Tag: around the world

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How to save money for the big dream?

We often get asked how it’s possible that we can travel for so long. Most people just want to hear that we are rich because then they can settle down and explain to themselves that they just can’t do it. That long-term traveling is just for those fortunate few.

It really is just for the fortunate few, but not the rich ones, but those who have the courage to leave everything behind and those who have the persistence to save up OR do whatever it takes.

To those few who have what it takes, a few tips.

So, how to figure out how much you have to save?

That’s the big question. When you search online for travel budgets they really go everywhere from 10 k to 100 k USD per year per person, depending on the style of travel. That’s a massive spread so how could you figure out how much you need?

It’s all about a mindset. Any amount of money is good enough to travel. Really any. But first you need to ask yourself some important questions…

What is your priority? Do you want to explore, visit, and see things?

Or do you need to travel in style, eat in fancy restaurants and sip champagne? If the answer is yes there is no way around it… the costs will be massive. Simple saving won’t cut it so you’d better marry well before you go.

But if you are willing to travel on a budget there will be many possibilities to cut the costs.

But you have to ask yourself: how much are you willing to sacrifice?

Can you sleep in dorms?

Can you volunteer?

Do you have any specific skills that you can trade? Maybe you can take pictures or you can teach English? Or translate?

Are you open to cook or do you want to eat out?

Be honest with yourself. We met a few hardcore people who only ate rice and whatever other people left and volunteered the whole time. Like this you can travel for a very, very long time. But is it fun? Is it what you really want to do?

We approached our journey thinking we wanted to be on a budget but also enjoy. We wanted to eat out every now and then but mostly cook. We didn’t mind sleeping in dorms but we wanted to stay in nice hostels, not in shabby, forgotten places (although that also occurred), we wanted to have adventure but also some peace. Sometimes we even did a bit of luxury, other times we volunteered or traded our skills. Our budget has been very moderate. During the 368 days we stayed in South America we spent 24 938 euro for both of us. You can visit the budget section for the exact costs of each country.

Could it be cheaper? Yes, of course. It could also be more expensive.

But it gives you an idea of how much you need and a mindset you need. If you don’t have that kind of money, you can volunteer more, splurge less, sleep in dorms more often and maybe even camp.

How to save it?

Now that you have an idea of the budget you need and you’re sure you really want to do it. How can you save all that money?

It really is all about the small things. First of all set up a spreadsheet of ALL your spendings during the week. That’s what we did. Track every single penny you spend. At the end of the week, analyze it.

Do you buy lunch at work? It’s cheaper to make sandwiches at home

Do you pay for plastic bags at the supermarket? It saves money to bring your own.

Did you pass by a local café to buy some coffee on the way to work? You can drink one at home before you go.

Did you go out for drinks? You can buy a bottle of wine and invite friends home

Is your rent super expensive because you live in the center? Maybe you can move to the suburbs?

There really isn’t any remedy that will make this money magically appear. It takes those tiny sacrifices to achieve it.

Second thing is to go through your things. Do you really wear that pair of jeans? Do you use that DVD player that you have in the closet? Think about it. Leaving on a big adventure, you won’t take all of that with you. Storage place costs money and it’s useless to store stuff you don’t even use. We sold what we didn’t want anyway and some other things we didn’t want to store. And you know what… Now that we think about it, we wish we sold even more of our stuff.

About us

So many people search for excuses not to try hard enough for their own dreams. So many think that we won a lottery or we were just rich to begin with. Well nope. We also didn’t have absolutely amazing jobs that paid thousands. We just had a mindset of people that don’t spend that much. We worked in Amsterdam but decided to live in Volendam because we were not willing to spend double the price to live in the center of it all. We always repaired our clothes rather than bought new ones.

Don’t get me wrong. We went out with friends, had a few drink, went for weekends away and vacation. We love enjoying life but all in moderation. Especially when we decided to leave everything and travel.

Being Polish I know that it all depends on the country where you live. It’s not the same saving up Polish zloty or euros. But it’s still doable if you really want it. And having a EU passport means you can chose where you want to live. Which we often forget.

Kaohsiung- the street art capital of Taiwan

Kaohsiung was never on our list of places to visit on Taiwan. We thought there was nothing to see there.

Frankly we ended up picking it when our Airbnb in Tainan got canceled and we couldn’t find any better solution. Kaohsiung was close and cheap enough to be our base to explore Tainan on a day trip basis. The street art and city itself captivated us so much that we ended up staying there every single day…

The Pier-2 art district

I often don’t enjoy twisted modern art galleries. Sometimes they really go too far and conceptual for me. But I love how modern art can be applied into forgotten spaces and bring them back to life, keeping the old vibe and soul at the same time.

That’s exactly why I loved the Pier-2 art district. Situated next to Kaohsiung Port it had all the potential to be useful and beautiful at the same time. Yet it was abandoned for years. Thankfully art came its way and nowadays it’s as vibrant and lovely as it can be.

The neighborhood is divided in 3 areas. Penglai area in the north has the Taiwan Railway museum, exhibition warehouses and a park with steel sculptures…  The park is mostly an oasis of piece except for those unlucky moments when a whole bus of a school excursion unloads.

The central area (Dayong area) has exhibition warehouses, a cinema and a bookstore with beautiful cards and artistic souvenirs from Taiwan. Inside the shop there is also a charming café.

The southern part of the neighborhood (Dayi area) is where all the hungry souls and bellies should go. And that’s where we spend most of our time, mostly window-shopping.

Stunning cafes are combined with art galleries and restaurants, something for the spirit and body at the same time. Except for hip places to eat there is a very colorful flower shop that has the most jaw dropping floral compositions.

Just around the corner there are a few very cool shops, one of which is a fair trade shop with local arts and crafts from all over the world. This one especially has beautiful jewelry, wooden kitchen stuff and piles of things that I just wished I could buy.

All 3 areas are full of murals, sculptures and little art work so we kept our eyes open at all time. We especially loved the 3D train station mural, dogs’ sculptures hanging off the wall and a whale watching over the whole street. As weird as they all sound, they are just terrific!

Cijin Island

We naively thought the word “island” and “ferry” would scare people away from going there. As soon as we saw the massive crowds in the port, we knew we were wrong. After few minutes when we reached our destination a whole flood of people went straight to… the streets of the food market. Leaving the rest of the area deserted. And there is quite a lot to discover.

First we went for a small walk up a mountain to admire views over the city and a small lighthouse. It didn’t take our breath away but we didn’t expect that in Cijin.

Until we strolled along the beach side and found Cijin Seashore Park, calm park just by the beach with beautiful street art. At that point I was wondering how come Kaohsiung was not on every “must see” list of Taiwan.

The Dome of Light

The Dome of Light is the largest glass work in the world and it’s hidden right in the heart of Formosa Boulevard metro station. 4500 glass panels form a massive 30 meter in diameter dome…

I read on Wikipedia that it would be offered as venues for weddings. I can’t possible imagine how it would be possible with metro passengers crossing it all the time and quite poor light. That said, it did not stop quite a few newlyweds from taking their wedding shot over there.

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12 Japanese delicacies we will miss

Flavors in Japan won’t punch you in your face like in Korea, won’t knock you off your feet like on Sri Lanka but they will slowly charm you with subtle flavors. That’s what happened to us and we are completely hooked.

Japan presented us with new ingredients but it also gave us a new concept of a meal. We discovered how great it is to eat a tiny bit of everything. Enjoying bite after bite, each flavor seems more intense and new… and you end up eating less!

  1. Green goodness from the sea- Nori

Or simply seaweed. Before Japan I always thought it was only used to roll sushi but little did I know that it was the best snack at any time. Not to mention what a great addition it is for any meal as well 🙂 Almost like chips but than healthier and so much more delicious!

  1. Bowl of umami- miso soup

No meal could be complete without a bit of miso soup. It’s such an easy soup based on miso paste which is made of soy. What goes in there is pure creativity of the chef, Chinese cabbage, mushrooms, maybe some seaweed. Everything's allowed. The taste is not comparable to anything, pure umami goodness that brings warmth and joy to your body.

  1. Sour, sour and even more sour- pickles

After miso soup, pickles are the most important part of every meal. I have never seen such a variety of sour goodness. There are daikons, plums, cucumbers, eggplants and whatever else you could imagine. It’s something that has been around for ages as one of the easiest methods to preserve the food. I was shocked by how many different techniques there are, pickles can be made with miso paste, vinegar, roasted rice bran or humble salt. 

  1. Our guilty pleasure- candied ginger

Jandirk got especially addicted to it. It's definitely something only a few people can like as it’s this weird combination of sweet and very spicy.

  1. Decadent goodness- okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki are kind of pancakes made on a hot plate that hero cabbage and batter. We especially loved the ones that put you straight into a food coma, with bacon, egg, shrimp, lots of soy sauce and shavings of smoked bonito. People on a diet can downscale their choice a bit and go for a bit more basic option...

  1. Pancake balls- Takoyaki

Takoyaki are decadent ball pancakes stuffed with octopus and topped with a decadent sauce and smoked bonito shavings. They reminded us a lot of okonomiyaki but because of their small size they seem a bit less unhealthy. There is not a single food market or event in Japan without them so don’t worry, you won't have to search.

  1. Japan’s famous- sushi and sashimi

Japan is associated with raw food, sometimes I feel like half of the world thinks that it’s all there is. It’s not but it is a big part of the culture. What most people don’t realize, it requires a lot of technique and finesse to put a great sushi together and to slice the sashimi to perfection. With quality comes the price so we haven’t eaten much of the fancy sushi or sashimi. But I have to admit that what is sold in some belt restaurants or even some supermarkets is just to die for!

  1. Upgraded hot pot- Shabu shabu

It’s just a humble broth put on a little stove at the table. But that’s the whole beauty of it. It’s like pure Christmas. Everyone sits around the table and dips in whatever they want. It can be pork, Chinese cabbage or spinach. At first it seemed a bit weird to get raw ingredients and cook your own meal at the table. Especially that that's what you get in a restaurant as well. But it's just pure fun and such a beautiful experience to share. At the very end when the soup is almost finished, you throw beaten eggs in there with some rice and eat that. So don't forget to leave some place for those last bits. So simple and so delicious!

  1. Noddles like no others- soba

Those buckwheat, thin noodles are Japanese natives. Low price, fast serving time and enormous variety makes them a perfect backpacking meal for every taste. It seems to be a bit of a Japanese fast food option.
The best soba we had was in Hakone. Perfectly thin, al dente, it was so good that many people ate just the noodles without the broth. It’s popular to dip them in some yam paste with raw egg. As weird as it sounds and as slimy as it is, it’s delicious. In a country with no cheese that’s as close as you will ever get to indulgent and creamy.

  1. God´s drink- Sake

Everything tastes better with sake. It’s a drink that could accompany every single meal. Dry, mild, cold one by the dinner, warm, sweet one by the dessert. Not to mention the one with rice particles could be the dessert on it’s own.

  1. Good for everything- Green tea

We have been tea lovers all our lives but Japan got us addicted to green tea. We started drinking liters of it, hot and cold. Not to mention the very bitter, intense matcha that we were seeing and tasting everywhere

  1. White and essential- tofu

Comes in a variety of forms and uses. It can be soft or hard and watch out… it can be even deep fried. The last one is sliced very thinly and deep fried twice. It looks like many sheets stacked together and its fluffy and airy. To be quite honest I didn’t know it was tofu when I tasted it and even less that it had anything to do with oil. I naively thought it was healthy…

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Hakone, Japan

How much does it cost to travel in Japan? Our budget and tips

Japan can be described with many words but cheap is not one of them. Transportation, accommodation, food…practically everything is pricey. No wonder it was our biggest budget fear. We prepared ourselves mentally to spend just under 100 euro a day for us both. Sounds like a lot but believe me, that’s low budget.

Surprisingly we ended up spending “just” over 7000 euro in 89 days. So that makes 40 euros per day per person.

So let’s break it down. Where did all the money go?

 

Where did we travel?

We visited many cities like Kyoto, Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima, Nagoya and even Fukuoka in the south. We also explored a lot of the countryside in the Gifu prefecture, Iya Valley and surroundings of the big cities. Unfortunately we didn’t get to go all the way north but hopefully that will still come.

How did we travel?

We didn’t want to spend much on transportation so we used local trains, buses and ferries. So no bullet train for us.

On transportation we spend a massive part of our budget (1597 euro). Short distance buses weren’t huge budget breakers. For example a trip from Kyoto to Sanzenin (1hr) cost 550 yen (so around 4 euro each). Buses on mountainous roads were a completely different story. The steeper the mountain, the more expensive it got. To get from Hakone village to the lake nearby we paid 820 yen each (almost 7 euro) for maybe around 40 min ride. In Iya Valley it got even more expensive.

For long distance travels we sticked to the buses especially to Willer Express, they offered a lot of direct connections for good prices. The journey with them from Kyoto to Fukuoka cost us 5900 yen (around 47 euro). It was a very comfy, overnight bus.

For short journeys between the cities or day trips we used local trains. For example to go from Nagoya to Nabana No Sato garden we paid 400 yen each (around 3 euro)

Where did we stay?

The most economic accommodation turned out to be aribnb so we stayed a lot in small studios with private kitchen, bathroom and all the Japanese crazy commodities of life. In Hiroshima we got a lovely studio with bikes, super-fast wifi and even pocket wifi that we could take with us. All that for only 33 dollars a night. Most of our Airbnb studios were really great value for money, pretty and in range of 30-40 dollars. It’s really hard to believe but they were way cheaper than dorms or guesthouses.

In more rural areas where there was no studio to rent we had to go for hostels. In Hakone we slept in a double capsula for 10400 yen per night (around 83 euro), by far our most expensive accommodation. In Iya valley we stayed in a charming, traditional double room with tatami floor and futon for almost 70 euro per night for us both.

We also spend 2 weeks volunteering in a guesthouse, south of Nagoya where we stayed for free. Except for that we visited a friend and stayed at her grandma’s house for a few days in Osaka. Those saved us a lot of yen… that probably went for food 🙂

In total we stayed 50 nights in Airbnb studios, 18 nights in a variety of shared accommodations, mostly capsula style and the rest in “free” accommodations volunteering or visiting. In total we paid 2558 euro on accommodation.

What did we eat?

We fell in love with Japanese food and its variety. We ate a lot of seaweed, sushi, sashimi and a variety of veg. Since most of the time we had a kitchen, we cooked a lot. But we also ate out to try authentic local cuisine. We went to mid-range restaurants as well as markets, bars and very local ramen micro-restaurants. During volunteering and visiting we enjoyed a lot of Japanese goodies cooked by our hosts.

The only drawback were ridiculous prices of fruit which forced us to limit ourselves to bananas and kiwis…

Overall we spent 2227 euro out of which 473 euro went on eating out and the rest for grocery shopping or convenient store sushi.

How expensive are museums, tours etc?

On tourism we spend 296 euros and that includes entries to castles, museums, gardens and sake tastings.

Most castles cost around 500 yen (around 4 euro). The most expensive ticket (2300 yen so around 18 euro each) was Nabana No Sato, amazing gardens and a bit of a theme park in one.

Where did the rest of our money go?

273 euro in the equipment section of our budget went for clothes that we bought in Japan. We treated ourselves with some amazing socks, t-shirts and replacement for stuff that was worn down. I also bought some Japanese cloth that can be folded to a very nice purse and that according to Jandirk is an essential thing to have and therefore belongs to equipment.

In 98 euro from miscellaneous we included postcards, chopsticks and small souvenirs we bought for ourselves as well as luggage storage and small expenses that didn’t fit in any other category.

Our tips to save money in Japan

  1. Stay in Airbnbs ! ! ! Huge budget saver! I know Airbnb seems to be “the more pricey” option but in Japan it’s really the cheapest that there is. It requires a bit of planning in advance, the best places fly out of the window pretty fast. It’s also better for stays longer than 4 days, just because of the cleaning fee and Airbnb fee which then spreads nicely without hurting your sight and account. Many of the properties have pretty great discounts for stays above 7 nights. If your schedule is flexible, you want to stay longer in a place and you want great value for your money, Airbnb is the way to go!
  2. Consider volunteering! Japan is not a country that you can understand over a day or two. It’s a long, never-ending process and the best way to do it is to volunteer. You get closer to the people that live there, you can ask them questions and see their lifestyle. Not to mention that you can help them! For opportunities in guesthouses, farms and yoga centers go to Workaway.
  3. Go to the tourist information. Except for Tokyo we met nothing but kindness and a sea of help in the tourist information. Those people are magicians, they know everything and what they don’t know, they will find out for you. They can book you a ticket, find a bus, inform you about millions of discounts and save you a lot of money. Japan has a lot of special tickets and offers for foreign travelers but they are pretty complicated so you really need someone to clear all of them up for you and fish out what could work for you.
  4. Use million transportation discounts. They vary per region and per city. Tokyo has metro cards valid for 1 or multiple days and the price changes depending on your home station. In the Kansai region you have a special ticket to see the whole area of Osaka, Kyoto and Nara. Some tickets include entrance to castles or public baths. With multiple day tickets sometimes they need to be used for consecutive days but sometimes you can choose the days and even use the ticket together with a few other people. We even came across tickets that you can only buy when you’re still in your own country and pick them up on the spot. It’s a pretty confusing and twisted system. Over time we realized the discounts were not meant for long term, slow travelers. They require a bit of a pace and tight schedule to get the value out.
  5. Take Willer Express! This bus company offers the cheapest buses and plenty of different connections. They also have a loyalty program, you save points every time you travel with them and then you can use them as discount on your next trip. Their webpage is in English and buying tickets online is super easy. You don’t even have to print them!
  6. Take a look at the Japan Guide. It’s an amazing guide book for culture and sights in Japan but they also give you all the transportation info. For each destination they show the cheapest, the fastest and the easiest route. Be prepared though, it’s almost never 3 in 1.

P.S. Exchange rate used for the overall budget 1 EURO = 119 YEN

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Japan

12 souvenirs from Japan that I just couldn’t resist

Usually I associate souvenirs with kitsch, plastic gifts made in China and faded postcards of doubtful beauty. Over those two years travelling I’ve rarely been tempted to enter a gift shop less even to buy a single thing. Japan has changed it all. The amount of effort and creativity put in so many little objects here makes them unique and really worth buying. Not to mention the tradition and the beauty that go with them. Below some of gifts that I couldn’t resist, even having in mind that I will have to carry them around. Others I will have to get next time.

  1. Multi-functional piece of cloth- Futoshiki

So simple and traditional and yet so functional. The technique of folding a square cloth around anything has been around for centuries. Previously it was used to carry things and to wrap gifts. The patterns and colors were a way of expressing the purpose of the gift and feelings of the generous person. After World War II part of this beautiful art got pushed out by cheaper and more common plastic and paper. But it hasn’t died just yet. The material can be folded in a really nice bag, actually many different types of bags, only imagination is the limit. That variety of a humble piece of material and the idea of supporting something so fragile pushed me to buy some for myself.

  1. Colorful and very unusual socks

Patterns of sushi, shrines, Mount Fuji, cats and soooo much more can be easily found in any shop selling socks. They are colorful, fun and many are divided in “two toes” or even “five toes”. That makes them perfect to wear with your flip flops, as weird as that sounds. We especially loved the collection available in some Don Quijote. Cheap and just brilliant.

  1. Arty, colorful postcards

Japan has numerous different techniques when it comes to postcards. They can be painted, made from recycled kimonos, washi paper. Options are countless and they all look stunning and one of a kind. I don’t think there is any other country I have seen with so many different patterns and so much art and love put into postcards. Honestly I felt sad I had to send them out… Obviously I kept a few for myself 🙂

  1. Fragrant bath salts

We never really appreciated the benefits of a bath. Not until we came to Japan. Here it has almost a ritual like importance and is supposed to relax you after a tough day. And it really does. But the addition of fragrant, Japanese bath salts is the cherry on the top. The smell is as divine as the package looks.

  1. Playful carnival-like facial masks

I know it sounds weird but in what other country can you become a panda or a cat for a few minutes? Only in Japan. The masks are not only playful and cute in a weird way but also very soothing and relaxing. Perfect little detail going in the bathtub. For more picky customers there are also ones that will make you look like a geisha or hello kitty.

  1. The most beautiful bathrobe - Yukata

Yukata is a kind of casual kimono. It literally means “bathing cloth” and at the beginning it was used just as such, since it’s so easy to just wrap it around you and it can dry the leftover moisture from your skin. Nowadays some wear it as a summer version of the kimono. We got them at one of our Airbnbs and I absolutely loved mine. They were colorful, playful and really comfortable to wear. Jandirk wasn’t overly impressed, yukatas for men lack patterns and are generally kept in darker tones.

  1. Fans for the hot summers ahead

Fans are something that have been in use for centuries and perfected over the time. Now only the imagination and budget is the limit. The can be foldable or rigid, bamboo or paper based. They come in unbelievable variety of forms and patterns. In museums we even saw some covered in gold… those I probably wouldn’t buy as a gift even for my best friends.

  1. Everyone’s necessity- chop sticks

They come in a variety of shapes and designs. We especially loved very simple wooden ones. There is a certain charm in the fact that no two chop sticks are exactly the same since no trees are identical.

  1. Something for the stomach- matcha and green tea

Before coming to Japan we have never tried matcha and we were not big green tea drinkers. Here we got thrown into deep water, we saw and tasted matcha not only as a powdered green tea just served as a drink but also in variety of deserts and snacks. We fell in love with its strong flavor and even stronger green color. It’s one of those ingredients that we will take with us and incorporate in our daily life. Same with the cold green tea that became indispensable to us over those months….

  1. Traditional or modern pottery

This one has totally stolen my heart. I hope one day we will return with an empty suitcase and full bank accounts to buy some of so many stunning pots, mugs and plates. We especially loved collections available in small, cozy ateliers in one of the old pottery towns- Tokoname.

  1. The famous "folded paper"- origami

This beautiful technique of folding paper into complicated but beautiful shapes is especially dear to my hearth. Many of the gifts that I got from Jandirk were origami folded animals and flowers. Here in Japan he could go even crazier with all the variety of paper available. Every Japanese person knows how to fold at least a few basic figures, they learn that at school. It has been a nice beginning of a conversation for us and sometimes a nice evening activity with a little origami battle.

In many shrines and museums we saw origami bookmarks and cranes that we could just take for free.

  1. Something for the soul- sake

Sake comes in such a variety of tastes that I just can’t imagine someone wouldn’t enjoy it. It can be sweet, it can be very dry, it can be clear or contain particles of rice, it can be served cold or hot. There is something for all taste buds out there. I don't think there is anyone that could resist the traditional sake serving. The liquid is supposed to overflow from a shot glass or wooden container onto anything that is under it. Being raised in Poland in a society that drinks vodka and likes to show its generosity, I'm shocked we never came up with it.

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Oman

How much does it cost to travel in Oman? Our budget and tips

For those who expect Oman to be cheap… You can stop reading right now. Oman is very much a destination completely off the beaten track especially for backpacking tourists. There is almost no infrastructure like hostels or cheap guesthouses. The buses in between the cities are also a rare sight so the best option is to rent a car. To crazy ones that would like to hitchhike and wait for those precious rides in the boring, desert sun… good luck 🙂

In Oman we miraculously spend only 933 euros over 12 days. So that makes almost 39 euros per day per person.

 

So let´s explain how it turned out so “cheap” 🙂

Where did we go?

Our journey started in Muscat, later on we continued along the coast passing villages and going further and further south to Sur and Al Hadd where there is a beach known for being a turtle nesting area. From the coast we went camping in the desert and then back to civilization in the old town of Nizwa. From there we went to see the mountains and valleys on our way back to the capital.

How did we travel?

In the capital we traveled by bus which wasn’t too expensive (1 OMR for us both for a ride, around 2.5 euro). For the rest of our route we rented a car. Unfortunately travelling by bus was just not an option. Although buses between the main cities do exist, they are not very frequent and to get to the villages we would have to try hitchhiking… And renting a car didn’t turn out to be so expensive. We managed to get one for 172 euro for 7 days. I don’t have to tell anyone that as one of the countries rich in oil, petrol was not a deal breaker in our budget (on petrol we spend 15.3 OMR so around 37 euro).

On buses, car rental and petrol we spend a total of 238 euros.

Where did we stay?

In Muscat we stayed in possibly the only hostel in the country and it’s listed on Airbnb. We didn’t find it there. The owner of the hostel was a friend of our friend and he offered us staying there for free. Idrees was just such an amazing host, he really made us feel at home and helped us with everything. He also explained that hostels are not really welcomed in the country since backpackers and cheap travelling is not really desired. Surprisingly camping is no problem. So that’s what we did for a few nights. To be clear there are no campsites so also no toilets, showers and commodities like that. Just nature…

Our total of 124 euro for accommodation we spend for 3 nights in Nizwa in an Airbnb. For that money we got a really nice room with private bathroom and only a 10 minutes ride from the historical town of Nizwa.

What did we eat?

On food and eating out we spent a combined 262 euros. The 118 euro we spend on eating out was mainly fast food and coffee to use internet. Majority of the times we bought food in the supermarket and cooked ourselves also while camping.

How expensive are museums, tours etc?

On tourism we spend 20 euros for entrances to some forts and the Royal Opera House in Muscat. From what we researched online, tours are very expensive. For example 2 days (1 night camping) tour to snorkel was 85 OMR so around 200 euro… and that’s pp. That was actually one of the cheapest things I found. Going to the desert with a tour was out of reach even for our dreams.

Where did the rest of our money go?

In the 145 euro for equipment we included some clothes that we bought as well as 17 OMR (around 40 euro) that we spent on mattresses and sleeping bags. Buying those was actually cheaper than renting. The rest of the camping gear we borrowed from the hostel.

In the 144 euro for miscellaneous we included our one month visa for Oman (20 OMR each so around 95 euro together), car insurance and sim card that we bought to have mobile internet while camping (sim card + 1gb internet was just 2 OMR so around 5 euro).

How to get to Oman?

We came on a bus from Dubai and that was the cheapest option and costed only around 27 euro for both of us (not included in this budget). It took 7 hours and at the time when we used that option there were 3 buses per day and it was operated by a company called Mwasalat. There was also the same option going from Abu Dhabi.

How to rent a car in Oman?

We rented a car via Pepe Car which is available only to a few nationalities. That was the cheapest option really. We got a great, functional, medium sized car for a smashing price of 172 euro. To go with it we bought an insurance from an external company to cover the potential damages. We always did that one because it turns out cheaper than adding it to your rental option. It’s also good idea to check renting over various days, in our case renting for 7 days was cheaper than 5…. Weird but true:)

For renting a car in Oman we just brought our European driving license. They didn’t require an international one.

Our tips to save money in Oman

  1. Airbnb is the best option for cheap but decent accommodation, there you might find “hostels” set up by private people as well as affordable rooms. Researching double rooms at Airbnb we noticed they were cheaper than most of the dorms available. Anyway cheap accommodation is pretty limited so….
  2. Camp! You can camp almost everywhere and there are no campsites which makes it immediately cheaper, you only need to rent or buy the equipment. The downside is lack of public toilets and showers… The only option is a bucket and a quick shower in the sea… Just watch out so that the locals don’t see your naked flesh. It’s a Muslim country so they won’t appreciate it.
  3. Rent a car 🙂 public transportation is pretty bad and renting a car can be pretty cheap, not to mention how cheap the gasoline was! 🙂

P.S. Exchange rate used for the overall budget 1 OMR = 2.46 EURO

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