23 Posts Found

In 2019, I successfully completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, starting April 22 at Amicalola Falls in Georgia and ending August 24 on Mount Katahdin in Maine. I follow multiple online thru-hiking groups and people often ask about costs, mileage, time, etc. so since I tracked all of that I thought I would summarize it for anyone interested.

Want to track your own … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Appalachian Trail, Tourism (Places), Travel Guides

For better or worse, mobile phones have become an indispensable piece of gear for most hikers. While you can use the camera and your favorite guidebook offline, having phone and Internet service can be helpful as well. Getting WiFi in towns and hiker hostels should be relatively easy but mobile service will depend on both the service provider (carrier) and the phone that you use.

Carrier … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Appalachian Trail, Tourism (Places), Travel Guides

I recently spent three weeks traveling around Northern Laos. Here is my itinerary, some notes and travel tips and my budget breakdown.

Subjects: Tourism (Places), Travel Guides

Getting from Luang Namtha, Laos to Chiang Mai, Thailand is not as straightforward as it might seem and can be a challenge to do in one day. Here are your transportation options.

Subjects: Tourism (Places), Travel Guides

Singapore is a clean, green and modern city with a surprisingly large number of things to see and do. Here is my guide for what you need to know to make the most of your visit, including recommended sights, and information about transportation options, budgeting, how long to visit, staying connected, food options and more.

Subjects: Tourism (Places), Travel Guides

About a year ago there was a big AirAsia sale and I got a great price on a direct flight from Chiang Mai to Changsha, China. I knew nothing about Changsha or the surrounding area (Hunan province) and this would be my first trip anywhere in China. As it turns out, the nearby cities of Wulingyuan, Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang make for a great 1-2 week … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Photos, Tourism (Places), Travel Guides

I recently finished three weeks traveling in Myanmar and I thought it might be helpful to offer some helpful hints and observations, detail my itinerary and provide a detailed breakdown of my expenditures.

Subjects: Featured, Travel Guides

Since I recently finished a full month of traveling in the Philippines I thought it might be helpful to provide a detailed summary of my expenses there, along with my full itinerary and a few travel observations.

Subjects: Tourism (Places), Travel Guides

Japan has long been considered one of the more expensive countries to travel. Recently, thanks to a weakening currency and years of deflation, Japan is becoming more affordable. Getting around inside the country will, however, be one of your bigger expenses. If you aren’t too pressed for time or you are just planning to visit a few locations, the best prices will most likely be … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Tourism (Places), Travel Guides

Note: See the end of this post to see how you can get/use my expense tracking spreadsheet (free).

Many people are interested in how much around-the-world (RTW) or other long-term travel costs, especially as a budget traveler or backpacker. As I explained in my Central America cost breakdown, before I began my multi-year Latin America journey, I created a spreadsheet to … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Tourism (Places), Travel Guides

General Thoughts about Brazil
Like almost everyone I have met who has traveled to Brazil, I loved my experience here. It is a huge country, diverse in land, people, culture and even language. When I first started thinking of my South America plans I considered skipping Brazil precisely because it was so huge and because I wanted to concentrate on improving my Spanish, but as I … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Featured, Tourism (Places), Travel Guides

Note: See the end of this post to see how you can get/use my expense tracking spreadsheet (free).

Many people are interested in how much around-the-world (RTW) or other long-term travel costs, especially as a budget traveler or backpacker. Latin America, generally being a fairly inexpensive destination, is popular for long-term itineraries. So, I bring you some good news and bad news. … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Tourism (Places), Travel Guides

I am one of the fairly small number of travelers who has been fortunate enough take a tour to Antarctica. Unlike for others, it hasn’t been a specific goal of mine for a very long time. Rather, as I started contemplating my lengthy travels in Central and South America, I started hearing about Ushuaia, the “end of the world.” Then I started to hear … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Featured, Photos, Tourism (Places), Travel Guides, Video

Due to the fact that I spent more than four months in Buenos Aires and that it is in many ways a place unique and separate from Argentina as a whole, this guide will cover the parts of Argentina I visited outside of Buenos Aires (though be sure to check out my Buenos Aires travel tips as well). Basically, my route was from Bolivia to … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Featured, Tourism (Places), Travel Guides

Here I will share some of the useful resources and, hopefully, insights I have into the popular South American city of Buenos Aires.

Subjects: Featured, Photos, Tourism (Places), Travel Guides

I was in Uruguay in September 2011 for a relatively (for me) short trip, visiting Colonia del Sacramento, Montevideo, Punta del Este, Villa Serrana, Pueblo Eden, La Paloma, La Pedrera, Valizas, Cabo Polonio, and Punta del Diablo. I was there during the off season and apparently in summer the country is overrun with tourists, many from Argentina. Thus, anything you read here may be completely … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Photos, Tourism (Places), Travel Guides

I crossed the Andes from Mendoza, Argentina arriving in Santiago. I then moved on to Valparaíso, Pucón, Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas (if you count spending the night in the airport), and finally Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine.

Subjects: Tourism (Places), Travel Guides

Bolivia seems to be one of those countries that some people seem to really love while others think it is vastly overrated. Without a doubt, there is a lot of natural beauty on display in this country, with access to 6,000 meter mountains and the Amazon within hours of the impressive capital of La Paz. The Potosí mines are both impressive and deeply sad and … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Featured, Photos, Tourism (Places), Travel Guides

General Thoughts on Perú

• Perú is a paradise for those, like myself, who are interested in archaeological sites. Of course, it’s most famous for Machu Picchu, but there are SO many more archaeological sites to visit besides MP and I encourage you to do so.
• Use iPerú, found in many tourist locations. It is a great source of unbiased information, including bus routes and schedules,

… [ Read more ]

Subjects: Featured, Photos, Tourism (Places), Travel Guides

Alternative Treks
For months I had been planning to do one of the alternative treks to Machu Picchu, having mostly decided on the Salkantay Trek after reading great reviews of it and hearing equally good first-person accounts as well. Of course, being a backpacker, plans change. Arriving in Cuzco in the low season I started looking for an agency to use for the trek. What I … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Photos, Tourism (Places), Travel Guides