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ππ€«π This week: FREE EU Rides, $$$ Safety 101 + Our Bizarre Flight Deal!
Published 9 days ago β’ 21 min read
From Saigon With Love
Hey there Reader,
We're still hanging out in Saigon and loving it! There's something pretty awesome about staying put for a bit - catching up with friends, getting into a mini-routine, and actually having time to work on some cool new content.
Watch this space!
This week's edition is packed with goodies:
Some EXCITING updates to our travel plans, plus I think we just booked the weirdest flight EVER!
The latest changes to Thai Tourist visas
This crazy hack for getting (almost) free transport across continents
Tips on how to keep your money safe while traveling
Some sweet deals from our partners
Plus loads more!
But first...
It sounds like I'm not the only one dealing with hair problems.
Quite a few of you wrote to me last week and asked what treatment I'm using to have such a phenomenal improvement in my hair.
Well, it's a combination of things, and without a structured scientific trial, I'm not about to swear one way or another that something is 100% working.
However, this is the product I started using in January when the real miracle seemed to happen:
I am still using Liaison *Hair Growth Serum and *Hair Growth Bond. I had been using those, along with the Shampoo and Conditioner, for around 12 months with some very fine regrowth. So definite improvement but nothing like I saw with the Routine product.
In addition, I got my cousin to cut my hair in late December and used a 'do-at-home' color to try and cover up the fine white baby hair that had grown. Whether this stimulated the hair growth cycle, I have no idea.
And, for full disclosure - I am the allergy queen, especially when changing climates, so I have been taking an antihistamine and 10mg of prednisone/day for a couple of months. However, the same thing didn't seem to make any difference at all during previous stints.
None of the hair treatments mentioned above are particularly expensive and delivery to the UK and Australia at least takes a couple of weeks at most. So if you've got hair troubles too, you have nothing to lose.
And, if you do try them, I'd love to hear about your results. It would be nice to add in extra success stories for when/if I recommend to others.
*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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309 USD from KL to London via... WHERE?!
Well this could be our weirdest flight deal ever!
Let me tell you about our latest booking adventure that had me questioning whether I'd accidentally stumbled into some secret travel portal...
So here's the situation:
We need to get from KL to Portugal by April 28th after our housesit wraps up on the 23rd. No big deal, right? WRONG.
Tim has now implemented what I lovingly call the "Tim's Flight Survival Protocol":
No flights longer than 7-8 hours (apparently, we're not spring chickens anymore)
No marathon layovers unless there's a bed involved
Avoid the UAE at all costs (there's a story here involving Tim and a nasty official on the Omani-UAE border,... I'll spill the tea over a beer someday!)
With these decrees in place, our options were... limited.
Flights to Lisbon? At least $1300 AUD/815 USD EACH (inc luggage)! Some of which wanted us to zigzag through half the planet with layovers that would make Tom Hanks in "The Terminal" look like a quick pit stop.
Most reasonable flights go through UAE, Turkey or India. The cheaper Turkish options came with these monster 12+ hour layovers.
Sure, they offer free tours, but we'd need visas just to escape the airport terminal purgatory.
The Indian options involved more than 1 airline so required us to exit immigration to recheck in and therefore a visa as well.
I tried switching dates and staying extra days in KL but that only made flights MORE expensive.
Heading to London for a few days first, then flying to Lisbon seemed the cheaper and more convenient option all up. Make it make sense!
But Flight Connections kept flashing this route via... wait for it... TURKMENISTAN! Yes, the "North Korea of Central Asia!"
Was I hallucinating? Had the flight search algorithms finally broken me?
But suddenly then... THERE IT WAS! (On Trip.com)
KL to London via Ashgabat (that's in Turkmenistan, for those who don't casually memorize obscure capitals) for just under $700 AUD/$440 USD each!
The itinerary was actually perfect:
7:50 hour flight to Ashgabat
Brief 1:45 layover (just enough time to say "We technically visited Turkmenistan again!")
6:20 to London
Leave at 4am, arrive mid-afternoon in London
Following my usual "trust but verify" booking process, I hopped directly onto the Turkmenistan Airlines website, navigated to the non-Turkmenistan resident's page, and searched for that same flight.
BOOM!
$309 USD/493 AUD labeled as an "Opportunity Flight"! (Which I'm pretty sure is code for "We're shocked anyone wants to fly through our country!")
It includes luggage and taxes!
But wait... there's more!
Before hitting that "book" button (because I'm not TOTALLY reckless), I checked the reviews.
The airline apparently has a reasonably well-maintained fleet - we've definitely flown worse! No transit visa is needed (thank goodness, because last time, it took us TWO WEEKS in Dushanbe (Tajikistan) to get one).
"Flight attendants didn't smile and didn't care" (Honestly, who needs fake smiles anyway?)
Feeling confident (or delusional), I hit "book" and immediately got a... "ticket"? But something was off - there was NO PNR (Passenger Name Record) number.
Was this a scam? Had I just sent $618 USD into the void?
After some frantic Googling, I discovered this was actually normal for them - I just needed to email the contact address for the PNR.
So I did.
I got an email back the next day with TIM's name on it (not mine) and a PNR number!
Progress! But when I tried to find the flight in their system, the computer said NO.
Buried deep in the fine print of the documentation was mention of an office in Ho Chi Minh City...
So what did your intrepid travel reporter do?
Jumped on the back of a motorbike taxi and tracked down their office squirelled away on the 3rd floor of an obscure city building!
They weren't too enthusiastic about assisting me as I obviously hadn't booked through them. But I persisted with all the charm I could muster, and they caved.
I now proudly possess an actual PRINTED official-looking booking advice with BOTH our names on it.
Victory! At least for now.
Will we actually make it to London via Turkmenistan? Will the layover be as bizarre as promised? Will Turkmenistan Airlines be our new favorite for Asia-Europe flights?
Stay tuned for the next thrilling installment of "Places You Never Thought You'd Transit Through!"
Has anyone else ever had a similarly "adventure before the adventure" booking experience?
Hit reply and share your tales!
Time-Sensitive Travel Deals From Our Partners
All of the following deals end sometime either before the next newsletter or very soon after.
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Use Promo Code:MARCH40 at checkout!
Valid until March 31st.
βTourRadar - A bunch of March Specials + Discount Codes
TourRadar (the largest platform for extended tours) has several time-sensitive specials in March.
From luxury escapes to relaxing retreats, thereβs no better way to celebrate the bond between mother and child than with a memorable vacation together.
2 - Mystery Discount Code to pass on to you all.
Find the tour you want at the best price on the market and then enter: CODE: SECRET-SALE-03 to see how much more you can save.
This works on the already heavily-discounted tours as well for extra $ off
Visting a destination an don't want to drag around all your luggage?
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The service operates in over 70 countries and 500 cities with more than 5000 storage points. Each piece of luggage is covered up to 3000 β¬/$/Β£.
Their new promo code, gives customers a 5% discount on luggage storage services in cities worldwide.
Promo Code: TPO5β βValid Until: April 30, 2025
Apparently some visitors have been ahem "misinterpreting" the meaning of "tourist" β working illegally, and there's been an uptick in the number of condos being turned into impromptu Airbnbs since the extension back in July 2024.
No official implementation date has been announced yet, but all the relevant Thai officials have nodded in agreement, which in bureaucracy terms means "it's basically happening."
Consider this your warning to enjoy those extra 30 days while you still can!
For those who are legitimately digital nomads - they have a special 10-year visa program for you. Details are here.
The Latest Amazing Transport Hack: How to Score (Almost) Free Wheels Across Continents!
Ever dreamed of road-tripping through Europe, the US or Australia without the eye-watering rental costs?
Let me introduce you to our latest discovery imoova β the transport hack that's too good to keep secret!
Here's the deal: Rental companies constantly need to shuffle their vehicles between locations (especially campervans and motorhomes).
Rather than paying someone to drive them, they'll basically let YOU do it for next to nothing. Win-win!
Why This Is Ridiculously Awesome
Dirt Cheap: We're talking β¬1-5 per day (yep, you read that right!)
Sometimes Includes Fuel Money: They might even throw in a fuel allowance
Sometimes Ferry tickets: If you need to cross a waterway, your ferry ticket for the vehicle and 1 passenger is usually included in the deal.
Variety of Wheels: From cute compact cars to full-on luxury motorhomes
Available in Europe, Australia, NZ, USA, Canada, Japan & more:
The Fine Print (Because Nothing's Perfect)
One-Way Only: You're getting from Point A to a specific Point B
Limited Time Window: Usually need to complete the journey in 3-8 days, although I've seen trips up to 16 days.
Last-Minute Deals: Best offers pop up 1-2 weeks before departure
Seasonal Sweet Spots: Spring (March-May) and fall (September-October) are goldmines when companies reposition their fleets in the northern hemisphere and reverse for down under.
Common Routes
Europe
You'll often find vans and cars needing to move from Spain to Germany and Scandinavia, Italy to France, or the UK to mainland Europe. Perfect for cobbling together a European adventure on the cheap!
I have alerts set from Barcelona atm to see if we can score something that gets us closer to Georgia and reduce our flight costs.
Australia
Australia is actually where imoova originated, so the options are plentiful across the continent.
Sydney to Melbourne tops the charts as the most frequent route by far, while the Brisbane to Sydney coastal drive offers stunning ocean views along the way.
Fancy a tropical adventure? The Cairns to Brisbane route lets you explore Queensland's lush landscapes as you head south.
For the truly adventurous, Perth to Adelaide crossings let you conquer the mighty Nullarbor Plain.
Meanwhile, the Melbourne to Adelaide route treats you to the spectacular scenery of the Great Ocean Road.
Seasonal patterns create opportunities too - Darwin typically offers vehicles heading south in October to escape the wet season and then reverse in March/April. Tasmania to Melbourne relocations become available after the island's peak tourist season ends.
I had a quick peak and for the end of March/April there are loads of trips from Brisbane to Darwin, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne and some have VERY generous fuel allowances(700-750 AUD!)
Cairns to Brissie and further south also have a load of trips atm.
And there are also many Melbourne to Darwin trips with 10 to 11 days to get there. Plenty of time to drop off and see some of the sights along the way.
USA
The American imoova scene is bustling with relocation opportunities across the country.
But as an example, I just spied quite a few trips from Vegas to Anchorage in a very cool campervan with 16 nights to get there. Probably too quick for us, BUT very cool for someone with limited time.
There are loads going out of Elkhart and Forest City in Indiana and Salt Lake City in Utah to various destinations.
Be flexible with your plans (spontaneity pays off here!)
Pounce fast when you see a good one β they disappear quick!
For budget travelers willing to roll with some uncertainty, this is absolute GOLD for Road Tripping adventures.
Has anyone tried this hack before? We'd love to hear your experiences!
Travel Tips for Long-Term Trips
If you've just joined our Travel Bug Community, you can find previous tips on getting ready for long-term travel on the newsletter archives page.
So far in our long-term travel tips series, we've covered the fundamentals: How to:
Define your travel goals and bucket lists,
Set your baseline,
Create and refine your budget
Find extra income streams while traveling
Identify your support crew, and
Perform an annual banking review
Find accommodation for extended periods
Implement long-term Health Management Strategies
One thing that's near and dear to all our hearts is keeping our money and bank accounts safe while traveling
So hereβs this weekβs tipβ¦
Travel Tip N9 - Money Safety 101
I was going to look at emergency preparedness this week. However, I read a couple of stories about just how many tourists get robbed in Rome, Barcelona, and London, and figured that money safety was probably a good topic to rehash.
Whether you're planning a weekend getaway or embarking on an extended adventure, managing your money safely is essential for a stress-free trip.
While all travelers face financial security challenges, those on extended journeys often encounter unique obstacles - from carrying larger sums to navigating multiple banking systems across countries.
Most of these tips are pertinent to all travelers, although I have highlighted some that are either especially challenging or crucial for long-term travelers.
Cash
We tend not to carry much cash these days as electronic payments are so prevalent. But there are still places where cash is king - like Albania where many smaller businesses only took cash.
1 - Diversify storage locations - Don't keep all your cash in one place. Distribute it among several locations - inner backpack pockets, toiletries bag, hip pouch, rolled up in socks, between book pages, or folded into souvenirs.
We used to keep a 100 USD bill wrapped in plastic around our backpack's internal frame on our first world trip. Thankfully, it was still there when we returned home after almost four years but it did provide some peace of mind!
These days, any cash gets split between us and stashed in several hidey holes.
2 - Separate daily cash & from main funds and emergency cards- Only carry what you need for the day. Keep the rest secured in your room if safe, or in money belts and other hidey holes.
3 - Research cash limits - If you're taking substantial cash, check how much you're legally allowed to bring into your destination country. Many countries require reporting amounts over $10,000 but some are far less. This website has data for many countries.
4 - Calculate cash needs carefully - This gets more challenging the longer your trip. If ATM access will be limited, take only what you need plus a small emergency fund. You don't want to run short, but you also don't want to get left with a bunch of useless local cash that's difficult or expensive to change at the end of your trip.
5 - Use hotel safes wisely - And only when they seem secure. More than once, the safe in our room wasn't fixed in place or had a dodgy lock.
Also remember there's always a master key, so we don't use them if we're the least bit wary about who might access it. An alternative to consider is asking accommodations to hold cash with a signed receipt if you don't trust the safe, although this approach brings it's own risks.
6 - Prepay large expenses - Accommodations, tours, and transport can often be paid in advance. We've used Xe Money Transfer when crewing in The Caribbean to head off currency risks and remove the need to carry a lot of cash.
We've successfully used our Wise account to pay for accommodation and tours via a local bank transfer in Vietnam, India, and Bangladesh. This reduced our cash requirements and avoided card surcharges.
7 - Consider group tours - Not our preferred way of traveling, but in places like Africa, being with a group has been safer and most expenses are covered upfront or handed over as local payment at the start of the trip so you don't need to carry so much yourself.
8 - Convert currency strategically - Airport exchanges often offer poor rates. Research where locals exchange money.
Places like Malaysia offer excellent excahnge rates and the spread (difference between buy and sell rates.) For our 2010 trip to Myanmar, it was cheaper to convert AUD to MYR and then to USD in KL than to buy USD from our bank in Australia.
9- Verify travel insurance coverage - Most policies offer very limited coverage for lost/stolen cash ($200-500) unless you pay a steep premium. You'll need a police report and proof of withdrawal to make a claim.
Credit and Debit Cards
10- Have backup payment methods - With today's technology, cash shouldn't be your main option. Bring multiple cards from different networks (Visa, Mastercard) and keep them separate.
11 - Notify your bank of travel plans - Most banks let you set travel notifications online or via their app. I have an alert set to update our movements on the Macquarie app each month.
12 - Carry card emergency contact information separately - Store international customer service numbers on your phone and email, or as hard copy for quick reporting if stolen.
13 - Choose freezable cards - Both our Wise and Macquarie cards can be instantly frozen and unfrozen if we detect unusual behavior.
14 - Use cards wisely - Opt for credit cards over debit for purchases when possible as they often have better fraud protection. We have a separate "ecard" that we use for some online bookings.
15 - ATM safety - Only use ATMs in safe, well-lit locations, preferably inside banks. Check for skimmers by inspecting for anything loose or odd-looking.
16 - Scan important documents - Email yourself copies of credit cards (with CVV blacked out) for quick access if your physical cards are lost.
General Safety
19 - Use obvious deterrents to dissuade opportunistic thieves - A neck pouch tucked down your shirt, a tether on your wallet, a carabiner on your daypack, or a slash-proof bag with locking devices all act as deterrents. The idea is you make things a little bit harder so the bad guys choose an easier target.
20 - Use a dummy wallet/purse - Keep a small amount of cash and expired cards to hand over if robbed (or extorted by officials). Consider this a small "insurance payment" against bigger losses.
21 - Learn basic money phrases - Knowing how to ask prices and understand basic numbers can prevent scams. We learned numbers in Arabic, Mandarin, and several other scripts, which saved our bacon in more than one local market.
22 - Secure your devices - Use strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and VPNs on public Wi-Fi to protect your banking apps. Know how to "wipe" your phone remotely if stolen.
21 - Monitor accounts regularly - Check your bank statements online while traveling and set up transaction alerts so you know when money gets spent.
23 - Be discreet - Don't flash large amounts in public and count cash in private spaces.
24 - Consider using cryptocurrency for some payments - Digital currencies are becoming increasingly accepted in tech-friendly destinations. I even saw a Bitcoin ATM in Larnaca. Making a transfer is every bit as safe, if not safer, than sending cash. Travala is one booking platform that now allows you to pay in different crypto tokens.
Wheww - Thatβs all for now.
What have we missed? Feel free to send us an email with other money safety tips we should add to this list.
I'm not sure who remebers Tim's Lunar New Year tooth saga in Shanghai, but he required a Root Canal and Crown.
He had the root canal done in Shanghai and we've already received the rebate for that (630 AUD (880 - 250 AUD excess).
He waited until we got here to have the crown done (397 AUD) and we got that claim through today. There is no excess on this second procedure as it's all part of the one event.
So, all up, a top-rate dental procedure cost us the 250 AUD excess. (Which I chose when we took out the policy.)
The claim process was simple to do online. We provided a brief explanation of the issue and uploaded screenshots of the receipts. No questions asked and the refund was deposited directly to our Aussie account.
We couldn't recommend these guys highly enough. They only insure Aussies, which is a pity for the rest of you, but they have come through for us every time we've needed them. (And that's been quite a few times!)β
How Our Travel Plans Are Shaping Up
As mentioned above, I've locked in those crazy cheap London flights via Turkmenistan!
We'll have a couple of days in the city at a friends, and by some stroke of luck, our visit will overlap witha mutual friend who's passing through. Talk about perfect timing!
Even more exciting, we've scored an 8-day house sit in Central Valencia, where we'll be caring for a super-chilled cat named Meatball (yes, MEATBALL!)
We're also in discussion fro another sit on the Algarve, slotting nicely between Carvoeiro and Fuenirola.
Here's our confirmed itinerary for the next few months:
Vietnam: Another two weeks in Saigon and Vung Tau
Kuala Lumpur: 10 nights in a modern condo with a gym, pool, and three easy-care cats
3 days in London.
Central Lisbon: 8 nights in a 3-bedroom apartment with McCloud the ginger cat.
Carvoeiro, Portugal: 11 days of beach life with a lovely cat in the Algarve
On the cards - A week in central Almancil with a kitty called Monkey.
Fuengirola, Spain: Caring for a sweet cat in a well-equipped 3-bedroom apartment near Malaga
Spanish Coast: Catching up with friends around Alicante, Valencia, and Barcelona.
8 days in central Valencia with Meatball.
Possibly back to the UK briefly to catch up with other friends.
Caucasus Adventure: A few weeks exploring Armenia and Azerbaijan
Tbilisi, Georgia: A 3-week sit in a great area with two cats
Cambridge: 2 weeks in a house in the city center
June and July are still a bit of a moving feast at the moment, but with more and more housesits being advertised in the area, it looks like we'll have a full dance card in the locations we want to explore.
With all these housesits locked in the savings for 2025 are adding up quickly. I figure we've saved at least 11K USD in the cheapest acceptable accommodation. It's more like 33K if we were to book similar accommodation to the homes we'll sit.
Travel Bloggers, Websites and Newsletters You Might Like
Ever worried about finding a decent hair/nail salon while traveling?
Well this website might help.
βFresha lets you find and book beauty and wellness spots wherever you land, showing you nearby salons and spas with real local reviews.
No more language barrier headaches or relying on random hotel recommendations.
The salon I went to last week is on it here in Saigon and has excellent reviews. I checked out many of the destinations we'll be in soon (KL, London, Lisbon, Valencia, Tbilisi, etc., ) and it seems there are businesses on the platform pretty much everywhere.(Although some locations have far more options than others.)
So whether you need a last-minute haircut in Barcelona, a massage after that long flight to KL, or a quick mani-pedi before your Broadway show in New York, you can book it in seconds with instant confirmation.
That's all for now.
I have a call with the homeowner in Almuncil, Portugal soon to lock in that sit and then I'm headed to the amazing park across the road for my daily walk.
Happy Travels!
Tim and Sharyn
PS. If you enjoy receiving this newsletter, please feel free toBUY US A BEVERAGE. π βπ«π»π·
Every $ helps keep us motivated and the show on the road.
P.P.S. - Booking a trip soon? Here are some resources to use:
By using our links when you book, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you - This allows us to produce free content that helps you travel better and longer for less. Affiliate Disclosureβ
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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