How to Travel For Cheap: Part I

HOW TO TRAVEL FOR CHEAP: PART I

Most of us enjoy traveling. There is just something about seeing a new place, eating new food, and having new experiences. But many of think traveling is automatically costly. But it doesn't always have to be. You can use some of these tips to plan a fun, affordable holiday. 

1. Travel within Maldives! We have been blessed with a beautiful country, so why not enjoy it? Yes, resorts admittedly are quite expensive. But now we have a thriving guest house industry in the country. Find a nice one on Guesthouses Maldives, and experience the island life - with serene beaches, long sunny days, and friendly people. 

2. If you have a specific place in mind, plan in advance. Planning in advance, when booking both flights and hotels, makes it more likely that you actually get the place you want. You can also make use of the early bird discounts that most places offer.

3. If your plans are more flexible, just look at the promotions available and plan your trip around that.  You can check the prices of flights for different days around your travel period and choose the cheapest option. For the more adventurous, you can even choose your destinations this way!

4. Stay with someone when you travel. If you have a family member or a friend who lives in the city you are visiting, and you know that it won't be inconvenient for them, stay there. You'll save a lot on accommodation and you can show your gratitude by being a thoughtful guest (cleaning up after yourself, following house rules, offering to help out sometimes) and maybe taking them out for a meal as a thank you.

5. Claim tax refunds at the airport before you come back. A lot of us go shopping when we travel, and many of even buy electronics and other high cost items. When you buy items from another country, the price often includes their goods and services tax. But because you are just a tourist, you don't have to pay the country's tax and that is why you can get a tax refund at tax refund counters (some places like Bangkok have tax refund counters at the airport as well). This is worth claiming if you have the time because if the tax rate is 6% and you spent USD1000 for example, your tax refund could be USD60 or MVR925.