The beach town of Kuta in Bali is absolutely crazy. It has been deemed by other travel bloggers as “the worst place in Bali” and “one of the most infamous beaches in Southeast Asia.” And, in many ways, it is. It’s akin to the spring break mecca of Cancun, Mexico, the boozy streets of New…
After I found out I was moving to Jakarta, I only had three weeks to fly “home” to California, pack my life into two suitcases, and get to Indonesia’s capital city. I didn’t have time to prepare or do the proper research about what to bring. I didn’t do much shopping back in the US because…
There are two things that almost deterred me from traveling to Boracay. The first was Super Typhoon Haiyan and the second was the cost. After getting downright spoiled backpacking through budget-friendly Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, I was a little nervous that a visit to the world-class beaches of Boracay was going to be way out…
By now I think I’ve expressed my disillusionment with organized tours, so when it came to visiting the Hindu temples of Prambanan on Java, Indonesia, I decided to heed my own advice and travel there independently. For those who don’t know, Prambanan is a cluster of ancient Hindu temples that were constructed in Central Java around…
When I arrived in Colombia I was pretty nervous that I wouldn’t be able to live quite as frugally as I had in Southeast Asia. My goal was to travel on $40 a day. But I had major doubts that I would be able to float myself on a backpacker’s budget. After spending a couple weeks in Bogotá…
As we were mapping out the next phase of our Colombia travels, the host at our guesthouse in Bogotá told us that Río Claro was one of his top three favorite destinations in the country. Since David had lived in Colombia for 13 years, this guy most definitely knew what he was talking about. Set in the…
It’s no secret that I was a ball of nerves thinking about how expensive traveling in Colombia would be. When I arrived in Bogotá, I’d been on the road for a whopping 10 months. And seeing as my bank account was dipping to an uncomfortably low level, I was determined to live as frugally as…
As I ventured out for my first Colombian meal I sardonically said to my boyfriend, “Screw it, I’m going to eat churraso (grilled meat) today.” And though I’ve been a strict vegetarian for nearly 15 years, that’s exactly what I did. I was absolutely famished after traveling 15 hours from Los Angeles to Bogotá. And…
I spent my first afternoon in Bogotá wandering around the historic district of La Candelaria. I meandered along narrow cobblestone streets, passed by 500-year-old buildings and studied colorfully graffitied walls. My first day in La Candelaria left me smitten. But after spending one week delving deeper into Bogotá’s history, art and food cultures I was head-over-heels in…
When most budget travelers think of Bali, the first thing that pops into their mind is, “It’s too expensive!” As a long-term, frugal-minded traveler I came close to skipping Bali altogether during my two-month trip to Indonesia. Guidebooks and friends alike warned me that this world-famous island would be way too pricy for my $40-a-day…