Budget Travel Tips Archives -

How to get to holbox from cancun or merida

How to Get from Cancun to Holbox & Holbox to Merida

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Caribbean, Holbox, Islands, Mexico, Off-the-Beaten Path, Transportation, Travel Planning Resources

Traveling between Cancun, Isla Holbox, and Merida requires some planning, but there are a few transportation options for each budget and travel style. Here’s a detailed guide on how to get to Holbox from Cancun, as well as your options for traveling from Holbox to Merida. For all of my posts in the Yucatan and […]

Antigua Travel Guide: What to do in Antigua Guatemala, Prettiest Colonial City in Central America

Budget Travel Tips, Central America, Cultural Destinations, Eat Well in Latin America, Guatemala, Hiking, Hotel Reviews, Nature

Antigua Guatemala is a place I visit often, so I finally decided to put together an Antigua travel guide. This beautiful and lovely little city is one of my favorites in Central America, it’s full of gorgeous historic homes and churches, colorful walls, leafy greens, incredible textiles, and mountains + volcanoes on all sides. So

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Best Places to Visit in Guatemala: Lake Atitlan Things to Do + Lake Atitlan Hotels

Budget Travel Tips, Central America, Cultural Destinations, Guatemala, Hiking, Hiking + Adventures, Hotel Reviews, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path, Retreats

After several trips to the country, I can absolutely say that Lake Atitlan is one my favorite places to visit in Guatemala. When I think about Guatemala, I picture the magical lake surrounded by epic mountains and volcanoes, and the vibrant traditional Mayan towns that surround it. I want to write about all the villages

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Palenque Ruins Guide: 1 or 2 Day Palenque Tour Itinerary with Hotels, Misol Ha + Agua Azul

Budget Travel Tips, Chiapas, Cultural Destinations, Hiking, Hiking + Adventures, Hotel Reviews, Mexico, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path, Tour Reviews, Transportation

Planning my Palenque tours from San Cristobal was probably the most difficult part of my Chiapas travel planning. The Palenque ruins are quite far from San Cristobal, and there is mixed information online about the safest way to get there. So after lots of research and actually doing the trip, I want to write about

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Reusable Menstrual Cup for Travel: Review of OrganiCup

Budget Travel Tips, Clothing + Accessories, Longterm Travel, Packing Tips, Travel Tips

This post is for the ladies (men now is your chance to click away!) Let’s talk about periods while traveling – annoying, expensive, and inconvenient are words that come to mind. But a couple years ago I discovered something that has made my periods so much easier – the reusable menstrual cup for travel. It

Reusable Travel Utensils + Travel Food Containers: To-Go Ware to Reduce Your Environmental Footprint on the Road

Budget Travel Tips, Eat Well in Latin America, Food, Hiking + Adventures, Packing Tips, Travel Planning Resources, Travel Tips

I’ll be honest, I spent a few years of travel being lazy about my environmental choices. When I was traveling full-time, I didn’t feel like I had time to research and find natural, healthy, and sustainable products. Now I know that was an excuse (I could have made time) so I’ve become determined to cut

Puerto Escondido to Mazunte, San Agustinillo + Zipolite: How to Get Between These Oaxaca Beach Towns

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Mexico, Oaxaca, Oaxaca Coast, Off-the-Beaten Path, Transportation

My favorite way to spend time on the Oaxaca coast is to divide my time between the larger surf town of Puerto Escondido, and the laid back beach villages of Mazunte, San Agustinillo and Zipolite. My first time making the journey between Puerto Escondido and Mazunte, I scrapped together details from lots of forums and

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How to Get to Mazunte, San Agustinillo + Zipolite: Oaxaca to Mazunte Overland + By Plane

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Mexico, Mexico Beaches, Oaxaca, Oaxaca Coast, Off-the-Beaten Path, Transportation

This is my most asked question about the Oaxaca coast – how to get there?! That’s because this remote area is surrounded by rugged mountains and there just isn’t a lot of info online. So I want to share what I’ve learned over the last few years about all the ways you travel Oaxaca to

oaxaca to puerto escondido, how to get to puerto escondido

How to Get to Puerto Escondido: Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido Overland + By Plane

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Mexico, Mexico Beaches, Oaxaca, Oaxaca Coast, Off-the-Beaten Path, Transportation

This is probably the #1 question I get about the Oaxaca coast – how do you get there? So I want to put together the best info I’ve gathered over many years about how to get to Puerto Escondido. This will mainly focus on the Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido, but I’ll also mention how to get

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San Agustinillo + Mazunte Oaxaca Travel Guide: What to Do, Where to Eat + Where to Stay

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Eat Well in Latin America, Food, Hiking, Hotel Reviews, Mexico, Mexico Beaches, Nature, Oaxaca, Oaxaca Coast, Oaxacan Food + Mezcal, Tour Reviews, Tours

The Oaxaca coast is still outside of the mainstream tourist itinerary, so you can escape the crowds here and be treated to some of the most beautiful beaches in Mexico. One of my favorite parts of this coast are the adjacent towns of San Agustinillo and Mazunte, Oaxaca. They are so close you can walk

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HelloTalk: Free Language Learning Tool for Spanish Language Exchange

Budget Travel Tips, Central America, Europe, Mexico, South America, Spain, Travel Planning Resources, Travel Tips

I’ve been learning Spanish for years now. First in high school/college, then out in my travels, and then pretty heavily over the last 3 years as I’ve traveled full-time in Latin America. I’ve tried lots of language learning tools, some I’ve found effective, and some not so much. But one of the best ways I’ve

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All-in-One Trip Planning Tool: Relovate Itinerary Planner

Budget Travel Tips, Eat Well in Latin America, Hotel Reviews, Tours, Transportation, Travel Planning Resources, Travel Tips, Uncategorized

I recently found out about a new trip planning tool called Relovate that I’ve been using as my itinerary planner for two upcoming trips. It has some really unique features that I haven’t seen before all in one tool, so I’m excited to tell you more about it! When I plan an upcoming trip, I

Best Things to Do in El Salvador: Why El Salvador Travel Should Be On Your Radar

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Central America, Cultural Destinations, Eat Well in Latin America, El Salvador, Food, Hiking, Hiking + Adventures, Hotel Reviews, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path

El Salvador travel is very off the radar for many, which is exactly the reason I was so interested to visit. During my whirlwind 6 day El Salvador tour with the El Salvador Tourism Board, I visited 10 towns/cities, 4 beaches, 2 volcanoes, 2 local markets, and a coffee farm. I learned so much about the

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Best Restaurants in Oaxaca: Ultimate Oaxaca Food Guide – Street Food, Fine Dining, Bakeries, Cocktail Bars + Everything in Between

Budget Travel Tips, Eat Well in Latin America, Food, Mexican Food + Mezcal, Mexico, Mezcal, Oaxaca, Oaxaca City, Oaxacan Food + Mezcal, Travel Tips

The time has come for me to put together a comprehensive Oaxaca food guide of all the best restaurants in Oaxaca, a place that has pulled me into its orbit again and again. After years in this city, I’ve been able to experience living in different neighborhoods as well as villages outside the city, eating

A Roatan Vacation for Adventure Lovers: Camp Bay Lodge in Off-the-Beaten Path East End

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Caribbean, Central America, Eat Well in Latin America, Food, Hiking, Honduras, Hotel Reviews, Islands, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path

I’ve already established that my time on the Caribbean island of Roatan was above and beyond anything I expected. I loved this interesting and beautiful island. One of the most surprising parts of my Roatan vacation was my 3 days on the wild and undeveloped East End. The East End of the island receives

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How I’ve Found Free Flights (+ Affordable Flights) For 31 Flights and Counting

Budget Travel Tips, Europe, Longterm Travel, Transportation, Travel Planning Resources, Travel Tips

Over the last 3 years (2 of which have been full-time travel) I have flown 31 one-way flights (it’s hard for me to speak in terms of round trips because I almost never book a round trip flight) all of which have been free flights or very affordable flights. 28 of which were free flights

The Best Tacos in Puerto Vallarta Old Town

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Eat Well in Latin America, Food, Mexican Food + Mezcal, Mexico, Mexico Beaches, Puerto Vallarta

One of my favorite things to do in Mexico is eat, especially on the street. Mexico’s street food is full of the most traditional, well-prepared, delicious food and I like to take it upon myself to try it all. So when I was in Puerto Vallarta for my second visit, I decided to do some

The Best Puerto Vallarta Beaches for Instagram-Worthy Photos

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Hiking, Lodging Tips, Mexico, Nature, Transportation

In my humble opinion, the Puerto Vallarta beaches south of the city are the most Instagram-worthy, beautiful, and dramatic beaches, and yet they are usually mostly empty. It baffles me because they are SO easy to get to, whether you have a car or are taking the bus. During my last trip to Puerto Vallarta,

Granada City Guide: What to Do in Granada Spain

Budget Travel Tips, Cultural Destinations, Europe, Food, Hiking, Spain, Travel Tips

Do you ever just immediately fall in love with a city you visit? This is what happened to me when I visited Granada, Spain. I loved every minute of wandering this old city’s winding streets. So I put together a Granada city guide, letting you know what to do in Granada – one of my

What to do in Cusco: Prettiest Places to Take Instagram-Worthy Photos of Cusco

Budget Travel Tips, Cultural Destinations, Hiking, Nature, Peru, South America, Uncategorized

One of my absolute favorite activities when visiting a new place is simple – wandering the streets with a camera in hand, hunting for pretty nooks and corners. When I was researching what to do in Cusco,I found some good suggestions, but ended up stumbling on others by accident. So I wanted to compile the

7 Things to Eat in Oaxaca Markets: Mercado Benito Juarez & 20 de Noviembre

Budget Travel Tips, Eat Well in Latin America, Food, Mexican Food + Mezcal, Mexico, Mezcal, Oaxaca, Oaxaca City, Oaxacan Food + Mezcal, Uncategorized

One of my favorite things to do in any Latin American city or town is visit the local markets to quickly get a feel for the local culture and taste the traditional food. I’ve been to the most famous Oaxaca Markets – Mercado Benito Juarez and 20 de Noviembre – dozens of times, but never

How to Get to Cambutal, Panama by Bus

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Central America, Off-the-Beaten Path, Panama, Transportation

Cambutal, Panama was my absolute favorite beach in the country, and that’s saying a lot considering I visited 10 beaches up and down the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. There is just something so special about this wild black sand beach that is literally at the end of the road. It hasn’t been discovered yet, and

How to Get to Las Lajas, Panama

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Central America, Off-the-Beaten Path, Panama, Transportation, Travel Tips

Las Lajas, Panama is so off-the-beaten path, that I couldn’t find any information about how to get there from Bocas del Toro. Even the information about how to get to Las Lajas from Panama City was hard to find. So I want to dedicate a post to getting to Las Lajas, Panama from anywhere

The Ultimate Guide to Transportation in Mexico, Central & South America

Budget Travel Tips, Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, South America, Transportation, Travel Planning Resources, Travel Tips

15 Ways to Travel Latin America by Bus, Boat, Tuk-Tuk & More! Have you ever felt a little intimidated, or even terrified, to figure out how to navigate the plethora of options for transportation in Mexico, Central and South America? Don’t panic and book the incredibly overpriced private transportation you find online. Take a few

5 Tips to Finding Budget Hotels and Hostels in Central America, South America and Mexico

Budget Travel Tips, Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Lodging Tips, Mexico, Nicaragua, South America, Travel Planning Resources, Travel Tips

Are you scared of hostels? Do you fear pre-booking a budget hotel, only to walk into the bedroom and find stains on the sheets and cockroaches in the corner? Fear not, there are tons of great budget hotels and hostels in Central America, South America and Mexico. I’ve traveled through this region for years, staying

The 3 Best Adventures in Colombia: Part 3 – Visiting the San Bernardo Islands

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Colombia, Cultural Destinations, Food, Hiking + Adventures, Islands, Lodging Tips, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path, South America, Transportation, Travel Tips

Visiting the San Bernardo Islands is the final part in my series about the 3 best adventures in beautiful and diverse Colombia. Be sure to check out my previous posts about hiking epic Valle de Cocora and camping Parque Tayrona. Grab my customized map below with accommodation options on the islands and links to book! [thrive_leads

The 3 Best Adventures in Colombia: Part 2 – Camping Parque Tayrona

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Colombia, Food, Hiking, Hiking + Adventures, Lodging Tips, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path, South America, Travel Tips

This is part 2 in my 3 part series about the best adventures in Colombia. Head back to my previous post about hiking epic Valle de Cocora. And stay tuned for the final adventure in the series! Here is Part 2 – Parque Tayrona is a national park on the northeast Caribbean coastline of Colombia. It’s well

Rincon Beach, Las Galeras, Dominican Republic

The Three Beaches in Las Galeras: The Unconventional Way

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Caribbean, Cultural Destinations, Dominican Republic, Hiking, Hiking + Adventures, Islands, Nature, Off-the-Beaten Path, Travel Tips

The first thing you’ll be told to do in Las Galeras is “The 3 Beaches” tour. This entails hiring a small speedboat from the main beach in town and taking a tour of the three most beautiful beaches nearby – Rincon, Fronton, and Madama. We had loosely planned to do this, but ended up touring

Hotel Tip in…Las Galeras, Dominican Republic

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Caribbean, Dominican Republic, Food, Hotel Reviews, Islands, Lodging Tips, Off-the-Beaten Path, Travel Tips, Uncategorized

As I’ve previously mentioned, budget hotels in the Dominican Republic didn’t impress me much. In Mexico or Central America you can find many stylish hostels or quaint local guesthouses in every town, but in the DR it’s much more challenging. The budget options here tended to be a bit rundown, with bare bones furniture and

Can you backpack in the Dominican Republic?

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Caribbean, Dominican Republic, Food, Islands, Lodging Tips

Are people backpacking Dominican Republic? This was the question that I asked myself before our recent trip. The answer is yes…but the information and online resources are few and far between. Daily I’m bombarded with Groupon and Travelzoo deals to all-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic. Yet when I began my search for budget hotels or

Hotel Tip in…Oaxaca, Mexico

Budget Travel Tips, Cultural Destinations, Hotel Reviews, Lodging Tips, Mexico, Oaxaca, Travel Tips, Uncategorized

My husband and I rented a fantastic apartment in Oaxaca, Mexico for a week in April. The aptly named Casa de los Abuelos (House of the Grandparents) made us feel right at home during our stay. When thinking over the pros and cons for this list, I really struggled to come up with any cons. I think

Hotel Tip in…Puerto Escondido, Mexico

Beach Escapes, Budget Travel Tips, Hotel Reviews, Lodging Tips, Mexico, Mexico Beaches, Oaxaca

It’s rare to find a budget hotel with a great beach view directly from your room. So when booked a room at Hotel Buena Vista for $36/USD a night, I was thrilled. Our room was huge, with two beds, a kitchenette, private bathroom, and a huge balcony that overlooks Playa Zicatela below. I spent every