Who doesn’t like food? One of the things I look forward to the most while traveling, besides visiting UNESCO World Heritage Sites, is the wonderful array of things I can eat in other countries. Korean food does not disappoint with a wide variety of dishes at very affordable prices [mostly]. If you missed my list of top 5 favorite Korean foods, main dishes and snacks/street foods, go here and here (respectively). Here are another 5 dishes to fill up your stomachs.
If you are like me 10 years ago, the idea of traveling is very appealing to you, but you don’t know where to start. Maybe you surf the net looking at cool UNESCO World Heritage Sites, watch National Geographic and say, “some day,” or even talk to your friends and shoot around “dream vacation ideas.” When you get older, you realize that traveling, while easy in theory, takes some skill unless you are willing to fork over a bunch of money and have someone do it for you. You know, those “spend 7 days and 6 nights in the luxurious….for the low low price…” advertisements you see everywhere which are never really a ‘low low price.’ Most people kind of give up, and never really travel anywhere in their lives.
It is my hope that you are reading this because you want to know how to travel longer, more often, and with less money. Unfortunately, this is one of those things that they don’t teach in school (and they should), which is a shame for people who have a true, innate passion for traveling. This is a very basic guide on how to plan for a travel trip without breaking the bank, and with a few assumptions.
Assumption #1) You haven’t traveled ever, or maybe just once or twice.
Assumption #2) You are not rich, so you want so do this as cheaply as possible.
Assumption #3) You only have 1-2 weeks of travel vacation available due to your job or other responsibilities.
[This is part 1 of a 5 part series of travel planning skills for novices, beginners, intermediates, advanced, and experts]
While you’re on vacation, I understand that you are excited and aren’t exactly yourself. You might do things that you wouldn’t normally do, eat things that you wouldn’t normally eat, or even flare up a romance you wouldn’t normally go for. An expected part of traveling is taking risks and stepping out of your comfort zone in the attempt to understand another culture better, or of course, it could simply be to have fun. However, there are a few things that, as much as I think about it, I can’t seem to understand why anyone thought it was a good idea. Here are three stupid things people do in other countries:
1) Wear hideous clothes
Credit: www.thedailygreen.com
You are preparing for a trip, and while packing your bags, you come across some clothes that you received as a gift but Read more →
[ANNOUNCEMENT: This post was ORIGINALLY published with research and not first hand experience. I have since visited Machu Picchu and am now updating this post to reflect a more accurate guide.]
[Updated 8/18/2013]
A friend of mine recently asked me how I booked our upcoming trip to Machu Picchu and I thought it would be an excellent topic for a bonus post (aside from the ones I post every three days). I am going on the assumption that you already know what Machu Picchu is, but if you don’t, go here. Here is a guide on how to get to Machu Picchu.
Considering that it is one of the most famous sites in the world, it is surprisingly not as straight forward as you would assume. Here are the steps that you should follow:
This Great Wall Guide is not flashy (read: no pictures). It is a thorough guide (read: many maps) on how to get into Beijing, see the great wall like a local, avoid the tourist traps, and do it as cheaply and efficiently as possible. Since I already wrote a review on the great wall, this is strictly a guide, and not an opinion or evaluation. I wrote the bulk of this article two years ago, using my own personal experience traveling with a Chinese person, and referencing many expats and locals. The biggest contribution came from the great wall forum, the single best resource for people who would like to see the wall without the crowds.
I) Before going to China (visas):
China is one of the few countries that require visas for everyone ahead of time as it is the most visited country in the world (believe it or not). This means that you must plan for China earlier than most other countries. Getting a visa is relatively simple, but not cheap if you’re American.
1) If you live in the US: You must go to the Chinese Embassy nearest you, and follow the instructions on this website: Chinese Embassy. [Cost: ~$150 for US citizens, otherwise ~$30] The prices continuously go up, so you might have to pay a little more than this. The prices quoted are for single entry visas.
