1288 articles tagged with budget travel
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...
The first time I stepped off the train at Belfast's Great Victoria Street Station, I was struck by how compact and accessible this historically rich city felt. Having explored dozens of European capitals with their sprawling metro systems, Belfast offered...
The moment my feet touched the warm, rust-colored sand of Tozeur, I knew I'd found a place that defied my expectations. After two decades of global wandering, this Tunisian desert outpost still managed to surprise me with its perfect blend...
The first time I gazed upon Manhattan's skyline from the Staten Island Ferry, I was struck not just by the architectural marvel before me, but by the remarkable geological foundation supporting it all. As someone who has spent decades studying...
Coming back to Seoul always feels like piecing together parts of myself I didn't know were missing. As a Korean-American adopted at infancy, each visit to my birth country is both a homecoming and an adventure. I've stayed in everything...
I've driven buses on three continents, but nothing prepared me for the sheer magnificence of Peru's Sacred Valley. While Machu Picchu gets all the glory—and rightfully so—there's a treasure trove of trails beyond the famous citadel that'll knock your hiking...
