Always Keep Your Options Open When Traveling…

 Greetings, Want to find a $9 hotel room on a Thai island with a view like the one above? Keep your options open… It’s been a bit quiet here, yes? Think of what’s happening here as as  a huge plant that is growing a deep underground network and will soon  go BOOM and bust out towards the sun, yeah think of it like that. No  really, I’m busy as a leaf cutter ant and yesterday this gregarious girl  I know who is a long time reader as well skyped me. She had all these  questions and concerns about traveling in Thailand, she was flustered. They just arrived in Bangkok, have never been in Asia before and  naturally THEY ARE LOVING IT. It’s a couple in their late 20’s and they  want to do some activities and exploring around the country. They told  me they got a quote from some booking agency about $300 each for  transport, accommodation & diving in Koh Tao, Thailand. Ok so that’s $600US for 2 people to spend 4 days on a Thai Island… Kinda pricey – yes? This sounds alright, even to me in expensive Costa Rica  but at the end of the day – why would you ever book everything in  advance when you’re in Asia or anywhere? If you’re adventurous enough to  embark on a mission around the world, you should always “just go for  it” and that is what I told them. Go to the booking office and buy some  tickets, bus tickets and go from there. Spend $15 each to get there,  don’t drop the $600. I see people constantly getting to countries without a care in the  world then booking everything and having this crazy itinerary. It’s  usually a depressing experience as every city they go to, they wish they  could stay longer and find out everyone they are hanging out with is  spending half the price on accommodation, not to mention spent next to  nothing on transportation. Ever ask people on a plane how much they  spent on their ticket? It REALLY SUCKS when you paid the top price,  trust me. This isn’t just advice for the totally noob, no. Even I have to  remind myself to just go for it. After you’ve been away from the road a  while, you get soft and things can seem overwhelming, they never are.  I’ve traveled a large chunk of the world without a guide, guidebook or a  plan and things are usually straightforward. On the road and I mean  literally in transit is where you often meet some of your best new  friends but I digress… So as it happens, my friends are buying tickets for something like  $15 each and just showing up in Koh Tao. I’ve also given them  instructions on how to find a $9 a night hotel  / guesthouse on the beach. Yes, you read that right. When I went to Koh  Tao it was my first real trip into the wild. Not only did I have the  time of my life, meet great friends and find a cheap hotel, it gave me  the confidence to do it anywhere. When you’re on an indefinite trip around the world,  you need that confidence to just go for it. It will make the trip  special and tailored to you. Also as much as we all like to think we’re  adventurers; which we are… There aren’t many “new trails left” and  remember countless people less equipped than yourself have made it  safely so just go, trust the process and enjoy the sights. Always keep your options open when traveling, you’ll be shocked at what’s out there waiting for those who dare…