1218 articles tagged with budget travel
As I gazed across Auckland's skyline from atop Mount Eden last fall, I couldn't help but marvel at how this bustling metropolis is built upon a volcanic field containing over 50 ancient volcanoes. Having squeezed in this hike between business...
There's a rhythm to exploring Arecibo that reminds me of marathon training—each step reveals something new, each breath connects you deeper to the land. When my relief organization sent me to Puerto Rico last spring for a community rebuilding project,...
The first time I stepped out of Suvarnabhumi Airport into Bangkok's wall of heat and humidity, I felt like a deer caught in headlights. A sea of taxis, tuk-tuks, and motorbikes swarmed around me in what appeared to be complete...
While I typically find myself beneath the vast, star-studded skies of rural plains, my recent expedition to Mexico City revealed an urban landscape with its own unique constellation of experiences. As someone accustomed to tracking celestial movements across unobstructed horizons,...
The first time I stepped onto Lisbon's iconic yellow Tram 28, I wasn't just boarding public transportation—I was climbing into a living museum. As an educator who's spent decades encouraging children to see learning opportunities everywhere, I found myself becoming...
Let me tell you something about Lithuanian port cities – they're Europe's best-kept secrets, and Klaipeda might just be the crown jewel. When a digital marketing gig for a craft brewery collaboration brought me to this Baltic gem last fall,...
If someone had told me back in my Liverpool bus-driving days that I'd be hurling myself down massive sand dunes on a waxed board at 64 years old, I'd have thought they'd been drinking too much at the local pub....
The moment my bare feet touched the crystalline shores of Santa Maria, I felt that familiar rush of discovery – the same feeling I get when I find the perfect food truck in an unlikely corner of a new city....
There's something wonderfully liberating about standing beneath the gleaming Gateway Arch as a solo traveler, watching the Mississippi River flow past while plotting your adventure through a city that perfectly balances Midwestern warmth with cosmopolitan flair. While I typically document...
Growing up between Scotland's rugged coastlines and my mother's stories of Japan's island shores, I've developed quite the affinity for water's edge—no matter where it may be found. While Oklahoma might not spring to mind when you think 'beach holiday,'...
The true essence of Hong Kong reveals itself in layers—much like the city itself, which unfolds vertically rather than horizontally. After numerous visits spanning two decades, I've developed an intimate relationship with this remarkable metropolis that defies simple categorization. *La...
Japan often carries a reputation for being prohibitively expensive, but as someone who's mastered the art of budget travel between medical contracts, I'm here to tell you that Fukuoka—Kyushu's vibrant capital—offers an exceptional alternative to Tokyo or Kyoto without depleting...
As someone who typically documents the sleek smart cities of Asia and Europe, my weekend detour to the gateway settlements of South Luangwa National Park in Zambia offered a fascinating counterpoint to my usual urban explorations. Here, 'urban' takes on...
There's something utterly mesmerizing about gliding through the misty waters of Inle Lake at dawn, watching leg-rowing fishermen balance precariously as they cast their nets in a tradition dating back generations. As an urban planner accustomed to analyzing how cities...
The azure dome of the Blue Mosque rises majestically against the dusty horizon as I sit cross-legged on a worn carpet, analyzing the complex flavor profile of my *qabuli palaw* with the same methodical approach I once applied to water...
