Travel Using All Your Senses

Travel using all your senses

First it was the heat. 32 degrees Celsius at 9.30pm. Walking onto the sky bridge at the airport provided a blast of heat – a warning. Enough to make you worried about acclimatizing, but not enough to actually prepare you for the outside – the real world. It was all over as quickly as the passengers could scurry off into the safety of the air-conditioned arrivals hall. The next shock … READ MORE

Travel Safety by Craig Bidois and Craig Martin

Ebook review – Travel Safety

I recently got a copy of Travel Safety, an ebook published by Indie Travel Media (the same people behind the Indie Travel Podcast). I thought I’d write a review as I think this book will be of interest to Budget Travel Blog readers. About the authors Travel Safety is written by Craig Bidois (head of NZ travel security company Fear Free) and Craig Martin of Indie … READ MORE

Bangkok Art and Culture Centre

Bangkok Art and Culture Centre

Before I flew off to Thailand in March, I came across a blog post on The Wrong Way Home (a site I mentioned on here a few weeks ago). It was about the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre – something that isn’t on the “must see” list of many backpackers travelling to the Thai capital. Being one who enjoys galleries I instantly added it to my schedule, … READ MORE

5 countries I want to visit

Five Countries I Want to Visit

Many backpackers have a travel “bucket list”, and to an extent I’m the same. The only thing is: my bucket list is virtually every country I haven’t been to yet (and includes seeing more of countries I have already been to!) I think that every part of the world has something to offer travellers – even if there is significant risk to your health and … READ MORE

Coastline, Coromandel Peninsular

Long Weekend on the Coromandel Peninsular

I know I said that I’d be spending Easter Weekend in Opunake with friends, but at the last minute my plans changed and I ended up heading to the Coromandel Peninsular for a weekend of fishing, diving, and generally enjoying the breathtaking scenery. The Coromandel is located on the North-Eastern Coast of New Zealand’s North Island, and is home to some of the country’s best … READ MORE

Onesmart

Onesmart in Thailand – worth taking with you?

A couple of years ago Air New Zealand, in co-operation with BNZ, launched Onesmart – a travel debit card for it’s Airpoints members. Onesmart’s appeal lies in it’s low account fees, ability to earn Airpoints Dollars on purchases, and multi-currency wallets (meaning you can pre-purchase foreign currency without commission when the exchange rate suits you). There are eight currency wallets to choose from, including all … READ MORE

Budget Skiing in NZ

Budget skiing in NZ

One of New Zealand’s big tourist draw-cards is the ability to easily experience the outdoors, and many people who travel to Aotearoa in winter want to hit the slopes with their skis or snowboards. Snow sports have a reputation of being expensive, but there are still ways for the budget traveller to make the most out of New Zealand’s mountains without breaking the bank. Enter Tukino ski field on the eastern … READ MORE

wellington cheap eats

Wellington: 5 cheap eats

If you’re travelling on a budget in most western countries, chances are you’ll be hitting the supermarket and local farmers market to find the cheapest ingredients to cook in your hostel. Food in New Zealand is quite expensive (even by western standards), but there are a number of places providing great food at a relatively cheap price. Definitely not the way to go about every … READ MORE

Favourite Travel bloggers

Three (more) of my favourite Travel Bloggers

You may remember that a few weeks ago I posted about there of my favourite travel bloggers. Well now it’s time for round two! Here are three more of my favourite travel bloggers! Indie Travel Podcast First up is the brilliant site run by Craig and Linda Martin – two fellow New Zealanders who have been travelling since 2006. Not only do they have a … READ MORE

Canon IXUS 210

IXUS 210 In Thailand – How Did it Perform?

On my recent trip to Thailand I took my Canon IXUS 210. Seeing as there’s a bit of debate out there about whether you should lug around a DSLR or compromise with a small P&S, I thought I’d give an account of my experiences. The Good The beauty of a point and shoot is that it’s compact and (relatively) cheap. This was one of the … READ MORE