Traveling the Yucatan Peninsula on a Budget

Traveling to Mexico can be so much more than gated resorts and over-priced goods.  The Yucatan Peninsula is filled with so many adventures from climbing ruins, jumping into cenotes, relaxing on un-touched beaches, walking the streets of colorful colonial towns and eating cheap street food.

I bought a cheap flight from Chicago to Cancun on American Airlines for $112 on Skyscanner.com.  Find the closest main airport and check flights into Cancun (it’s one of the cheapest to fly into in Mexico). If you only plan to stay a day or two, try to get in at an earlier time so you have time to enjoy your time there.  I’d just stay in Cancun if you’re there a few days. You can find a cheap hostel to stay at.  My favorite sights are Booking.com and Hostelworld.com.  Wait to get Mexican Pesos once you arrive in Cancun.  I used the ATM in the arrivals area.  Roughly 20 pesos are $1.  I didn’t like my hostel in Cancun called Quetzal Hostal, it was too loud all night long.  There are some better ones though.  You can visit Isla Holbox or Isla Mujeres on a day trip, hang out at one of the nearby beaches in the “Hotel Zone” area (my favorites were Playa Delfines or Chac Mool but many like Playa Forum or Mandala because of the parties).  Take the R1 or R2 local buses everywhere to get around and to the beaches (only 10.5 pesos (50 cents)) When you arrive in Cancun, they will try to charge you a lot for a bus ride from the airport into town, it will be very hard to find a regular taxi too.  You can either go to the ADO bus station at the airport and take a cheap bus into town (check with your accommodations to see their location from the ADO bus station in town) or if you want a simpler ride, look for the Super Shuttle van right outside of arrivals (they quoted me $12 but I said that I had pesos so they charged me 170 pesos (roughly $8.50))  When going back to the airport when departing, use the ADO bus station or get a taxi for around 300 pesos.  There is no entrance or exit fees or tax for Mexico.  Be sure to hold on to the bottom half of the customs form for when you depart from Mexico, otherwise you’ll be charged $35 for losing it and getting another one. Immigration will ask why you are in Mexico, for how long, and your departing flight.

If you decide to stay in Mexico longer than just one or 2 days, I’d highly recommend taking an ADO bus (or Maya bus, all from the same bus station), for cheap (140 pesos ($6.50) 2 hour ride) to Tulum.  Tulum is a smaller, beach-like town.  Much smaller and calmer than Cancun.  The beach is much nicer.  It’s touristy but not like Cancun.  You can spend time going to cenotes (awesome small deep lakes, great for swimming or diving), relaxing at the beach, climb ruins, take day trips, and admire it's awesome street art.  I would recommend saving your money to do some shopping elsewhere though.  Tulum is pretty overpriced when it comes to buying souvenirs, same with the majority of Cancun.  

I stayed at Hostel Che Babel (there’s a Che Babel II online but that’s not the one I was at).  It’s cheap, fun, great location, great staff, and popular.  You can actually bypass staying in Cancun overall if you’d like.  You can arrive at the Cancun airport, go to the ADO bus station at the airport, buy a ticket to Tulum, walk to Hostel Che Babel (other whatever hostel you have since it’s a small town), stay for a few days, then buy a ticket straight from Tulum to the Cancun airport (just 2-2.5 hour drive, many people go straight to the airport).  Tulum is much more fun than Cancun.

I took a day trip from Tulum to Valladolid.  It’s a cute colorful colonial town about 3 hours from Tulum.  My two-way ticket cost around $12 or so. 

 

Valladolid is filled with rich history, as well as being speckled with several cenotes.

I also took a day trip from Tulum to Coba.  I decided to visit Coba over Chichen Itza.  Coba has a really high ruin that is still open for climbing.  It was quite scary climbing it but it was worth every ounce of fear because it had a great view and it also made me feel good for facing my fear of heights.

There are many cool places to visit throughout the Yucatan Peninsula other than the overly touristy cities of Playa del Carmen, Cabo, Riviera Maya, and Cancun including Bacalar, Mexico City, Merida, Chetumal, and Campeche.

Mexico is such a great place to experience such history while relaxing on beautiful beaches, climb ancient ruins, explore small towns, eat cheap street food, mingle with fun locals, dance the night away at clubs, and why not learn a bit of Spanish while you travel!

 

How to Get a Vietnam Visa Without Putting Your Passport Through the Mail

I didn't have much time nor did I want to send my passport through the mail to the nearest consulate so I applied online for an approval letter that would allow me to get my visa upon arrival in Vietnam.  It was really quick, cheap, and easy.

You do not need to know your exact arrival or departure date yet when applying.  You simply put an estimated date of arrival and you will be allowed to enter the country any time from that date on, just not before.  It will be valid for 1 month after that estimated date of arrival that you chose.

You can do this as long as you are flying into any of the international airports Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City, Noi Bai in Hanoi, Da Nang (in Da Nang) and Nha Trang City Cam Ranh Airport.  You do not need to know the exact airport if you don't have a ticket yet. Just put any of them down when applying.


Here's how to do it:

Go to My Vietnam Visa Website
Click "Apply Online"
Choose what kind of visa you want. I chose the "1 month single entry"
Choose "standard processing of 3-5 working days". You can pay extra for quicker service but, mine only took 3 days with standard processing.
Pay the $20 online

Once you are approved, it will send you a few emails.  Wait for the one that says "Confirmed Approval Letter"
You will get an approval letter and a form to print out.
It will also send an email stating what else you will need to bring which are:

Original passport (must not be expiring within 6 months and that you have at least 2 empty pages in your passport)
$25 USD for single entry 1 month/3 month
or $50 USD for multiple entry 1 month/3 month (be sure to bring the money with you, there are no USD atms there)
Two (2) 4 by 6CM passport size photos (i just printed these on my computer)

 The Arrival Form to print and fill out that they emailed you

Once you have received your approval letter, your arrival form, and you have all of these listed items and you booked your flight, just show your approval letter when checking in at your departing airport.

Upon arrival in the Vietnam airport, just follow the signs to immigration/baggage/customs area.  You will see a booth that says "Visa Application".  You go there first and give your letter, form, passport, and photos.

You then sit and wait until your name is called and your passport appears on the monitor at the booth beside there that says "Visa Fee". This can take a bit of time depending on how busy it is.

Once your name is called, go to the booth.  You will give the $25 or $50 and they will give you your passport back that has the Vietnam visa in it as well as a pink slip of paper.  You then continue on as usual through immigration. And, that's all!

31 Tips and Tricks on How to Travel the World When You Can’t Afford It

CLICK HERE to watch my FREE video on my 5 Favorite Travel Hacks!

CLICK HERE to watch my FREE video on How I Afford to Travel!

Make this the year of accomplishing your travel dreams! Travel is something that many people wish to do but may seem financially daunting but, it doesn’t have to be! I have traveled to over 70 countries on my own and I’m preparing to depart on my next long-term adventure soon.  I have funded all of my travel adventures on my own dime and no, I have never been a millionaire. Unfortunately.  But, I have been able to travel the world and still never go broke.  You can too! In this blog post, I want to share 31 of my favorite travel funding tips.  These tips can help you be able to accomplish any of your own travel dreams on your own.  These are ideas in which can help you travel on a self-set budget, save money, travel for free, and even make money while traveling!  Use what you feel that you can do and before you know it, you too can travel the world even when you think that you can’t afford it!

1. Search for flights on budget airline sites such as Skyscanner, CheapOAir, CheapTickets, and Momondo.  Just because they’re often budget flights on budget airlines, doesn’t mean they’re not credible, safe, there won’t be leg room, and they aren’t worth using.  These are just useful sites that are very similar to those like Kayak and Priceline but search for better prices and a wider range of airlines.  I only use these sites to book my flights but there are others that are similar like TravelZoo.

2. Search for budget accommodations on sites like Booking.com, HostelWorld, HostelBooking, and Agoda.com.  They have many of the same accommodations as other sites do but at much cheaper prices. 

Don’t be afraid of hostels! “Budget accommodations” can include hostels of all sorts, cheap private rooms, bungalows, beachside rooms, studio apartments, homestays, and more. I have stayed in nice studio apartments in countries for $10-$20 a day, had private bungalows for $8 a day, and private rooms ranging from $6 to $25 a day.

3. Fly from a main city (a hub airport) to another main city. For example, I live in Milwaukee and almost always fly out of Chicago rather than Milwaukee. If you don’t know what a main airport is in a certain country, just Google it.  This can help save you money and layover time.

4. Work, work, work, save, save, save! Set a saving goal for your travels.  Yes, my personal life may have suffered a bit over the years because I have worked so many jobs and so often but, it definitely is worth it to have a savings that allows me to travel so far and for so long.  I have become a master at budgeting.  I’m not saying to become a work-a-holic recluse but, find things that you can cut out of your expenses or eliminate to help build your savings.  

5. Create a travel budget and stick to it as much as you can. While traveling, try to stick to your budget as much as you can but, be sure to create a good balance in expenses and savings.

6. Fly further out and work your way in if you plan to travel for a longer time. For example, I found cheaper flights to countries like Ireland and Japan which are further from the mainlands but allow me fly to those regions at a lesser price and then I can easily work my way inland.  If I plan to travel to various continents in one trip, I will fly the furthest way (finding the cheapest destination that I want to visit there) and then work my way towards home.  By “working your way” across continents, you can use budget flights to make your way to your final destination which is what ultimately allows me to travel across the globe for cheap.  For instance, I was able to fly to places like Dubai, India, Morocco, and the Philippines for less than $300 each because I was already in those regions or nearby.

7. Try traveling off of the beaten path and to less touristy places. You’ll not only save money but it’s a great way to see hidden gems and unique places.  Touristy places tend to charge more for food, shopping, tours, and more.

8. Don’t book too much before going.  Booking things like tours and transportation online and in advance can cost more.  Wait until you arrive. Almost always will you be able to book the tours that you’re looking for when you arrive but for much lesser prices than online. I don’t book many tours when I travel but there are some places in which tours are the best way to get around and see a lot of things such as in Iceland and in Morocco.  I booked two tours from my hostel in Iceland for $125 total that were amazing and took me all over the west and southern cost of Iceland.  In Morocco, I booked a 4-day all-inclusive tour from Marrakesh to the Sahara Desert for $120 from my hostel.  Things can get overwhelming when searching online so waiting until you arrive can be much simpler and cheaper.

9. Don’t be afraid to bargain shop!  “Shopping around” is a great way to get good prices for tours, taxis, and shopping!  When shopping, one person may try charging you five times the price that another person will charge.

10. Play around with flight departure and arrival dates and locations.  Some places are cheaper to fly to from certain locations than others.  Pay attention to holidays, seasons, main hub airports, bigger cities, and days of the week when booking.  I sometimes find that booking a flight on Thursdays through Sunday can be cheaper than on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. But, I still look at all days.

11. Take advantage of long layovers and overnight layovers.  If layovers are necessary for a long flight, try to get ones with hours that allow you to either stay the night or have time to go and venture around.  When I traveled from Hawaii to Australia, I had a full day and night layover in Fiji.  When I traveled from Chicago to South Africa, I had a full night and day layover in Abu Dhabi. 

What to know even more?  In my Travel and Mindset Book HEY YOU JUST GO!, I tell you EVERY single tip, website, step, and advice that I used to travel to over 84 countries solo.  Check it out here!

 

12. Volunteer.  Finding volunteer opportunities that cost you little to nothing can be a way to save money by providing housing and sometimes meals in exchange for your help. It’s a great way to learn more about a local culture and economy.  Be aware of all of those volunteer opportunities online that want to charge you thousands of dollars to help.  Not necessary.  The best way to find a volunteer opportunity is to find a contact email on the website of the organization and send an email.  One of my favorite volunteer sites is Give A Day Global.

13. Couchsurf.  Couchsurfing is a nice way to meet new people and stay in places for free.  It’ll require quite a bit of communicating and coordinating but it can definitely be worth it.  You never know, you may stay with someone who will help show you around and take you to places that others may not know about. 

14. WWOOFing or hostel work exchange. WOOFing is simply working in another country in exchange for housing and meals.  Work may involve light farming, factory work, and more. I have met several friends who did WOOFing to help them travel more on a small budget.  Some WOOFing jobs even give you pay.  Another option would be to work or help out in a hostel in exchange for free rooming and food.  Just working a few hours a day can save you hundreds of dollars in accommodations expense.  Just email a hostel and ask!

15. Get paid while traveling. There are various ways to work while traveling.  Some options would be to get paid for blogging or free lance work.  If you have a special skill or ability like marketing, accounting, social media managing, etc, you can search for companies looking for people to work from their own computers on anything that can be done online.  This is called remote work.  Many companies these days offer an area of opportunity for remote work because of the simplicity and popularity of it.

16. Travel with a friend or make friends! I’m a solo traveler but I have met new friends all over the world and I often split a room or tour expense with them.  Usually, accommodations charge per room, not per person, or the more people on the tour, the lesser the cost. 

17. Do your research! Try to research entrance and exit fees/taxes, visa-on-arrival costs, airline hidden fees, how much a taxi may cost, currency exchange fees, all specific to your destination.  I have learned a lot the hard way until I learned to ask around or look online for any of these types of information.  These are expenses that are not often posted or talked about much but they definitely do come about and there is room for being ripped off or not having enough money on you if you don’t know ahead of time.

18. Rent a car where it’s cheaper.  It’s popular to rent a car or motor bike to travel around some countries rather than pay for buses, tours, flights, taxis, or trains. 

19. Use your small change.  Many currency exchange places will not exchange coins or small bills for any other currency so unless you want to keep growing your heavy collection of foreign currency, use it!  I always use my non-exchangeable currency for snacks like bananas, apples, nuts, and anything else that is easy to travel with.  This helps me avoid paying for food in airports when I’m waiting for flights, on long layovers, or know that I won’t have time to find food in my destination country because I’ll be getting in late.

20. Eat local. Don’t be afraid of street food!  I mean yes, use your best judgment and if you’re in a place that just seems too unsanitary, do your stomach a favor and don’t buy it but, most of the time, it’s ok to eat on the street!  Street food not only is fresh and delicious but it’s cheap! A plate of pad thai or fried rice on the street in Thailand can cost just $1! 

21. Get miles and use them.  Find a credit card that you like that allows you to accumulate miles that you can then use for flights, hotels, and cruises.  There are several great credit card options out there that offer miles.  Shop around for one that you like best.  I use Citi Bank’s Premier Travelers Card and I’ve earned a few free flights.  Make sure the credit card that you choose also waives foreign transaction fees so you can use it when abroad.

22. Avoid ATM fees or get reimbursed.  It’s not the best idea to travel around with all of your cash on you but ATM fees can definitely add up.  Find a bank that offers a great debit card option that either waives ATM fees or reimburses your fees.  I have had a PNC debit card and for years it automatically reimbursed all of my ATM fees no matter where in the world I was which was fantastic! But, a year or two ago it changed its policy to just 3 reimbursements per month.  It’s still better than nothing!

23. Get better exchange rates.  Many people want to exchange all of their money at either their departure or arrival airport right away but, that’s not always the best idea.  Airport fees may be far too much.  Granted, there are some currency exchange booths at some airports that may be fee-free so it doesn’t hurt to look around but, most of the time, the airport isn’t where you should exchange all of our cash.  You can lose a lot of your money in the exchange rate difference.  I once almost lost out on $30 in a Hong Kong airport when I changing my Philippines pesos over to another currency and when I finally realized it, I went back to the booth as asked for the money back.  It’s a good idea to have some local currency, so you may need to exchange some in airports, for money for taxis or food but, it’s usually best to ask in town where the best place is to exchange money.  People at your place of accommodation will often give you good advice or at banks in town.

24. Walk! Walking is an excellent way to save money on transportation but it also enables you to stumble upon parts of places that others may pass by.  You can see a lot more by walking. Just seek a free map that many tourist offices or hostels provide and get to walking!

25. Drink responsibly! As a solo female traveler, I’m not a huge drinker for safety reasons but, not drinking so often is a great way to save money! I’m not saying don’t have fun but, drinking can take a big bite out of your budget.

26. Look for free things to do.  There are often free walking tours, bike tours, museums, and much more to do.  Just ask around or check with a local tour office or your hostel.

27. Take advantage of free stuff and food at your accommodations. Many hostels, hotels, homestays, and family-owned places will offer free tours, free breakfast, discounted dinners, free coffee, and much more.  I have stayed at so many awesome hostels and family-owned apartments that offered so much free food.  Many places also offer free tours or bar crawls for a cheaper price. Just remember to tip the tour guide!

28. Be open minded.  Keep an open mind to hostels, budget accommodations, street food, local markets, bargain shopping, and more.  By being open minded, not only can you save money by spending less but you can experience so much more!

29. Use the kitchen.  The kitchen? Yes, the kitchen.  Many budget accommodations like hostels or studio apartments have a community kitchen where anyone can cook whenever they’d like.  I have saved a lot of money while traveling by going to the local market or supermarket and buying food and cooking it myself in the kitchen.  It’s also a great way to meet new people!  I have made so many new friends by spending time cooking, eating, and hanging out in the kitchen.

30. Don’t plan too far in advance! You never know when something may come up that puts a wrench in your travel plans so don’t book flights too far in advance.  I know that it may seem like you need to book as soon as possible so you don’t miss out on that great flight deal but, honestly, those deals will still around, or you’ll find a better one later on.  By booking too many flights and then your plans changing, you can lose out on the money that you’ve already spent.  When I was in Japan, I booked 4 more flights around Asia and then, the super typhoon hit the Philippines, and lost out on what I had already paid for.  You never know when an emergency may occur. Also, you may realize that you want to stay in a place longer than you planned for so, be patient when booking flights and transportation. 

31. Have an empty water bottle.  I always keep an empty water bottle handy so I can refill my bottle whenever I can, especially in airports where a bottle of water can cost you $5 or more!

 

Don't forget my Travel and Mindset book here where I share EVERYTHING that I did and know to travel to over 84 countries solo