The more you travel, the more you realise there’s so much of the world still to discover. Check out my top destination picks to add to your 2018 travel bucket list.

I was lucky enough to travel to the Philippines twice this year—once on holiday and once being hosted by the Philippine Department of Tourism. This is a superb location for those keen on scuba diving, natural wonders and laid back hospitality. I am excited to add the Philippines as Adventure Together’s latest destination and look forward to sharing the wonders of this beautiful country with you.

Call us selfish, but my husband and I weren’t ready to stop travelling just because we had started a family. Maybe part of us wanted to stay young and irresponsible, and sure, the mortgage could have been paid off a whole lot sooner had we not spent so much time over the past 16 years gallivanting around the world, but what we have come to realise lately is that we have given our kids values that are increasingly more difficult to teach in the fast-paced, crazy, “it’s all about me” world of today.
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Our kids, now aged 16 and 13, have been fortunate enough to travel to over 35 countries, predominantly developing nations throughout Asia and the Middle East. With backpacks on and our desire to really engage with the locals, the children have seen a simplicity in lifestyle far removed from their usual home comforts. At times they came face-to-face with poverty, sickness and corruption; but this was almost always offset by unbelievable human resilience, care and kindness.  

“Engaging with another culture helps kids recognize that their own egocentric way of looking at the world is not the only way of being in the world,” says Adam Galinsky, a professor at Columbia Business School. Galinsky, who has conducted extensive research on the benefits of travel on the brain’s neural pathways, says studies show international travel also increases cognitive flexibility, which is the mind’s ability to jump between different ideas. “This act of perspective-taking is a critical ingredient in compassion and empathy,” he claims.
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In addition to compassion and empathy, cross-cultural experiences have the potential to pull people out of their cultural bubbles, and in doing so, can increase their sense of connection with people from backgrounds different than their own.
“We found that when people had experiences travelling to other countries it increased what’s called generalized trust, or their general faith in humanity,” Galinsky says. “When we engage in other cultures, we start to have experience with different people and recognize that most people treat you in similar ways. That produces an increase in trust.”

​The mortgage may well still be there when you get back from your travels but helping your kids navigate the world might just help set the bearings on their moral compass, making all of you a whole lot richer in life.

​A regal encounter wasn’t something I was anticipating from my visit to West Timor, but a royal audience with a bonafide king turned out to be a somewhat surreal but very genuine highlight of our expedition of this far-flung Indonesian territory.

​The eastern-most outpost of Indonesia, locally known as Palau Timor, is actually surprisingly accessible – just a 2 hour flight from Bali, but a world away from the tourist meccas of Kuta and Nusa Dua. Tourism is still very much in its infancy in West Timor which has some very positive spin-offs for those who do venture there. Firstly, visitors are highly valued, partly for their novelty factor but also because the locals are so proud to have the opportunity to share their culture and their stories. Secondly, if authenticity is what you want from your travels then you don’t have to go far to find it.

The bustling student town of Kupang is the main gateway to West Timor. We enjoyed the wide smiles of the friendly locals, the chaotic streets, lively waterfront and, in particular, our dinner of freshly-caught fish from the market that was cooked for us whilst we waited.

​Our pro-royal sentiment increased with the duration of our stay – the king was gracious, hard-working and caring. We left Boti with a strong sense of admiration for the strength of community that he’d built and the prosperity he’d created for his people. It proved a noble conclusion to a majestic West Timor adventure.

With one hand holding your toddler and the other clutching the map, how many bags do you really want to be lugging around with you as you explore the world? The answer is, as few as possible!

​Having spent the past 15 years travelling with our two children and experimenting with different packing methods I’ve settled on a strictly minimalist approach. I now focus on only the essentials. And I’ve said goodbye to suitcases (regardless of how fashionable they are or how easily they glide across the floor) – backpacks may not look so glam and don’t do 3 point turns, but they do leave your precious hands free for more important matters.

​If your child is particularly fond of an item, like a cuddly toy or blanket, I strongly suggest it stays at home. We learnt this the hard way when our 3yr old daughter, accidently lost her ‘blanky’ out the window of a Vietnamese train… bed times were fraught for some time afterwards! After that, we started introducing a ‘special travel item’ to our kids a month or so before the trip to provide the necessary comfort without quite the same level of emotional attachment so that, if lost on the journey, it wasn’t the end of the world.
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The bottom line is, as long as you have your passports you really don’t need much else. Pack light, buy local and keep your hands free to hold onto your toddler and share the magic of travel with them.

It’s no surprise that New Zealand has just been named as the third most beautiful country in the world by the influential travel publication, Rough Guides.

The publication highlighted New Zealand's rolling green hills, majestic mountains, breath-taking fiords and amazing diversity of landscape from one island to the next as the reason for its high rating.

The travel guide also wrote that you never meet anyone who has been and didn't love the place, as well as praising the distinct and fascinating culture of the indigenous Maori people.

Known locally as Aotearoa – land of the long, white cloud – New Zealand is comprised of two main islands, is home to a population of roughly 4.6 million people and sits a 3 hour flight south-east of Australia. And I am lucky enough to be one of those 4.6 million people!

Sitting literally nearly at the bottom the world, and surrounded by the stunning Pacific Ocean, New Zealand takes a bit of an effort to reach but once here, visitors will be glad they bit the bullet and weren’t put off by the long travel time.
You will find that travelling as a family here in New Zealand is easy and rewarding, especially if you enjoy the outdoors and are keen to interact with the locals.

​Kiwis, as us locals are known, are generally laid-back and friendly. Perhaps it is because we live in a country with such a small population and an abundance of riches well away from the influences of the rest of the world. Kiwi hospitality is famous the world over - we have time to smile, to be friendly and, most importantly, we genuinely want to share the pride we have for our gorgeous country.

Excellent cuisine is a hallmark of any great holiday and New Zealand is no exception. Our food is best described as Pacific Rim, drawing inspiration from Asia, Polynesia and Europe. This blend of influences along with the abundance of fresh, tasty produce has created a mouth-watering range of flavours and dishes. Our lamb, seafood and shellfish are some of the best in the world – as is the Kiwi family fast food favourite of very, very fresh fish and chips!

The dining out culture has well and truly found its way to New Zealand and there are plenty of establishments to choose from nationwide, ranging from the laid-back café to the 5 star restaurant. Top the great food with world-class, award winning, local wine and craft beers and you will certainly have no problems feasting your way around the country.

​With limited time and budget for a stop-over in the Philippines, on our way to the UK for a family wedding, convenience and cost dictated that we stay close to the central hub of Manilla. On a rare trip without children, we decided to make scuba diving the focus of our stop-over. After some research we chose to head a few hours south-west of the capital city to the region of Puerta Galera on the island of Mindoro.
 
The websites said that it had some of the best diving in the Philippines but, being so accessible to the capital city, we tempered our expectations. At the end of our fifth day here and 10 dives later, we are happy to say that the websites are not just hyperbole. I am sure that there are some other great spots in such a huge country but we have been suitably impressed with what we have experienced here and would not hesitate to recommend to others regardless of their diving ability or experience.
 
We chose to stay in Punta Galera Resort, a 15 room hotel set right on the beach and with stunning views over the water back towards the mainland, Punta Galera is a mid-range accommodation option run by incredibly friendly staff. The hotel itself is very new, only opening in January of 2017, so all rooms and facilities are in excellent condition, including the onsite restaurant, bar and small swimming pool.
 
Two doors down is Action Divers. Although many dive ventures here are attached to an accommodation provider, Action Divers is the only operator in the area who specialise solely in scuba diving. That, and the fact that it is run by a fellow Kiwi, was the big selling point for us and we have not been disappointed. Roscoe, the owner, has a policy of renewing his scuba gear every 18 – 24 months so all equipment is in impeccable condition. In addition, their entire staff are highly skilled, knowledgeable and, above all, extremely personable. And the dive sites have been superb!

Although we’re a family that loves to travel, it can be difficult to pinpoint a destination that will appeal equally to everyone. Especially as I love to scuba dive, my husband likes to venture off the grid, and our two children are different genders and ages.

However, it quickly became clear that we’d hit the jackpot when we started exploring the possibility of a holiday to Malaysian Borneo: the provinces of Sabah and Sarawak are home to jungles filled with wildlife that appeal to nature lovers of any age; ancient villages are home to headhunter tribes that still live in traditional longhouses; and the excellent offshore reefs offer some of the world’s best diving and snorkelling.

After plenty of research and planning, our enthusiasm grew. When we finally departed for our three-week trip, our two children — then aged 12 and nine — were more excited than we were.

I well remember the months of being pregnant and constantly being told that I couldn’t eat this, drink that, lift those heavy objects or generally do what I wanted to do. And even things I was technically allowed to do were often too difficult due to time or physical body restrictions. So, it was with great relief when the baby was born and I finally felt free to do some of the things I had been hankering for – not least, get out my passport and my backpack and travel overseas again.

As a rather naïve first time mother (I had even forgotten to pack clothes for my new born son so we could leave the hospital after the birth…) I was perhaps not the most well equipped person to be taking precious cargo into the unknown. But, as it turned out, the lack of worry and planning worked in my favour as it meant I got to travel to areas that, if I had thought about too much, I probably would have been too nervous to go.
Now, fifteen years on, I have got the preparation and planning thing down to a fine art – it’s just that now, rather than having to think about bottles for the baby, I have to discuss with my teenagers why their devices are staying at home.
Here are a few things I have learned over the years…
 

​1. Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka remains one of our favourite destinations to travel as a family. The country features landscapes, nature, beaches, history and culture all within a relatively small area, eliminating the necessity for any long journeys which makes it suitable for even the youngest of families.

2. Cambodia
Cambodia is renowned for its ancient history, as on display at the amazing Angkor Wat, and notorious for its more recent past under the regime of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. It is also gaining recognition for its superb beaches on the south coast. Once again, it is a relatively small country with an excellent public transport system so internal travel is quick, cheap and simple.

3. Borneo
Malaysian Borneo - home to amazing wildlife, stunning scenery, indigenous tribes and tranquil islands surrounded by clear seas teeming with life - this is a slice of paradise on earth that really has it all! Although much bigger than either Sri Lanka or Cambodia, internal flights are inexpensive and easy, making it a great destination for those people who want to get a little bit more off the beaten track.

​​I have found that travelling with children not only changes people’s perspective about us as travellers, but also changes the way we see the place we are visiting. Babies, especially, bridge both language and socio-economic divides and bring a sense of understanding, innocence and acceptance.
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So shake off those fears, look forward to having your freedom back and start planning for that overseas adventure when your baby arrives.

​1. Don’t bite off more than you chew
China is a huge country and there is no way you can see it all in one visit. Decide what things you are interested in – be it nature, cities, cuisine, a specific attraction such as the Great Wall or the Terracotta Warriors – and plan to explore a bite size chunk that has what you are looking for.

​2. Learn some Chinese
Chinese languages are undoubtedly intimidating, but attempting to learn a little bit of Mandarin (the most widely spoken, standardized language) will be useful.
Even quite basic Mandarin will help you get around, and people will be happy you’re making an effort. Writing down or printing out addresses in Chinese characters can make things easier.
It’s also worth downloading Pleco, an excellent Chinese-English dictionary app.

​3. Be prepared to try local foods
Outside of China, impressions of Chinese food are still often defined by the sweet, balanced flavours of Cantonese food. Dim sum and other Cantonese dishes are delicious of course, but there’s a whole world of regional cuisines to discover: the fiery spice of Sichuan and Hunan cuisine; the freshness and sour funkiness of food from Guizhou and Yunnan.
Plus Hangzhou and Shanghai‘s light, refined dumplings and seafood, and the hearty quasi-Turkish kebabs and hand-pulled noodles from Xinjiang. You may want to travel for some of these dishes, but major cities will host restaurants from around the country.
 

​4. Keeping digitally connected
Facebook, Youtube, Google Maps, and most Western email providers are difficult to access in China, so you may want to download a Virtual Private Network (VPN), which will help you get past the so-called “Great Firewall”.
Inside China there are a few extremely helpful apps: WeChat could simply be explained as a Chinese WhatsApp but in reality, it’s a combination of that, Facebook, PayPal, a food delivery service, and much more. Some of these features are difficult to navigate with limited Chinese, but you’ll need WeChat to talk to new friends, and you can “follow” magazines, museums, restaurants and more on the app to learn about special events and deals.
Baidu Maps is an excellent Google Maps alternative.

​5. Take the train
For many countries this suggestion would imply the romance of watching the countryside slide by your window. That factor still holds here, but China’s high speed rail network is notable mainly for its sheer convenience. With stations closer to city centres than airports, train journeys between major cities are a comfortable, cheaper alternative to domestic flights.
The five hours between Beijing and Shanghai compare favourably to the flight time, with considerably less stress. Furthermore, the bustling modern stations provide a glimpse of the direction the country is heading in.

​6. Do some shopping
Sure, you can buy fake goods in China. But there’s so much more on offer. Why not pick up some quality oolong or pu’er tea? In the hutongs (alleys) around Guloudongdajie in Beijing, boutiques stock clothes from local designers and nostalgic socialist-chic homewares. Stores like Closing Ceremony in Shanghai offer an array of Chinese photo books and art magazines.

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7. Go to a show
Chinese contemporary art is firmly established internationally, so you should check out some exhibits at the source: prominent galleries include the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing, the Power Station of Art in Shanghai, and OCT Contemporary Art Terminal in Shenzhen.
If you’re more into music, bars in Beijing – try School – carry on the capital’s decades long tradition of gritty rock, and Shanghai’s electronic music scene is known as one of Asia’s best.
And, of course, you can't miss the spectacle of an authentic Chinese acrobat or water puppet show - both of which are entrancing and beautiful to behold.

​8. Plan for the weather and holidays
Spring (April/May) and Autumn (Oct/Nov) are the best time to catch pleasant moderate temperatures in most regions.
Also be sure to avoid scheduling your trip during major Chinese holidays. Transport networks will be full to bursting during Chinese New Year, while Golden Week, at the beginning of October, sees locals file out of the cities in droves to explore their own backyard. 

Feeling the onset of a sort throat and a runny nose, I thought about garlic - nature's immune boosting super food. Then I thought about the garlic curry I was taught how to make in Sri Lanka back in 2003 and I had a sudden urge to dig out the old Lonely Planet guide where I had hastily scribbled down the recipe as I stood with our host in his small kitchen in the lush hills of Ella, surrounded by the local tea plantations.
Rifling through the pages where I had also written down the recipes for dhal, aubergine curry, pineapple chutney and plantain sambal, I was transported back to that time long ago when we travelled with our 20 month old son and fell in love with Sri Lanka, its cuisine and its generous people.
If, like me, you are hankering for something seriously garlicky, then check out the recipe below. Done correctly, the garlic should be melt-in-your-mouth soft and is perfect served with fluffy Sri Lankan rice with some sambal as a side.

Ingredients:
100 cloves of garlic (you can buy these pre-peeled in supermarkets)
1 onion
Pinch of fennugreek
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons of tumeric
1 tin coconut cream
1 tablespoon tamarind (or lime or vinegar)

Method:
Fry onion and garlic lightly. Add a pinch of fennugreek and the mustard seeds  and continue frying until onion is soft. Add half a tin of coconut cream, watered down. Add salt to taste and simmer to reduce liquid (takes around 45 minutes), adding the tumeric part way through.
Once reduced, add the tamarind and the remaining coconut cream. Stir and bring back to a simmer.
Serve with rice and sambal.

​Citymapper - Comprehensive and easy to use, Citymapper offers more detailed journey planner information than Google, including real-time departures and disruption alerts, as well as Uber integration and cycle routes. It is available in around 30 cities worldwide, with all the obvious city-break destinations covered.
• Free, iOS and Android, citymapper.com

​Duolingo - Over 70 million people have registered with Duolingo, a free and incredibly well-designed language learning app. Though not a replacement for proper language tuition, the app is a fun way to get the basics, or to keep yourself fresh on grammar and vocabulary, before a trip abroad. Just like a computer game, the app guides you through levels that you need to complete before advancing, and you gain experience points along the way.
• Free, iOS and Android, duolingo.com

​XE Currency - XE is the go-to site for currency conversions on the web, so it’s no surprise that its app is so popular: with over 20 million downloads since launch. It has lots of business-oriented features, such as rates for precious metals and historic currency charts, but for the traveller it is most useful for the simple fact that it’s able to convert every world currency. It also functions offline by saving the last updated rates, which is great if you’re in a place with limited connectivity or trying to save on data.
• Free, iOS and Android, xe.com

Splittr - There is a selection of apps out there to help you split bills (Tipulator, Splitwise etc), but Splittr is geared up for travelling, providing a simple platform to share costs between friends and family. You can enter expenses as you go, including who paid what, and the app will do the rest. A nice touch for longer, multi-destination trips is that all currencies are supported and you can mix currencies without having to do the conversion yourself.
• £1.49, splittrapp.com

​Google Translate - This translator can be a useful tool to support your own, more serious language learning, but realistically, it’s most useful on a practical level quickly translating day-to-day words you come across on your travels. For example, you can hold your camera up to text – such as a sign, or a menu – and Google will translate it for you instantly. It’s an essential app for any traveller.
• Free, iOS and Android

​Rebtel - Skype and Whatsapp will always be staples when it comes to international calling and messaging, but a wifi connection is needed to use them. To make cheap calls around the world without the internet (or faffing around with phonecards), the app to choose is Rebtel. By “hijacking” local phonelines, it gets the best available calling rates. Recently launched, it is currently offering a “Rebel calling” deal, which means friends or family can be called for free if they are also using the app (until 2018).
• Free, iOS and Android, rebtel.com

​Waze - Loved by taxi drivers, who know a thing or two about traffic avoidance, Waze is a GPS navigation app that draws from its active community of drivers to create the most up-to-date and accurate road data. It functions in the same way as Google Maps (Google actually bought it a few years ago) but users can easily share information about hazards, traffic or accidents. If you’re navigating an unfamiliar city and aren’t sure where the traffic hotspots are, this app is the best you can get.
• Free, iOS and Android, waze.com

​Tunnel Bear - If you want to stream things such as iPlayer or 4oD, as well as keep your internet connection secure while abroad - which is worth it if you connect to lots of random wifi spots - then you’ll need to use a VPN (virtual private network). VPNs hide your IP address and location and can “tunnel” you to another country. There are lots of apps to choose from but TunnelBear is a particularly easy one to use, and has a free version for those who don’t use much data, or just want to test it out before going premium.
• Free, iOS and Android, tunnelbear.com

​Accuweather - Once you’ve left the jurisdiction of the good old Met Service, you’ll need to find a wider-reaching weather report source. For international forecasting, Accuweather tops the charts. The website and app, which provides services in over 100 languages, is used by around 1.5 billion people and offers everything from general long term forecasts to minute-by-minute precipitation forecasts hyperlocalised to your exact address.
• Free, iOS and Android, accuweather.com

​Boxing Day saw us head off for our 3 day trek to Inle Lake with our guide, Elmuso. My parents were a bit reticent about the trek due to the fact that we needed to cover 60 kms of fairly steep terrain in the 3 days and, as they were quick to point out, at over 70 years old they are probably past their best trekking days. We were very fortunate, however, to have Elmuso as our guide. He was totally considerate of our (rather slow!) pace and looked after my mother when she took ill on the second night, arranging for her to get a lift by motorbike on the morning of the last day. 

​We have spent a couple of days exploring the shores of Inle Lake and are just about to head off to Yangon, Myanmar’s capital city, where we will see the New Year in – bring on the fireworks!

And then, of course, there is the food. Mandalay is renowned for its diverse and tasty cuisine. Home to interesting dishes such as tea-leaf salad, you will be hard pressed to spend more than $2 on a delicious three course meal. The plan of losing weight whilst travelling around Myanmar is definitely not working out so well!
However, we are about to embark on a 3 day trek through the mountain ranges surrounding Kalaw, so perhaps I could just have one more piece of sugar cane jaggery…

​A 50 minute flight north of Myanmar's capital city, Yangon, Ngapali is hemmed in between the expansive Rakhine Yoma mountain range and the Bay of Bengal with traditional fishing villages either side. It is home to a mixture of exclusive resorts, budget guest houses and local homes and while it is the beaches that draw the tourists here, for me, it is the local people who make you want to stay.
 
Quick to smile, content in their lives, curious about the outside world and incredibly generous with their time and with their possessions, the people of Ngapali and the neighbouring town of Thandwe have welcomed me and family with a genuine warmth that is hard to find nowadays. In a world where the saying “nothing is for free” is so usually true, here it is not the case. There is no catch when they stop to talk to you, we have not been asked once whether we want to buy something and we have been encouraged to be part of their daily lives with them wanting nothing but our company in return.

By far the most spectacular way to view Bagan, however, is from a hot air balloon. Arising at 5am might seem like a chore, but it is totally worth it when you take off from the ground as the sun is rising and see the sprawling Archaeological Zone laid out below you. We were lucky enough to have the perfect weather for our balloon trip this morning and enjoyed the stunning views of the temples with the famous Irrawaddy River beyond. Top that off with a couple of glasses of champagne on touch down and it really was a perfect start to the day!
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​Tomorrow sees another early start (4am!!!) as we start our boat trip up the Irrawaddy to Mandalay. We might just squeeze in one last scooter jaunt this evening though to catch the sun setting behind the mesmerizing temples of Bagan and get our tally slightly closer to that 2,200!

​If Myanmar is a bit too off the beaten track for your liking, there are plenty of softer options to travel to where both children and adults alike will have an enlightening, fun and rewarding experience.

My top 3 picks for easy family travel are as follows:

As they say in Lapland, home to Rudolph and his reindeer friends, “Hyvää matkustaminen” – Happy travelling!
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Money-savvy-travellers know that it's not about how you get there; it's about where you go. Yes, flights are a consideration, but it's the cost on ground - accommodation, eating out and visiting attractions - that will make a real difference to your bank balance. After all, nothing kills that post-holiday buzz like a maxed out credit card bill populated by overpriced sundowners and pricey seafood dinners.
Whether you're looking for lazy beach break or an off-the-beaten-track adventure, avoid potential financial strife with a trip to one of these great destinations for a holiday that won't break the bank.

INDIA:
A longtime favourite with the penny-pinching backpacker set, India remains as cheap as chips. The flights might cost a fair bit, but you'll more than make your money back when you're living on a virtual pittance.
Head north for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the hills in Darjeeling, flop and drop on Goa's famed sandy shores, where countless cut price, basic beach huts await.
Or get your Om on in the foothills of the lower Himalayas at the self-styled yoga capital of the world, Rishikesh. Here there's an abundance of yoga ashrams and meditation centres, many of which offer classes for free or for a small donation. And with accommodation priced at as little as $13 per night, enlightenment has never been more affordable.

CAMBODIA:
Now a staple on the Southeast Asia travel scene, Cambodia is the definition of travel on a shoestring.
With beds for mere dollars and tasty local food for even less, in this country your money goes far - very far. Yes, infrastructure isn't the best, but when you're spending this little you can't complain.
Home to UNESCO world heritage site, Angkor Wat - the largest religious complex in the world - the entry ticket to this ancient marvel will be your greatest expense (around $28 for a full day, or just over $53 for three days).

VIETNAM:
Buzzing street life, great food and stunning scenery; despite its rise in popularity over the last few years, Vietnam is still beautiful and it's still super-cheap.
The entire country is easy on the wallet, with an average of $11 covering basic guesthouse accommodation, local food (you can grab delicious streetside pho for $2) transport and the odd beer.
But for the cheapest beach destination - not just in Vietnam, but in the entire world - head to the UNESCO World Heritage city of Hoi An and make a detour to nearby Cua Dai Beach.
Travel website TravelBird painstakingly calculated the cost of spending a day at the beach at 250 coastlines around the world, looking at the average cost of sunscreen, water, beer, ice cream, and lunch and the result is the 2016 Beach Price Index in which Cua Dai came out on top!

LAOS:
While often neglected by tourists in favour of neighbouring Thailand, Laos has long been a Mecca for budget travellers in-the-know.
But this lack of mass tourism means that savvy holiday-makers can save their pennies and take in spectacular temples, wildlife-filled forests and isolated beaches, without to having jostle for space with crowds.
In the sleepy capital city of Vientiane, the 2016 Backpacker Index - an annual ranking of the world's cities based on affordability - suggests that a daily of budget of less than $20 is more that adequate to cover hostel, three meals, three beers and several rides on public transport.
And further north in historic Luang Prabang, it's a similar story. While more popular with backpackers, this gorgeous French-colonial town offers one of the most authentic and unspoilt experiences in Indo-China, it's officially Southeast Asia's best preserved ancient city (UNESCO put it on its World Heritage List in 1995). Buddhist temples, waterfalls, caves and wildlife sanctuaries, and all for a daily budget of $22 - what more could you ask for?

In October 2013, whilst travelling around Malaysian Borneo, my family and I were lucky enough to have the experience of staying with an Iban tribe in their traditional longhouse. Only one generation on from when Headhunting was still practised, the modern world has barely touched these kind and generous people.

A highlight of our stay was being invited by the tribesmen to accompany them night fishing – an honour never before extended to western visitors. Needless to say, we jumped at the chance – in addition to making us feel very honoured, it sounded like a fascinating opportunity to experience part of ‘real’ longhouse life.

We set off around 10pm on the second evening of our stay with two longboats filled up with very cheery locals (the homemade Iban whiskey has quite a kick!) and the four of us. The spearguns and masks they carried were, unsurprisingly, quite old fashioned so we were looking forward to seeing how effective they were. Our eyebrows raised more than a little when an antique looking shotgun was added to the mix and, as we set off upriver, we speculated quietly between ourselves that there was a higher likelihood of them shooting or spearing each other than any prey.

​We were therefore pretty sceptical when one of the boats thought they had spotted something on the river bank and several of the Iban went crashing off through the undergrowth. We could see their torchlight as they moved up the hillside and we could most definitely hear them – stealth was obviously not on the agenda. We were sure that whatever had been seen was long gone and, when we heard a shot after around 10 minutes, were just a little relived that we didn’t hear a scream from one of the party follow it. Despite the noise level and the improbable gun, they proudly came back with a large civet – enough meat, we were told, to share amongst all the families of the longhouse and feed them for 3 days.

When we announced that we were planning a 3 week backpacking trip around Sri Lanka with our 20 month old son we got alot of raised eyebrows from concerned friends. Surely we should temper our intrepid travelling style now that we were parents and head to a nice resort in Fiji or some such place, not go off exploring in a country that had not long come out of civil war?

Unfortunately, relaxing by a pool – nice as it is to do for a few days – was neither mine nor my husband’s style, so the eyebrows stayed raised and off we went to the Indian sub-Continent with our son. 

What followed was an amazing holiday, full of opportunities and interactions that would not have happened had we not been travelling with a toddler. His blonde hair and infectious smile started many conversations with locals and rather than being hassled to buy things, we were invited into people’s homes to meet their families.

Sure, there were some days that were harder than others when he was tired or just plain grumpy, but, like everyone, we got those days at home too. We quickly learned to plan the days, making sure he had down time to just be a kid and kick a ball, have an afternoon nap in a proper bed or play with the few toys we had taken with us. Like most kids, as long as he was fed, had enough sleep and was with us, he was pretty happy. 

Anyone who has travelled to developing nations has had to make that decision – to give or not to give to all those poor, desperate people asking for money. I mean…a dollar to us isn’t very much in the grand scheme of things and it somehow seems wrong to be swanning around on a vacation that cost in the 4+ figures and not give a little away. Even if we think we are holidaying on a budget, by virtue of even having the luxury of freely travelling in a different nation, we are rich beyond compare to a lot of the people we will come into contact with on our journey.

But how do you choose who to give to? Is one beggar more in need that the next? Do you say to yourself, “I will give to the first 5 and then no more for the rest of the day”?

As hard as it is to say no to those desperate pleas, I do think there are better ways to distribute some of your wealth to those in need when on your holiday.

Most developing countries have a variety of fair-trade outlets in the bigger centres that sell handicrafts and clothing made by local artisans. They are, more often than not, backed by not-for-profit organisations that help establish small start-up businesses in local communities, enabling these products to be produced. This process creates a revenue stream for those who would not normally have one as well as ensuring the artisans are fairly compensated for their work
It’s easy to search up on the web where these outlets are before you even visit the country – just type in search words such as ‘Fair trade outlet (then name of region you are visiting)’ or ask the locals themselves when you arrive. Travel guides such as Lonely Planet and Rough Guide also normally list them in their publications.

One great example of a successful fair-trade outlet is Healing the Wounded Heart Shop in Hue, Vietnam. This boutique store run by disabled youth artisans sells goods made from recycled materials, with all proceeds from the sales going towards helping fund heart surgeries for people born with congenital heart disease in Central Vietnam. In addition, the disabled artisans themselves are guaranteed fair salaries and full medical insurance.

The AHA Fair Trade Village in Siem Reap, Cambodia, is another excellent example of fair-trade in action. This open marketplace is fully owned, managed and supplied by local Cambodian people operating as a non-for-profit organization. Shopping for authentic handicrafts within the AHA Fair Trade Village directly impacts and supports the rural communities of Siem Reap as all profits made go straight back to the artisans and the local community. 

However, if shopping is not your thing, there are still many other ways of making sure your money gets distributed evenly throughout the region. 

Stay in local guest houses rather than hotel chains. As well as gaining a more authentic experience, you will be contributing directly to that family’s income.

If using guides to help you travel, try to get different guides for each section of your itinerary rather than one guide for the whole lot – even if booking through a travel agent you can request that this is the case. And make sure that the agent is part of a reputable sustainable tourism program so that you know that what you are booking is going to have a positive impact on the region.

Eat out! Don’t be afraid to eat from the street vendors. Not only will you sample delicious dishes that have been freshly prepared in front of you, you will also be helping those vendors with their income stream.

If buying local produce, head to the market place or purchase from a street vendor rather than a supermarket. It is often the growers themselves who are doing the selling, so your cash will definitely end up in the right pocket.

And lastly, distributing out pens, books and other gifts to kids you meet doesn’t always have the desired effect. As well as encouraging the begging ethos, many times these useful commodities end up sitting in pride of place in the home, never getting used. You are far better off taking time to visit a local school or orphanage and asking the staff what they need there. If you don’t have the items with you (lugging 20 text books around in your backpack might not be your thing!) you can then purchase the items at the local store and deliver them in person, knowing that the items are going to make a real positive difference to that community.
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By following these basic tips you will still be able to give to those in need, but in a positive, sustainable way.