How To Travel The World On $10 / Day by Will Hatton is a travel e-book written by the founder of popular travel blog The Broke Backpacker.
It all started when Will was 19 years old with no cellphone. He flew to India and ended up staying 18 months hitchhiking, camping, couchsurfing, and working on farms. After over 11 years of experience going around the entire world, Hatton reveals his secrets to maximizing your finances & travel time so you can have the best experience possible!
Today, his home base is in Bali where he opened the Tribal Bali hostel for “digital nomads” to relax and get some work done while abroad.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. ” – Mark Twain
You can download a free copy of the e-book from his website by clicking the link here!
Enjoy!
Table of Contents
Let’s Talk About Travel
- Everyone wants to travel and anyone can
- For some it will be harder than others, but with hard work and sacrifice anyone has the ability to travel
- Travel is the ultimate opportunity & investment
- Teaches a wide range of universally-applicable skills
- Independence, adaptability, flexibility, negotiation, communication, bravery, improvisation, social skills
- Invest in your personal growth & happiness – meet new people, places, and experiences
- Time is the most valuable resource we have
- If time is limited, how do you use it as an excuse not to travel?
- Most often we regret the things we didn’t do
- If you really want to travel, you’ll make time for it
- Dealing with FOMO
- Once you start traveling, you’ll realize the wealth of opportunities – more than one predetermined path is available to you
- The same opportunities (or lack of) will be there when you return
- Embrace Your Fear
- You’ll end up fine – there is an army of solo travelers around the world right now
- After a while, you’ll become confident in yourself & abilities
Travel Inspiration
- Figure out what you want out of travel → Where you want to go
- Beaches? Mountains? Party? Culture? History?
- By identifying what you want, you will know how and where to travel that best suits you
- Don’t ignore developing countries
- Rich Culture + Low Prices = More Fun & Flexibility
- Travel SLOWLY
- You can’t “do” a country in one week
- Appreciate the culture, food, and language by settling down for second
- Travel is not a competition – it is a personal journey and going slowly is the best way to enjoy that experience
| Easy Peasy | Thailand, Philippines, Turkey, Europe, Japan, Nepal, New Zealand, South Africa, Greece |
| Cultural | Iran, Ghana, Bolivia, Georgia, Ethiopia, Mali, Laos, North Vietnam, Philippines |
| Religious | Rome, Israel, Nepal, Tibet, Punjab / Varanasi India, Labella Ethiopia |
| Overland | Istanbul – Cairo, Cairo – Cape Town, Mexico City – Panama City, London – Hong Kong, London – Istanbul, London – Morocco, Bangkok – Bali, Istanbul – Kathmandu |
| Beach Bum | Mozambique, Cuba, Thailand, Philippines, Australia, South Africa, Turkey, Greece, Honduras, Brazil, Portugal |
| Great Introduction | Guatemala, Costa Rica, Gambia, Israel & Jordan, Thailand and Cambodia, New Zealand, Uganda, Sri Lanka |
| Mountainous | Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Chile, Bolivia, Nepal, Tibet, Pakistan, Afghanistan |
| Super Popular | Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia & The Philippines, Guatemala & Mexico, Israel & Jordan, South Africa, Turkey, Greece & Egypt, India, Nepal, Brazil & Argentina, New Zealand & Australia |
| Off The Beaten Path | Anywhere in the Middle East – Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan & IranEastern European countries – Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia, Georgia, Central Asian countries – Tajikistan, Mongolia & Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Ethiopia, Uganda,Ghana, Mozambique, Cameroon & Zimbabwe, Venezuela |
| Natural Beauty | All major mountain ranges, especially Alps and Himalayas Stunning islands including Jamaica, Fraser Island in Oz and most of the Caribbean Antarctica, Alaska, The Caucasus, USA National Parks, Great Barrier Reef in Australia, Patagonia in South America, Chile & the Bolivian Salt Flats, Iguazu Falls, Galapagos Islands, Iceland, Colombian Coast, Indonesia, Amazon Rainforest, Sahara desert in Morocco |
| Adventure | Drive a rickshaw across India, Cycle the Silk Road, Patagonian Expedition Race, Bagging Peaks |
| Great Journeys Of The World | The Silk Road, UK to Bangkok, Alaska – Tierra del Fuego, UK – Kathmandu, Mexico – Panama, Brazil – Venezuela (around SA), Interrailing Europe, All Around India, Southeast Asia Loop, Moscow – Beijing on TransSiberian, Africa East Coast (Cairo – Cape Town) |
Travel Planning
- The best plan → No plan
- Your plans will change on the road
- You’ll gain deeper understanding of what you enjoy, new people, and new opportunities
- Flexibility makes the experience more enjoyable
- Quicker you learn to give up control → Quicker you’ll slow down & enjoy the experience
- Travel Bloggers > Guidebooks
- More up-to-date, researched, authentic information
Finances
- Money needs depend on travel expectations
- Expensive American-type travel ≠ more immersive & fun experience
- Don’t let ever-evolving financial goals be an excuse to delay your dreams
- Minimize Your Life
- Get rid of unnecessary things
- Lower expenses (used car, work out at home, etc)
- Sell extra stuff ($70 = another week of travel in some countries)
- Work On The Road
- Plant Yourself → Teach English, WWOOF, Scuba / Surf instructor, translator
- Quick & Easy → Work in a bar / hostel, seasonal jobs, tour director, freelance photographer
- You don’t need as much as you think to travel (see How To Travel The World On $50 A Day & Take More Vacations — a guide to cheap flights)
Broke Backpacker Hacks 101
- Accommodation
- Airbnb — for couples or when sick / need to recharge
- Hostels — social perks & cheapness
- Camping — environment, flexibility, & free
- Couchsurfing — free & local help
- Food → follow where the locals go
- Haggling
- Research average prices
- Stay calm & nonchalant
- Keep your money hidden
- You will still pay a little more, which is reasonable
- Other Tips
- Alcohol is expensive
- Wear your wallet in the front
- Have emergency cash
Travel Gear
- The author gives a detailed packing list with sections including Camping, Essentials, Clothing, Technology, Adventure, Hiking, Toiletries, Medical, & Documents
- ALWAYS GET TRAVEL INSURANCE — World Nomads recommended
Staying Safe On The Road
- The world is safer than you’ve been led to believe
- Media writes headlines for a reason
- People want the same things around the world
- Usually any trouble you get into is your own fault
- Of course some places are more dangerous than others, just have awareness of the true situation
- Precautions
- Photocopy documents
- Back-up money in 2+ separate places
- Always lock your stuff up
- Don’t walk the streets in shady areas / after dark
- Don’t leave gear unattended
- Traveling As A Woman
- Tens of thousands of women travel the world safely — it is possible
- Don’t be scared to make a scene
- Leave your itinerary with a trusted person
- Don’t get blind drunk
- Try your best to blend in (clothing, etc)
- Mugged? → go to the police station and file a report
Health Is Wealth
- Health, such as eating well, is super important but easy to forget when traveling
- ALWAYS purify water
- Traveling slow is better for your health
- GO GO GO exhausts your body + you don’t have time to take care of it
- Do no-equipment workouts 3x a week
- Pushups, squats, run, burpees, etc
- Requires minimum time investment
- Exercise is one of the best ways to keep your immune system up
- Stay up-to-date with needed vaccinations
- Expensive but long-lasting investment (plus better than death)
- Lots of diseases have high death rates like tetanus & typhoid fever
Making The Connection
- Traveling constantly forces you out of your comfort zone
- You come out a totally different person – more confident in yourself
- Friends / family doesn’t always mean good travel companion
- Can bring y’all way closer & add some memories
- Can be not what you imagined — people have different priorities, hygiene, habits, etc.
- You will meet tons of travelers on the same page
- They know the same amount of people — no one
- Share a common love of travel
- Backpacking is fast-natured; sliding in & out of social situations is easy / normal
- Instant travel buddies + you can stay with them if you visit their home country
- Respect local culture and customs
- Language
- Make an attempt to learn the local language to truly connect
- Many people are pleased you just made an effort to try
- The universal language — hand gestures and a big smile!
- Travel relationships can be powerful & fast-moving — keep a rational mind
Solo Travel & Why You Should Give It A Go
- Traveling Solo = Ultimate Freedom
- Want to do something? Do it
- Traveling solo does not mean traveling alone – you’ll meet plenty of travelers
- You’ll have a lot of downtime
- Learn a new skill
- Read
- Get Fit
- Journal
- Any Skill – yoga, scuba dive, draw, write a book, study a new language, write letters home, etc
- Disadvantages Of Solo Travel
- FOMO
- Security
- Expenses (can’t split them)
- First Week Of Traveling
- Relaxxxx — you know it’s going to be a wild experience
- Humans ability to adapt within a few days is incredible
So You Want To Travel Forever?
- Travel will change your life if you give it a chance
- Go for a decent duration, challenge yourself, get off your phone, and live in the moment
- For a lot of people, the change is drastic and after returning they get an itch (wanderlust)
- Perpetual travel is possible but you still have to make money
- The key is to make money online
- Digital Nomad
- Someone who makes money online while traveling the world
- Travel blogging, freelancing, web designing, consulting, etc
Returning Home
- Reverse Culture Shock
- Often worse than original culture shock
- Harder to connect with people since no one can relate to your new perspectives
- You have changed but return to the same places / people that haven’t
- Don’t let newfound skills you learned traveling go to waste — keep them up
- Do some soul searching and be true with yourself
- The goal of life is happiness
- Whether that’s at home, Hanoi, or Havana is up to you
Check out more Travel posts!
- Travel As Transformation by Gregory V. Diehl
- The Broke Backpacker by Will Hatton
- How To Travel The World On $50 A Day by Matt Kepnes
- Vagabonding by Rolf Potts
- Take More Vacations by Scott Keyes