contents

03 introduction

06 the short list

finding the best 07 flights

11 accommodations

14 navigating around

planning/finding 16 things to do

19 travel hacking

making friends all 20 over

pictures/travel 22 photography intro duct ion

By Kristen Noelle, for You don't have to be rich to travel well. You find thrills not only in dreaming up new places to visit, but in actually taking the steps to make those epic trips happen.

That elation you feel when a new flight ticket is copped, especially when you’ve scored big on the fare? The smile that spreads across your face when you’ve booked a beautiful hidden gem of a hotel with a rooftop view? The bursts of excitement you get when you read about all the wonderful things to do in the city you’re getting ready to visit? Priceless.

There’s an allure to the process of creating travel plans -- the element of anticipation -- that helps make the travel experience itself even more sweet. The cherry on top is the confidence you feel as your savvy jetsetting skills level up a notch.

There’s no secret sauce I’ve cooked up for traveling the world. I haven’t discovered a pot of gold or otherwise run into any fortune to make passport stamps possible.

4 PeachesBeachesAndUrbanistas.com I have good ol’ technology to thank for being able to see and experience many places on a relatively limited budget (including my most recent adventure: 8 months living overseas and making memories in 5 countries throughout Asia).

I’ve been traveling on my own (aka without mommy there to plan and book everything) for 6 years now; over the years I’ve used a bunch of nifty tools, websites, and apps to bring my travel dreams to life. Below is a comprehensive list of my favorites.

While you're young, you should travel - take the time to see the world and taste the fullness of life.

My travel style varies from budget to comfortable depending on the trip. I’m not quite a penny- pinching backpacker, and also not yet a luxury traveler. It’s fair to say I fall somewhere in between. These resources are for both long and short term travelers with various budgets and locales in mind. If you want to travel more often with minimal barriers, and have kick-ass times gallivanting across the world (who doesn’t!?), there is something here for you!

5 PeachesBeachesAndUrbanistas.com the short list

1. GoogleFlights 11. HostelWorld.com 2. TheFlightDeal.com 12. Maps.Me 3. Hopper.com 13. Turo.com 4. .com 14. GoogleTranslate 5. Rome2Rio.com 15. My Currency 6. .com / Converter .com 16. Trippy.com 7. AirBnB.com 17. Destination specific 8. TripAdvisor.com apps 9. .com 18.Travel blogs 10. TravelPony.com 19. Chase Sapphire Preferred 20. Travel communities 21.Flickr Finding the Best Flights

1 . I always visit Google Flights first when I begin looking up flight tickets to any destination to compare prices by airline. You can typically find the best price points available.

I also love using the “Explore Map” function to see how much it is to fly to different locations. I can compare fares going to any city in one region (i.e. North America) or simply anywhere in the world, and pick a destination based on where I get the best bang for my buck for specific travel dates.

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2 . The Flight Deal Just seeing deals like $225 roundtrip flights from California to New Zealand and $403 from New York City to Iceland AND London makes my wanderlust-filled heart jump for joy.

Those long sought after fantasy trips? Totally attainable. TheFlightDeal lists good sales and unbelievable flight glitches from US cities daily. I suggest bookmarking your city’s page, making it your homepage, and/or subscribing to the fare alerts to keep an eye on deals each day. When you see a flight price that's too irresistible to resist, jump on it quickly! The best deals only last for a couple hours, or just a couple days if you’re lucky.

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3 . Hopper Huge Hopper fan here! Hopper is an iPhone and Android app that advises you when to travel and when to book your ticket, based on price predictions. Select your ‘To’ & ‘From’ airports, and view the calendar to see the most inexpensive dates to fly. Save the trip to your profile, and Hopper will notify you if you should buy a flight ticket now, or if you should wait because prices are expected to go down. In my experience, Hopper’s predictions are usually on point. If it tells you “buy now, fares are expected to increase,” you better believe ‘em.

It’s great to use if your vacation time/travel dates are flexible.

4. Momondo

Momondo is a solid travel site to head to for booking flights. It offers some of the best air fares you’ll find. (The web design geek is fanning over how nice its website and user experience design is. It’s modern and functions really well. Kudos Momondo!)

4 PeachesBeachesAndUrbanistas.com 9 Finding the Best Flights

Momondo also has a cool Trip Finder feature that you can use to find trips based on budget, destination, and/or travel style.

5. Rome2Rio Rome2Rio reveals how to get anywhere in the world from where you are, along with approximate trip costs, distance, and travel time. Whether it’s by plane, train, bus, car, or ferry, Rome2Rio knows exactly which way to go. I only recently discovered this site, but it’s one of the most helpful.

4 PeachesBeachesAndUrbanistas.com 10 Finding the Best Flights

6 . Orbitz and Expedia Orbitz and Expedia have been two of my long time go-to sites for finding both flights and hotels. I grouped them together because I find their offerings to be pretty similar. I still use these sites often and build up my account points whenever I book with either site.

Accomodations

7. AirBnB

It’s no secret that I love using AirBnB, especially for group trips. I like finding convenient, cozy, and inexpensive apartments on AirBnB that end up providing more value than hotels. I usually opt for “entire apartment/home” when searching for a new spot so that I have private space, but you can also stay with a host to save money and interact with a local.

I stayed with AirBnB hosts in Tokyo, Japan, and in Ubud, Bali, which both rewarded me memorable and authentic local experiences.

4 PeachesBeachesAndUrbanistas.com 11 Accomodations

8. TripAdvisor

Never book a hotel without checking the reviews on TripAdvisor first! I also use TripAdvisor frequently to find good eats and discover cool gems or things to do.

9. Agoda

Agoda is similar to all of my other favorite hotel booking sites, with some of the best hotel deals found all over the world.

It's especially popular for Asian travel. Agoda lists several hotels not found on any other hotel booking site, so if you’re traveling through Asia, definitely check it out.

10. Travel Pony

TravelPony is known for offering lower hotel prices than its big-business competitors and showing price comparisons for multiple other travel sites. Becoming a member who can view its hotel deals is as easy as creating an account or signing up with your Facebook profile.

4 PeachesBeachesAndUrbanistas.com 12 Accomodations

11. Hostel World

HostelWorld is the absolute best resource for both backpackers and budget travelers who still have their needs when it comes to resting your head at night.

I got spoiled by my first hostel experiences in Europe thanks to scouting HostelWorld. I found top-rated ones that were conveniently located, clean, and cute. Over 5 hostel stays later, I haven’t had a bad experience yet. Here in Asia, there are a ton of ~$10/night gems.

My HostelWorld Tips:

Look only through hostels with 85% or higher satisfaction rates & reviews. Try finding hostels where the bunk beds come with a privacy curtain. Book dorms that sleep 6-8 people max. Decide whether you want to stay in a party/social hostel or a more laid back spot. Each hostel has its own vibe, so read the reviews to determine which scene is for you. Make sure the hostel comes with storage space and a locker for your valuables! (You may have to bring your own lock.) Note whether the hostel allows full kitchen access. You can store food and cook as you wish at many hostels. If you’re interested in the social aspect of hostel life but still desire privacy, check out hostels with private bedrooms.

4 PeachesBeachesAndUrbanistas.com 13 Navigating Around

12. Maps.Me

Stress no more about navigating around a foreign country with no wifi. This iPhone/Android app allows you to save maps of countries, cities, and towns to your phone offline.

It’s been so useful for traveling through countries where I didn’t have phone service. Google Maps may not have worked, but my offline maps did. Maps.Me maps are loaded with details and directions that make it simple for finding your hotel, restaurant or an attraction/point of interest on the go.

13. Turo (RelayRides)

When I didn’t have a car in LA, and when Enterprise Rent-A-Car tried to hit me with a bunch of surprise fees in Hawaii, RelayRides was there to save the day. This company has since been rebranded and renamed to Turo, and from what I can tell, they’re bringing more and more value to the car rental industry.

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Turo works similarly to AirBnB, except with cars. Individuals can rent out their vehicles at prices and available dates set by themselves. Turo’s fancy & well put together promo clip highlights the human touch/trust appeal of connecting with people 1-on-1, rather than a big company, as its main draw. It’s a dignified idea, but I can only vouch strictly for the practical benefits: it's cheaper, more convenient, and way more simple of a process than using traditional rental car companies.

14. Google Translate

Since I decided to move to a country without knowing even 10% of the language, having the Google Translate app on my phone has been super clutch on quite a few occasions. I’ve used it to ask questions, translate menus (by using its text recognition feature via photo), and give locations/directions to non-English-speaking taxi drivers. *Note that it only works with an internet connection.*

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15. My Currency Converter

This app lets you select two currencies to convert. It’s regularly updated to show live currency conversion rates.

Having this or any other good currency conversion tool handy on your phone's home screen is key during international travel.

Planning / Finding Things to Do

16. Trippy.com

Trippy is my ish! It’s a community-driven, travel Q&A site where you can learn straight-to-the- point info about any destination under the sun. Wondering what you should do in Denver? Where to find the best brunch in Hong Kong? Best way to get around in Bangkok? Ask questions on Trippy for locals and travelers to answer with their advice, and browse through various Q&As for whichever city you’re visiting. I’ve picked up lots of tips simply browsing through, that I hadn't even knew to look for! 4 PeachesBeachesAndUrbanistas.com 16 Planning / Finding Things to Do

17. Destination specific apps

For every country and major city of the world, there are smartphone apps dedicated solely to that locale. The right apps can help you find out the area’s most noteworthy and useful information.

The Thailand-specific apps I have, for example, give common Thai phrases, insider tips about how to reach certain places around the country and avoid scams, and currency conversions. When I went to Hawaii, I used an app called “Oahu Top 5 Guide” to learn helpful info about the people of Hawaii, its history, and a score of the island’s top 5s: top 5 restaurants, bars, clubs, cafes, museums, must do activities, and so on. Very clutch.

Travel is the healthiest addiction

4 PeachesBeachesAndUrbanistas.com 17 Planning / Finding Things to Do

18. Travel Blogs

Another favorite place to dig for travel info (general or destination-specific) is on travel blogs. Good bloggers share in-depth, honest, and personal travel stories and tips, whereas articles from big publications can often come off as colorless (lacking the juice, overly sales-y, no personal touch). My go-to bloggers are like my trusty jetset gurus/pretend friends -- full of spunk, humor, insightful first-hand travel accounts/photos, and flavorful writing styles.

Where to find good travel articles

Google searches, i.e. “Capetown travel blog” BackpackMe travel blog search TravelBlog search

A few of my go-to bloggers

Alex in Wanderland The Blog Abroad Oneika the Traveller

4 PeachesBeachesAndUrbanistas.com 18 Travel Hacking

19. Chase Sapphire Preferred

Interested in learning more about how to use credit card points to finesse free flights on top of free flights? If so, I’m with ya. I’m thrilled about my recent first “hacking” win.

Just before moving to Asia, I got a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. With no international fees and 2x points on travel and dining, it’s been praised by many as an ideal card to secure for travelers. Chase awards 50,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months -- equalling $625 in travel rewards. Using my bonus rewards, I was able to book my flight from Thailand back home to DC for just $77.

Travel hacking can be very tedious (and dangerous if you don’t pay off your cards right away). But if you’re dedicated to learning how master it, you can enjoy free flights aplenty like a boss.

My blogger friend Meriam wrote a 3 part series for beginner travel hackers; check it out to figure it out.

4 PeachesBeachesAndUrbanistas.com 19 Making Friends All Over

20. Travel Communities

Joining various travel communities has opened my world and allowed me to meet all kinds of people to share experiences with on the road -- especially while traveling solo. Make it a point to make friends, seek out information from, or meet up for lunch with locals and fellow travelers next time you visit a new place. Pick at least one community to be active in and flourish from there.

I’m a member of Travel Noire District and I’m so thankful for meeting several special people in Thailand and in Bali through this community!

Where to find travel communities

Do your Googles! What kind of traveler are you? For example, see what a search for “Solo 20s Travelers” or “Family Travel Community” yields. Social Media - Many travel communities exist via Facebook group. I’m part of “Chiang Mai Digital Nomads” and “Black Women Travelers.” They have been great places not only for meeting people, but for accessing 4 PeachesBeachesAndUrbanistas.com 20 Making Friends All Over

resources, asking and answering questions, and finding out about cool stuff. Also, check Instagram hashtags. Travel communities have been booming on the Gram lately. Meetup.com TravBuddy.com Couchsurfing (Events) - I’ve never actually couchsurfed with a stranger, but I have found group activities to join through Couchsurfers’ events section. I found an opportunity to volunteer at an orphanage in Chiang Mai on Couchsurfers. In Singapore, I went to a yoga class and ended up meeting a really sweet local. She took me exploring on an island the next day and took me to get my eyebrows threaded -- we had a grand time. :)

4 PeachesBeachesAndUrbanistas.com 21 Pictures / Travel Photography

21. Flickr

I LOVE using Flickr to store my photos -- especially when my phone and Macbook are constantly on my case with “storage full” notifications.

With Flickr, I can unload my pictures and always have access to them as long as I have internet connection. You can make some albums public, others private, and share photo album links with friends & family. I use Flickr in addition to my portable hard drive, where I also dump my photos. It’s good to utilize physical storage in case Flickr mysteriously bites the dust one day, or for when you’re disconnected from internet.

My travel photography tools:

Canon T3, purchased used on Amazon after my Canon T3i got stolen in Vegas, along with a 28mm lens (sometimes 50mm) and iPhone 6 camera

I edit my photos most often using the iPhone camera’s buil- in editing tools, the ‘Camera+’ phone app, or the PhotoScape X app on my Macbook. I have Photoshop as well, but I rarely use it for photo editing (mainly just graphic design).

Every now and then, I use the VideoShop app to put together jazzy little compilations of my travel clips. VideoShop is super simple to use for non- video editors and those who dream of becoming great vloggers one day but just haven’t gotten around to it yet. There’s nothing like some good footage to really bring the imagery to life.

4 PeachesBeachesAndUrbanistas.com 22 thank you! Hope these tools, tips, sites, and apps help make all of your future travel wonderful.

Head over to Peaches, Beaches, & Urbanistas to check out more tips and travel stories. I would love to hear any of your favorite resources too.

Care to share? If you enjoyed this, please feel free to pass it along (so all of your friends can travel GOOD, too).

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