eBusiness Weekly
Tariro Mutyavaviri
My family used to travel a lot around Zimbabwe. We made it a point to explore different parts of the country.
The upside of these travels were that my parents paid for everything and my role in all of this was to tag along and have fun! Well, now that I am grown up, I have to feed into this passion and pay for these trips.
Most people believe that travelling is expensive and to answer that question I’d say, yes and no. Travelling can be very expensive especially when not planned properly. But if you plan your travels way in advance, they can be very affordable.
Here are a few tips on how you can travel on a budget and have fun within your budget.
Destination
If you are like me who is not yet “coined to capacity” but still want to travel, my advice would be to try and look for cheap destinations on the internet, websites such as priceoftravel.com are a great place to start. I usually use this website budgettrips to get an idea of the costs of the whole trip.
Countries in South East Asia offer some cheap travel destinations; meals (street food) range from $1-3, one can secure accommodation from as low as $6 per night depending on where you want to stay.
If you live in Zimbabwe, travel to the Eastern Highlands, Victoria Falls, Kariba, Great Zimbabwe or Matopos. – Pic from TripAdvisor
Another option which I believe everyone should start with is to travel local i.e if you live in Zimbabwe, travel to the Eastern Highlands, Victoria Falls, Kariba, Great Zimbabwe or Matopos.
Day trips to Domboshava, Mutorashanga or Chinhoyi Caves are another option. One of the cheapest game reserves is Mukuvisi Woodlands, the list is endless.
In some cases, you may find that it is cheaper to travel to other countries than your own, depending on your travelling style and destination interests.
Another thing, one should consider when travelling especially is to look for countries that don’t require visas or countries that are not a hassle to obtain one.
You can find a list of countries that don’t require a visa if you are Zimbabwean online. If you are from another country, you can also use Google search to find all the information you need. Note, you can still travel to countries that require visas, this is just for those who want to cut costs.
Transport
Airfares are one of the most expensive things that discourage many people from travelling. Flight tickets are mostly expensive when you book your tickets a week or few days before you intended to travel.
So when you decide to travel, book your tickets in advance. Another tip would be to book for round-trip tickets, these are flight tickets that require you travel on a certain date and come back on the date stated.
You can find such tickets on different websites such as kayak. However, I strongly suggest to book your ticket in advance or choose to travel in non-peak seasons, usually flight tickets will be cheaper.
If flying is still not an option, road trips are a great way to see different parts of the country and neighbouring countries
Accommodation
People travel for different reasons, some to just relax and unwind, some to sight see and explore the destination, some both.
Personally I travel to explore and create memories by doing fun filled activities, so where I put my head at night is not on top of my priority list.
Again I’m not yet coined to capacity, so I look for the reasonable or cheap accommodation rates. I usually go for backpacking, hostels and Airbnb for a homier vibe. Please note when looking for accommodation, always read reviews of the place, because pictures can be deceiving.
Activities
We all know savings don’t stop at finding the cheapest air or accommodation rates, that’s just the beginning. A visit to any country is not complete without wandering extensively through the country’s tourist attractions and their day to day living.
Enjoy the outdoors, spend the day at the beach, find a trail to hike and all these are free. However, pay for other fun activities and don’t be a cheapskate.
A few things that are important when travelling are getting a travel insurance — you need it, it’s not a waste of money — safety and most importantly to have fun.
Cheers to more adventures.
- This article first appeared on tarirovanessa.wordpress.com
