"You two are absolutely crazy"
If Danny and I had an extra dollar for every time someone told us we were absolutely crazy for leaving the comfort of our homes to travel Central & South America as backpackers, we would have stayed at five star resorts at every location we visited.
But, because that did not happen, we had to manage our budget carefully...and doing that got us from Mexico City all the way to the south of Chile in almost 8 months of travel and "once in a lifetime experiences" through the countries of Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Bolivia, Perú and Chile. I have to admit that the master of managing the budget, was Danny, so...thanks again my love. =)
And YES, we spent about 50usd a day (including flights)
We live in a huge world that has become tiny because of technology and transportation. Take advantage of that. It is no longer a voyage of months to get from one continent to another and platforms like airbnb really help the modern day traveller. We stayed at amazing places for under 20 bucks a night...for the both of us. But... you have to travel like a local, put up with a lot of low quality buses, trains, boats and taxis to get from one place to another and do everything and anything to avoid the tourist traps, including western places to eat.
Plan ahead, and a small amount of money will get you a very long way.
Check out the Video
There were so many amazing moment during this journey and I will continue to share them in unique posts. For today, I put together a short film of many video clips I took with my Canon 6D in Central America. (Video of South America, coming soon)
Note that I mostly like to shoot photographs, so I did not spend too much time shooting video. However, I hope you enjoy these 4 minutes of what Danny and I experienced in a many months.
How to travel with 50usd or less?
This is probably what you are still wondering and there are really good answers for that. Even though Danny and I travelled on a budget, we got to see and enjoy so much that we would probable do it again and again.
We know the value of travel and the happiness it brings so sharing what we know will be a pleasure. I promise to write a full post on how we managed to travel with under 50usd a day and give you average expenses pero country and location.
In the meanwhile, if you have questions or comments, please share and we will reply.
Enjoy. Peace.
Great compilation in the video! I actually did the same route as you guys too but it was 3 years ago. I started in Mexico city and all the way to Peru. (can't make it to Chile because of budget) I spent average 20USD every single day there as a solo traveler. The only thing I regret the most was I didn't have a camera back then, so everything was shot with my old iPhone 4.
Where are you guys right now?
Even if you did not have a camera, memories remain in your mind and in your emotions. That will never be taken away. We are now living in Playa del Carmen, México...but we are excited to see where the future takes us after our wedding in October.
Totally, memories will always be on my mind. That's amazing that you base in Playa del Carmen now, I want to be there so much and congratulation on your coming wedding. I checked your website, you've got some nice equipments for videography. Where do you plan to go?
We don´t really have too many plans at the moment. But I want to see mountains!
Amazing, Mexico has a lot of mountains too!
Well done post You deserve for getting Upvote from me. I appreciate on it and like it so much . Waiting for your latest post. Keep your good work and steeming on. Let's walk to my blog. I have a latest post. Your upvote is high motivation for me. Almost all Steemians do their best on this site. Keep steeming and earning.
This comment has received a 0.06 % upvote from @booster thanks to: @hamzaoui.
What a cool post! I just talked about traveling on a budget in my last post, so this one caught my eye! Great content :) If you'd like to check out my recent post, here is the link:
https://steemit.com/travel/@sarahjanele/how-to-visit-new-york-city-on-a-budget
Thanks for sharing this @diegotorrescolo. I am myself an avid traveler and have travelled to more than 20 countries in the past 24 months. That is a country a month :) however it was way more tha $50 per day as I traveled mostly in Europe. I have never been to south america though and would love to visit those countries!
That is amazing. I wish I could travel that much. I have been many many places, but the world is huge and I want to see all of it. I will follow you to keep up with your travels and stories.
OMG this is cool! planning to go to peru 3rd and 4th week of July. i hope i read this post earlier on..
You will LOVE Peru. How long will you be there? I will try and edit part two of our journey (part 2 is South America). There are some pretty cool shots of Peru there. Amazing place, great food, nice people, extraordinary views. Have a wonderful trip.
Sooo excited. looking forward reading your post! Will be there for two weeks.. :) Thanks @diegotorrescolo
Some really nice shots in your video! Life as it should be - travelling and discovering new cultures and land.
As it should be! I agree...
Resteemed! This is amazing - thank you for sharing! I am currently traveling in Costa Rica so this is definitely some good food for thought 😊
Thank you so much! Costa Rica is a pretty cool place. Make sure you make it to Puerto Viejo, and check out Playa UVA, it was one of our favorite beaches.
Will do! Thanks for the comment. Currently at PLAYA Samara but I'll check those places out 😊
loving your concept of traveling. Indeed, it was a once in a lifetime experience for you and Danny. By the way, the falls in Guatemala looks enticing. Isn't allowed to swim? lol.. Also, the sunrise and sunsets you have captured especially at the end of the video, it's freakin' amazing! :)
Thank you! I have to tell you a secret. That last sunset is actually from Part II of our journey. It was shot in Cartagena, Colombia. That is the only mini-clip in this video that is not from Central America.
The waterfall is in Honduras. We were so surprised to get there. We walked for about an hour and a half through the middle of nowhere, and that place was surprisingly beautiful.
I am editing part 2 and probably will publish tonight or tomorrow when it is ready, so stay tuned.
I certainly do not have enough of these adventures in my life:) Looks like an awesome trip. You are right that were there is a will there is a way. We get conditioned to think that there is only one way to travel. Obviously, you have proved that with planning great things are possible. I think doing the "local" thing as much as possible is the key. That's where the true gems are. We were in Charleston, South Carolina and a local said forget the "tourist beach" here's the place to go. It was awesome.
Exactly my friend, where there is a will, there is a way. You won´t imagine, but Danny and I planned this only 2 months in advance. One day we asked each other "what if we just travel?" and a month and a half later I sold my business, she sold her car and off we went. Everything is possible.
This is amazing and awesome. I traveled to Nicaragua and Costa Rica and LOVED it and want to return but finances are tight right now! How far in advance do you book your flight to get the best prices?
I am happy to know you loved it. Honestly, we book only a few days before. Usually skyscanner can show you where to travel for good prices...and we don´t plan too much ahead. That allows magic to happen. =)
Really cool seeing people travel the world without a big crazy budget. I've only been able to visit 2 different countries but both were super cheap as I planned ahead and used apps such as Airbnb. All my friends always say they wish they had money to travel but they don't realize that they usually have more than enough! lol Cheers, looking forward to your future posts.
You know what is really Ironic? I spend more money living in a one place, than when we are traveling. Seriously, I pay more for rent, bills, gas, cel phone, internet etc...than when I travel. We have a dream of traveling again soon, but we want to travel for a longer period of time, so evidently I will need a more steady income. Maybe steem can help!? =)
lol maybe it can! The possibilities are endless with steem; that would truly be a dream come true. Where are you guys planning on traveling to next?
That´s a great question! Maybe Africa...
I work as a flight attendant so I travel a lot, a before this job I used to travel a lot also and I think depending on the destination you can do this type of travel but other places just to save some money you have to miss out on a lot. South America is ideal to travel on a budget, but for European destinations or big cities you don't won't to be missing out on museums and just general entrance tickets to many places because of the budget! Ive sent a follow to see more content, sounds interesting! Feel free to follow to see my standard days of travel with work!
I agree. There are definitely places which are way more expensive. Even in South America, countries like Chile can be really expensive. There are definitely different standards of travel, and I enjoy both...low budget travel, and high standard travel. The value of having fun comes with adaptability.
That's some amazing footage in that video. I'm looking forward to reading your post on HOW to do it. ;-)
We will prepare it and post as soon as we have it ready.
¡La mejor experiencia de toda mi vida!
Te amo loquito de mi amor.
Yo te amo a ti mi vida. @danielaortega
That's really amazing. Especially with $50 you have managed to get food, travel and night stay at some great places. You must be pretty amazing at 'SAVINGS' .
When it comes to travel, if one has no extra budget to spend blindly, then one should always take public transports and eat at some local restaurants. They are pretty amazing.
Thanks for sharing @diegotorrescolo. Waiting for your next article on $50.
Salman, you would not believe what you can do with that budget if you visit the right places. @danielaortega, my fiancé will probably be writing that article on how to travel with under $50usd a day in Central America. She knows how to manage money and have a good time. That´s one of the many reasons, I will marry her...a thousand times if necessary.
She must be a really great woman @diegotorrescolo. I am highly influenced just by hearing about her. I am really looking forward to that article.
And wish you all the luck with your fiancee. May you'll get all the happiness in the world.
For some people traveling is life And I'm also one of them
We are working to make sure we have the chance for another amazing adventure. All the best.
Nice video and beautiful experience.
Thank you! It was a great experience. I highly recommend it.
@diegotorrescolo great post. Waiting for more! Together with my GF we managed to travel with much less then 50$ :p totally gre it's possible.
If you have a minute please check my new story about Multimedia Fountain Park in Warsaw, the capital of Poland. I'm sure you will like it!
All the best :)
Where about did you travel? I will take a look at your blog. ;)
@diegotorrescolo Europe mostly. I'm new on Steemit so I don't have many stories yet but I will upload them soon! :)
The video is good and thanks for the tips
Thanks for your comment @charles1. All the best.
welcome. Feel free to check out my latest blog post for justification : Why Steemit will disrup social media and gain market share
Always Beautiful, loved it
Thank you!
This story is amazing and im going to look into this style of traveling. It makes total sense when you can plan a vacation months in advance. $50 a day is the wow factor because you said that was with flights included. Do you use a search engine to find places to travel or do you just go with places that sparks your interest?
This time, we had very little plans. We got a cheap flight from Cancun to Guatemala and from there, we went with the wind. We knew every time we bought a flight, we could have go cook meals at "home". But it was worth it. Sometimes you can go on skyscanner and find a cheap flight, to wherever there is a good deal at that moment.
Wow it's so nice to hear someone else that is CRAZY!! according to the world @diegotorrescolo . My family is traveling North America and Canada right now on $50 a day but we have 2 kids as well. Take a look at our journey I'd love to compare notes down the road and perhaps exchange advice. Following you!!
I will be happy to share any advise I can. I cannot imagine what it is like traveling with 2 kids, but I am sure it adds to the adventure. We met a super cool family in Nicaragua traveling with 4 young kids. They were all amazing people!
Great let’s stay in touch!
I always love seeing these. I have some frequent flyer miles saved up and cant decide Europe, Hawaii, or South Korea.
South Korea is pretty cool, and from there you can travel cheaply to other countries in Asia. Europe is also amazing...and I am sure Hawaii has so much to offer, but I have not been there.
OMG this is cool! planning to go to peru 3rd and 4th week of July. i hope i read this post earlier on.. thanks!!!!
Nothing like the Latin landscapes
Amazing, right?
Thanks for this interesting post. It made my day :)
Hi @dannydinh. Knowing it made your day gave me a big smile. Thank you!
Very helpful post, thanks for sharing @diegotorrescolo If you like travel check out also my blog and my memories from Mexico ;) Greetings
Spectacular post, I'm already a big fan of your articles, thanks for sharing!
Thank you! I am happy to read this. I promise to continue sharing.
Great post! Thanks for sharing! Looking forward for more!
I will be posting a new video later today with some images from South America.
Loved this, and the video is great!
Thank you! I am really happy you loved it!
Nice :) upvoted and followed.
Why don't you check my last story about photos?
https://steemit.com/photography/@notonlyfood/photo-of-the-day-anthonydavis I hope you will leave a vote
Thank you! I will go check it out.
Thanks for sharing your experience traveling on a low budget. From my own travels and a lot of research into traveling full time, I think the best, and often forgotten, way to lower your costs is to travel slowly. The major expenses are usually related to moving to a new place (like flying for example). Staying longer at each destination will make the average daily cost lower than the same destinations over a shorter time!
I could not have said it better!
I'm starting an around the world trip in September. The South America leg may happen next spring (gonna leave time spent in places as negotiable). Planning to travel cheap as well and hope to get some tips from you about where to stay, how to get there, and what the most amazing things are that I need to see and experience. Thanks for post, looking forward to reading more.
what application do you use to book flights?
Usually skyscanner. We find flights there and then compare to the airlines website. Sometimes there are promotions or cupons!