Rolf Potts's Blog, page 113

Special December 2011 fares for multi-stop tickets on BootsnAll

Trying to figure out how much a RTW trip is going to cost is one of the biggest hurdles for potential long-term travelers. There are so many factors to consider when you first sit down to tackle that travel budget.

Are you going to buy a RTW plane ticket or point to point tickets? Hotels, hostels, or couchsurfing? Street food, cooking your own, or restaurants? Overland travel or budget flights? The decisions on any of these could have a major effect on your RTW budget.

While all these factors have an impact on how much you will spend, when you are planning a trip of this magnitude, the most important part is being honest with yourself. It's crucial to be realistic about what type of traveler you are. If you really don't like sleeping in the same room with others, then you probably don't want to budget for hostel dorms. If you've never taken an overnight bus or train trip before while traveling, you may want to test it out first before budgeting for overland travels for your entire trip. If you know that you'll go crazy without an occasional nice meal out at a restaurant, then build in extra money for those splurges.

The biggest expense on your trip is most likely going to be your airfare. You may want to start keeping an eye on special RTW plane ticket fares. BootsnAll has monthly deals that can take you all over the world, so be sure to check out the following deals, which are good through December 31, 2011:

Far and Wide: Los Angeles – Nadi (Fiji) – Auckland – Bangkok – Paris – London – Los Angeles from US$2249 plus taxes
Only in South America: Miami – Bogota – Lima – La Paz – Santiago – Buenos Aires – Sao Paulo – Miami  from US$1539 plus taxes
Where in the World: New York – Windhoek – Madrid – Kuala Lumpur – Zurich – Bridgetown – New York from US$3190 plus taxes

 

If you are looking for something a little different in your round the world trip, then start planning your trip of a lifetime with our RTW trip planner And don't forget to sign up for BootsnAll's RTW newsletter, delivering special deals, RTW trip planning advice, and resources via email every single month. They also have a new Facebook fan page and Twitter page, so be sure to like and follow those to keep up to date on all your RTW travel needs.

Making hostel booking social

Intro video for inbed.me

Over the years, there have been several attempts to combine travel and social networking.  The latest on the scene is inbed.me (that name is just asking for double entendres).

The idea is to solve the problem of that first-night loneliness in a new hostel.  You've just arrived, and all the previous guests have formed their cliques, so you don't have anyone to talk to.  With inbed.me, you can connect to travelers who will be at that hostel before you arrive.  By reading their profiles, you can find common interests and make plans to hang out.  Ideally, you land in a new hostel with some ready-made friends.

It is a cool idea. I tested it out by entering a few cities: Taipei, San Francisco, and Bangkok.  Your mileage may vary, but I often only saw one traveler in each hostel.  Since the site is so new, I think travelers haven't widely adopted it yet.  If the site gains a bigger audience, then it would become more useful.  Something to keep an eye on.

What do you think of this idea?  Do you know similar websites that do a better job?  Please share your thoughts in the comments.

The exotic need not be far away

"Two or three hours' walking will carry me to as strange a country as I expect ever to see. A single farmhouse which I had not seen before is sometimes as good as the dominions of the King of Dahomey."

–Henry David Thoreau, "Walking" (1862)

Vagabonding Case Study: The Siracusas

Name

thesiracusas.com

Age: 35 (Emanuele), 30 (Romana)

Hometown: Siracusa, Sicily, Italy (Emanuele) and Torres Vedras, Portugal (Romana)

Quote: "Every place has a story to tell, you only need enough openness and intellectual curiosity to uncover these stories and delve into them. There are no uninteresting places, only uninterested travellers."

How did you find out about Vagabonding, and how did you find it useful before and during the trip?

We read Rolf's book a couple of years ago and then re-read parts of it from time to time a few months before the trip. It was a great, motivating read, it helped us bring out our adventurous spirit and put our ideas and thoughts about life into words. After reading the book we became more and more aware of the lifestyle we want to achieve. While on the road we checked the blog from time to time also.

How long were you on the road? 8 and half months

Where all did you go?

India, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, California… and then back to Europe, back home…

What was your job or source of travel funding for this journey?

Emanuele was an instructional designer, and spent his days designing eLearning courses, while Romana was leading a customer service team for a global brand. We both saved as much as we could during the couple of years before the trip – we basically made three different budgets: 1) pre-trip expenses, 2) travel expenses, 3) post-trip buffer. We also have a blog post with our and tell us a little about yourself.

Difficult travel is often the most enriching

"'Don't go there,' the know-it-all, stay-at-home finger-wagger says of many a distant place. I have heard it my whole traveling life, and in almost every case it was bad advice. In my experience these maligned countries are often the most fulfilling. I am not saying they are fun. For undiluted jollification you bake in the sun at Waikiki with a mai tai in your fist, or eat lotuses on the Cote d'Azur. As for the recognition of hard travel as rewarding, the feeling is mainly retrospective, since it is only in looking back that we see how we have been enriched."

–Paul Theroux, "Why We Travel", New York Times, April 1, 2011

The remote CEO who left his company to see the world

A remote control. Photo: espensorvik / Flickr

Most career break literature out there is focused on the employee who requests a leave of absence from his boss.  Rarely is it about the boss who takes a sabbatical from his own business.  Inc. magazine had this story: Inside the mind of a runaway CEO.

While most office satire is about the workers being stuck in their jobs, this article illuminates that entrepreneurs can feel trapped by their companies as well. They may have started their business to escape the grind of working for someone else, only to realize they just created their own grind instead.

The social dynamics of a boss taking a sabbatical were interesting too.  Entrepreneurs often fancy themselves as being leaders who are essential to the company's survival. It can jarring to discover your employees are much happier when you're away.  Of course, it can be more humbling if the business actually does better when you're not there.

One thing the article focused on is the complications of the CEO's relationship with his No. 2 manager while he was gone. Initially, the deputy manager felt abandoned and afraid of not knowing what to do. As time passed, he became more comfortable with having that authority.  By the time the CEO returned, it had come full circle: now he was afraid the boss would take away his newfound sense of leadership.

The employees are also greatly affected.  Initially, they enjoyed the freedom of the boss being out of the office.  However, what does it do for their morale, to read a steady flow of Facebook and Twitter updates of all the fun the CEO is having while the staff are still busy with work?

Have you had a business you left behind to travel?  Or the opposite, you had a boss who did that?  Please share your experiences in the comments.

One can only really travel if one lets oneself go

"One can only really travel if one lets oneself go and takes what every place brings without trying to turn it into a healthy private pattern of one's own, and I suppose that is the difference between travel and tourism."

–Freya Stark, Riding to the Tigris (1959)

Vagabonding Case Study: Sarah Muir and Sarah Hasazi

Sarah Muir and Sarah Hasazi

sarahsonashoestring.com

Age: 24 and 25

Hometown: Portland, Maine; Burlington, Vermont

Quote: "We've learned to adjust our definition of wealth to mean time and not money, and this was instrumental in the final decision to quit our jobs and take to the road."

How did you find out about Vagabonding, and how did you find it useful?

We discovered Vagabonding in The Four Hour Workweek and our tattered copy comes with us on all of our adventures. We've learned to adjust our definition of wealth to mean time and not money, and this was instrumental in the final decision to quit our jobs and take to the road. The book has also prepared both of us for the challenges of such an extreme lifestyle change, from financing travel to adjusting to life without the sense of "purpose" that comes with a 9-5.

What is your job or source of travel funding for this journey? We knew that we both wanted to have a "big adventure" after a few years of working, so we opened ING savings accounts shortly after getting our first paychecks for this purpose. We put money aside every month for the trip and, with no ING ATM card, the money was purposefully out of our reach.  We didn't know where or when we wanted to go, but we knew that our savings had to be specifically reserved for long term travel. Finally, we sold off our furniture and books and left our apartments in NYC and DC, knowing that any experience on the road would be infinitely more valuable than an Ikea bookshelf.

Do you plan to work on the road?

The bulk of our funds are from savings, but we take on odd jobs anywhere we can, from English tutoring to helping with website design and marketing for a small business. We think about the inevitable day when we are down to our last pennies, but our worst case scenario isn't so bad. If we need to park ourselves in Bangkok, acquire working visas and find steady jobs, we'll do it!

What was the reaction of your friends/family/colleagues as you planned your trip?

We're lucky to have parents who instilled in us a love of travel and encouraged us to live this vagabonding lifestyle. There were also a lot of "we'll believe it when we see it" kind of responses to our undertaking.  We both had stable jobs and leaving all of that behind seemed insane to many of our friends. Now that we're on the road these friends wish they could join us in the adventure!

Any tips or lessons learned from the travel-preparation process?

Don't plan too much. We were nervous about not having a strict itinerary but we learned that freedom to go where we want, when we want is priceless! We used Rolf's Buy It There (BIT) method to avoid toting a 50 lb. backpack through Asia. One thing we do suggest, however, is investing in a few essentials: a sleeping bag liner, a good travel towel and sturdy hiking shoes before departure.

How long do you hope to spend on the road?

We'll see!

Which destinations do you hope to visit?

We don't have a strict itinerary but we just bought a Lonely Planet guide to Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei!

Which experiences are you most looking forward to?

We've learned that the experiences we don't plan for are often most rewarding. An impromptu trek around the Annapurna Mountains in Nepal proved to be one of our favorite experiences and we definitely didn't come to Asia for extreme outdoor travel. There are, however, some specific things we're extra excited about…Sarah H hopes to get scuba certified in the Thai Islands and Sarah M dreams about touring the museum circuit in Vietnam.

What are you packing for the journey?

We left most of our favorite things behind and we only have a rotation of about 3 outfits. We admit we're getting tired of the long skirt and tank top combo but we're happy not to be bogged down by extra weight. We have no regrets about bringing our laptops, which make it easy to plan trips, stay in touch with family and add to our website.

Do you have any worries or concerns about the journey?

We have different concerns. Sarah H is concerned about hepatitis, cholera and typhoid and that her beloved pitbull Tyson will resent her for leaving. Sarah M is worried about Mud Coffee withdrawals and ending up unemployed and living in her mother's basement at the end of this!

How can we best follow your adventures?

Our website!

Website: sarahsonashoestring.com
Twitter: TwoSarahs

Are you a Vagabonding reader planning, in the middle of, or returning from a journey? Would you like your travel blog or website to be featured on Vagabonding Case Studies? If so, drop us a line at casestudies@vagabonding.net and tell us a little about yourself.

Vagabonding Case Study: Sarah and Sarah

Sarah and Sarah

sarahsonashoestring.com

Age: 24 and 25

Hometown: Portland, Maine; Burlington, Vermont

Quote: "We've learned to adjust our definition of wealth to mean time and not money, and this was instrumental in the final decision to quit our jobs and take to the road."

How did you find out about Vagabonding, and how did you find it useful?

We discovered Vagabonding in The Four Hour Workweek and our tattered copy comes with us on all of our adventures. We've learned to adjust our definition of wealth to mean time and not money, and this was instrumental in the final decision to quit our jobs and take to the road. The book has also prepared both of us for the challenges of such an extreme lifestyle change, from financing travel to adjusting to life without the sense of "purpose" that comes with a 9-5.

What is your job or source of travel funding for this journey? We knew that we both wanted to have a "big adventure" after a few years of working, so we opened ING savings accounts shortly after getting our first paychecks for this purpose. We put money aside every month for the trip and, with no ING ATM card, the money was purposefully out of our reach.  We didn't know where or when we wanted to go, but we knew that our savings had to be specifically reserved for long term travel. Finally, we sold off our furniture and books and left our apartments in NYC and DC, knowing that any experience on the road would be infinitely more valuable than an Ikea bookshelf.

Do you plan to work on the road?

The bulk of our funds are from savings, but we take on odd jobs anywhere we can, from English tutoring to helping with website design and marketing for a small business. We think about the inevitable day when we are down to our last pennies, but our worst case scenario isn't so bad. If we need to park ourselves in Bangkok, acquire working visas and find steady jobs, we'll do it!

What was the reaction of your friends/family/colleagues as you planned your trip?

We're lucky to have parents who instilled in us a love of travel and encouraged us to live this vagabonding lifestyle. There were also a lot of "we'll believe it when we see it" kind of responses to our undertaking.  We both had stable jobs and leaving all of that behind seemed insane to many of our friends. Now that we're on the road these friends wish they could join us in the adventure!

Any tips or lessons learned from the travel-preparation process?

Don't plan too much. We were nervous about not having a strict itinerary but we learned that freedom to go where we want, when we want is priceless! We used Rolf's Buy It There (BIT) method to avoid toting a 50 lb. backpack through Asia. One thing we do suggest, however, is investing in a few essentials: a sleeping bag liner, a good travel towel and sturdy hiking shoes before departure.

How long do you hope to spend on the road?

We'll see!

Which destinations do you hope to visit?

We don't have a strict itinerary but we just bought a Lonely Planet guide to Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei!

Which experiences are you most looking forward to?

We've learned that the experiences we don't plan for are often most rewarding. An impromptu trek around the Annapurna Mountains in Nepal proved to be one of our favorite experiences and we definitely didn't come to Asia for extreme outdoor travel. There are, however, some specific things we're extra excited about…Sarah H hopes to get scuba certified in the Thai Islands and Sarah M dreams about touring the museum circuit in Vietnam.

What are you packing for the journey?

We left most of our favorite things behind and we only have a rotation of about 3 outfits. We admit we're getting tired of the long skirt and tank top combo but we're happy not to be bogged down by extra weight. We have no regrets about bringing our laptops, which make it easy to plan trips, stay in touch with family and add to our website.

Do you have any worries or concerns about the journey?

We have different concerns. Sarah H is concerned about hepatitis, cholera and typhoid and that her beloved pitbull Tyson will resent her for leaving. Sarah M is worried about Mud Coffee withdrawals and ending up unemployed and living in her mother's basement at the end of this!

How can we best follow your adventures?

Our website!

Website: sarahsonashoestring.com
Twitter: TwoSarahs

Are you a Vagabonding reader planning, in the middle of, or returning from a journey? Would you like your travel blog or website to be featured on Vagabonding Case Studies? If so, drop us a line at casestudies@vagabonding.net and tell us a little about yourself.

A two-week vacation isn't enough time to leave the patterns of home life

"It was always like that, I knew, when you set out on a long journey; the classic two-week vacation was never enough time to slough off the dead skin of regular life. In some ways, I'd discovered during years of traveling, home life was like an insulating callus you had to wear off before you could even properly see and absorb the new world around you. I knew that would happen eventually, but meanwhile I had the idea I just wanted to make tracks, to knock back the miles, to go without stopping straight into the heart of the world."

–Carl Hoffman, The Lunatic Express (2010)