The Martlet

THE BROKE AND SPONTANEOUS

I’ve known people who have gone for drinks with a friend and had that oh-my-god-I’m-graduating-and-when-the-hell-did-that-happen conversation, only to have ended up leaving the bar with plans for an adventure all mapped out.

This can be very exciting and, in fact, I’ve been there — only it was more of a we’re-sick-of-school-and-in-need-of-something-else kind of conversation. Regardless, it led to a pretty fantastic month of trekking through South America.

I’ll admit, a month did not seem long enough, but it was still a good amount of time to get away — especially if you’re a first time traveller.

It’s important to try to get away before those student loan payback letters start coming. This means travelling in the summer, which also means higher rates because it’s peak tourism season across most of the world. You’re going to want to go somewhere fun yet cheap, and that means Southeast Asia or South America.

Flights: As of right now, you can book a return flight to Lima, Peru that departs a week into May and returns a month later for about $850 — that’s pretty decent. A return flight to Bangkok, Thailand for the same time period is about $1 000.

Accommodations: In South America, you can expect to pay about $10–$25/night for a hostel room, depending on whether you want a private room or a dorm. I stayed in a perfectly nice hotel in Cuenca, Ecuador one night for about $30 — and that was for a double room.

In most parts of Southeast Asia, you can find a hostel for $7/night, though I’d recommend looking for something in the $15 range (depending on how adventurous you are).

Food: In Southeast Asia, you can eat for $1, literally. Just be cautious about the food stalls you choose — or at least as cautious as you can be. In South America, most meals cost me about $5, but breakfast was even cheaper and it depended a lot on the area. If you really want to splurge, you’re looking at about $10.

Transportation: Taxis or something of the sort cost next to nothing. In many cases, bus trips will cost $1/hour, though you may want to find a reliable company and pay a bit more for safety’s sake. A short flight between countries will cost between $100–$200.

Things to do: It’s good to think of the things you want to do and see while planning your trip, and the best thing to do is set a budget before you go. In my opinion, you can’t go to Peru without going to Machu Picchu — and you’re looking at about $100 for that.

Total for one month, flights included: approximately $1 850.

There are tons of websites that say you can travel in either of these two places for $1 000/month. If you only have the summer free before starting a job then this travel option is perfect for you.

THE BROKE AND LONG-TERM LOOKER

You’re the one who needs to get away and needs to get away now — and a month or two won’t cut it. But wait, you’re broke.

You do have an option: ever thought of teaching English abroad? There are tons of programs that will pay you to teach in countries like China, South Korea or Japan for a year or more. The key is to find a good program, and that requires some research. You’ll also want to start planning now, as it can take some time to apply and get the details worked out.

Things to look for in a good organization:
• Will pay for travel there and back. • Will help you find accommodation. • Should pay enough for you to survive, travel and/or save money. • Clearly state that they want to help support you and will check on you while you are there. • The organization should ask for a statement of purpose, reference letters and a thorough application. • Government-run programs are usually best.

No, you won’t be sitting on a beach — but you will experience a year immersed in another culture. Plus, it’s one more year to help try and figure out the rest of your life.

THE DO-GOODER

You want to help others, build schools and feed babies in orphanages — good on ya. There are a ton of organizations that boast fun activities while helping baby sea turtles find their way to the waves. But be careful.

I don’t understand people charging you money for your volunteer time — something is wrong there. Sure, you get to do other fun activities, but is that what it’s really about?

Look for organizations that only charge you for accommodation. You will have to pay to get there, but after that, you shouldn’t be paying much. The main thing is to look at the breakdown of costs to figure out if you are paying for a vacation or to actually do some good. Read reviews to try and distinguish a business from an organization.

THE EUROPEAN DREAMER We all want to sit outside a bistro in Paris or Venice drinking wine and eating pastries — the problem is it’s expensive.

Contiki Holidays offers tours where you get to travel with people your own age, as well as see a lot in a short amount of time. I’ve heard good things, and it might an ideal choice if you can shell out $5 000. It’s not cheap, but your days will be full and you will get to see 12 countries in one month.

This isn’t rough backpacking style — there’s a good chance that the European-backpacker, year-long adventure that everyone dreams of will have to wait until after a year of saving.

If you simply cannot wait, then the fast-paced-not-so-cheap-month-long-escapade is a good option for you.

HELPFUL TIPS

I’ve found Kayak to be the best search engine for flights because it compares several sites at once — and you’ll find far better deals than Expedia. Book your flights as early as you can and opt for Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday travel dates as they are the cheapest. And if you really want to save some bucks, flights with long layovers and an unreasonable number of stops are significantly cheaper, if you can handle it. The longer you wait, the more prices will increase — so if you’re not ready to make the commitment yet, try and keep an eye on the rates each day.

Remember to set aside money for vaccinations, which can add up to about $300.

Travel with a friend or two if at all possible. It will keep accommodation rates low, keep you company and you’ll be happy to have them if you run into a problem. It shouldn’t be hard to find a graduating buddy who’s also looking to get out of town.

Lonely Planet travel guides are the best. I would rather give up my passport than give up these books. They are travel bibles — invest in one.

For most people, two or three months of work should be able to get you away for at least a month.

People will never stop asking you what your plans are for after graduation. At least now, instead of patting you on the back in that consoling way, they’ll be jealous of the adventures that lie ahead of you.