SIM cards have always been a bit of a mystery to me. Prior to traveling, I didn’t even know you could change a SIM card. An expensive phone plan seemed like the only option. I remember Googling, “How to get a cheap phone plan for Asia.” One search after the other said, “SIM cards are […]
Everest Base Camp Packing List
Trekking to Everest Base Camp is daunting to say the least. Every time I thought about what to pack, I felt overwhelmed. While the company I went with provided an Everest Base Camp packing list, I also did extensive research online to ensure I didn’t forget anything. For my trek, I did the Gokyo Lake […]
Why You Should Be Angry at the Nepali Price
Something that comes as a huge shock and topic of contempt to people entering Nepal for the first time is the “Nepali Price.” Most tourist attractions, hotels, and even some restaurants offer a “Nepali Price” versus a “Tourist Price.” So why the mass outrage over this? Usually the “Nepali Price” is more than half the […]
Common Misconceptions About Nepal
After spending so long in Nepal, I’ve become increasingly aware of how little people seem to know about this country. To be fair, before coming here, I knew absolutely nothing. But, every once in a while, I get asked questions that make me burst out laughing. After getting some of these questions multiple times, I […]
Annapurna Circuit Cost: Including Per Day Budget Breakdowns
I’d heard a large variety of answers when I asked people what the Annapurna Circuit cost. I usually budget $30 a day for my travels, and after talking to several people who had done the trek, I realized it was well within my budget as long as I carried my own bag and went without […]
5 Things Travelers Forget to Budget for When Trip Planning
When I first started trip planning for my year long adventure in Southeast Asia, I planned a pretty tight budget. I did a ton of research and took into account each flight, accommodations, food, tourism, etc. I knew I would be on a strict budget and that there wasn’t room for many extras. Before I […]
How to Choose a Hostel in 10 Easy Steps
When I first started traveling, I picked all the wrong hostels. To be honest, I had no idea what I was looking for. I’d see something that looked great in photos, and then find out it wasn’t near any restaurants. Another would be close to everything, but was so loud that you couldn’t sleep. I […]
Tips for Long Haul Flights in Economy
Prior to this year, I’d never had the honor of sitting on a plane for 15 hours straight. No that’s not a typo. If you include my layovers, and short second flights, I’m usually traveling for a full 24 hours to get to Asia. Now that I’ve made the trip six times, I feel like […]
12 Tips on How to be a Better Tourist
It amazes me how important being a good tourist has become to me over the last year. When I started planning my year long trip to Southeast Asia, I didn’t consider half of the things I think about now. My biggest concerns were where I could take the prettiest Instagram pictures, seeing the biggest tourist […]
Nepal Backpacking Budget with Daily Breakdown
Nepal was one of the few countries I didn’t do research on before arriving. Most of my focus was on my Everest Base Camp Trek, which I’ll write about in another post, but exploring the rest of the country was kind of a surprise. I had no idea how much anything would cost. I hadn’t […]