Do you have to be a millionaire to travel?
A common misconception is that you need to be rich to be able to travel. Truth is, everyone can travel if they want to. The key questions are: how do you want to travel, and where? This is what determines how much your journey will cost. Yes, if you want to sleep in five-star hotels, travel business class, hire a car with private driver and work with a private guide, and dine at Michelin restaurants, costs will add up quickly. But if you take local transport or hitchhike, sleep at homestays or use simple accommodation, eat the local fare or street food, and get our bearings using tips from locals or whatever advice you found online, the cost will be drastically less. The big added advantage: your experience will be much more authentic!
This is by far my preferred way to travel. I don’t take hop-on, hop-off buses, but walk cities. I take public transportation wherever possible. I am keen on using local businesses, accommodation, shops and restaurants wherever possible. This has brought me so much in terms of unexpected, beautiful experiences, meeting remarkable people, and discovering spots I would otherwise have never found.
Of course, some countries are more costly than others. Switzerland will burn your money faster than Thailand. But when you set your mind to it, you are happy to go with the flow, and are content with lower levels of luxury, you will be able to go much further than you ever imagined.
And don’t forget: whatever you spend on travel, will bring you memories what will last a life time – and much more joy than buying those flashy shoes of the latest gadget.
