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📰💛🌍 Paused, Reset ...Now More Stories + Savings
Published 14 days ago • 10 min read
Checking in from lively Saigon, Vietnam!
Hey there Reader,
I know we’ve been quiet recently, but it wasn’t by choice.
At times it felt like the Universe was conspiring against us.
The heat during our European and Caucus adventures was relentless even for us hardy, outback Aussies, and the tech environment seemed determined to trip up small independent bloggers.
Systems broke down across the blog, the house sitting course, and even newsletter delivery. We poured in loads of effort, but it was as if our voice wasn’t carrying — the work was happening, yet no one could hear us. Why bother, right?!
On top of that, my (Shazz) health took a hit. Allergies spiraled, energy and motivation dropped, and my brain just couldn’t keep pace with sorting everything out while we were on the move.
We also need new passports soon, and some of the visas for future travels can only be arranged back in Australia. With those tasks on the horizon and the Christmas trek ahead, it became clear we needed to pause.
Priority one was health: stop, breathe, reset.
Priority two was improving systems to lighten the load.
That’s why we’ve chosen Saigon as our base for the next six months.
It’s a city we know well and love — with friends, favorite haunts, and a vibrant social life. Leasing a spacious apartment here costs less than half short‑term rentals, giving us comfort and breathing room. Saigon also sits at the heart of a super‑convenient transport hub for visa runs and regional exploring, while being much closer to Australia for our Christmas trip and family connections.
It’s taken us a couple of weeks to get set up, but now we’re all sorted — and yes, it feels like the right decision.
Our apartment is in a fantastic location surrounded by amazing food, and it’s not far from all our favorite haunts. The city is still as vibrant, welcoming, and crazy as we remember.
We’ve been catching up with friends, eating far too much, but also settling into healthier routines - some science, some "whoo-whoo", plus a healthy dash of ancient wisdom. (Sneaky secret… I’ve already lost 4 kgs despite the food overload!)
Now it’s time to reconnect with you all with a clearer mindset, make the necessary improvements to our tech stack, and finally finish all those projects sitting in draft.
🧰 What’s Changing
From here on, you’ll notice a few shifts.
Less pressure, more value. While the intention is weekly, the newsletter will only land when there’s something genuinely worth sharing. That way, you get the good stuff without the filler.
Less words, more choice. Expect shorter summaries with clear links so you can dive deeper if you want. (Yes, I know… my wordiness has been legendary. Consider this my cure!)
Deals, tips, resources, stories — all sharper.
Deals: 3 or 4 standout offers each time, quick to scan, easy to grab. But a link to more if you want.
Tips: Bite‑sized hacks that save you time, money, or stress.
Resources: Tools and blogs we think you'll use, linked straight to the source.
Stories: Personal updates and reader journeys, told in a way that informs and inspires without dragging on.
Behind the scenes. We’re moving everything onto a simpler, integrated tech stack. For most of you, that just means smoother delivery of more value. For the fellow bloggers among you, I’ll share more later — it’s way cheaper and far more intuitive than the usual email/course/community/funnel providers.
For those of you who are Housesitter’s Roadmap and Toolkit students, you may notice a few hiccups with accessing your resources right now. Please don’t worry — you still have lifetime access to all the materials, plus any upgrades we’re rolling out soon.
If you run into trouble and need something urgently, just drop me an email and I’ll make sure you’re taken care of. Everyone will be moved into the new system with the latest improvements shortly — thanks for your patience as we make things better for you.
*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.
📰 Top Stories in Travel this Week
✅📄 Thailand - 5 Important travel changes: New TDAC digital arrival card (within 72 hours pre‑arrival), clarified alcohol sale hours, expanded QR payments, tighter ride‑hailing checks — plus a major temple has raised foreigner entry fees, with some effectively doubling compared to past rates. 👉 Full details here
Sharyn’s take: Do TDAC before you fly, plan your beers, carry backup cash, and expect pricier temple entries. Check out TAGTHAI's EasyPay eWallet payment option for foreigners.
✅⛔Holiday booking scams: fake sites and social ads ramp up Highly realistic clone sites and social promos are snaring travelers with “too‑good” deals. 👉 Read USA TODAY’s warning
Sharyn’s take: Moral of the story - verify URLs, use credit cards, and book through trusted platforms. If a deal feels urgent and underpriced, pause — then check the domain, reviews, and refund policy before you click.
✅🌍Global travel trends spotlighted at World Travel Market London 2025 Destinations from Greece to Japan showcased “slow tourism,” sustainability, and cultural experiences as the future of travel, with over 45,000 visitors exploring how the industry is reshaping post‑pandemic. 👉 See Euronews coverage.
Sharyn’s take: The buzzword is “slow” — The focus on slow travel really resonates with us — it’s our favorite way to explore, staying longer, soaking in daily life, and letting the journey evolve.
💸 Top Deals: Black Friday Highlights
✈️ Flight (+more) Deals
Trip.com’s Mega Black Friday Sale is live worldwide, with discounts of up to 70% off hotels, flights, trains, and packages. Daily “deal drops” appear at set times depending on your region, plus extra savings on car rentals, eSIMs, and activities.
Sharyn’s take: Flash sales drop daily — if you see a fare that fits, grab it before it vanishes.
🏨 Hotel Deals
Booking.com’s Black Friday Offers run from 20 November – 3 December 2025, covering travel dates all the way through 31 December 2026. Discounts reach up to 70% off stays worldwide
Sharyn’s take: Lock in 2026 trips now while rates are low — but always check cancellation terms before you commit.There's no reason why you can't lock in a fabulous deal now and change you mind later.
🌍 Tour Deals
💲TourRadar: Up to 70% off over 50 000 tours worldwide, including the loads in Vietnam — one of many reasons to come visit us here!
Sharyn’s take: Bucket‑list adventures at steep discounts — and if Vietnam’s on your radar, now’s the time to lock it in.
👉 Looking for savings beyond flash sales? Check out our Evergreen Deals page for year‑round offers.
🛠 Travel Tips: Lessons From the Road
🚗 Car hire comparators save big
🚗 We’ve done quite a few road trips over the years, including 2025 and honestly, you find the best bargains using car‑hire comparators. Sticking mainly with Discover Cars, this year we’ve saved over $1,000 on our last three hires (UK, France, Australia) — plus scored upgrades and perks that made the journeys even sweeter. (Think BMW 120M instead of a Fiat Panda!)
Sharyn’s take: Don’t just click “book direct.” Comparison sites can be game‑changers for both price and extras.
📱 eSIMs are a travel essential (with a caveat)
After finally getting a phone that takes one and testing it, we’re now converts — AirAlo worked seamlessly (in Azerbijan, Armenia, and Georgia,) is great value, and saves the hassle of airport SIM chaos.
(BONUS: Use NEWTOAIRALO15 for a 15% discount if you are a new user, AIRALOESIM10 for 10% if you've used them before.)
For short trips, eSIMs are unbeatable; if you’re staying longer, local providers are usually cheaper.
Sharyn’s take: Land, connect, and skip the stress. Choose eSIMs for convenience on short trips, locals for value if you're staying longer.
🚆 You can Save big on UK train travel
UK trains get a bad rap for being extortionate — and honestly, if you just turn up at the station, they often are. But with a little planning, the story changes.
We always book through The Trainline and grab a Two Together Railcard, which saves us at least 30% on every trip when traveling as a pair.
With forward planning — usually booking 2–3 weeks ahead — you can slash fares by 80–90%, turning “ouch” prices into real bargains. This year we saved at least 250 GBP on 17 fairly short trips.
Sharyn’s take: Don’t let the UK’s reputation scare you off. Book trains early, use a railcard, and pocket the savings for more adventures.
🗺 Travel Plans: What’s Ahead (and Been.)
🏡 Settling in Saigon - We’re putting down roots here for the six months— soaking up the energy, food, and rhythm of the city and getting some projects nailed.
🎄 Christmas trip home - A quick hop back to see our mums over the holidays — family time before the new year begins.
🛂 End‑January border run - Planning a border run and aiming to grab a housesit somewhere in the region — practical, cheap, and a chance to explore.
👫 Friends visiting - Several friends are lined up to visit, and we can’t wait to play tour guide and show them around our new base.
📊 Looking back on our housesitting year -We’ve reflected on an incredible run: -17 housesits across 8 countries, 130 nights of free accommodation.
From no‑hassle kitties to a crazy cockatiel, frog, and tortoise, we cared for them all — in stunning homes from a 4-storey French Maison de maître to 17th‑century thatched cottages and Spanish pool villas. Locations included Lisbon, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, the Costa Brava and Blanca, Valencia, Cambridge, Glasgow, Edinburgh, London, Eastbourne, Pau, and more.
The savings were huge — at least $12,000 if we'd booked rock-bottom rooms, but closer to $60,000 if we’d booked similar stays. 👉 [See the full spreadsheet here]
And now, we’re on sit number 99. It feels a bit like Donald Bradman in the nervous nineties — but unlike him, we’re hoping to sail past the milestone and see what magic number 100 brings.
More than the savings, we’re grateful for the kindness of homeowners, the trust they’ve placed in us, and the unforgettable experiences that have come with each sit.
If you’re curious about how to do the same, we’ve put together a Housesitting Resource Page with guides, tips, and tools to help you get started. Whether you’re looking to save money, travel more slowly, or connect with furry friends around the world, this page will walk you through the process step by step.
🏠 Swaphouse A fast‑growing home‑swap platform for remote workers and travelers. Now over 2,500 homes across 80+ countries — doubling since we last reported.
🍽 Timeleft Weekly gatherings connect six strangers for dinners, drinks, or runs in cities worldwide — no swiping, no planning, just real connections. Not just for singles. A great place to make connections in a new place. It now has over 3M members globally and a presence in Saigon.
🤖 Layla AI An AI‑powered travel planner that integrates with WhatsApp and Instagram, helping travelers discover destinations, book flights, and plan itineraries in a conversational way.
Sharyn’s take: It seems Laylai AI has taken the lead in the travel space. But be careful. In a Coming Issue, I’ll update you all on my AI itinerary planning experiment with our friend’s London trip — a real test of how well these tools deliver.
🙏 A Quick Favor
Hey all! Just a quick note — if you’re booking a trip or even doing some holiday shopping, it would mean a lot if you used the links on our site.
I’ve put together a handy Travel Planning Cheatsheet to guide you through the process and make it super easy.
There’s no added cost to you, but the small commission helps keep the website and newsletter running and the content flowing. With Google changes and the rise of AI cutting into traffic and revenue this past year, every click really does make a difference.
📝 How to Use Our Links When Booking
1 - Start here → Go to our [Travel Planning Cheatsheet] and bookmark it. Make that page your first step whenever you’re planning & booking a trip. Examples:
Hotels & rooms → If you want a room on Booking.com, click our link to access their site and your account.
Flights - Use our links to Trip.com, Skyscanner, etc. before you search.
It's the same process for tours & activities, car rentals, travel insurance, and more.
2. Check prices → If you find a better deal elsewhere, go for it! But if the prices are the same (or better) through our links, please use them — it helps support the site and newsletter at no extra cost to you.
Thanks so much for supporting us — we truly appreciate it!
Note: If you want more details on how this works for most other content providers and us, READ THIS.
Want to connect between newsletters? Find us on Facebook & Instagram for daily updates and behind‑the‑scenes stories.”
✨ Feedback Welcome. So, what do you think — do you like this new version of the newsletter? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Just hit reply and let us know what’s working for you (or what you’d like more of).
That's all for now.
I have a cracking bone broth in the pot, and we've sorted our NETFLIX issues, so time to settle in for the night.
Tim and Sharyn
PS. If you enjoy receiving this newsletter, please feel free toBUY US A BEVERAGE. 😉 ☕🫖🍻🍷
Every $ helps keep us motivated and the show on the road.
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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