Rolf Potts: Travelling cheaper longer

Rolf Potts is one of the new generation of travel writers. An experienced world traveller, he wrote a book called Vagabonding, which talks about overseas, long-term travel. Rolf has also written an article on Yahoo called ‘How to travel cheaper by traveling longer’.

Back in 2003 Sean and I got to meet Rolf in Bangkok, amd a good guy he turned out to be. His recent article talks about 5 ways to travel longer cheaper. These are: 1) Take out the middleman, 2) Go slow, 3) Patronize the local “mom-and-pop” economy, 4) Learn from your travels, and be flexible, 5) Work or volunteer on the road.

Applying these to a trip to Bali, we could say:
1) Do not book hotels in advance. Many of the smaller and cheaper ones do not have a website, and are not listed by major hotel bookers. Packages are great, but who wants 14 days in the same hotel?
2) Give yourself and your wallet a break. You will relax, actually see more and enjoy the trip better, if it is not jammed with itinerary.
3) The cheapest, and some of the best food in Bali, is the local stuff served in simple warungs. Warung Nikmat in Kuta, Warung Kolega in Kerobokan, the grilled fish place down Gang Plawa in Seminyak, Bamboo Corner in Kuta, they’re all over place.
4) To be a good traveler you have to be adaptable. Starting out with a set of ‘I cannot’s’ and ‘I will not’s’ puts the shackles on your trip. Pair 2 of those people together, each with their own agenda and the trip is scuppered before it starts. Learn to relax, be adventurous and have yourself a great time.
5) In some countries you can arrange to work on a farm for food and lodgings. Here in Bali that may not be possible, but still if you are adventurous, you might try asking a local family to rent you a room. What a blast that would be, as well as a way to live on next to nothing.