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ππ§³π€― It's February Already??? Get Planning your Next Vacay.
We're still exploring Shanghai, where winter has painted the city in a mix of crisp sunny days and occasional rain showers.
Despite the chilly weather, I've been warming up my wanderlust with three fascinating 'Pay As You Wish tours' through Guruwalk - more on those adventures next week!
My personal Shanghai Food Tour Guide - Ben
Though our Shanghai sojourn has been fabulous, it hasn't been without its challenges.
Poor Tim's been wrestling with a toothache that led us to an unexpected "tour" of local healthcare - a root canal at a modern dental clinic.
At 4100 CNY (that's about 930 AUD or 570 USD), it wasn't exactly a budget-friendly surprise, but the high-tech facilities and English-speaking staff made it worth every yuan.
Sometimes you have to prioritize peace of mind over penny-pinching, especially when you're thousands of miles from your regular dentist in Vietnam!
We're now playing the waiting game with our travel insurance (fingers crossed they don't label it as "pre-existing" since we're barely two weeks into our annual policy). I'll keep you posted on how that situation unfolds!
In this week's issue, we're excited to share some time-sensitive travel deals you won't want to miss, plus tips on making money while traveling.
You'd be surprised how easy it is to top up your savings while on walkabout.
After 15 years on the road, we've accessed quite a few income streams, and I'm pulling back the curtain on which ones actually worked for us.
Whether you're dreaming of a long-term adventure or already living the nomadic life, you'll want to stick around for this one!
*Note: Some of the links in this email are from our partners, including AMAZON. If you purchase a product or service using those links, we get a SMALL commission to help pay for the website and this newsletter. But we promise - you won't pay any more than you would if purchasing directly. You can read our full disclosure here.
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Time-Sensitive Travel Deals From Our Partners
All of the following deals end sometime either before the next newsletter or very soon after.
We estimate our sit here in Shanghai has saved us a minimum of 1150 USD/ 1850 AUD for a modest hotel in the area we are staying. That's probably around 2400 USD/ 3800 AUD or more if we'd booked similar accommodation to our 2-bed, 2-bath newly renovated lane house with a sun terrace.
To board a pet during peak season like Lunar New Year would cost the homeowners hundreds per week.
The housesit we find worldwide are almost exclusively through THS.
So paying a couple of hundred for an annual membership pays for itself in the first couple of nights.
We can usually gift our subscribers and followers a generous 25% off, saving up to 80 USD.
But for for 7 days only, that discount goes up to 30% OFF for Valentine's Day.β β So, whether you're planning a romantic getaway, looking for your next pet-sitting adventure, or need a trusted sitter for your furry friend, we've got you covered. β Join between the 12th to 19th FebruaryWITH THIS LINK and enjoy 30% OFF any NEW TrustedHousesitters membership!
Note the offer dates. The increased discount won't apply until the 12th - don't miss out!
Save up to $100 OFF* flights and $50 OFF* 4-5 star hotels!
To Bali for $109* or to Bangkok for $209*!
Domestic flights to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane for ONLY $29*!
Special fares with Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and AirAsia!
Promo codes drop on Feb 11th but you can see them on THIS PAGE . The coupons can only be used on the app. Scroll down the page to the deal you are interested in and hit the 'Get Notified' button to get pinged when they go live.
Plus, you can go in the draw to WIN a hotel stay* at the Crowne Plaza Sydney Coogee Beach! Head to their Instagram @Trip.com_au to enter before 14th Feb!
Number 2 - EU Dream Destinations
Sales days: January 30, February 13, February 27 One Price flights to popular seasonal destinations dropping every second Thursday at 9pm local time:
And a bunch more worldwide. All with generous discounts.
Get Your Guide is great because you can book now to reserve your spot and pay later.
I actually don't have an end date for the sale....Maybe it's the end February, but I'm not sure. So probably best to book those you like by the 14th of February.
3 nightsβ bed and breakfast hotel accommodation at the 4* Hotel Omama in the town of Aosta, the regional capital
2-day lift-pass covering the Pila ski resort
Ski and boot hire included
Ski clothing rental included
Arrival on either Tuesday 11th or Tuesday 18th March 2025
Airport transfers (from Turin, Milan Malpensa or Geneva)
In-resort support and assistance from your Interski rep
You canenter HERE (The competition closes 21/02/2025)
New Year, New Rules: Your 2025 Guide to Travel Entry Changes
Buckle up, fellow travelers - 2025 is bringing a wave of new entry requirements across the globe!
We've already discussed the UK and EU changes in depth in the January 14th newsletter, but many others are coming into play.
From Israel's fresh ETA system to Namibia's surprise visa requirements for 31 countries (Booooo!!!!), this year reminds us of one crucial travel truth: visa rules are constantly evolving.
Just look at these recent changes:
Israel launched its ETA-IL system for previously Visa-exempt countries on January 1st
Russia has extended it's eVisa validity from 16 to 30 days and made 6 more countries eligible (total 64) Note: Australia isn't on the list, and neither is the US, UK, Canada, or NZ
Cambodia's making travel cheaper with reduced e-visa fees (from 36 USD to 30 USD)
After 15 years of globetrotting, I can't stress this enough: never assume entry requirements are the same as your last visit.
Even visa-free destinations can suddenly implement new systems (looking at you, Namibia!).
We got caught at the Malaysia border with Singapore on our last visit and had to download an app and fill it all in before we could enter. We'd only been there a few months before and hadn't had that requirement.
Here's how to stay on top of visa requirements:
Always check your government's official travel website first (like Smartraveller for Aussies, travel.state.gov for US citizens, Gov.UK for Brits)
Double-check with the embassy website of your destination country
Use IATA's Travel Centre - it's what many airlines use and has a degree more detail than the other sites, as you can add in countries you're transiting, which may impact requirements.
Join travel forums specific to your destination - fellow travelers often flag recent changes
Stay subscribed to this newsletter and we'll highlight any big changes we come across.
Pro Tip: Check requirements even if you've booked through a travel agent. You don't want to be stuck at airports because they rely on outdated information.
And always check at least a month before travel - some of these new electronic systems need processing time.
Remember: Entry requirements aren't just about visas anymore. Between ETAs, e-Visas, and new biometric systems, international travel is becoming more high-tech - but often more streamlined once you've done the prep work.
Travel Tips for Long-Term Trips
Wow, how quickly does a week go?
I hope you're enjoying our series of tips for long-term travelers.
If you've only just come on board, you can find the previous tips about getting ready for long-term travel on the newsletter archives page here.
So now for this weeks tip...
Travel Tip N4 - From Teaching to Tech Training: Our Guide to Travel Income Streams
βLast week, we dove into crafting that perfect long-term travel budget and working out when you can realistically set off.
I gave you a step by step process and access to a budget template to help you get things organized.
If you've done that homework, you may have discovered a bit of a deficit when you subtracted the income from your primary employment while traveling.
At that point, you have three choices:
Cut back on your travel costs (we'll look at ways to do that in future tips)
Put off leaving until you have more savings that produce passive investment income (bummer!)
Or find new revenue streams that can help fund your travels
Good news - the remote work revolution has blown the doors wide open for digital nomads!
Since leaving Australia in 2010, we've added multi-six figures to our income through various methods. And we had absolutely no experience in any of the approaches we took before leaving Australia.
And yes, it's all legit - we still keep the Australian tax office very happy every year!
So let's dive into how we (and other travelers) make it work:
Teaching English in Foreign Countries
This was our bread and butter for the first decade of our travels!
We both got TESOL/CELTA certified and taught in Vietnam from 2011 to 2019, alternating between teaching years and travel years.
Working at a solid private language school in Ho Chi Minh City, we lived comfortably, maintained an active social life, AND saved 20-30K annually.
The year we were working:
We didn't dip have to dip into our savings;
Other passive income could accumulate, and
The flexible schedule even let us take on other work (more on that below!).
Teaching English Online
While we haven't done this ourselves, many of our nomad friends swear by it.
With platforms like VIPKid and Cambly, you can earn $10-25 USD per hour from anywhere with decent WiFi. Some platforms pay even more if you have a lot experience.
Just 2-3 hours daily could cover a comfortable travel budget (we average about $100/day as a couple, excluding flights and insurance).
Creating Content for Others
This is where things get interesting!
There are soooo many opportunities out there
Platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer.com connect you with clients seeking everything from marketing materials to educational content. These platforms have a bad reputation as content mills paying peanuts. But my hourly rate on Upwork was up to 75 USD/hour for some projects.
We've both written for travel magazines and websites, plus created SEO content and copywriting for business clients.
I had one feature article pay 1000 USD, although most were around 250 (ish)
Some months we'd pocket an extra $2000 USD between us - not bad for a "side hustle"!
Fun fact: I even make money recording phrases in my Aussie accent to train software programs - one gig paid $200 for a few hours of talking into my phone!
Creating Your Own Content
Our website and this newsletter generate a growing income through affiliate partnerships, and we're now developing courses and digital products based on our decades of experience in independent budget travel.
While it takes time to build an audience, it has promising signs of becoming a nice passive income stream.
In-Person Project Work - Got professional skills? Use them!
Your expertise doesn't disappear when you start traveling - it just becomes more portable!
Tim kept his graphic design business running for the first few years of this trip. It was only when we started exploring places like West Africa and it became impossible to keep deadlines that he stopped.
We have friends in IT who pick up amazing projects worldwide. But the concept works just as well for other white collar positions.
You could even work remotely for your old employer. If it workded during COVID, why not make it a permanent arrangement.
If money's holding you back from full-time travel, I hope this opens your eyes to just a few of the possibilities.
There are literally hundreds of ways to earn while exploring the world .
We're living proof that you can fund your adventures indefinitely with a bit of creativity and hustle!
Next week, we'll dive into how to cut those daily travel costs without sacrificing comfort or your bucket list.
Stay tuned!
Travel Partners That Saved Us Money This Week
The award for saving us the most money this week goes to πBooking.com.
It looks like we got a pretty good deal on our accommodation in Ho Chi Minh City.
The beauty of Ho Chi Minh City is that it caters to ALL tastes and budgets - from rock-bottom budget dorms to 6-star luxury suites.
But it does take a little inside knowledge to get the best bang for your buck!
Because we're staying a month, we wanted something with a bit more space than a hotel room - a separate bedroom to the living area, kitchen facilities, a gym and pool, and good access to transport, supermarkets, parks etc.
We also like to stay in different areas. We've lived in various parts of D1, Phu Nhuan, D7, D2, and D4 at various times but have not experienced the relatively new Vinhomes development in Binh Thanh.
So when I saw an apartment in the Landmark Residences, right near Landmark 81 (Saigon's tallest building) and huge parklands, at a massive discount, we grabbed it.
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NICE Discount!!!
Wow!!! 76% OFF, saving 5666 AUD/3520 USD.
Now, before you say it looks too good to be true. I agree with you to a certain extent.
We know most accommodation booking platforms have some dubious marketing practices.
In my honest opinion, there is NO WAY this apartment would get rented foralmost 7500 AUD(4600 USD) USD/month. That works out to 250 AUD(150 USD)/night.
However, you ARE going to pay way more than that for a 5-star hotel in the center of D1 (like The Majestic or the stunning Hotel Des Arts), and you aren't going to get the kitchen facilities.
And it's way cheaper than similar properties in that area with separate bedrooms.
But I wanted to be sure it was worth the money.
To check it out, I had a quick look at the long-term rental market on various rental groups in Facebook. Just type in 'rental Ho Chi Minh City' and you'll find heaps.
That research told me the discounted price of 1760 AUD/1090 USD (59 AUD/36 USD/night) is reasonably good value for the location and facilities since:
We'll only be there a month
We won't pay management fees or electricity
We don't have to put down a bond like we would if we took out a lease.
The monthly rent for this kind of apartment is probably close to that price if you had a 6 to 12-month lease if you include all those things. So I'm pretty sure it's a good deal.
Anyway. I'll be sure to do a full account of our experience once we get there and if it really is the bargain it seems.
How Our Travel Plans Are Shaping Up
Well, what a difference a week makes.
I took too long to accept the invite for the 7-day free stay in Siem Reap and the links expired.
It's no biggie. We might sound like weirdos, but luxury resorts really aren't our style and I doubt we would have spent much time there anyway.
Plus, we're pretty sure we would have been subjected to some high-pressure sales techniques to join the Resort Membership program.
But, we are equally sure they would have gotten nowhere with that.
The opportunity to see what the deal was all about was tempting so we could debrief you all, but I guess that can happen another time.
Sulawesi is still up for discussion but is looking less likely.
And....so is the summer bicycle ride. Once we decide what we're going to do I'll explain further.
So as it stands, the next few months - :
We leave Shanghai today to explore Hangzhou and Nanjing (That's if Tim's tooth is ok!!!)
Next up is Yogyakarta in Indonesia for a 16-day housesit in a Pool Villa
We then head to Vietnam for almost 6 weeks. 1 month in Ho Chi Minh City. The rest of the time we'll explore the Mekong and catch up with friends in Vung Tau.
After that, we then head to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia for a 10-night housesit in a new condo. While we're there we'll do a bunch of sorely overdue health checks.
We used to get them done regularly as part of our work permit when teaching in Vietnam, and some on visits back to Australia. But it's been a while since the last ones and at our age, you can't be too careful.
KL has excellent healthcare, and we can get complete health screens relatively cheaply over a couple of days. Getting appointments and follow-ups for the same thing in Australia would take weeks, if not months, and probably cost us more, despite having a free health system AND private health cover.
After that...who knows?
We're definitely headed to the northern hemisphere but everything's on the table at the moment. So, watch this space.
Travel Bloggers and Newsletters You Might Like
Last week, we highlighted The Daily Drop which helps North Americans maximize travel credit cards, use miles and points.
This week, I'm dropping one in for the Aussies. Australian Frequent Flyer. It has some great information on its forums and publishes articles of interest to frequent travelers. Plus they have a paid membership.
Historically, Aussies have had nowhere near the amount of opportunity to Travel Hack with points, but that's changing. This is an excellent resource to stay on top of what's on offer.
We're long-term travelers sharing our passion for independent, budget travel. Every newsletter gives you travel tips from experts, lessons from the road, great deals, and carefully curated travel products & services.
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