Travel around the world: if we did it, you can do it too!
When Jomar and I tell people about our four-month journey, they often say they wish they could do it too. At this point, I want to shake them by the shoulders and say, “You can do it too!” You just need to muster up the courage.
How did you plan your trip?
We thought of our dream destinations and researched flights on Kayak.com to get a sense of the cost. Then we created a draft plan and budget. By Nov. 1, our first day of our trip, we booked our international flights through mid-January. When we were in the Philippines (Country #1), we were planning New Zealand (Country #3). When we were in Thailand (Country #2), we were planning Australia (Country #4), and so forth. We consulted TripAdvisor and Lonely Planet as resources, and a laptop was essential for all of the planning.
How did you save the money to travel?
We tracked our finances in Mint (a free app) and saved up a reserve with a budget of $150-$200 a day for the both of us. We also put our belongings in storage to save on housing costs.
What credit cards did you use?
Jomar signed up for an American Express Platinum credit card for 100,000 reward bonus points (they had a special promotion at the time). This came to be very handy when we booked a flight from Singapore to Barcelona only using AmEx points. The annual fee is a hefty $450, but we saved hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on our flight.
A benefit of the credit card is access to the American Express concierge. We used them throughout our trip to book rental cars, restaurant reservations and suggested itineraries. They were like a nice security blanket. Thanks AmEx!
We also like the Chase Sapphire credit card for travel points, and they don’t charge international transaction fees.
How did you pack your clothes for both summer and winter weather?
Jomar and I packed three suitcases. Jomar had a Patagonia duffle bag, and I had suite case with our summer clothes. A third suite case was used for our winter clothes. We knew we were seeing Jomar’s brother, Peejay, who lives in Singapore. He was our home base in between traveling from the summer countries to the winter countries. We met Peejay in the Philippines (country #1), and mid-way in Singapore (country #5). We were lucky to have him as a resource. We also bought a ton of stuff along the way.
Where did you do laundry?
We booked AirBnB’s with washers and dryers. We packed about two weeks worth of clothes.
All the time. You just have to figure it out together as a team. Our saving grace was getting a data plan in each country for our iPhones and using Google Maps and Uber.
Feel free to ask me more questions!
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