THE BLOG
【出会い】日本にいても外国人の友達を作りたい人必見！~おすすめアプリ紹介~
日本にいながらでも外国人の友達ってできるの？とお考えの方へ！日本にいても出会う方法はあります！外国人の友達を作ってもっと英語を喋りたい、世界中の友達を作りたいなどいろんな理由があるかと思います。そんな方はぜひこの記事をチェックしてみてください!(^^)!
【出会い】日本にいても外国人の友達を作りたい人必見！~おすすめアプリ紹介~
初めまして、まことです。このブログは私の彼のタランが運営しているので基本的に英語でのブログになりますが、私が日本語でのブログを投稿して、英語と日本語の両方で楽しんでいただけたらと思いますʕ•ᴥ•ʔ
英語でも読みたい方はぜひ他の記事もチェックしてみてくださいね！
周りの人からよくどうやって彼と知り合ったの？どうやったら外国人の友達を作れるの？といったようなことを聞かれるので、このブログを書いてみることにしました！
まずはざっくり自己紹介から！私は元々静岡出身で、就職にあたり上京しました。新卒で入った会社に約2年間勤め、タランと出会ったことをきっかけに、海外で働きたいという昔からの想いがより強まり会社を退職、現在は彼と一緒にニュージーランドで1年間ワーキングホリデーをしています。
会社以外で誰も知り合いがいなかった私はどうやったら友達を作れるのだろうかと悩んでいました…(~_~;)
留学時代に比べ、日本にいるとやはり英語を使う機会は極端に減ってきていました…せっかく友達作りをするなら世界中の人と友達になりたい！もっと英語を使いたい！というのが私の想いでした。
そんな時、ネットでいろいろと検索して、Couchsurfing(カウチサーフィン)というアプリを見つけました。
タランとはCouchsurfingを通して知り合いました(^○^)
Couchsurfingは、宿泊先を探す旅行者と泊まる場所をタダで提供する現地の人とをつなげるサービスです。Couchsurfingには他の使い方もあり、例えば現地の人に街を案内してもらいたい、ちょっと誰かとビールを飲みたいなんていうときにHangout(泊まる場所を提供せず、ただ会うのみ)するということもできます。
実際私も海外に一人旅をしていた時はCouchsurfingをよく利用していました。現地の人だけが知っているおすすめのカフェや特別なビューポイントなど、自分一人だけでの観光では経験できないようなことができました(*^ω^*)
Couchsurfingでは自分の周辺にいる相手を表示してくれます。アプリ上で一旦連絡を取り合い、待ち合わせ場所を指定します。私と彼が初めて待ち合わせしたのは、東京タワーが綺麗に見える芝公園でした。東京に住んでいると、THE観光地にはあまり行かないですよね…(^^; 東京タワーってこんな綺麗だったんだなーなんて思ったのを覚えてます(笑)
海外の方と一緒にいると住み慣れた土地も違う視点で見ることができるので、私も日本にいながら観光している気分を味わえました✌︎
彼はベジタリアンなので、六本木にあるFalafel Brothersというファラフェルが最高に美味しいお店に行きました･:*+.\(( °ω° ))/.:+芝公園からは徒歩約20分で行けます☆
私は元々大のお肉好き、ミートイーターだったので、ベジタリアン料理って何？ちゃんと味ついてるの？といった風に正直思っていました´д` ;
ファラフェルはお肉を一切使っていなく、ひよこ豆でできたハンバーグみたいなものです。これが意外とボリューミーでベジタリアンじゃなくても満足できます！
海外の方はベジタリアン/ビーガンの方が多いので、このお店には海外の方がたくさん集まります。日本はまだそういったお店は少ないですからね…
料理も美味しいですし、海外の方の知り合いもできるので、良かったらぜひ行ってみてくださいね！
私は彼とはCouchsurfingを通して知り合いましたが、それ以外にもMeetupsやInterNationsというアプリも使っていました。これらのアプリはどちらかというと、誰かが主催しているイベントに参加する形式になります。
基本的には主催者がレストランやバーなどを貸し切り、参加料を支払い(大体1,000円程度)、ドリンクやフードを楽しみながらいろんな人とお話しするスタイルです。
まとめると…
＊Couchsurfing : 一対一でゆっくり話をしたい人におすすめ。近くにいる人をアプリが教えてくれるから、待ち合わせがしやすく、スケジュールも合わせやすい。
＊Meetups : 20代前半から30代前半、若い年齢層の方が参加しているイメージ。日本人も外国人の方もたくさん参加している。ハロウィーンやクリスマスイベントだけでなくお花見などたくさんのイベントを開催して、いろんな人に会いやすい。
＊InterNations : 20代後半から40代と幅広い年齢層の方が参加していて、どちらかというとビジネスよりのイメージ。私の友人は自分の仕事をアピールする場に最適と言ってました。
ぜひ自分に合いそうなアプリを試してみてくださいねー！✌︎('ω'✌︎ )
タランの日本風景写真集をアマゾンでチェックしてみてくださいね！
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
Related Articles:
Tokyo, The Centre Of The World // Photo Essay
Japan’s Tokyo is a mega city, it’s the most populated city on earth with Delhi, India coming in second and China’s Shanghai in third place!
Tokyo, The Centre Of The World // Photo Essay
Japan’s Tokyo is a mega city, it’s the most populated city on earth with Delhi, India coming in second and China’s Shanghai in third place! It’s a vibrant, crazy, exciting urban playground that feels more than just alive, in fact it can feel overwhelming at times!
After living in the city for around 9 months I found myself feeling that I knew my way around Tokyo like the back of my hand but at the same time making new discoveries every day. Nevertheless for this article I’d like to introduce Makoto (真琴), a local who has lived in Tokyo for several years but has also lived in the quieter countryside of Japan, to give her thoughts and feelings on this iconic city.
Coming from Shizouka, a small town at the base of Mt. Fuji I am a bit of a countryside girl, so I was a little bit scared to start my new life in the big city of Tokyo. People look exhausted because from long work hours and don’t make eye contact with strangers, “typical” city people.. however, my perspective was changed after living there for several years.
Tokyo is a place where everything happens, Odaiba is one of the most popular places to visit not only for foreigners but also for Locals. If you want to find a place to go on a date with someone then this is the place! You can go shopping in future robot malls, play some old-school Japanese games in retro arcades and lots of events are held every month, you can basically do everything in Odaiba.
One of my most favourite places is the TeamLab Borderless digital art museum pictured above! I was absolutely immersed in the magical lights!
Every morning and evening I had to ride a train for one hour to go to and from work, I’ve never experienced such crowds in my life and I was regularly already tired before starting work. I felt like I had to be ready for a battle of winning a seat against strangers but normally I ended up standing for the whole journey. One time Taran joined me in rush hour, he was holding onto a handle but a surge of humans rushed in and all of a sudden his feet were lifted off the ground and he spent the next 10 minutes holding on for dear life or face falling onto the people sat below! I now understand why Tokyoite’s always look tired.
I’ve come to realise that Japanese people love travelling inside Japan almost as much as going abroad, they dress up in kimono’s to go to the famous Sensoji temple in Asakusa, wear yukata’s for firework festivals or go to kawaii (cute) little animal cafes. One of the things I like about Tokyo is it feels like you’re sightseeing all the time in your own country!
Another thing I like about Japan is how many people enjoy dressing up in their favourite costumes to meet up with other passionate cosplayers, me and Taran were amazed to see everyone was super friendly and confidently welcomed the photo shoots.
Even if you are in a busy urban jungle like Tokyo, you can still enjoy the beauty of nature, you can admire seasonal events, for instance when it’s the rainy season you can go to Kamakura to see Ajisai flowers (Hydrangea) and in the spring season you can see the lovely views of Sakuras (cherry blossoms). Just outside of Tokyo resides my hometown of Shizuoka featuring Mt. Fuji, Fuji San is normally a little bit shy, hiding behind clouds, but if you are lucky you can see the whole figure of the highest mountain in Japan.
Overall, I would say I liked living in Tokyo, of course there were times I was sick of so many people surrounding me all the time on trains and everywhere you go but at the same time I enjoyed seeing and experiencing lots of different aspects of the city.
“Tokyo is a traveller’s playground, every corner you find something interesting and cool to see.”
Thanks Makoto for giving us a insiders view on this iconic city and what it’s like to live there.
Now check out my ‘Japan’ photo-book on Amazon including some of the photos above and many more:
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
Related Articles:
5 Reasons That Prove Japan Is Stuck In The 90's
Japan, home to the ultra modern future city Tokyo.. When most people think of Japan they have this image of a country living in the future with robots to do your…
5 Reasons That Prove Japan Is Stuck In The 90’s
Japan, home to the ultra modern future city Tokyo.. When most people think of Japan they have this image of a country living in the future with robot restaurants and perfectly on time trains, so why wouldn’t everything else be just as futuristic?! After living in Japan you come to realise not everything is as it seems.. In fact there is a lot of aspects of Japanese life that is stuck in the past compared to its western counterparts, and here are some of the biggest..
1. free/easy phone number!? not in japan.
You know how in say, the UK, you can walk into most convenience stores and grab a free or very cheap pay-as-you-go sim card, stick it in your phone and within a few short activation steps you will be ready to receive calls? Well that’s not quite the case here in Japan..
Having a phone number is way more serious here and thus getting one requires a lot more legwork, not to mention there is no such thing as pay-as-you-go. Yes that’s right, to have the privilege of a number that can make and receive calls you must sign up to at least a year-long contract with heavy cancellation fees for those deciding it might be costing too much..
There are ways around this with newer smaller companies that understand not everyone is living in japan for years but would like to receive calls (and not to mention you need a Japanese number to open a bank account), they still charge you a monthly fee and you have to pay the same hefty cost for the initial sim-card, but it’s way cheaper than what the big names are offering.
2. Sorry what.. you don’t eat animals?!
It’s a well known fact that eating a vegetarian diet can be better for your health if you eat the right stuff, sorry, eating chips and greasy veggie burgers wont save you..
In Europe vegetarian and vegan diets have boomed in recent years seeing a plethora of dedicated restaurants open and almost every restaurant having at least 1 veggie option, this is also the same of supermarkets with growing sections dedicated to non-meat products as more and more variety appears it is a great time to try out a less meaty diet (coming from someone who has been vegetarian since around 1995).
Photo by Rustic Vegan on Unsplash
But here in Japan it is almost unrecognised as a thing to not eat meat and even if you manage to find something with no ‘meat’ in it, it still might have fish hidden in there somewhere because it’s such a alien concept to not eat the two staples of the Japanese diet.
In big city’s like Tokyo you can often find a vegetarian restaurant if you do a little searching, but you definitely wont be finding veggie options in most eateries and food in convenience stores is not clearly marked as there is no need. Many a time have I bought a ‘cheese & onion roll’ only to bite into it and find a load of ham..
3. Smoking does what for my health?!
It may seem like the distant past when you think about smoking in a bar in the West or seeing an advert for a cigarette brand, but here in Japan it seems that the tobacco companies have still got a firm grasp on their presence in daily life here. Packaging does not have to abide by any laws involving displaying horrifying images, and smoking in bars is seen as just as normal as drinking in bars.
It’s almost as if the government hasn’t stepped in to inform people just how bad it is to smoke.. One of the biggest shocks I came across was seeing a cigarette shop owned by a famous company selling only their brand!
4. Would you like a straw, spoon, and a bag with that?
This was one of my biggest disappointments when I arrived in Japan, the amount of plastic that gets used is outrageous! If you go to a convenience store even to buy 1 item they will pop it into a bag without asking (Protip: “hukuro daijoubudes” means “I’m okay without a bag”), most items come in their own plastic packaging but the store will sometimes individually bag each item and then place them all into a bag and maybe double bag it just in case..
If you buy a drink, expect it to be bagged and coupled with a straw, if you buy a sandwich it will be bagged with plastic wrapped chopsticks and individually wrapped hand wipes. You will have a really hard time getting by trying to avoid it all and people will often find it strange when you don’t want a bag, I think it all boils down to a lack of awareness and naivety here, which is a shame as Japan is technically a 1st world country.
5. Cash Only, sorry..
Something that is tied very closely to the culture in Japan is the use of actual cash, their coins have symbolic meanings related to luck and they are used frequently at temples. For these reasons the whole conversion to cashless payments has been a much harder/slower transition for Japanese people, a lot of restaurants and bars still only operate in cash which can be quite a shock sometimes being that Japan is often seen as the technological frontier of the world.
But things are changing.. for the most part in big cities you can grab a IC card which will allow you to pay for transport and transactions in convenience store with a tap (admittedly you still need to top it up with cash though.. doh!).
While most supermarkets and better known shops accept credit cards, it is still necessary to carry around that emergency wad of cash just to be sure, but hey, at least you can be sure in the knowledge that Japan is one of the safest countries in the world.
Have your preconceptions about Japan been blown?! Let me know your thoughts in the comments below..
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
Related Articles:
Living On Top Of The World // Hakuba Mountains
Upon arriving in Japan my mission was to find some work, well, it was second on my list while I explored this new land, but while I was in Tokyo I cam across an opportunity..
Living On Top Of The World // Hakuba Mountains
Upon arriving in Japan my mission was to find some work, well, it was second on my list while I explored this new land, but while I was in Tokyo I cam across an opportunity..
I was being hosted my some lovely couch-surfers when the conversation got onto photography and one of them mentioned some work they had done up in the mountains that had some crazy views a photographer could only dream of!
And so she introduced me to someone currently working there, I sent my details and before I knew it I was crouching on the ground about to fly in a helicopter for the first time! I was pretty lucky in that 90% of the staff have to hike the 4 hour journey up the mountain.. but they had a spare seat so I jumped at the chance!
The Views
Arriving in my new home for the next 2 months I was greeted with the most spectacular view from my little window, my room was a tiny box with no electricity, no internet and no heating, but it didn’t matter because this view was unreal! It looked like my window was actually a desktop wallpaper!
These were the views I had to put up with everyday! The evening sunsets were unreal and being able to see distant mountains on clear days was a real treat, annoyingly My work shifts landed right on sunset but seeing gazing at the colourful clouds on my 10 minute breaks was quite something.
The Work
It wasn’t anything glamorous, I was working in the kitchen mainly, this included waking up early to start work at 4am making breakfast/do the washing up. I also would have to clean the rooms and then later in the evening prepare dinner/again more washing up.. The work was every single day unless a day off was requested, which was great for my savings but pretty flipping tiring.. Can you guess which is my pair of gloves above?
The Wildlife
About halfway through my time on the mountain I celebrated my birthday by taking a day off (this and one weekend down from the mountain were my only breaks). I went for a morning hike, hoping to reach the top of one of the tallest mountains in the area but about halfway there I bumped into a family of wild Japanese macaques!
If you want to see what camera I use, go here!
They were enjoying the morning sun and didn’t take much notice of me.. at first. I managed to get pretty close and take some really nice photos but then they decided I had overstayed my welcome or maybe got a little too close, as the adults started to run at me while screeching! I decided not to stand my ground and fight, turning and hopping down the rocks away from them and throwing a few warning stones in their direction!! Luckily I was able to out pace them down the hill and they retreated back to the ridge.
The mountains are also home to a species of bird called raicho or ptarmigan in English, I managed to get up close with this little one who was a lot friendlier than the monkeys!
The Storms
My birthday was the start of what seemed like endless storms and dense cloud coverage that continued until the end of my time on the mountain, which occasional breaks for a day or two. This meant that the supply helicopter was unable to resupply us on my birthday, the day it was scheduled for.. it was eventually delayed by 10 days meaning that we almost completely ran out of food and had to start limiting the number of guests!
During this time the infamous typhoon Jebi that was said to be the most powerful Japan had seen in 25 years passed pretty close to our location. We had to evacuate our normal sleeping quarters and all move into one building for safety, we also spent the previous day putting metal shutters on all the windows and bringing everything not nailed down inside.. Luckily the only damage was cosmetic, few smashed solar panels and wall panels ripped off but it was still a pretty crazy few days!
The Views, again..
Its easy to get used the the views when you see them all day everyday, and it was no exception here, after a few weeks it got to the point where I was no longer sitting and staring during my time off, but every now and then nature would throw something new into the mix and give a glorious show again! Seeing the peak of Mt. Surugi poking out above the sea of clouds or the evening fog eerily sweeping over the mountains were some of those moments.
Seeing the Milky Way in such detail is something I always love witnessing, and was one of the reasons I came here after seeing my friend’s photo of the stars. We only had a few perfect nights for stargazing, but it was worth being mega tired in the morning as seeing this many stars is not something everyone gets a chance to see.
If you want some help taking great photos, check out my guide here!
The Team
I knew coming to Japan that I would face a language barrier that was going to take some work to overcome in terms of continuing to learn after spending 2 years learning bits and pieces via a phone app.. but I wasn’t prepared to be the only foreigner working here, and to make things even more difficult there was only 1 guy who could speak English fluently, a couple who knew about as much English as I knew Japanese and the rest couldn’t speak any English..
To make things more awkward, of course I was the only vegetarian.. which meant I couldn’t join in with the group meals and had to cook my own food as it seemed almost every dish cooked included some form of fish or meat.. gah! Above is my signature vegan burger which I actually ended up serving for a few vegan customers when the chef was stumped as to what to give them!
For all the isolation I felt from this place, it was a very memorable experience being the first time I had been this high (altitude wise :P), I was forced to improve my Japanese and it was a great way to learn, made some great friends, endured the worst typhoon to hit Japan in 25 years and most importantly enjoyed some amazing photo/video opportunities. Would you live & work in a place like this?
Now check out the awesome video I made about my time there..
Thinking about coming to Japan on a Working Holiday Visa?: Check out this handy guide
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
Related Articles:
Best Place To View Tokyo Tower
Managing to find a few rooftops that were easy-ish to access, I ended up sleeping on one with Tokyo Tower providing an dreamy view to drift off to and..
Best Place To View Tokyo Tower
Visiting Tokyo and want to get some incredible views of Japans famous Tokyo Tower? You could always visit it and pay to go up inside it, but in my opinion the best views of Tokyo Tower are the free ones in the evening when it lights up like a Christmas tree!
There are various quiet little spots dotted around the Tokyo Tower which offer great close up views and places to relax during the evening while taking in the awe of the light show.
One of my favourite places is a small circular park (Google Maps link) located about 200 metres from Tokyo Tower which seems to be the perfect distance to view the entire tower! It is a moderately sized open patch of grass which also happens to be visited my many dog owners in the evening, so while you're enjoying the lights you can pet some doggos as well! Bonus!!
Feeling a tad daring?
Your could always get an even crazier view that includes the city skyline from above, and I don't mean paying to go to observation deck.. I managed to find a few rooftops that were easy-ish to access, I even ended up sleeping on one with Tokyo Tower providing an dreamy view to drift off to and a welcoming sight to wake up to!
But you will have to find out these places for yourself.. and I accept no responsibility if you get caught :P
If you want to enjoy the tower without the crowds, this park rarely gets that busy and can be quite a romantic spot to visit :)
If you've got the time to spend an evening tower watching then I highly recommend this park, be sure to take a few snacks and your camera!
More from Tokyo:
Shibuya Crossing Secret Viewpoint
Surreal Digital Art Museum
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
Related Articles:
The Secret Viewpoint Above Shibuya Crossing
If you're visiting Tokyo, there's a good chance you will be heading to the famous Shibuya scramble crossing! Its a crazy, intense experience to navigate your way through the MASSIVE crowds.
The Secret Viewpoint Above Shibuya Crossing
If you're visiting Tokyo, there's a good chance you will be heading to the famous Shibuya scramble crossing! Its a crazy, intense experience to navigate your way through the MASSIVE crowds. You can get some awesome photos from street level of all the interesting characters ranging from busy salary-men & women to dancing cosplay fanatics using the crossing as a stage!
But to get some really awesome photos of Shibuya crossing, you will want to get above street level.. Most people will head to the nearby Starbucks cafe to get a slightly elevated view and enjoy a coffee, but this a such a popular spot that getting a seat near the window is near impossible!
Time for some stealth action!
To get views of Shibuya crossing from above like the ones in this article you will need to act like a secret spy and pretend you are staying in the fancy hotel that overlooks the crossing, this way you can get right to the 25th floor and enjoy some amazing sights of the city and the crossing!
Your mission, if you choose to accept it:
- Look for the building pictured and head towards it, you will find an entrance with 2 elevators.
- Head to the 5th floor (do not go directly to the 25th floor, you will be caught).
- Once you step out on the 5th floor, act like you know what your doing and walk directly ahead past the 'hotel guests only' sign, and to the other elevators.
- Now you can hit the 25th floor button!
This will place you in a area just out of view from the staff facing the regular lifts, and will give you ample time to snap some birds-eye view photos!
I even managed to get away with setting up a tripod on the window and recording a time-lapse, but after about 15 minutes I was finally caught! But don't worry, just be nice and say sorry and you will be shown the elevator.
More from Tokyo:
Best Place To View Tokyo Tower
Surreal Digital Art Museum
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
Related Articles:
Secret Rooftop Bar In Bangkok
Want to spend your last night in Bangkok on the roof of a tall building overlooking the city in all of its glory?!
Secret rooftop bar In Bangkok
Want to spend your last night in Bangkok on the roof of a tall building overlooking the city in all of its glory?! Of course you do, but do you also want to share that rooftop experience with a huge crowd of tourists? Probably not..
If you're interested in finding a quieter rooftop bar in Bangkok that allows you to relax and take in the sights in peace, you might find it here.. I cannot guarantee it hasn't been overrun by tourists now, but I checked in 2018 and it was still pretty chilled.
The name of the bar/restaurant is River View Guest House, and can be found here on google maps. This rooftop bar features a spectacular view over Bangkok river with a perfect angle to watch the sunset.
The Entrance
The entrance to the bar is located down a small alleyway that might be a little hard to find, but using google maps you should be fine, just look for this place in the photo above, the entrance in a hotel style reception, just tell them you are going to the rooftop bar and proceed to the lift.
Be sure to get there early to see the sunset, but don't forget to stay late to see some epic sights like above, if your lucky you might see lightning in the distance. With the river populated by brightly coloured tour boats of all colours and the sky flashing striking shows of electricity this will be sure to make a night to remember.. AND ITS FREE!!
For more Bangkok info check out: Cheapest ATM In Bangkok
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
Related Articles:
Abandoned Buildings - Rayong Coast
Along the coast a few hours from the bustling chaotic streets of Bangkok rests the small town of Rayong, a urban explorers dream come true..
Abandoned Buildings - Rayong Coast
Along the coast a few hours from the bustling chaotic streets of Bangkok rests the small town of Rayong and if you keep travelling (via local songthaews) you can reach the beach village of Hat Mae Rumphueng. An area built for tourism at only one time of the year it seems.. for as soon as the holidays are over the whole area becomes completely void of tourists.
I stayed in this hotel along with about 3 other guests.. Private room for 200 baht!!
Of-course, the locals still live here and go about their daily lives, but there is a completely different feeling from the normal backpacker routes of Thailand. During my week here I only saw about 3 other non-locals!
I'm not too sure on the full story, but it seems like this place had hopes to become a well known tourism hot spot.. But the dreams obviously didn't come into fruition..
The coast line is littered with abandoned buildings, apartments and huge hotels like the one above! There are hotels that have stayed open, but they remain almost empty and running a skeleton crew for most of the year.
This makes it particularly easy to stroll into any of these hotels and just take the elevator straight to the roof, no one is really paying any attention and you can get away with pretending you are staying there by just looking confident!
Sneaking into the tallest abandoned hotel
The hotel is basically this place on google maps, you will be able to spot it instantly if you turn on satellite view. The whole building is completely overrun by nature and is an amazing place to explore, the parking lot looks like something out of the game 'The Last Of Us' or the film 'I Am Legend'.
The inside of the building is completely gutted, and is probably the home to a few homeless people.. which for a solo explorer makes the place that much more eerie not knowing what will be around the next corner..
The views from the windows on the upper levels are incredible! A clean unspoiled coastline on one side, and a lush green expanse of villages with a mountain overlooking them on the other side.
If your interested in abandoned buildings and places a little off the normal beaten track then Rayong is definitely worth a visit.
For more travel photography check out: 14 Photos That Will Inspire You To Travel
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
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Japanese Working Holiday Visa Guide
The mysteries you will uncover in the land of the rising sun are awaiting you. Here's your step-by-step guide to getting a WHV.
Japanese Working Holiday Visa Guide
Getting a working holiday visa for にほん (日本) requires a little bit more legwork than some other countries, for instance the Australian WHV can be done online and just requires personal details but it does come with the downside of costing way more, £250! Considering the Japanese WHV is only £20 in the UK and free in Ireland, the extra legwork seems pretty acceptable.
The process of applying for a Japanese WHV is relatively easy, you will have to sacrifice at least two week days to do it though. You cannot apply online and will need to visit your local embassy:
In the UK: London or Edinburgh.
In Ireland: Dublin.
The process once you get there is relatively simple, grab a ticket, wait for your number, hand over documents and passport, pay visa fee and wait one week to then come back and collect passport with visa stuck inside it (hopefully).
The documents needed are as follows:
Outline of intended activities
This has to be a list of your entire itinerary for your year in Japan.. I know right! Okay so before you worry about your plan to have no plan, it really doesn't matter! I completely made mine up and there were no problems at all.
From the research I did, it seems that a list in the form of months works well eg:
July 2019 - September 2019
For the first few months I intend to travel around the country, exploring the many wonderful sights and experiencing the the food and culture on offer. This time will also be used to gauge the cost of living and how much I may have to work during my stay, I will also look into what kind of work may be available to me later, and where in the country I might look for work.
To make it even easier, here is my whole itinerary that you could just edit into your own wording and save yourself some work.
For people in Ireland there is a specific form for this, which you can download here and fill in (potentially just copy my paragraphs across and reword it).
Written reason for applying
Again this is expected to be a A4 page with your intentions and reasons for wanting to visit Japan. This can be anything and everything about what has inspired you to travel to the land of the rising sun, for instance here is a sample from my letter:
I have been fascinated with Japan for just over 2 years now, it's a country rich in culture and history. I have enjoyed talking with people I met travelling about their adventures in Japan, this sparked my interest in learning the language and as much as possible about what life is like in Japan. Having already travelled extensively throughout Australia on a 2 year working visa I wanted to challenge myself by visiting a country that had a unique culture completely different from my own.
Hopefully this is enough inspiration to set you off on your writing, but if you're still struggling, here is my whole letter for you to download and edit into your own wording.
visa application form
The form is quite straightforward, just fill in your personal details and give the name of a hostel or wherever you want to stay first when it asks where you intend to stay. Use a proper passport photo, I printed one off using my inkjet printer and had to then go get a proper one done at a shop near the embassy.. (doi!)
Here is the application form for you to download and fill in.
proof of funds
Unlike other visa's I have applied for, this was a strict requirement. For instance the Australian visa states that you must have at least $5000 or $2500 and a return plane ticket, but over the 2 years I was there I never met anyone who had been checked for this.
The Japanese WHV requires you to have at least £3000 in cleared funds and at least 3 months of bank statements to prove this (€3200 for Ireland), or £1500 (€1600) and a return plane ticket.
This is where things got a little different for me, I kept my money in a NS&I premium bonds account as I found it much easier to save, with the money being harder to access than a simple transfer via an app. I was asked to print off proof of myself paying into this account from my main bank account as well as the proof of the money being in the premium bonds.. it got a little complicated and the lady handling my visa forms had to consult her manager leaving me worried it might not be accepted.. but it was fine in the end.
cv
Make sure you update your CV before you bundle it with your documents, I'm not sure what difference the CV makes to your total visa process but they ask for it and keep it anyway. I guess just another way of making sure you are actually able to hold down a job and wont end up stranded in Japan unable to afford a flight home!
Again for the people of Ireland, there is another specific form to fill in for this part, download it here and then copy your CV details across.
passport
You will need to bring your passport and be ready to let them hold onto it for a week while they process your application, this is the only thing they will give back to you as they keep all they other documents you handed over.
Cost
The visa application fee as of 2018 is £19 (free in Ireland), considerably cheaper than many others!
And that is it, you're ready to go! For any more info head directly to the Japanese embassy websites:
Hopefully you are now one step closer to stepping foot in the mysterious land of fleeting cherry blossoms, vast white snowscapes, tropical coral bays and futuristic cities. がんばろう!
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
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A New Way Of Thinking About Traveling With Purpose
It is not how many places you visit, but how deep you go in each place you visit. It is not just traveling, it is...
A New Way Of Thinking About Traveling With Purpose
About 4 months ago, Taran and I came across each other. Our journeys intercepted in Thailand, at The Mindfulness Project, one of the most insightful and enriching adventures during my travels so far. The invite to write this guest post came at our last day at the project, which was coincidently the same, when I asked him to sign my MLA flag I carry along the way, where all of those I cross paths with leave their mark.
Now you may wonder, as everyone else does, what is a MLA? And that is the reason I am writing this post today, to introduce you a new concept of traveling with purpose.
But before I get there, let me give you a bit of background on how it started. For years I had been living on autopilot. Most of my decisions were more of a reflection of society, family and friends, rather than what I truly wanted for myself. Basically, I was mostly doing what I should, rather than what I wanted, not paying much attention to my intuition and inner voice. Decisions went from the area of study I chose, the universities I applied for, the master I finished, to the first and only company I worked for. And all those years I kept feeling something was not quite right, something was missing, there was no sense of realization, and there were only very few moments of true happiness, which kept being delayed to a distant future. Fortunately, almost 3 years ago I started questioning myself. I wanted more. I wanted to be happy at every moment of my life. And that, I believed, I would find by living fully by my purpose in the now. I listed a few options. Change jobs, change company, go back to study or… travel! I did apply for other jobs and other companies, I did check different PhD’s and also MBA’s. But none of them were appealing enough, neither had I thought they would bring me an answer to my quest. So, I was left with traveling. However, just traveling by itself was
also not attractive enough. So I slept on it. And one night the idea came. I am going to do a MLA, ie. a Master in Life Adventures.
The idea is simple: to travel the world whilst developing new skills and competencies and exploring and leveraging passions and talents. Whereas when studying I would have to fit the program, when doing a MLA the program would fit me, my desires, my needs, my questions and my objectives. The MLA would be fully owned by me and, therefore completely tailored to myself. An amazing opportunity to get inspired, to learn and develop and to meet people all over the world. And a little, or actually big hand in finding my purpose.
And, because of the stigma that still exists about traveling for long periods of time, especially in my home country, I wanted to show the world how beneficial, how enriching and how important traveling with purpose can be. That is why my dream is to transform the MLA concept into a certification, available to all. A certification that comprises of quality and that gives confidence to people wanting to travel with purpose, empowering them to fly and to flourish. This idea is work in progress at the moment and, for now, I am trying to prove the concept by being the first to officially do a MLA!
So, 8 months ago I finally quit my job. I didn't ask for a sabbatical, which I could have done. I just quit. I wanted to have time and space to explore. I wanted to go back to play, like when you are a child. I wanted the same flexibility, the same freedom. I wanted not to know what I was going to do next (the most frequently asked question I get). I wanted to allow any new opportunities that could come along.
I started by listing the adventures I always wanted to live but had never had the chance, the skills and competencies I wanted to develop and the countries I had always dreamed of visiting. And then, in January this year, I bought the tickets and in March I was taking off to India to begin my adventures with a 2 week yoga and meditation retreat at the Phool Chatti Ashram in Rishikesh. Breaking out of my auto-pilot and getting grounded were the objectives. I had never done yoga before, in fact, for years, I thought I hated it... I used to say out loud I was not interested in slow sports, as I would ignorantly characterize yoga. But I was willing to give it a chance with my MLA and it actually sounded like a good start. Far was I from realizing I would fall in love with the science behind yoga and make it a daily practice throughout the rest of my trip. Something I would have never realized without my MLA.
Admiring the Ganges River from Phool Chatti Ashram, Rishikesh, India
Getting certified in yoga and meditation from Phool Chatti Ashram, Rishikesh, India
Visiting The Beatles Ashram, Rishikesh, India
After one month in India, stopping at New Delhi, Rishikesh, Agra and Varanasi, I headed to Nepal to learn construction skills with All Hands Volunteers, helping to rebuild schools after the earthquake. Soon I realized heavy construction was not my thing. And the MLA is also that, trial and error, sense checking, answering questions. But I still loved the experience and getting to know the amazing people dedicating their time to such a great cause. Also because, for me, what matters the most are not the things you do, but whom you do them with.
Working day at All Hands Volunteers, Thulo Packar, Nepal
Resting day at All Hands Volunteers, Thulo Packar, Nepal
Exploring the local culture, Backtapur, Nepal
After 1 month in Nepal, stopping at Kathmandu, Thulo Packar, Backtapur, Patna and Pockara, I headed to Thailand to get immersed in permaculture and Buddhism at The Mindfulness Project. There, I would be developing different skills such as gardening, cooking, natural products making, teaching, yoga and meditation. And, again, getting to know beautiful people, from all over the world, with very different backgrounds and inspiring life stories to share.
Teaching English with The Mindfulness Project, Khon Kaen, Thailand
Saying farewell to The Mindfulness Project community, Khon Kaen, Thailand
After 3 weeks in Thailand, stopping at Bangkok, Hua Hin and Khon Khaen, I headed to Myanmar. This time, just for the purpose of visiting and getting inspired by the breathtaking landscapes and local culture. The MLA is also that, allowing the time and space to explore and get inspired by the beautiful places our earth has to offer.
Exploring hundreds of temples, Bagan, Myanmar
Getting inspired with painting like landscapes, Inle Lake, Myanmar
After 12 days in Myanmar, stopping at Mandalay, Bagan, Inle Lake and Yangoon, I headed to Bali, Indonesia. There, I used Work Away to find a hospitality volunteer job, where I could learn about the business, for which I always had an interest but never had the opportunity to experience. For 2 months I volunteered at an eco-guesthouse and yoga studio in Canggu, working directly with the general manager, supporting in strategy, marketing and human resources. I had the unique opportunity to dive into the business and to see most of my recommendations being implemented while I was still there. My remaining time in Bali was used for traveling around the island, exploring the delicious cafes, surfing and practicing yoga and meditation.
Shooting at the most photogenic beach in the world, Pandawa Beach, Bali, Indonesia
Going for a board meeting, Canggu, Bali, Indonesia
Fueling my working day, Cafe Organic, Canggu, Bali, Indonesia
Celebrating life through practice, The Practice, Canggu, Bali, Indonesia
After living for 3 months in Bali, stopping at Canggu, Uluwatu and Ubud, I headed to Australia, where I am traveling at the moment along the New South Wales coast!
Celebrating Father’s Day with one of my host families, Sydney, Australia
Overlooking the Opera House, Sydney, Australia
Petting a kangaroo for the first time, Pambula, Australia
Overlooking one of the thousand beautiful beaches along the coast, Newcastle, Australia
Making it to the most easterly point of the Australian mainland, Byron Bay, Australia
"It is not how many places you visit, but how deep you go in each place you visit."
For the past 6 months, by developing different skills and competencies, by exploring and leveraging my passions and talents and by meeting so many extraordinary and inspiring people, I see myself closer to realize my purpose. And, because of that, I have shifted around my itinerary and, instead of literally going round the world as initially planned, I will return to the places which will support me the most in that mission. Because the MLA is not structure, it is flexibility. It is not rules, it is freedom. It is not a collection of adventures, it is a journey. It is not how many places you visit, but how deep you go in each place you visit. It is not just traveling, it is a transformational experience on the inside that reflects on the outside.
Thank you for reading and I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas about the MLA concept so, together, we can bring it to life.
You can follow my MLA journey at www.masterinlifeadventures.com
@catarinaholstein and @mla.haveyounoticed.
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
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Death Of The Passenger Aeroplane - SpaceX BFR
Most long distance trips in under 30 mins and anywhere in under 60 mins! And for the same price as...
The Death Of The Passenger Aeroplane - SpaceX BFR
Today saw the latest live conference from arguably the world's most influential entrepreneur of modern times, Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX. The talk was centred around the company's soon to be built BFR, and I'm sure you can decrypt that acronym yourself!!
The BFR is primarily a rocket to replace all SpaceX's current rockets with a goal of flying cargo to Mars as early as 2022! and passengers in 2024! This is a very optimistic plan, but nevertheless it is building excitement in space exploration which is never a bad thing.
Earth To Earth
The conference ended with a surprise though, as Elon unveiled plans to make this rocket part of the transport industry here on earth.. The BFR (currently just a codename by the way) will be capable of taking people around the world in staggeringly quick times! Here are the plans and facts:
- Comfortable seat around 100 passengers. Airbus A380 can sit around 555 passengers.
- Travel at speeds of 18,000 mph in LEO (low earth orbit). Airbus A380 - 560 mph.
- Cost per seat will be the same as a full economy seat in current aeroplanes.
- Capable of carrying 150 tonnes of cargo. Airbus A380 - 150 tonnes of cargo.
- Travel most long distance trips within 30 minutes.
- Anywhere in the world in under 60 minutes.
The big one in that list is the price, if SpaceX is capable of getting the price of a seat as low as current economy aeroplane seat prices then I think there is no question that this will be a success, even at a higher yet still affordable price it would be a breakthrough in the transport sector! Imagine going from London to Sydney in 51 minutes as opposed to 20 hours on Airbus A380 .. You wouldnt even have time to watch a film.
Check out the video that ended the conference with a bang below:
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
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What's Going On!? - My Current Situation
Yep that's right, I'm hoping to head to the land of the..
What's Going On!? - My Current Situation
So its been a while since there was an update on here, and a lot has happened in the last few months.. My travels in Thailand lasted 3 months in the end and I bloody loved it! I took a 2 week trip over in Cambodia which was mainly a visa run, but I thought it would be rude not to explore while I was there.
I made a real connection with Thailand and can definitely see myself returning to explore some more and hopefully meet some friends I made there who have decided to live long term in the country!
While I was living on Koh Phangan for a month I had my first incident that required a hospital trip in the whole of my 2 and a half years travelling! I tripped on some razor sharp coral and cut my foot really bad, it then got infected and I spent 3 days in hospital getting stitches and eating some really nice food, I actually didn't want to leave! Good job I had some insurance..
Check out some more photos from Koh Phangan here!
Thailand also saw the end of mine and Hannah's relationship, which you may have guessed if you follow any of my social pages. We were both drifting in different directions with what we wanted to do with our life's, but we will never forget the incredible memories we made while exploring Australia and we are still buddy's :)
When my funds finally dropped to the point of needing to work again it was time to head home. It was awesome to see my family again after a year and a half since the last surprise visit, check out that video here! I also made a point of trying as hard as I could to see as many friends as possible, its always the way when you've been away for so long that people have changed or don't hang around with the same groups, but Ive had a right laugh with the ones I have seen :D
Since being back in the UK I've been to the summer solstice at Stonehenge (an all night party amongst the sacred stones), been to 3 awesome festivals and taken part in a 75 mile cycle around the Isle Of Wight for charity! Its been awesome :)
I've also managed to secure a job, nothing special but it will give me the means to save up enough for the next adventure..
And so that brings us to the next part of this update which is my future plans. すばらし！！
はい わたしわのけいかくわにほんにいくことです!!
If you cant understand that, then here it is in English.. My plan is to go to Japan!! Yep that's right, I'm hoping to head to the land of the rising sun in the first quarter of 2018, my plan is to get a working holiday visa and live there for a year. This is something I am extremely excited about as I have been a bot obsessed with Japanese culture for a while now and I've been (attempting) to learn the language for almost 2 years!
Thank you to everyone who has followed my journey so far, its been awesome to share the adventures and inspire people to visit the places I've been! I hope you will stay with me for the next journey :)
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
Latest Articles:
Meet The Inhabitants - Portraits From Around The World
We all occupy this small speck of space dust together, we are all briefly caretakers for our planet, we are all going in the same direction..
Meet The Inhabitants - Portraits From Around The World
We all occupy this small speck of space dust together, we are all briefly caretakers for our planet, we are all going in the same direction. No matter what you think of people from different cultures, you are all the same. You all have problems, you all think strange thoughts, you are all just trying to make your time here worth living.
Hopefully this brief collection of portraits taken from all around the globe will inspire a little humanity in everyone and remind us that we are all human.
Though some men took dancing too far, this wandering baba was all too happy to dance all day (in a non-creepy way) with me during Holi in Varanasi, India. Photo by Lost With Purpose.
Youngsters riding in a kart on Koh Rong island, Cambodia. Photo by Ana Coast River.
A young girl helping her mum serve near the town square in Guanajuato, Mexico. She was an expert and watching her make our esquite (corn cup) was so mesmerizing, she fought to hide a smile when we asked to take her portrait. Photo by Feather & The Wind.
In a small village in The Gambia a girl ran up to say hi, and show us the flowers in her hair that she was so proud. Photo by Travelboulevard.
Young busker plays to support her scholership fees in the middle of a market in Chiamg Mai, Thailand. Photo by me (Taran) check out more of my work here.
Colourful Thai ladies greeting travellers at Wat Arun, Bangkok. Photo by Roam Naturally
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"Put your bags down and join us for some chacha*" - an invitation you'll often here when in Georgia! (*chacha is the national drink of Georgia, a strong spirit distilled from the grape residue left after making wine, contains 60 - 80% ABV.). Photo by Journal Of Nomads.
A Indonesian man shares the treasures of the region where he grew up, Dieng, a volcano in Central Java. Photo by Marie Duthu.
Two young girls in Ghana buying water chanted 'obruni' as we walked past. We turned around to talk with them, but they just giggled, struck a sassy pose, and went on their way. Photo by Travel Outlandish.
A 3-year-old Dukha girl and her personal reindeer, living in the remote taiga region of Northern Mongolia. Photo by NOMADasaurus.
This man was playing in the street with his dog laying by his side. When I asked if I could take a photo of him he lit up and started talking about a trick that he did with his dog. He went on to show me the trick and I captured it on film. It was wonderful to see the pride and love this man had for his dog and their friendship when he had very little else. Photo by Alia Thomas Photography
An elder monk sits with his young apprentice in the sacred temple Angkor Wat, Cambodia. Photo by me (Taran) check out more photography here.
Thanks to all the photographers who made this possible with their great work!
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
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The Life In Pai, Thailand
The journey to Pai is a 3 hour ordeal up & over a mountain, full of sharp turns, speeding vans and insane Thai drivers..
The Life In Pai, Thailand
Having heard on the backpacker grapevine that Pai was a must visit, Hannah & I booked our minivan and headed for the home-made hippie village in search of good food, chilled vibes and some great views.
The journey to Pai from Chiang Mai is a 3 hour drive up and over a mountain where you can expect hundreds of sharp turns, sped around at wheel screeching speeds by your insane Thai driver. You may want to pop a few motion sickness pills if that's your thing.
During the drive I spotted this monk getting a dubby. We overtook them seconds later!
The view over Pai from Yun Lai viewpoint; you'll need a scooter to find this place but its certainly worth it and its only 20 baht for entry!
Pai Canyons aren't so as big as you would expect a canyon to be, but they are certainly a great sight to check out. I have to say I had more fun exploring and climbing the narrow walkways with drops either side than the actual views!
Exploring Lod caves is really interesting and I would really recommend it! It will take about 2 hours to get there by scooter and there are some crazy steep hills going up and down.. But its so much more fun than getting a tour bus there, plus you can arrive a little later in the day and get the cave to yourself pretty much!! (We were joined by 3 people, normally the cave is full with 50+ people!).
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Mo Paeng waterfall is a really refreshing place to visit just outside of Pai, but we had more fun petting the SUPER friendly cows that live there; they just kept licking us and this one above was going in for a kiss with Hannah!
If you like animals, be sure to visit a elephant sanctuary and help fund the people saving elephants from torture & riding parks.
The White Buddha statue sits at the top of a big ol' flight of stairs, but once you reach the top the views are pretty epic and its a great place to watch the sunset. If your into temples, check out Bangkok's many grand temples!
This old western looking house, known as the 'Yellow House' is found on the road towards Pai Canyons. Its pretty interesting to stop off at and take a look around as there really isn't anything like it!
The food in Pai is amazing. We were treated to some of the freshest, most healthy snacks we've had in Thailand! There is a big hippie vibe in town and in turn, a lot of vegan and vegetarian places to eat, all cheap as chips too.
I urge you to rent a scooter (if your able to drive one safely) and just explore the area, turn off on random roads and just keep following them. We found some jems that we didn't even know existed just through a little adventure!
Our little red underpowered scooter!
Let me know in the comments if you have any questions about Pai!
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
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My First Time: Observations from Solo Travel So Far
I am coming at this from someone in a relationship who hasn't been alone, or ever travelled alone, in pretty much 4 years...
My First Time: Observations from Solo Travel So Far
I embarked on my first solo adventure only a short a week ago.
From the warm comfortable bosom of Australia to the mildly chillier but breathtaking New Zealand, I flew toward the unknown, scared but mildly excited...
Wow. How can just one week stretch to feel like a lifetime? One roller-coaster after another of conflicting emotions.
During such a time of drastic change (from one half of a couple to a complete loner) each day has to be taken as it comes, with no one day being entirely good or bad, merely a mish-mash of moments, some where you felt great, some okay, some terrible.
I have to preface that I am coming at this from someone in a relationship who hasn't been alone, or ever travelled alone, in pretty much 4 years. That's a lot of attachment and co-dependence to try and negotiate through in a new country and a new city.
At best, its an inconvenient transition; there's nobody to aid you in yanking your backpack off the airport conveyor belt, nobody to hold something for you whilst you rifle through your stuff for your wallet, nobody to marvel at your new surroundings with, nobody to guard your collection of crap whilst you run off somewhere to pee, nobody to share a knowing look about something funny or silly.
At worst, its how these moments reflect the truth of your situation, that yes you may have had that someone, but for whatever reason or choice, for now, you are entirely alone and it's scary. You might make acquaintances and friends along the way, but nonetheless, you are the only person taking care of yourself, your stuff and your needs.
You are suddenly confronted with your own company, habits, thoughts and behaviours, independent of other peoples opinions or interference.
You might learn a truth you always suspected, that you are an out-right weirdo, and that no wonder you used to annoy people forced to be with you 24/7...or you might learn that really you're not that bad a person and you should cut yourself some slack.
You may also learn that you really appreciate cuddles.
Note to self, instead of sitting on my phone and doing isolating things when in the company of others, I will cuddle them instead.
Maybe up to this point, you thought you were semi-independent but not until that was the only mindset you could be, did you realize that you very much like having someone around.
Hey, its natural! It's natural to want balance, and to want to talk about the amazing things you are experiencing with a real live person that you love.
In their absence, you certainly do learn the ways in which you relied on that someone, and they likely were very helpful in every-day life.
You do miss that person who has come to know what you need and want in a practical sense, whether its helping start breakfast while you hastily shower, someone to decide what to cook for dinner when you might spend 20 minutes umming and aahing your way into starvation mode.
Someone to share the burden of mastering each day relatively smoothly.
Basically, solo travel is a whole lot more tiring.
These are not really complaints, just facts of what this transition feels like.
Amongst these observations I have had some real moments of positive clarity that reaffirmed my original reasoning for wanting to try some solo travel. I do feel satisfied that I did this.
I suppose I had a somewhat wistful view of how it might be from the off though.
I'd wake whenever I wanted, go take photo's of buildings, or stop in a coffee shop and people-watch, then meet lots of new people in the hostel, engaging with new experiences without my usual buffer of a boyfriend.
You might say, you could do most of those things with your partner, and more, which I have done and I always managed to have fun doing so.
However, there is an appeal to living out your day precisely as you feel like doing, with no consideration for anyone else. We all need these kind of days.
We all need alone-time and maybe I did take that to an extreme of sorts by opting to fly thousands of km's away for mine, but, it has been beneficial.
I hoped it would be, but at first, in my hostel in Auckland, I was just anxious and tearful, regressing to a child-like state of wanting my person (I'd say wanting my mummy but for a while its been Taran, no offence mum!).
It doesn't help that I do suffer generalized anxiety anyway, and I have been known to get overwhelmed even when I am in a fully supportive environment.
But mental health tendencies aside, I did fall into a semi-comfortable feeling amidst this solo travel lark, only really a couple of days ago though...
As cliché as it sounds to say, I have formed a better understanding of myself and I have become reconnected with some valuable truths, even in such a short time.
I'll never be social butterfly.
(Are butterfly's super social?). I'll never be gregarious and the life and soul of a conversation, and that's totally cool.
We all have our reasons for being solitary, or not.
I've had time to realize that I am naturally inclined to talk lots to random people about random stuff when my mood fits, but in general, my energy is better suited to recharging in a peaceful creative space and staying connected with people who know me well to stop me feeling lonely.
I haven't been completely isolated this past fortnight, thanks to good ole world wide web, I've also not pretended to be something beyond what I intrinsically am at my introverted core.
We are all different (shock horror) and as much as I have beat myself up for years about my differences seeming on the wrong end of that spectrum, I now know for sure that I am not inferior.
I got this far and I will get further, despite my insular nature being what some people perceive as a limiting factor.
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Watching people eat alone makes me feel sad and this is a very silly thought.
When I'm eating my two-minute rice, its one of the happiest two minute segments of my day... maybe improved if it was something that took longer than two minutes to prepare but still.
Why would I assume anyone feels sad as they stuff their yummy's into their mouth?
I've learned not to get stuck in the melancholy of aloneness and recognize that myself, and others, choose and need moments where we can just be present, enjoy our meal or drink or book or Youtube video, and it doesn't mean we are sad inside (but sometimes we are because two-minute rice actually sucks).
Small gestures, a smile, a thank-you, just giving a little bit of help or guidance to a stranger are kindnesses worth doing every day where possible.
I smile and greet people more when I'm alone and I find myself more inclined to recognize when someone needs my help, no matter how small their problem is, and I respond to that instinctively.
We should look out for each other in all walks of life, be it in a hostel in New Zealand, or any place else, anywhere in the world.
I sure would of appreciated this when I got on a packed city bus in my donkey form laden down with baggage, to then be forced to stand in the aisle (the only standing person), and then proceeded to drop my change, at which people just stared at. Maybe they were all fricking jedi's and they were trying really hard to stare my change back into my pocket, but I don't think so. I think they just let themselves stay in their bubble of distraction and inaction out of habit. Maybe they thought 'dumb backpacker, coming here, spending all their money supporting my economy, gah'.
Well, solo travel has forced me out of this bubble, out of a place of thinking we should all fend for ourselves 100% of the time, and I don't intend to go back into it.
There's nothing that interesting on my smartphone that means I should sit alone eating lunch in a cafe in a foreign land, and not take my eyes off it.
I feel more engaged in my environment, more aware of my surroundings, not just from a safety standpoint but just because its the perfect time to think.
How many hours of our day do we try to stop our thinking, escape our minds wanderings, or distract ourselves, usually with our devices. We habitually do this, sometimes entering a state of disassociation from our environment so strong, so powerful, that we miss stuff that's really happening.
God forbid a puppy walk by without us stroking it, or an alien spaceship lands, or I don't know, we miss the opportunity to prevent someone's death.
I have enjoyed lounging around in my brain more. Thinking and observing, forming memories, snapshots of life around me, building understanding and insight.
If my smartphone failed to show me the meaning of life up to now why do I think just one more scrolling sesh is gonna change things. There's nothing wrong in being absorbed in a good book or article but if I'm paying to be in this city, paying to explore then goddammit I'm going to explore; I'm going to walk, look around, sit, eat and look some more.
There have been many more fleeting thoughts and minor revelations along the way, most prominently the fact that for me, solo travel can be personally impactful even if only done for a little while.
It is good to miss someone and let yourself miss them, but carry on functioning anyway.
In fact go beyond functioning and enjoy yourself.
It's fun to have little stories to tell for the rest of your life, coming from your own unique singular perspective.
It's okay to have something entirely for yourself.
I do prescribe to the words of Christopher McCandless (ultimate solo traveller, see the film 'Into the Wild') and his line, 'Happiness is only real when shared'. But maybe that's true of certain kinds of happiness, and maybe happiness is different in different circumstances.
Maybe he meant that we can go seeking something amazing and true, and feel exhilarated in the process, but when we find it, we wish we were finding it with someone.
Well I think that maybe we can become better equipped to build bountiful and beautiful shared experiences, in travel and in life, if we at first take time alone to reaffirm who we are, what we want and fundamentally, learn how we can bring the best of ourselves to that ultimate happy pairing.
In being a little selfish, a lone wanderer for a short period, we can actually end up becoming a more self-less partner, friend and family member in the end.
Happiness, in the ream of travel, really is a spectrum of different experiences. From tour groups to couple's travel to solo expeditions, it all holds the potential to make us feel, learn, love and grow.
Thanks for reading!
Want more reads like this? You can now find Hannah in her own online space, Good Intentions. Minimalism, mindfulness, conscious living and self-love; all the good stuff centred around being kinder to yourself, and kinder to the world.
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Aussie Road Trip - Beauty Of The Outback
Thinking of venturing on an epic journey into the Australian outback? Check out some of the sights you could be seeing..
Aussie Road Trip - Beauty Of The Outback
Thinking of venturing on an epic journey into the Australian outback? Its a gigantic trip that requires some proper preparation, but the pay-off is experiencing untouched lands for as far as the eye can see, some insanely beautiful landscapes and some of the most famous landmarks in the world.
The rainy season in the outback can transform this red dry desert into a lush green oasis. Its still bloody hot though!
There are plenty of different routes to take depending on your desired end location, but be prepared to drive a couple thousand miles which ever way you go..
The emptiness of the outback can be extremely relaxing; you will lose track of days and suddenly the hours mean nothing, the only thing that matters is where the sun is located.
When the clouds make way for a clear night, the starry skies will blow you away.. Make sure you bring a camera for some long exposure photography!!
Coober Pedy is a small mining town in the outback which is famous for its rich stores of opal. The outskirts of the town a littered with open mines and their deposits sitting next to them. Be careful not to fall in one!
Massive 'Road Trains' dominate the outback highways and are quite something to see, especially if you get one overtake you..
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Watch out for car-eating-cows in the outback... they're almost as bad as the drop bears!
Pretty pink salt lakes can be found dotted around the landscape in South Eastern Australia. It can feel like your standing in a massive strawberry milkshake, if only it tasted like one!
After long stretches of dry desert lining each side of the road, hitting a coast line with a beautiful beach will be one of those moments you will remember forever. Run along the sand and jump into the sea and feel yourself instantly refreshed!
Rust buckets line the outback highways as if warning you of a potential fate awaiting your own car, just be sure to bring enough water and food in case you do break down!
If you don't see an Emu on your road-trip then your not looking hard enough! You will spot so many different birds in the outback, including massive eagles and of course the famed Emu which can normally be see in groups of 3/4, just be careful if you do spot one!
Crossing the Nullarbor can be a bore (it includes a road that is completely straight for 90 miles) but it includes some insane sights like the crumbling cliffs that are slowly returning the land to the sea bed.
And of course there is the jewel of the outback, Uluru. Yes its surrounded by controversy and crowded by tourists in the peak seasons, but when you see it with your own eyes it really does blow you away more than any photo can.
Ready for the land down under?!
So now you've seen a sneak peek of what the Australian outback has to offer, start planning your own road trip and get out there! Its an experience that will relax you to the core but also one that will push you to your limits. At the end of it you will have learnt how to survive on your own in one of the harshest environments on the planet.
If your interested in our road trip from Cairns to Perth here's a playlist of our vlogs:
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, one half of NomaderHowFar. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, forcing Hannah to do crazy things, and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know us here!
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Exploring The Great Barrier Reef - Fitzroy Island
Cairns is famous for the Great Barrier Reef where you can snorkel and dive with turtles and sharks. Bonus to this are a range of stunning...
Exploring The Great Barrier Reef - Fitzroy Island
Weeks of working hard have passed by in a blur. We decided we needed to stop the never-ending carousel and do something fun with some of our hard-earned wages and occasional day's off.
Cairns is famous for the Great Barrier Reef where you can snorkel and dive with turtles and sharks. Bonus to this are a range of stunning islands, a short hop from the city by boat.
Fitzroy Island is home to a resort, a restaurant, with beach hire and water-sports too, as well as some relaxed and safe swimming and snorkelling in the warm spring waters.
On the boat ride over we decided places like Fitzroy are why England just kinda sucks, and why people out here are so abundantly fortunate, because they can just jump on a boat and head out to what some would view as an absolute paradise, on the drop of their wide-brimmed hat.
Being able to explore this small exotic gem is one reason why the tropical North of Queensland is definitely worth a longer stay.
We travelled to the island with locally owned Raging Thunder, who offer a range of packages from a basic island transfer to inclusions for snorkelling, lunch and a glass bottom boat tour.
A fun tour with a medium-sized boat, the island didn't feel too overcrowded in the morning, and so we explored the stunning Nudey Beach, where the water is ridiculously clear and inviting.
We snorkelled here briefly but found the better snorkelling to be had was at the more sheltered Welcome Bay where the main hub of activity is.
The water here is stiller, yet the coral beds are still easy to reach, just a few feet from the shoreline.
There is also an awesome floating trampoline in Welcome bay, free to use for Raging Thunder customers throughout the day. You'll find yourself swimming out to it and practising your flips in no time!
The last 2 months have felt great in terms of progressing in our savings goals as well as making new friendships and sampling life in yet another part of Australia, and this was just one aspect of that.
At times our recent busy schedules have made the real beauty and fun of travel feel like a distant memory, and we hoped we could spend this day recuperating from all the crazy-ness, and we did just that.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
8 Must-Know Minimalist Camping Tips
Camping a lot over the past year and half has taught us some valuable tips for how to travel comfortably yet with minimal gear.
8 Must-Know Minimalist Camping Tips
As nomadic minimalists, we prides ourselves on travelling light; for the sake our backs and our budget.
But you may wonder how on earth do we camp, despite not owning a vehicle of any type, and travelling often via hitch-hiking?
During our 2 years in Australia, when we have set-up home in a hostel or a house-share, we do gain a few more kitchen/cooking items and other random living things, which we promptly ditch and donate when we move on again.
We accept that there will be some amount of pain involved in lugging around our entire lives plus our home (a 2 berth tent) plus an inflatable bed (and pump), but we try to make it as easy as we can.
In the UK, we camped a lot, and thankfully we had a car to fill with kitchen-ware and other gear, but it always felt like a such a task preparing all the stuff, ticking off check-lists and ultimately feeling weighed down, when camping was supposed to be a simpler and cheaper way to experience travel.
Over the last 2 years traversing the East Coast of Australia we have picked up invaluable knowledge on how it is certainly possible to camp, without a car, as a frugal and nomadic minimalist.
The two main fundamentals are: having a comfortable tent, and the baggage room to carry your accessories.
Its not about adding lots of separate bulky baggage and thus needing another two arms attached to your body in order to get from place to place.
These 8 minimalist camping tips will help you travel and camp without the aid of a vehicle and without completely sacrificing comfort!
DON'T PICK A TENT TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL
We made the initial error of purchasing a quality tent which also happened to be the size of a coffin when you insert two people and their two rather large backpacks. The tent was very much designed for short-term hiking, not potential week-long camping stays.
We returned this one, purchased a slightly larger tent, and have never looked back.
With our bed inside there is still room at the foot for your shoes etc plus a small separate zipped compartment for other items.
I still occasionally lust after tents with more stand-up room but they are so much larger and heavier, when really you will only use that headroom a when entering/exiting the tent.
Don't try to save weight by buying a tiny tent, or add tent room by buying a bigger one;go for the tent that you can happily sleep in or sit in during bad weather.
We found out the hard way by spending a week in this 'coffin'...
CARRY GROUND-SHEETS
We have had a couple of incredibly annoying incidents where the ground water seeped through our tent and not only damaged the bottom of it, but also made everything inside super wet. This is pretty uncomfortable to deal with when you are already tolerating bad weather during a camping session and so you need to keep the tent as dry inside as possible.
We carry two tarpaulins which just about cover the tent's footprint. We place both underneath covering the length and width of the tent, with a little poking out the front to leave our shoes on throughout the day. It keeps the tent base cleaner, protected from the various terrains we pitch on.
However this has in the past created some pooling which has made the tent wetter inside than it might have been without the tarp, as our floor material is a thin and non-waterproof material...in this scenario, where the ground is hard/concrete (and thus has minimal drainage) you might want to skip ground-sheets.
You could also use the tarp as the base for a cooking or picnic area outside your tent if the weather or ground is dry.
These tarp's easily roll-up and attach to the outsides of our bags and due to their small size, they really do not add extra weight.
When you invest in a decent tent, naturally you want to protect it, and so we really recommend this tip in order to maintain the integrity of your new home.
CONSIDER WHERE THE SUN WILL RISE
Australia is unsurprisingly hot, and as soon as that bad boy rises in the morning, your tent will become an oven, which can make a nice leisurely lie-in an impossibility.
We don't necessarily select a shaded spot from the get-go, but instead, we consider the path of the sun and where it will rise in the morning and try to cook us.
To help you do this you can actually download an app onto your phone, and we specifically use Starchart which you can hold up and fast-forward the clock on it to see where the sun will rise the coming morning!
The great thing about camping is often the pattern you fall into of sleeping as the sun sets and waking when it comes up, but let's be real, you won't always feel like seeing every single sun-rise.
TRAVEL WITH MINIMAL FOOD
We tend to rely on buying our meal supplies in the local area in which we camp, so we tend to steer away from carry oodles of fresh ingredients. We do however carry dried foods (pasta/rice/noodles) and sauce sachets, in the event of getting to our campsite at night and needing an easy meal to prep.
We don't carry heavy items like olive oil (we often borrow fellow campers) or bulky items like cereal. We carry all of our foods in a re-usable fabric shopping bag (just from the local supermarket) and so we have to be selective about what snacks we carry. We tend to favour snack bars, banana's and packs of multiples like crackers or nuts.
Be prepared to go without your absolute favourite foods each day, and try to buy smaller portions of fruit/veg as these don't fair too great being taken in and out the fridge (plus they are often heavy).
USE COMBINATION LOCKS
You will never regret carrying a couple of these babies around, not only handy for when you are staying in a hostel without personal lockers (or with them) but for when you are leaving your tent unattended all day.
We tend to lock up valuables in one of our big backpacks when we head out, and we also lock the zipper on the tent with a 2nd combi-lock.
It might seem extreme and also utterly pointless as any determined thief will rip through the mesh to get to the goods, but, in many places you feel safe or comfortable enough to leave valuables in your tent around other campers, and so this is merely for piece of mind.
I do have some trust in those around me but I still cover my own back and deter the opportunist or nosey!
UTILIZE CAMP KITCHENS
Many proper camp-sites in Australia will have a camp kitchen for tent campers, often equipped with a fridge, cooker and basic other items like a kettle and toaster, possibly even some utensils.
If you are tempted to carry a camp-stove, several gas refills etc be aware that you may end up just using these kitchens and render those other heavy and bulky items useless.
MAKE USE OF CARABINER CLIPS
This is just a general tip for carrying backpacks and extra gear but we love to use these to help attach our tent and other specific camping bits onto our packs.
Handy for attaching sleeping bags, tarps and even a snorkel kit, these maximize the external surface area of your large backpack.
HAVE A SPARE BLANKET
You probably think this kind of bulk negates the whole minimal camping idea, but, Australia does get chilly from time to time, and even a warm day can turn cold with a swift breeze, so you will benefit from carrying a lightweight blanket in addition to your sleeping bags.
This can surely beat carrying several hoodies/jumpers, thick socks, joggers and other bulky items, or so we have found!
This is useful for multiple purposes, as either a throw over for sitting around the fire, or it can be rolled up as an extra pillow. We found that some nights we were so cold in our tent it was great to have something to wrap up in to make a quick trip to the bathroom, or to pull over the top of our thin sleeping bags.
The reality is that camping can be, shall we say, stressful for a couple whom spend all day, every day in one another's company.
Many miles from home, sharing a tiny space with your other half 24/7, is the struggling part of camping that you cannot minimize.
Nonetheless we try not to get too angry at the little things and not worry over the small stuff, like sand in the tent, or mess, or a less than stellar washing up job.
The beauty of camping is in the relative freedom of being to create your own private little home in a matter of minutes, in a myriad of different and beautiful settings. Plus the budget savvy nomadic minimalist is always looking for ways to get close to nature and in the thick of the travel atmosphere without it costing too much.
We do try to balance out our trip with hostel stays, couch-surfing and air b'n'b's along the way to prevent all out war occurring however!
Camping can be such a bonding and relaxing experience if you focus on enjoying the sunrise waking, the animals sniffing around at 3am, the birdsong and the fresh air moving through your tent that beats any air-con.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
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Bungalow Bay Koala Village: Best Island Hostel In Australia
There's something special about very much still being the same planet as everyone else, but feeling just a tad detached from everything, in a really refreshing way...
Bungalow Bay Koala Village: Best Island Hostel In Australia
When we read about Magnetic Island, a lush green mountainous expanse, home to many an Australian animal, and only 20-minutes by boat from Townsville, we knew we had to visit it.
We are definite island hoppers having spent 2 months living on Fraser Island in a tent!
There's something special about still being on the same planet as everyone else, but feeling just a tad detached from the goings on and ups and downs of normal life.
Researching all Magnetic island had to offer, we stumbled upon Bungalow Bay Koala Village, and of course, the thought of getting up close to some furry Koala goodness (among many other amazing creatures), combined with the fact they offer a great budget camping option, we were really excited to head over, and set up our tent for a few days.
We used Fantasea cruises (passenger and vehicle ferry) to transfer to the island, an absolute steal at $13 a ticket (one-way).
On the island, everywhere (its a pretty small place) is served by the bus route, which can cheaply move you from the ferry to all the main points of interest. There are also taxi's, hire vehicles and the popular mini moke.
Bungalow Bay is located in the beautiful Horsehoe Bay, where we witnessed a ridiculously vibrant sunset sky and enjoyed some top-notch takeaway burger and chips.
Beautiful Camping and Bungalows
Technically a YHA hostel largely frequented by backpackers, we camped alongside many different people, from families to couples and friends, with its spacious and natural setting in the bush, amongst palms, open green space and of course, abundant wildlife.
Accommodation ranges from camping to cabins, with lots of outdoor and undercover spaces to relax, ample room to set up your tent or camper-van, plus facilities (laundry and bathrooms) and a well-stocked camp kitchen. The kitchen is pleasantly large and cleaned regularly, which is really good to experience when you live your life on the road as we do.
With the beach nearby, plus small cafes and restaurants, and everything else only a short drive or bus-ride away, its the perfect spot to feel like you truly are on an island; bush walks, mountainous tracks and numerous stunning bays, there is so much to see and do, with Bungalow Bay the perfect base from which to do it all.
As we set up our tent on a powered site, a roo hopped by us, the first of many we'd see in the coming days. This brought back memories of our time at Melaleuca Surfside in Port Stephens, where the resident rescue roo Josie would keep us company (and try to eat our guide ropes).
That place too had the same feel, one of being very mindful and conscious of the environment in which its operating, treating it kindly and allowing it to thrive whilst allowing others to enjoy it.
There are signs near the well-kept and large kitchen, asking you to kindly not feed the resident animals: wait until 4.30pm in the afternoon and you get to hand-feed the Lorikeets!
A Responsible Wildlife Tour
On our first day, not long after setting up camp, we booked ourselves onto the next wildlife tour. Tours run 3 times a day ending at 4.30pm.
For $29 (adult price) you get 2 hours with a knowledgable guide who takes you through the small animal sanctuary, allowing you to handle and interact with an array of exotic animals. For an extra $18 you can be photographed holding a koala, alongside your family or friends. You can also bring your own photography equipment in, but just be sure to let the guide do their talking and respect where you put your lens!
I was most looking forward to seeing my first crocodile, and the only other animal we had yet to see in Aussie, a wombat.
The tour group was small which we really liked.
We are very conscious about attending animal-oriented tourist outlets, because we believe animals should be kept out of the wild for solidly valid reasons, such as providing sanctuary and conservation to an at-threat species, or keeping a sick animal alive that could not survive in the wild.
Its important to then utilize these facilities to educate others on these animals so that they care a little more about the natural world around them and the role they play as the keepers of it.
We appreciate that when well-managed and organized, animal sanctuaries such as this one at Bungalow Bay, are pivotal in cultivating an informed respect for these animals, but in a selfish way, we also love that for a brief few moments, we got to carefully handle these stunning animals.
Set slightly away from the other camp buildings, surrounded by bush, the sanctuary is home to only a few animals, which really appealed to us; less animals means more focus and time on their individual care and well-being.
This is not a zoo in any sense, and there is none of the usual sadness when you see vibrant animals living a life of miserable captivity. This is not anything resembling that.
It appears as a well-maintained haven for a range of animals, many of which are living so openly during the day, you wonder why (or how) they haven't yet escaped. But we mused, they clearly have all they could want or need in Bungalow Bay.
I got to hold Pebbles the koala, whom whilst not the first one I've held (since our random rescue of a baby from a road-side) this interaction was in much better circumstances.
Her heavy little body supported by my hand and held still, she was as docile and seemingly content as you would expect of the famously relaxed Australia native. Yes, the urge to rock her like a baby was big, but we were succinctly instructed on how exactly Pebbles should be held, with her welfare clearly of primary concern.
We observed as we held the different animals, some which appear threatening, either with dangerous looking spikes or sharp claws, are all actually, fundamentally vulnerable. They are literally soft and smooth in fact, and many of them, are so small, timid, and completely unassuming.
They are vulnerable to other animals but most importantly to us.
We are the ones who have taken over the running of this planet but we are not secondary to the beautiful variety of species that we inhabit it alongside.
We felt this acutely whilst at Bungalow Bay, as we walked from one side of the camp to the next, we were greeted by a possum, a group of nibbling wallabies and a bush-stone curlew (a funny-looking long-legged nocturnal bird). The nature here is of course widely tame, used to humans and the little tasty treats we inevitably leave lying around for them.
But still, it feels so good to be living amongst, if only briefly, such an array of animals, whom all live side-by-side, mostly in peace, and approach us with a curious yet reserved respect.
Treating Animals How They Treat Us
If we regard animals the way many do us, we would treat them with slight fear and curiosity, but ultimately we'd be kind and gentle, and of course, many of us already do this. Many of us are animal lovers and desire to be close to nature, in fact, what's the first thing many of us say out loud as we slowly approach a wide-eyed creature?
We say 'It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you'.
Amongst the mentality of regarding animals as they would us, there is a complete absence of mindlessness, malice or the prioritizing of ones own needs over those of the small and large, furry and spiky beings, whom we share the environment with.
Bungalow Bay re-instilled this in our minds, despite it being something we have always believed, so we really hope it has the same effect on other visitors.
A Comfortable Stay with A Conscience
This place was a real experience, but also one where the comfort of the accommodation is not sacrificed in the face of the wider ethos of the place.
We camped happily for 3 days, and had everything we needed. Despite a freak weather-front of windy rain, we never felt like we wanted to leave. In fact, we had some of the best experiences of nature, from seeing a wild koala, to holding a crocodile, to watching the most richest red sunset.
In fact, our Magnetic Island visit turned out to be one of our favourite excursions in our whole time in Australia.
You should probably check it out, because we think you might just love it...
*DISCLAIMER: All these thoughts here are our own, and we only ever review things and places we love. Bungalow Bay kindly allowed to us to camp for free. We both purchased the tour tickets and photograph holding a Koala ourselves*
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
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How To Experience San Francisco Like You Live There
It would take months of expensive cable car rides, boat tours, and winery escapades to ever get a true sense of San Francisco, but an authentic experience doesn't have to cost much at all.
How To Experience San Francisco Like You Live There
THIS GUEST POST is brought to you by Taylor & Daniel, the guys behind Travel Outlandish! Two dudes living it up in San Fran, we're not sure how often they wear flowers in their hair, but we do know they have a love for adventure and good times which they share on there blog. We wanted to know more about San Fran so we asked them what its like living there, this is there response..
San Francisco is an awfully amazing city.
Everything about it is iconic! Before moving here, we seemed to think that the Golden Gate Bridge would be a permanent backdrop. Maybe we’d live in the Full House house and subsist entirely on sour-dough bread. We may have arrived hoping that The Summer of Love never ended and the Beats never died, but 3 years has taught us a lot.
You see, the city is changing fast. Once defined by artists and immigrants, San Francisco is now home to Twitter. Union Square is full of vanity store-fronts, and Fisherman’s Wharf feels a bit more like Disneyland than a boatman’s reprieve. Money came to a city once defined by counterculture, and popularity amongst tourists and techies has begun to oust the very people that built it. You could say that San Francisco "got cool". But, it’s not all bad! Just beyond the tourist traps, it is still possible to find the experiences where San Francisco’s genuine legacy carries on.
It would take months of expensive cable car rides, boat tours, and winery escapades to ever get a true sense of San Francisco, but an authentic experience doesn't have to cost much at all. Instead, there are plenty of ways to experience San Francisco while uplifting the communities that made it. In fact, we can assuredly say that the more local you go, the better your experience will be! So, if you're ready, we'd like to recommend some almost free and very local things to experience in San Francisco. Let's go!:
1. Eating In The Street
We’re firm believers that San Francisco has one of the world’s most amazing ethnic food scenes. You can wait hours at a trendy restaurant for overpriced bone marrow and salad wreaths (seriously), or you can scale it back for something equally fantastic. Our best finds have been El Farolito for burritos, Hang Ah Tea Room for dim sum, Kevin’s for pho, Duc Loi for bahn mi, and Arizmendi for artisan pizza by the slice. Grabbing food for take away usually comes at half the cost of sitting down, and it will give you a chance to support small businesses and taste the City without spending a small fortune.
2. Wandering The Neighbourhoods
San Francisco neighbourhoods are the next best thing to Epcot — each neighbourhood has a visibly distinct character. Rather than overdoing it with scheduled activities, create your own fun and get a sense of the city just by walking the neighbourhoods. Visit the most densely populated area West of Manhattan in San Francisco’s Chinatown, dipping into the Fortune Cookie Factory and Tin How Temple along the way. In the Mission, you can spend hours looking at politically-charged murals in Balmy or Clarion Alley, checking out taxidermy and rare plants at Paxton Gate, or hanging out in Dolores Park. Check out the Haight for second hand shopping and cheesy homages to the Summer of Love. Or, make your way to Pacific Heights, for Golden Gate views along with the colourful little houses that make their way into every San Francisco based movie. If you’re open to the adventure, a walk through any neighbourhood will reveal more than any city tour ever could.
3. Getting Around
San Francisco is quite small at just 7 miles x 7 miles, but the hills make it tougher to walk across than you’d expect. Public transportation in the USA is notoriously terrible, but San Francisco is quite well connected. The BART will get you to a few major parts of the city, and the MUNI will fill in any gaps. With additional services like Scoot, GoCar, Lyft, and easy to rent bikes (most of which offer a first-timers discount) just getting around the city can be half the fun. Wear a helmet, and be warned that car doors and trolley tracks have taken plenty of casualties!
4. Experiencing San Francisco Park Culture
Perhaps the most unique part of San Francisco is the park culture. Sure, there are bars, festivals, and street fairs, but if you’re really looking for a free and year-around alternative, head to the nearest park! San Francisco parks are great for hanging out, people watching, and taking a break from the week’s hustle. With lax nudity laws and an affinity for personal expression, it won’t be your average family picnic. At Dolores, Alamo Square, or Golden Gate Park you can bring your own snacks, a frisbee, and a 6-pack for a whole day of activity.In our opinion, heading to the park is the very best way to get a sense of the local San Francisco without spending a dime.
5. Seeking Out Free Days
San Francisco’s museums are a huge part of its character, and many are just as unique as the city itself. The SFMOMA, the Cal Academy of Sciences, and the De Young offers rotating exhibits that are totally worth your time. In the interest of promoting the arts, almost all San Francisco museums offer a free day once a month. Most of the free days fall on Tuesday or the first weekend of the month, but it’s always worth checking for other promotions. If your schedule doesn't line up, there are plenty of small galleries and quirky museums worth exploring.
6. Hitting Up The Festivals & Street Fairs
San Francisco has a pretty epic line-up of events, festivals, and street fairs, particularly during the summer months. Come to town for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass or the Stern Grove Festival for free live music, the Spray Can Art Fest for street art in the making, and Bay to Breakers or Pride for complete and utter chaos. Just about any time of year, you can find a neighbourhood festival, free film screening, or other offbeat event listing that will give you a more personalized sense of San Francisco.
Can't find any events of interest? Check out other upcoming events on sf.funcheap.com
7. Getting Outside
The West Coast has some of the most stunning scenery you’ve ever seen. Between the massive redwoods, a jagged coastline, and an abundance of national parks, it would be a shame to visit San Francisco without heading outside for a hike. If you’re renting a car, escape the city for a Southerly drive along the Pacific Coast Highway or head north to Muir Woods. Just further afield is Lake Tahoe or Yosemite National Park where you can hike, bike, camp, and see just what the outdoor culture movement is all about. If you’re without a car, these parks are wildly popular for weekend trips. Look into ride-sharing or bus routes to meet new friends and to get there for just a fraction of the cost.
8. Staying Affordably In San Francisco
Housing in San Francisco is infamously expensive. With rent on one bedrooms going for around $3,000/month, accommodation is one area where you may have to break your budget. That being said, there are a few options to consider:
- San Francisco has a thriving sharing economy. If you're able to find a willing Couchsurfing host, this will always be your most affordable option!
- Hostels haven’t taken off in the US like they have in other parts of the world, but San Francisco does have a few — you can find a dorm bed for around $30/night.
- Stay outside of the touristic neighbourhoods in an Airbnb. While the cost of accommodation might be the same, you'll be able to save a lot on food and activities.
- San Francisco runs on Craigslist! If you’re staying in the city for 1+ week, scan the short term rentals section. As rent is so expensive, people will often be desperate to sublet their rooms while they’re out of town to make up some of the difference. Applying is horribly competitive, but apply widely and hopefully you’ll hear back!
Thanks a lot for reading, guys! Have you ever been to San Francisco? What tips would you share for avoiding the tourist traps and experiencing local San Francisco? If you're coming into town for a visit, contact us for tips and recommendations!
Want more info on what to do in San Fran?! Check out this top 25 list of things to do!
BIO: Hey there! We’re Taylor + Daniel. We created Travel Outlandish to showcase the offbeat, immersive, faraway travel experiences that even our 5-year-old selves would be into. We cover street art, street food, adventure travel, festival travel, local experience, and our personal favorite, the “what the hell is…” series. Learn more about us here!
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Taran & Makoto here, together we form Nomader How Far photography.
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