Thankfully, there is much, much more to the real Bangkok than the tired tourist routes. And, thankfully, it’s also very easy [...]]]>

It’s very easy to visit Bangkok and limit oneself to the tourist cliches. Yes, One Night In Bangkok can be filled with reclining Buddhas, sequins and show tunes, Singapore slings and slingbacks.

Thankfully, there is much, much more to the real Bangkok than the tired tourist routes. And, thankfully, it’s also very easy to slip away and discover it for yourself.

So, to really get to know the city the tourists don’t see, stick to these five streets, and unravel a city of charm, leafy canals, tiny cafes and hidden sois (the name they give to backstreets in Bangkok!).

Klong Toei

Klong Toei is something of an enigma – central Bangkok’s largest surviving shanty town: looking like a filmset straight out of Bladerunner. It’s situated alongside the Chao Praya River, and is a huddled jumble of old wooden houses, narrow lanes, teeming markets and cheap souvenir stalls. It’s full-on and not for the squeamish, but a real slice of (disappearing) Bangkok life.

New Road

Few other thoroughfares in Bangkok can hold a candle to New Road for its atmosphere. Yes, this Old Town route is on the tourist trail, but the warren of alleyways, hidden courtyards and impossibly narrow streets that criss-cross it are excuse enough to slip out of the slipstream and discover enticing food stalls, gold shops, weird and wonderful merchants selling all manner of esoteric bric-a-brac and locals’ bars where foreigners are made very welcome.

Washington Square

Washington Square fronts onto the south side of Sukhumvit Road between Sukhumvit Soi 22 and Sukhumvit Soi 24, and is rarely on visitor’s must do list. But that’s all the better for you. There’s a nice cluster of (tourist friendly) bars, a crowd of in the know tourists, and an easy-going, laid-back atmosphere which comes as a nice surprise in this frenetic, neon-soaked city. Popular with expats, Washington Square is, we suppose, like Bangkok used to be before all those tourists spoiled the place! So keep this one to yourself…

Phahon Yothin soi 7

Phahon Yothin soi 7 (soi Ari) can be reached by Sky Train, and is the perfect spot to charge up on authentic Bangkok street life, away from the hustle of the tourist-guides and free drink sales people. Walking west on the main soi takes you in the direction of innumerable tiny shops, delightful no-name food stalls and industrious little work shops. The sub-sois, or sidestreets, are crammed with tiny apartments and secret little bars. Great to eek out, and nicely cooled by the overhead canopies of the trees.

Thonburi

The further out of the bustling city center you get, the more the tourist throng thins out. You’ll see very few tourists when you reach the distant suburbs, such as peaceful Thonburi which, apart from Wat Arun, has its share of seldom-visited temples, wonderful – and cheap – restaurants, and quiet side streets, some laced with canals, that handsomely reward the visitor who’s made the effort.

If this has tempted you to visit Bangkok, you can get flights to Bangkok from Netflights and accomodations in the city from hotels.com

This article was written by Ross Fraser who is a travel blogger with a passion for traveling the world and you can read more about his travels at europetraveler.co.uk

2. Plan [...]]]> 1. Pack light or pay. Many budget travelers and free travel vagabonds that have gotten good deals on a flight have been less than thrilled to find out that the luggage weight limits were more restrictive than they realized at first and ended up paying extra charges at the airport.

2. Plan it the smart and free travel way. Will you be buying new luggage? Don’t go for the hard cases that won’t fit in as many places and compartments as soft bags or backpacks do – especially if you usually like to bring your luggage onboard with you. It will also be advantageous to select a bag that meets most airlines’ size restrictions for carry-on luggage as you will always be able to use them no matter which airline you fly with.

3. Swap and be safe. If you will be traveling with a friend or two and you will be checking-in your luggage, consider splitting your essential items between each of the bags. Should one of the bags get lost or delayed, you will still have some clothes to wear and so will you friend.

4. Keep it fresh. Since your clothes are going to spend quite a bit of time trapped in a bag, you can put one or two perfume sachet or scent packs in between layers of clothes. You can also use a fabric softener sheet. This will keep your clothing smelling fresh and prevent them from stinking of dampness. A thin plastic bag to put your dirty laundry in will also help to keep your clean clothes from smelling bad. No need for the budget traveler and free travel enthusiast to stink!

Get to the airport early

5. The quick and easy way. Even though it may be more of a hassle to pass through security, by opting to carry-on bags with you the risk of not having your luggage lost or stolen will be greatly reduced and you will be able to get out of the airport quickly when you arrive at your destination.

6. The early bird… It’s not a bad idea to arrive at the airport with enough time to register your bags even if they meet the requirements to bring them onboard with you. For whatever reasons (including space limitations), the airlines are legally entitled to refuse you to bring luggage inside with you and can require you to check your bags in. Don’t get caught!

7. It’s the details that matter. If you’re bringing battery-operated equipment on your trip you can reverse the batteries in your machines when you pack them in your bags so that they don’t turn themselves on accidentally during the flight and wear the batteries out. Small details like this make the difference if you want to travel for free.

8. Label it. Excuse us for stating the obvious but don’t forget to label your bags with your email and phone number inside and out. Print out an extra copy of your itinerary and place it inside the bag, on top of everything else. This will facilitate the airline’s job should your luggage get stolen and need to be redirected to your destination.

6. Travel Slow It can be difficult to keep costs low if you travel quickly and are always on the move. Traveling slow enables you to minimize costs and hang around for the best deals. By staying in the same place for an extended period [...]]]> Continued From Travel For Free Tips Part 1

6. Travel Slow
It can be difficult to keep costs low if you travel quickly and are always on the move. Traveling slow enables you to minimize costs and hang around for the best deals. By staying in the same place for an extended period of time you also give yourself the chance to create a significant network of relationships and related opportunities.

Is it really that important to try to see everything about a foreign place? There is a big difference between a meaningful encounter with a land and its people and a series of quick glances at numerous sites.

7. Be Prepared and Willing to Give Back
By ‘free travel’ we mean that traveling need not be financially expensive. But what you don’t give in money you can always give in time and contribution of self. There always is an exchange of some kind going on. Sometimes it can be as simple as being good company to others or being a window to another world. You can also offer something more practical like massages, carpentry work, yard work, house cleaning, babysitting, reiki, running errands, etc. Barter has never really gone out of style.

8. Diversify Your Sources of Income
It is ideal if you are able to generate some income while you are traveling. It is even more ideal if you are able to make this money from a variety of means. This way you don’t have to rely so much on working crazy hours before leaving in order to pile up some cash or experience the stress of coming back from your trip with financial concerns. It may also mean you can keep up free traveling much longer if you wish.

There are endless opportunities either locally or by working through the Internet. Be it picking fruits or doing massages. Online work include freelance writing and graphic design.

Read more about generating income and how to travel for free

Trust Yourself To Generate Free Travel Opportunities

9. Start Where You Are
In order to experience free travel it is important to have a healthy attitude and positive mindset. It is not always an easy affair. A good way to get your feet wet is to start small and plan a free or partially free trip in your own country. This is a good idea especially if you have never traveled (it’s not necessary to go to India for 6 months for your first trip like I did! But that’s another story.) You will gain practical knowledge from this and can set a challenge for yourself to connect freely to other people. Then, you will be better prepared to venture out with little money abroad.

10. Trust Yourself
There will always be people who see things differently than you do. If you rely too heavily on other people’s perceptions about what the world is like and what is possible or not, this limits your free travel possibilities and does not teach you to rely on yourself in challenging situations. Listen to yourself. You are the one who is making your way in the world and it often if not always mirrors the way you approach it. Forget about all the people who say that the world is like this and the world is like that. Your experience of the world is what you make of it. Do not, of course, jump into situations in which you don’t feel prepared to handle.

This also does not mean that you should never listen to other people’s advice. If you trust yourself you will be a more trustable person to others and you will be able to discern those you can trust from those you can’t.

This kind of traveling usually depends on both practical skills and personality factors. The more [...]]]> 100%  free travel is not impossible but quite unlikely for most people in this day and age. You can, however, put yourself in a position to seriously increase free traveling opportunities while you are on the move.

This kind of traveling usually depends on both practical skills and personality factors. The more things you can do and know about – the better it is. And the more willing you are to open up to others and allow the same in reverse and the more people will invite you into their lives – for free!

1. Plan Ahead
The Internet has become an invaluable resource for free travel. Not all opportunities happen spontaneously while on a trip – many can be planned ahead and looked up online (WOOFing, couchsurfing, home sitting, etc). If the uncertainty of having to find spontaneous free opportunities as you travel proves to be too overwhelming, don’t let it stop you. Simply research and identify resources and opportunities before ever setting foot abroad.

2. Learn Foreign Languages
Free travel is quite about communication and connecting to people. If you are able to speak (even just slightly) the native language of the area where you are going, this will tremendously increase your opportunities. Speaking or trying to speak the local language almost always puts you in the good graces of the local people.

Free travel is about connecting to people

3. Live Lightly and Simply, At Home and Abroad
When your needs are reduced you obviously need less money to get by. Anyone noticing that all the abundance and excesses of Western civilization have failed to make us happy, healthy, sane and kind to one another?

And also, if you don’t have a lot of stuff to take care of at home and in your life in general, it makes you more available for spontaneous departures. Simplifying your bills and getting rid of excessive material possessions will make your travels easier and more carefree.

4. Find Penpals
By developing penpal friendships, you are creating opportunities to stay at your friends’ places when traveling. Depending on the strength of the friendship, this can provide you with a roof over your head for a longer time period than couchsurfing would. And when you are not traveling, travel can come to you as you open your doors to your international friends.

5. Learn Basic Self-Sufficiency Skills
Free travel or traveling with a very small budget is not always easy. You can save on myriads of costs and significantly improve your situation by being as self-sufficient as possible. This does depend on where you plan to go but you may also easily find yourself somewhere unplanned for! Learn how to make a fire, sanitize water, hand wash clothes, cook simple food, etc.  More Free Traveling Tips

]]> http://www.freetravelgo.com/tips-for-free-travel-part-1/feed 0 http://www.freetravelgo.com/free-travel-lodging-ideas http://www.freetravelgo.com/free-travel-lodging-ideas#comments Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:12:42 +0000 Jeff Gervais http://www.freetravelgo.com/?p=45 The cost of lodging is one of the main expenses of traveling. You can reduce or eliminate this cost through a variety of opportunities and get a step closer to experiencing true free travel. Here is a quick overview of some popular prospects.

WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic [...]]]> The cost of lodging is one of the main expenses of traveling. You can reduce or eliminate this cost through a variety of opportunities and get a step closer to experiencing true free travel. Here is a quick overview of some popular prospects.

WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms)
In exchange for a few hours of work a day at an organic farm you can receive food and accommodations at numerous sites all over the globe. There is a guide with farm listings being sold at the WWOOF website. This is one of the most popular alternatives for travelers as it usually is a context to meet interesting people, make a positive contribution to the Earth and the local environment and enjoy good food! Just don’t expect too much comfort and you do have to be physically fit.

Make A House Swap
Although it’s a challenge to find a  home owner in a place you want to go who would like to swap their home with yours at the time you would like to – it’s a true free travel jackpot and feeling of victory when it does work out! If you’re open to going anywhere and somewhere unplanned for, then you can more easily find some really great opportunities. House swap networks exists over the Internet to help you find people willing to temporarily trade places with you.

It is a good idea to engage communications many times with your swap partners before going ahead with the deal. Don’t hesitate to check references.

WWOOF installations can be pretty cool

House sitting : The Free Travel Grand Prize
Similar to the house swap… but while you do get a house to keep for some time you don’t have to provide one in exchange. Many people who need to leave their home for some time prefer to have somebody trustworthy occupy the space rather than having no one there at all. They look for someone to look after their property, their plants and pets – this could be you. Some will even offer money to take care of various extras.

Again, you should work out all details before going ahead – although you are taking less of a risk than the home lender.  Over time you can accumulate good references and turn this into a free travel lifestyle. Resource sites exist on the Internet.

Couchsurfing : When You’re Just Passing Through
Dramatically increasing in popularity over the last couple years, couchsurfing is ideal if you will be passing through some places but not staying long. It can also be a good way to have a place to stay when you arrive somewhere and want to look for something else in the area. This is not for those in need of strong intimacy. The couchsurfing.com website is a good place to start.

It is your job to be as transparent as is necessary and make it easy for others to decide whether they want to have you sleeping on their couch for a few days or not. Would you open your do doors to anyone?

Also, keep your karma positive and offer your own couch to the surfers from time to time when you are at home, this way you offer the chance to others to experience free travel as well.

Take up a room in a Tibetan Monastery

Get A Room In A Religious Or Spiritual Establishment
This free travel lodging opportunity will not be for everyone and not always available but if you are relatively spiritually inclined or otherwise able to appreciate the sacred aspects of existence then getting rooms at monasteries, ashrams or other religious establishments can be a very positive experience. Though they are not all free, they will often be open to making an exchange to accommodate you. Some establishments will be more conservative and strict than others.

I would strongly discourage anyone to take advantage of this kind of opportunity if they are not sincere in their appreciation of religious or spiritual practices. Most of the world already belongs to the secular mindset – why not leave what’s left of our religious heritage as intact as possible? You don’t have to be religious to go, an earnest curiosity and respect will do.

The Capital One Venture Card

They best and easiest way to get airline tickets is with [...]]]> Do you want free airline tickets?  You might immediately be thinking there’s a catch to this.  In this article I’m going to show how to get free or cheap airline tickets by just doing the normal things you do in life.

The Capital One Venture Card

They best and easiest way to get airline tickets is with the Capital One Venture Credit Card, because it has some of the best rewards options available out there.  In fact the Capital One Venture Card is one of the top 10 rewards credit cards.

This card will give you double miles on all purchases you make with it.  So if you buy something for $15 you will earn 30 points.  On top of that you will also get 10,000 bonus mile points when you sign up and spend $1000 in the first 30 days.

Finally, this card has no blackout dates and can be used to go anywhere at anytime that you want to.

How It Works

Now you might not be experienced with how the point system works with these cards but it’s actually very simple.  Lets say that you are flying from Ohio to Los Angles and the total ticket cost was going to be $250 round trip.

In order to figure out how many mile points you would need, just multiply the ticket price by 100.  So in the example above you would need 25,000 points.

The Down Side
Finally their are some down sides to owning a credit card like this to get free airline tickets.  First, they have an annual fee of $59 but it is waived for the first year.

Second, you will need excellent credit to get this card, which means if you have even just a good credit score you may not be able to get this card.

Lastly, there may be some high interest rates involved if you would miss payments but the average monthly rate is only 11.9%.

One final thing I should mention: to build up your points faster, simply run almost every financial expense through the card.  This way you will get the maximum benefits and as many points as possible!