ArthurIdyllicVoyages : Travel Diaries for Budget Travellers: September 2019

Sometimes you need a break from life, from family, friends… Just some time to sit and think about nothing and everything. Maybe you're frustrated that life isn't going the way you want it to or maybe you're a bit stressed and here you are wondering what does this have to do with travelling.
Well...the truth is, you sometimes travel to avoid reality.

You may walk 5 steps to the bathroom, 5 miles to the lake, 50 metres to your car. It doesn't really matter but as soon as you make that first step. You have travelled.

Now you're probably wondering...hey, what's the point in all this? Long story short, you need that time in your comfort zone or out of it to make those tough life decisions or literally to just take a break from it all. Those moments alone inspire your journey, your next step, your next trip.

I need a vacation! I need a break! If only I could be in Bora Bora right now, cocktail in hand and enjoying the beauty of it all. Relaxed, mentally, psychologically and physically. You literally just thought about sitting in a swimming pool or in the ocean with a nice cocktail of your choice in hand and basking in the sun. In that moment, you travelled. Not physically but mentally.

And hey, if you weren’t thinking about it before, you definitely are now!

Travelling doesn't always mean that you have to get up and go. Sometimes you just need to sit with a novel in hand, (mysteries recommended) or a pen and paper and write a journal entry. Don’t forget to put the date so you can look back at it weeks, months or years later and go… pfft… that was nothing like what I’m dealing with today.

If you’re not much of a read or write type of person, you can hit the gym, go for a jog, take a walk in the park and if you’re lazy like well… most people. You must find your niche! Do what makes you happy! Your mental health is more valuable than any paid trip can ever be!

This is just a note to you travellers!

Signed…

ArthurIdyllicVoyages

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Do you like to walk into your favorite store and see that there is a big sale going on?

Maybe you just checked your email and realised you received a partial scholarship or a study grant or even some news from Amazon offering you 70% off your next purchase. We all love to see this type of news, don’t we?

Today, there are so many ways of paying "less" for whatsoever you wish.
You can use thrift shops instead of mainstream clothing stores, purchase items second hand, and you can definitely look online for those great deals.

Coupons too are an option and these can be found in many different places like: online, at the airport, in your travel agency, in your nearest bookstore. You may even find sales representatives on the street offering you a little booklet of coupon cut-outs. It's all part of the marketing strategy but nevertheless we still love to get a discount.

Guess what? You can even find travel deals that would assist you in paying less for your flight.
Sites like:

These sites may also allow to book your accommodation as well as part of a package deal. (You may want to check out different sites first before buying a package).

Besides that you could search for everyday coupons and travel coupons by visiting websites like:

In addition to all that, shopping online nowadays can be very convenient as there are many websites that offer deals and more recently flash sales that you just can't miss out on. Some are as follows:

If it's a deal that you are looking for, you really don't have to look very far because they are all over.

The trick to this is that you think you are saving loads of money because the item you want costs way less online than it does in the store, or that this 20% coupon is saving you a bit. Spoiler alert, that's what the company wants you to think when really they are earning a lot more from these "deals" than they would from selling you the product directly.

We buy the product because it appears "cheap" when we really don't need it. We become addicted to online shopping for deals and end up spending more money than if we bought the product in the store. We keep going back for more online when we would cringe at the thought of buying two pairs of sneakers at the store in one go for example because free shipping jumps out at you or the 30% off today only.

"Don't put all your eggs in one basket". Shop around because some deals are not worth it but some can definitely save you a buck or two especially on flights. Be smart about how you shop before you end up spending 50 dollars when you only intended to spend 5!
It's up to you to find "the best deals".

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there, here we are again discussing accommodation. One of the more important factors when booking a trip.

In the article "Should I stay in a hostel?" we discussed why staying in a hostel is one of the things that you should do at least once in your life and now we will give you the top ten best reasons why you stay in a hostel.

Let's get going …

1. Price

There is no doubt whatsoever that the price of paying for a bed or even a room in a hostel is one of the deciding factors in choosing to stay at a hostel. The general price of a hostel suits everyone's budget, from the backpacker to the CEO (even though he/she may prefer a hotel and well… more often than not the company pays for their abode).

The price of a bed may depend on the number of beds in the room or on the time of year when the room/bed is booked but nonetheless it remains affordable and may only cost you a ⅓ of what you may pay at a hotel.

2. Location

You may want to stay in the hustle and bustle of the city or you may prefer the outskirts where it is a little more calm. Hostels in participating cities tend to be stretched out across the country and it is not very difficult to find a hostel in an area that is pleasing to you. 3. Choice

Have you ever heard the single "Options", Pitbull feat. Stephen Marley, well you can listen here.
There are many variations of hostels so it's up to you to choose "the top one" depending on what type of atmosphere and location attracts you. Many of them are themed and have a variety of different amenities available to you. With a quick search and the application of a few filters you can find exactly what you are looking for.
The choice is yours!

4. Assistance

Whether you are visiting a new city or returning for the umpteenth time, hostels have staff that are generally well-informed and offer you assistance in any area that you may need. They also offer recommendations for places to eat, clubs to visit, things you must see, even areas to avoid etc.
Like hotels, they have plenty literature that you can read for yourself too. (Many of them also have personalised city maps so don't forget to ask for one!)

5. Discounts

As the hostel personnel offers you information, they may include some of the special offers that you are entitled to as a temporary resident in their establishment. Most hostels allow you to receive coupons that may reduce your costs of entering certain attractions, bars, cafes or discounted prices on tours, etc., so feel free to find out about what they can offer you if you aren't told. (Read more in our Travel Tricks section).

6. Information

Staying in a hostels allows you to have information that you sometimes wouldn't be able to get on the streets. As seen above in the assistance section. The staff assists you and provides you with information that is authentic as most staff members in hostels are locals and they have been in the business for a while. The information is tailored to suit your needs, especially on a budget.

7. Meeting People

If there is one place that you are guaranteed to meet people and even make a new friend, then a hostel is definitely the place to do so. Seeing that this type of accommodation has many shared spaces, there is no doubt that you would bump into someone and a friendly hello can definitely set you in the right travel and friend making mood.

8.Bar/Lounge

Most hostels are equipped with a bar or a lounge area where you can sit, relax, have a drink and socialise. This service is not provided at all hostels but when it is available to you, you can consider yourself to be at home with a nice bar area close-by or even at a nightclub within your hostel. It is quite convenient as you don't have to travel far for some nice music, friendly faces and a beverage. (Non-smoking areas so that their guests can be comfortable when having a beverage.)

9. Security

Key cards, badges or even big chunky old-fashioned keys are needed for entry into the hostel and also your room. The majority of hostels offer security from outside threats and have policies to resolve in-house situations. That being said, you should also consider walking with a lock as locker systems are provided to safeguard your property. You may also rent or buy a lock from the hostel reception.

10. Atmosphere

Remember that camping trip or that house party or that random event where you went with a friend and then you met more people there and they also became your friend?
A hostel provides you with a very warm and friendly atmosphere that you could really get used to but at the same time there's a festive feeling where you want to stay up till the wee hours of the morning and dance the night away.

Whether it's the price that is just right, the location is just perfect, or you're looking for a good time and maybe to meet some people, a hostel has something fitting for you. It's up to you to book your hostel today!

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Whether you are on a budget or just looking for some adventure, staying in a hostel for at least one night is one of the activities you should do when you travel. Truth be told, not all hostels are the same nor do they offer the same activities, comfort and definitely not the same rules neither do they target the same population.

A hostel is "a place that provides cheap food and lodging for a particular group of people" (Oxford Pocket Dictionary. 10th ed.) With this in mind, you should not expect 5 star accommodation as most hostels include shared spaces and facilities. Rooms are usually dormitories that may be mixed, females only or males only and may have from 4 to 10 beds or sometimes even more. Some have themes associated with the rooms or even the hostel in general and this is reflected by colourful painted walls or doors.

The option of booking a private room is available. It costs a bit more than average but allows you to have the privacy you need even on a tight budget. You may compare a private room in a hostel to a 2 or in some cases 3 star hotel. Private rooms do not always offer absolute privacy and you may at times need to share some facilities like the restrooms, kitchen etc.

If you are travelling as a group of friends or family, you should consider letting one person book the room to make the process easier. However, there is no guarantee that your group will be placed together in the same room so you may want to contact the hostel directly to try to arrange that.

Given that hostels are almost never empty or many times they are booked way in advance, you too may need to consider pre-booking. Although most of them allow "free" cancellation, you may need to pay a little more money in order for the cancellation policy to come into effect so be sure to read the rules on cancellation and refunds in the event that you may need to do either. Each hostel has a different policy so DO NOT think that because you are using the same site for your booking e.g., Hostelworld that all terms and conditions of the parent site will apply to the booking.

In the case where the majority of the patrons are younger persons, noise level may at some point become an issue depending on the type of hostel you intend to book. The general populace that hostels target are younger people generally between the ages of 18 and 28 therefore, you may find that numerous hostels restrict entry for persons over and under this age limit but this is not the case for all of them so you may want to familiarise yourself with the terms of conditions of booking before you actually reserve a room or a bed.

If you're looking for stays of more than 3 weeks, a hostel is not the ideal place and you may want to invest in a temporary apartment or an Airbnb. This is because hostels are generally associated with short periods of stay so when booking your hostel, always make yourself aware of the terms and conditions of stay in your hostel because it will save you even more money and it also helps you to avoid putting yourself in an unnecessary predicament.

Remember to have fun and don't be afraid to meet new people, after all, you're sharing a living space with them.

You may read more about the hostels in "The top 10 reasons why you should stay in a hostel".

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"Some journeys in life can only be travelled alone." - Ken Poirot

When travelling alone you are provided with a sense of freedom that you don't encounter when you're a group traveller. There are no restraints with respect to what you do, how and when you do whatsoever you wish to do, unless of course these limitations are implemented by the law governing your destination country or by you creating your personal rules to follow when you travel.

For example, you may want to limit the areas you visit to avoid illegal or dangerous confrontation with locals or immigrants or even other tourists like yourself or... the country may decide that persons should not be seen on the streets after a certain time and you would need to adhere to these laws to refrain from being arrested or fined at the least. These laws are put in place to ensure your security.

Although not unlikely to be assaulted or robbed when travelling as a couple or a small group of friends, you must bear in mind that the chances are even higher for you when you travel alone. You are seen as an "easy target". So you must remember that as a solo traveller, you alone are responsible for your safety and you should put measures I place to safeguard yourself from threats.

Travelling alone is advantageous as it is said to be much easier to meet persons if you are travelling in this way. This is because more often than not you tend to stay in places such as budget hotels, hostels or Airbnb. This is of course to pay less for accommodation so that you can use your money for other things that you deem necessary. In some cases, you use this form of accommodation to meet locals and travellers like yourself so you don't feel completely "alone".

As a "lone wolf" type traveller, you nonetheless become a master of taking "selfies" and being self-sufficient. You adapt to your surroundings very easily and you tend to grab the most of experiences whereas when you travel with others, your time is spent sharing each moment. As a result, time is spent taking photos of your travel companions or deciding what you all want to eat instead of visiting another attraction, taking a hike or enjoying a really nice restaurant.

Being alone, you dictate which activities you want to do and when and where you want to do them. This does not subtract from meeting new people and forming lasting friendship or even becoming a group of single travellers but it does permit you to have...Complete and utter liberty...

And that is in principle... the expectation of "A Solo Traveller".

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Santorini is a small island about 200km southeast of mainland Greece. It is one of the Cyclades islands, a small group of islands located in the Aegean sea which was a former administrative prefecture of Greece.It is accessible by ferry or by airplane which leaves from Athens, an approximated 30 minute journey.

Let's go...

Photo by Ryan Spencer

Photo by Ryan Spencer

Upon arrival on the island, struck first by the sight of pristine white and blue buildings, a feeling of awe overtook me. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. The locals were warm and welcoming and that cosy home-away-from-home feeling was what I admired on the island.

For the duration of the trip, the accommodation was a hostel located in the town center of the island. From there, everything was easily accessible. The hostel provided information on different restaurants and various activities that could be done in Santorini while providing the opportunity to meet other travellers.

One activity in particular that was quite exciting was an escape game and for those of you that don’t know what it is, well, an escape game is a team-based activity where participants are locked in a room and are required to work collaboratively in order to find clues and solve puzzles and ultimately escape the room or series of rooms before the time is up.

This escape game was called “Escape Santorini”, what a fitting name. The room in which my team and I were assigned to was called… drum roll please… “the Volcano room”... I bet you were expecting the Santorini room, well no, that would be too cliché, don’t you think?
This room was based on the historical occurences of the volcano located in Santorini and its eruptions and speaking of the volcano, you should add that to your to-do list as I did.

When travelling, you should do things that you never thought you would ever do… so here begins my horror story… there I was heart in hand, terrified of heights but my friends persuaded me to do this… was I regretting coming along for the trip... Oh well, it was too late now. You needed to take a short boat ride to arrive at your “Final Destination” and for those of you who have never watched the film, spoiler alert, it’s not for the faint of heart.

Guess what activity came before actually arriving at the boat’s location… *cue drum roll*... walking! Yes, you needed to walk or hike rather, a few thousand steps to arrive at the dock but it was not as exhausting as it may have seemed. Another option would have been to take the funicular if you didn’t feel like walking or if you’re weren’t in a position to do so. It’s much more convenient, but if you like the exercise, walking is the way to go.

Photo by Artiom Vallat

Santorini Volcano

After arrival at the base of the volcano, we disembarked and we now needed to take a hike up to the summit of the volcano. Let’s just say that my heart was still pumping and the adrenaline was building even more now. Climbing up the volcano and passing many craters, I envisaged myself falling to my doom. I was quite nervous. Wouldn’t you be? This is not the moment where I plummet to my death, after all I am the hero of my story, it would be unjust for me to die at this point and by now you have gathered that I didn’t die or I wouldn’t be able to tell this tale. Thus, I reached the top, I was feeling triumphant at this point but then I smelt Sulphur quite prominently. I was sure the Devil was coming from hell to devour… my friends…they were the ones who persuaded me to come. I was humbled and intrigued all at once at the sight and feeling of the heat and steam rising from the rocks because the volcano though dormant, was still active.

We had to go back to the dock but this time we took the funicular which was somewhat nerve-wracking due to my aforementioned fear of heights. You could also take a donkey to arrive at the dock site. The donkey did the walking for you, all that was missing were the palm leaves and the people to announce your arrival. In the end though, this was an experience that I am glad I had the opportunity to have had.

A typical Santorini Sunset

At the end of a beautiful day, a Santorini sunset is definitely a sight to behold so feel free to add that to your list of things to do when going to Santorini, Greece. You can take a taxi ride or a nice hike from one end of the island to the other to gaze upon the picturesque, iconic white and blue buildings in all their splendor and the beautiful sunset over the horizon. Whether travelling, in a group or alone, ending your day in admiration of a magical Santorini sunset should surely be a part of your experience on this island.

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Group travel is one of the many options if you want to have a more cost-effective way to travel. Whether it's a school trip, a business endeavour, or a personal expedition, group travel proves to be very friendly on the budget but you must bear in mind that there are some disadvantages to this type of travel. That being...

HUMANS!!!

It is impossible to get along with everyone, it is also impossible to get persons to like the same food, the same music, the same attractions etc.

As a result, we can say that group travel coordinators have a very tough job. They have to find a convenient way of letting everyone have an enjoyable trip whilst considering the demands of all members of the group and trying to plan and organise activities that may be interesting to the entire group.

They must take into account that very often bigger groups of 10 or more persons have a difficult time at restaurants for example. This is because the wait time is often tedious and you may have 3 indecisive persons in the group unless provided with the option of a buffet layout where you can choose whatsoever you wish.
Sometimes this can be avoided by looking at the menu in advance or pre-ordering but be guaranteed that there will always be that one person who will change their mind at the very last minute.
More often than not, it is a female because they seem to be the worst at deciding what they actually want to eat. Guys, go ahead and ask your girlfriend what she would like to eat for dinner tonight... 9 out of 10 the response would be "I don't know" or "whatever you're eating is fine" and when she actually decides, your plate seems to be more appetising after all.

However, this wait does not occur all the time as some restaurant kitchens serve the bigger groups first and then they work on the smaller orders of the other patrons. Travelling in big groups also allows you to enter certain places and attractions much faster than the average customer. Some attractions even allow a separate entrance for groups. As group travel is becoming more and more prominent, businesses are adapting their interactions and transactions to accommodate larger clientele.

Given that most groups are governed by rules and regulations that must be adhered to when in the target country, group travel does not necessarily provide its members with the opportunity to interact with the locals unless travelling to meet other organisations and quite frankly, conversation does not normally extend beyond pleasantries and discussing future endeavours together. It can be difficult to say that you have made a lifelong friend like you could have done as a solo traveller.

You must also take into account that even before travelling, there are meetings that you must attend to ensure that you are in agreement with the rest of the group and these can sometimes be very stressful as decision making is divided over several different personalities. A solution to this however would be to break the group into smaller groups of 3 or 4 persons where possible so that activities can be shared with people that have the same interests. It makes life easy for the coordinator and the group members alike.

On the other hand, you may meet new people even within your group that you may later consider as friends. After all you are sharing a moment of your life with them. Imagine you wanted to take a really nice photo in front of the Eiffel Tower, you could easily ask a group member to take it for you, before or after of course you take one for them. Travelling in groups allows photos to be taken from different devices that can later be shared collectively.

In groups, there is also a sense of security that you can't get from travelling alone. The "brother's keeper system" comes into effect as you operate as a single unit ensuring your safety and attempting to minimise threats and petty theft like pickpocketing for example. This is not always a guarantee when functioning as a group but it is highly probable.

Group travel can be in some ways restrictive but it also allows for friendships to be made and hey you can profit from express entrances into attractions, relatively quick service and a combination of photos you took and that others took of you. You never have to feel alone in a foreign place so why not?

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