Influencity 2019: 10 Wanderlust’s Tips to Mastering the Art of Budget Backpacking
Hi! I’m Vivomigsgee and I’m gonna take you to the world of budget backpacking!
You’re probably reading this right now because you chance upon my article when googling for “budget backpacking”, right? Assuming! LOL! Kidding aside, I bet you love to travel on a budget as well, don’t you? Whether you’re a veteran budget backpacker who is probably knowledgeable about all these stuff or someone who is totally brand new to the world of budget backpacking, then this article may be useful for you.
Disclaimer: I used all the photos in this article during my presentation in Influenctiy 2019: A Wanderlust’s Fair last August 18, 2019 at Ayala Center Cebu. So if you missed it, then fret not ‘coz I’m sharing these tips with you.
So what is budget backpacking? Is it as simple as this formula?
budget + backpack = budget backpacking
Close enough! To answer the question, budget backpacking is exploring the world with a backpack while spending the bare minimum. It deals with traveling light both in baggage and monetary considerations.
Not all travels are the same. Some people prefer to go on a luxurious vacation, while others love to travel light. The way we travel is a preference – save or splurge – it’s all up to you. This just means that backpacking is a choice. Becoming an expert in the mystical art of budget backpacking is a skill.
Traveling can be expensive, there is no doubt about that. When you start looking at flight prices and hotel rooms it really seems a bit out of reach. Good thing, there are many ways to save money for travel. For many of us who loves to travel around but on a limited budget, I will give pointers on how to stretch your peso and make your trip work even with limited spending money. Here are 10 budget travel tips which will help you stay on the road for longer and become the master of budget backpacking!
10 Tips to Mastering The Art of Budget Backpacking
1. Travel in “Off” Season
When planning your trip, you might find these words mentioned: High (Peak) Season / Low Season / Off-Peak Season.
High Season for Cebu, for example, is around the time of certain festivals like Sinulog. It’s also high season when it’s Summer because the weather is generally good and schools are out. This makes it the perfect time for families to get out and travel. Unfortunately this causes the flight prices and accommodation prices to increase drastically. On the other hand, Low Season is usually the start of the second half of the year when constant rains will dominate, where seas are rough and in some countries where there is icy cold and dry winter, so it may not be as appealing to some people. Since these are not ideal conditions prices drop on flights and accommodation during this time period to encourage people to visit.
And there’s Shoulder Season or Off Season. For example, South Korea’s distinct seasons. The summer period from June to August sees hot and humid weather, where less influx of visitors are expected compared to the “cherry blossoms” season during Spring or “Fall foliage” season during Autumn. This is usually the best time to visit to get the best deals on flights, accommodations and tours, ‘coz the tourist attractions are not crowded, weather is not that bad or certain tours may be running regularly.
2. Watch out for Seat Sale Promos
Another budget travel tip is to watch out for seat sale promos. As flight costs comprise a significant percentage of the total travel expenses, it’s best to pre-purchase them before the actual travel date to score cheaper airfares. As flight prices to a specific destination varies among airlines, you can use these sites (Google Flights or Skyscanner) to track prices for you flights.
In the Philippines, the best low-cost airline that offers cheap flights to local and international destinations is Cebu Pacific Air. As a personal experience, scoring cheap fares to Japan, South Korea, China and even Australia for as low as Php 1 airfare is as easy as 1, 2, 3. This is not a scam. Here’s how to effectively score insanely cheap flights during seat sale promos.
3. Consider Alternatives to Hotels
Ditch the overpriced hotels and stay in budget accommodation. There are alternative to hotels that actually cost nothing or a fraction of hotel’s cost.
- Camping – if you love the outdoors, bring a tent with you and camp-out over the stars – that’s the most luxurious feeling in the world. And it’s totally free!
- Hostels – Hostels varied from 4 bed dorm with a private shower to 6 bed dorm with communal showers. All of these places were clean and well kept with pleasant and helpful staff. Bonus if you’re a solo traveler, hostels are a great way to meet new people so you have company on your adventures!
- Couchsurfing- Connect with locals and stay at their homes free of charge. Some of the best experiences I have had on the road have been through Couchsurfing and I thoroughly recommend it to anybody who is travelling on a budget.
- AirBnB Accommodation -Not all hotels are overpriced. Booking through AirBnB is one of top tips for scoring low-budget yet epic rooms. AirBnB not has only hotels in its search engine, you can also book apartments, guest houses and B&Bs at a cheaper price.
- Homestays – In a place where there is no commercial development, one should not expect a hotel, you may stay at a house and sleep on their dedicated rooms for a fee. There’s no fix fee but it’s up to you on how much you want to offer the owner in exchange of the sleepover. Read our homestay and camping experience here: CARNAZA ISLAND
4. Use Public Transport
The best budget travel tip for getting around other countries while travelling would be to use public transport. If you have all the time to tour around, walking may be the best choice – healthy alternative and it’s for FREE. But once you go around the city or to other cities, travelling by train is almost the cheapest way to go. Subways and metro lines are good options to save especially when having a “Do-It-Yourself” trip. Read how I commuted around Shanghai, China for 24 hours for less than Php 500 here: SHANGHAI TRAVEL GUIDE
Overnight buses could even be better in some cases because you can save money on accommodation for that night, say an overnight bus from Osaka to Fukuoka worth Php 1,500 and save up to Php 3,000 for accommodation! These modes are your cheapest option outside of walking.
5. Shop in Moderation: Travel Light
Travelling light saves you money. More and more airlines are now charging passengers hefty fees in excess of baggage allowance. So get a good carry-on bag or a backpack and learn to pack light. Less stuff to carry means its easier to move around. You can walk further with just your backpacks on than you could dragging a suitcase.
In relation to traveling light, shop in moderation. Don’t take what you don’t need or simply buy pasalubong enough for you to carry. I’ve learned this the hard way. I almost paid an extra baggage fee in Taiwan when I bought many goodies. Trust me, the extra weight will cost you more than your purchases, especially when it’s unnecessary ‘coz anything you need can be bought cheaply when you arrive.
6. Eat Local Foods
Stay far away from touristy restaurants and instead go down a few blocks and eat where the locals do. Try foods that locals eat. When visiting Batanes for example, drop by at Vunong at Jessica’s Place and gorge on all the delicious and healthy meal – vunong. Vunong is an Ivatan traditional food wrapped in kabaya leaf (from tipuho plant that is endemic in Batanes). If you’d like to experience traditional Ivatan way of life, try Jessica’s Place ‘coz it promotes simple living and customary eating with bare hands without costing you a lot. See vunong experience here: BATANES
Another tip is to book accommodation with free breakfast to save on your meals. When booking a tour, also make sure that lunch is also included so that you can save on such meal. So in a day, all you need to spend is for dinner. This travel hack will save your food expenses a lot.
7. Travel in Groups
What’s good about travelling in groups such as a vacation trip with your family or friends is the opportunity to allocate the expenses to the number of people in your group.
For example, in an accommodation worth Php 2,000 per night (good for 4 pax only) can be divided into 6 pax without additional cost. Instead of paying Php 500 per night, you will only pay Php 1,000 for 3 nights (Php 500 savings).
See our Family Vacation at Coron here: 5D4N Coron DIY Travel Guide
8. Take advantage of Travel Fairs
Experience the wonders of the world by visiting the travel fairs in Cebu with thousands of discounted travel deals. Holidaymakers around the region flocked to the travel expo venue to enjoy big savings to fave travel destinations with value laden tour packages, irresistible airfares and hotels and resort staycation packages.
With different exhibitors participating in various travel fairs conducted by travel organizers on different months, budget backpacking is totally within your reach for Cebuanos. During the ITF 2019, for example, I took advantage of Japan Tourist Visa promo to save on the Visa processing fee. Discovery Tours, Inc. offers Japan Tourist Visa processing for only Php 500 (regular fee Php 1,500). It’s a “Pay Now, Apply Later Promo” so I can still apply a Japan Tourist Visa until July 2020. What a great deal, right?
See what’s in store for you during various travel expo here:
- International Travel Festival
- TOURS7 Travel Fair: Byahe Ta Bai
- Klook Invasion Cebu
- Influencity: A Wanderlust’s Fair
9. Upgrade your Trip with Discounted Travel Essentials
Get huge savings on travel experiences with the latest deals, promotions and discounts of travel-related apps. Pre-book your travel must-haves and activities anywhere you go with Asia’s Top Recommended Travel Platform – Klook!
If you are a first timer who will be visiting abroad soon, say for example South Korea, get an instant vacation upgrade with the best deals offered by Klook. To maximize your South Korea trip, book ahead the 4G LTE prepaid sim card (Php 272) and Discover Seoul Pass (Php 1,676) as it is highly recommended for first timers! Save the e-voucher upon cart check-out and make sure to claim them upon arrival.
Discounted rates to must-try local and international activities are totally legit! Book it! Klook it! Jump into my South Korea experience with Klook!
10. Join Budget Travel Communities
The last, but not the least, tip on how to master the art of budget backpacking is to join social media communities (e.g., Facebook Groups) that focused in traveling on a budget and backpacking hacks.
Through these groups, you’ll learn about the current trends in traveling light and budgeting based on personal experiences of thousands of travelers around the country. You can ask question and clarify some items not included in their posts. You can also share your experiences to those who’s looking for an answer or pointers. You can also gain friends with like-minded individuals that would benefit you both in your future travels.
Summary of Key Points
In conclusion, there’s no hard rule on budget backpacking. However, the following may be inferred from the above tips, to wit:
- Backpacking is a choice. Becoming an expert in the mystical art of budget backpacking is a skill.
- The great time to travel is now! Plan out your travel – from your preferred schedule, place and suggested itinerary.
- Stay in budget accommodation, eat local, utilize public vehicles and shop smart.
- Your travel buddies can make or break your trip. Do things together & spread the expenses to save.
- Discover ways to get huge savings by attending to travel fairs, booking discounted travel must-haves or by joining travel-related FB groups.
Do you agree with the above budget backpacking tips? Do you have any budgeting tip to add? Share your thoughts below.
