d just left? I figured that out, too. We’ve been on the road for 3 ½ months. In less than two weeks, I’ll be saying goodbye to South America. Even though it’s been a perpetual challenge, I’m sad to see this experience come to an end. So when I see other people on their own, similar adventure? I remember how it felt to be there and I miss it. Essentially, I’m jealous of myself.

Which is, admittedly, kind of twisted.

#3: Total Relaxation

Travel is not easy. You are forced to make multiple decisions on a daily basis: get in the dodgy-looking taxi or stay on the street as the sun is setting in an unfamiliar neighborhood? Stay in the dungeon-like hostel room with exposed wires over the showerhead or keep trudging around, looking for something better? Eat the mouthwatering street food and risk explosive diarrhea or go for the safe (but boring) supermarket option?

In short, travel is exhausting. So when I see the edited version of someone’s trip on Facebook, I envy the ease with which they’re conducting their vacation. Even if I know it can’t be carefree 100% of the time.

Fortunately, the prescription for dealing with travel envy is pretty simple.

First, log off of your computer, especially if you’re already traveling.

Then? Plan your next trip.

Maybe I’ll start by googling ‘beach houses in North Carolina’.

What causes YOUR travel envy?

Why Teach English in Korea?

November 16, 2012 By Lauren

The number one question I got when I told people I was going to teach English in Korea was this:

“Why Korea?”

Fair question. If you’d told me five years ago that I’d spend two years teaching in rural Korea, I’d have laughed at the suggestion. I knew nothing about Korea, and even less about teaching. But it happened, and here’s why.

Visas

I’m American, and my fiancé is Australian. At the time, we’d been dating for 2 years and we were running out of options – we wanted to live and work in the same country but we weren’t ready to get married and go through the visa rigmarole. I’d already worked in Australia for 1 year and it was near-impossible for him to come to the US. Korea was an appealing choice, because we were both eligible.

Couples' shirts in Korea — I promise that in Korea, matching t-shirts are okay. Our co-teachers gave us these ‘couples’ shirts’ as leaving gifts.

Eligibility

Most working holiday visas are limited to applicants between the ages of 18 – 30, but there is no such age restriction for teaching in Korea. All you need is a bachelor’s degree and a passport that shows you’re from one of seven English-speaking countries: the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, South Africa, or Ireland. As a college graduate from the US who was pushing 30, this was perfect for me.

Pay

Let’s not sugarcoat it: I needed the money. If I’d just wanted to break even on the cost of living, I’d have gone to Thailand or Central America. But I had a student loan to pay off, and I wanted to have some new experiences while I did it. South Korea has one of the highest pay rates for English teachers, starting at 1.8 million won per month. I had a TEFL certificate and a master’s in travel writing, which meant that my starting pay was 2.3 million won per month – about $2,100 USD.

Classroom in Korea — Something I didn’t plan for – the students, who were the best part of the job.

Benefits

My employer reimbursed me for my flights at a flat rate of 1.3 million won each way, as well as giving me a 300,000 won settlement allowance. For the first year, I got paid 2.3 million won on the 25^th of each month, plus an extra 100,000 a month as a ‘rural bonus.’ When I renewed for a second year, I got about 2.3 million won for severance pay and a 2 million won renewal bonus, plus I was bumped up to the next level on the payscale. Not to mention the five weeks’ vacation (which became seven weeks in the second year), the free housing, health care, and pension refund.

I’m fully aware that I will never have it that good again.

Ignorance

As I said, I knew nothing about Korea, and that was appealing. Yes, I knew that it was close to North Korea, but that didn’t deter me because here’s the thing: it’s not North Korea. It’s a small country full of scenery, culture, and generous people, and it’s really coming into its own as a tourist destination. Korea seemed just as random as Japan or China, so why not go to Korea? In the end, I couldn’t have made a better choice.

Andong, Korea — Another reason to choose Korea – excellent totem poles hidden in the forests.

Now for the disclaimer: I taught for EPIK (English Program In Korea) in Gangwon Province. Pay and benefits can vary widely depending on where you teach and what program you teach for. There are a huge variety of available teaching positions, from public schools to privately owned academies, and the application process can be very confusing. The eligibility criteria can change without warning, so do your research to make sure you know what to expect.

Budgeting for Japan

October 18, 2012 By Lauren

Indisputable Facts:

The sky is blue.

Water is vital for life.

Japan is expensive.

I’m not sure when I developed the opinion that Japan was an expensive place, but it happened well before I ever set foot in the country. When my fiancé and I planned an 8-day trip to Kyoto and Osaka, we were prepared to pay through the teeth and keep to a relatively tight budget. For the first time, I kept a detailed record of every dollar (or, in this case, yen) we spent. In reviewing the notes, I was surprised to find that it wasn’t outrageous, after all.

Here’s our budget breakdown for two people.

**Total cost for 9 days, 8 nights (excluding return transport from Korea)**:
¥104, 960 ($1336)

Food & Drink

Amount spent: ¥43,850 ($558)
Percentage of total: 42%

Food in Japan — Noodles for $8 at a random no-name restaurant in Kyoto. So good, we went back twice.

I was slightly embarrassed to realize that the bulk of our budget went towards food and drink, but then I thought about how much pleasure I get out of those things. Fun fact: we spent $30 on ice cream and $127 on beer, including a ¥6700 ($85) splurge on an all-you-can-eat-and-drink rooftop buffet. All of our breakfasts came from the supermarket, as did a handful of lunches and dinners. We went out for a few nice meals, but not many. Noodle shops were our savior for cheap, hearty meals with a bit of local personality thrown in.

Accommodation

Amount spent: ¥40,645 ($517)
Percentage of total: 38.5%

Four nights in a business hotel in Osaka cost us ¥16,645 ($212), while 4 nights in a traditional ryokan in Kyoto cost ¥24,000 ($305). Breakfast was not included at either place.

Transportation

Amount spent: ¥14,180 ($180)
Percentage of total: 13.5%

Trains to Shin-Osaka — Waiting at the platform in the Shin-Osaka train station.

This included trains, subways, buses, and bicycles. In Osaka, a single journey was roughly ¥250 ($3), but subway passes are available as well. We took return trains from Osaka to Nara and Osaka to Kyoto, both distances of under an hour. No fast trains for us, which would have considerably increased the amount spent on transport.

Entry Fees

Amount spent: ¥5,200 ($66)
Percentage of total: 5%

Bamboo garden Arashiyama, Kyoto — Many attractions were free, like the Bamboo Gardens in Arashiyama, Kyoto.

In Osaka, we paid for entry to Osaka Castle and the Open-air Farmhouse Museum. In Kyoto, we visited the Silver Pavilion, Golden Pavilion, Nijo Castle, and the mysterious womb stone at the Kiyomizu Temple (it cost ¥100 each and was 100% worth it). We got discounted entry at Osaka Castle for showing our 2-day subway pass, so check for discounts if you visit.

Miscellaneous

Amount spent: ¥1,085
Percentage of total: 1%

Broken Sandals in Nara — After this I got to limp/shuffle around Nara for a couple of hours until we found a store.

I brought one pair of sandals to Japan, and they blew out on the second day. First, I bought a pair of rubber flip-flops at the dollar store. They were worn through two days later, due to excessive walking and not, as my fiance insists, my heavy-footed walking style. I bought another pair of sandals at a shop in Kyoto, which lasted the rest of the trip. Lesson: In Japan, it’s hard to find a cheap pair of shoes that will fit a US size 10. Bring at least two pairs with you. My third miscellaneous purchase was a hand-drawn print of two geisha walking down an alley. It’s for my mom, but it’s been two months and I still have it. Oops.

Average per day for 2 people: approximately $150

It’s not exactly a shoestring budget, but it was affordable, especially over a short period of time. The key for us was to focus on a small region instead of trying to cover too much ground; we didn’t have the money or the time to see more.

In the end, I have to agree that Japan is expensive, but not prohibitively so; especially if you cut back on the ice cream and bring a sturdy pair of shoes.

Finding Job Satisfaction in a Strawberry Field

October 3, 2012 By Lauren

This is how I turned up for my first day of fruit picking:

In purple Capri pants, a black tank top, sunglasses and pigtail braids. The finishing touch was a trendy Billabong straw hat.

Let’s just say the farmer wasn’t exactly impressed.

Fruit picking in Australia is one of those things that backpackers do, so I hadn’t put much thought into it. How hard could it be? I turned up at the farm with a group from my hostel, including Alexa, my friend from home. Alexa and I were wearing matching hats.

Straw hats in Australia — The famous hats. It’s no wonder the farmer was disappointed to see us.

“Let me guess,” Farmer Wayne drawled, looking the two of us up and down. “You girls have never done this before.”

He had a fair point. The other pickers included a pair of Kiwi boys, both of whom bore a stunning resemblance to Jesus and didn’t look out of place in the strawberry field. There were two Japanese backpackers who were short on English but long on sense, because at least they’d managed to put on comfortable long-sleeved white shirts. Rounding out the pack was a Thai woman in her 40s, in long pants and sleeves, wearing a battered straw hat that very obviously had not been purchased the day before from a surf shop.

As the hours crawled by, I realized that Wayne was right to be skeptical.

We were terrible strawberry pickers. Terrible.

I couldn’t find a comfortable position. Should I bend from the waist? Crouch so I was level with the plants? Shuffle along on my knees? The downside to all of these options was 1) they were slow, and 2) they hurt.

It seems that I wasn’t as physically fit as I thought, despite being a spry 23 years old. The Thai woman was effortlessly kicking my ass, having adopted some sort of magical technique that involved floating along the rows and making the strawberries apparate into her basket as she drifted past.

I, meanwhile, was struggling with every step, avoiding frogs, recoiling at beetles, and growing increasingly convinced that I now understood what arthritis must feel like.

Koala at Blackbutt Nature Reserve, Newcastle, Australia — Even this koala could probably pick strawberries faster than me.

Wayne came to collect us at two o’clock and surveyed the day’s progress – punnets of strawberries stacked into the bed of a truck. Fortunately, he couldn’t tell who had been quick and who had been slow, but I suspect he had a fairly good idea.

He was all smiles as he paid each of the backpackers, with special words of kindness for the Thai woman. When he got to me and Alexa, the smile dropped from his face. Slowly, he counted out the $80 we’d each earned for our 8 hours of work.

“All right,” he said. “Youse can come back on Wednesday.”

It was as if he was doing us a favor. Which I suppose he was, because I was pretty desperate for work.

The ride home in the hostel van was quiet. We were all too exhausted to talk. My muscles were knotted in pain, to the point where it hurt just to be alive. There was a strip of vibrant sunburn on my lower back, where my ill-chosen tank top had ridden up each time I bent over. I was dirty, I was terrible at my job, and my boss thought I was city scum.

Yet somehow, despite all of that, it was one of the most satisfying 8 hours I’ve ever had.

Ideas for Budget Travelers in the UK