Can I travel anywhere for free?

Eulises Quintero

Can I travel anywhere for free?

The first time I traveled internationally I did it completely for free, I didn't pay a single penny.

So How?? I applied for a scholarship abroad, I applied for a program in Taipei, Taiwan, and the scholarship was 100% funded by ICDF.

They paid for all the connecting flights I had to do from my hometown in Nicaragua, one of the scholarship’s benefits was a stipend of US $500 monthly just for personal expenses, tuition, books, insurance, and lodging were all taken care by ICDF.

Saving as much as I could from those $500 plus some part-time jobs I started traveling around Asia.

I believe applying for an international scholarship is a good way to start traveling, especially when you don’t have the resources to do it on your own.

The challenge is, of course, to win the scholarship, and apply for a scholarship program where they cover all or at least most of the travel and living expenses.

Finding the perfect scholarship for you will vary depending on your nationality, the ICDF scholarships are only offered to Taiwan’s allies and there are only a few small countries in the world who fit into that category.

Erasmus Mundus Scholarships are a good choice to get an education in Europe and travel for free., they even have programs where you have to spend one semester in Spain, the next one in Italy, then another one in the UK, and the final one somewhere else in Europe, and they pay for the travel fees.

To get a scholarship you’ll have to fit different criteria, like having a good grade average, having a certain age, speaking certain languages, getting a TOEFL score of above 80 if your program is in English and you are not a native speaker, or a GMAT if you wanna get a business degree.

It’s definitely a lot of work but is not impossible, and if a regular guy like me from a small third-world country was able to start traveling the world by means of getting a scholarship abroad then you can do it to, it has been definitely a life-changing experience.

After I graduated I found a job in Taipei and I keep on traveling.

Hope this answer helps

Best,

Eulises Quintero

A blog about travel and health tips

When was the last time you have visited your country of birth? What was it like?

Eulises Quintero

 · 

Following

Content Manager at Titoma Design (2019–present)

When was the last time you have visited your country of birth? What was it like?

I visited my country of birth (Nicaragua) after living in Asia (Taiwan) for almost 3 years, which was in May of 2018.

What was it like?

Well, it was a combination of different feelings, I was definitely excited to see my family, my friends and even all my dogs (We had 5 dogs at the moment I left my country) unfortunately 1 died while I was abroad.

So yes I was happy when I landed in the airport of my country of birth and when I saw my parents and brothers and friends I was really happy, but it wasn't the same, it just wasn't.

Why?

Well, I’m pretty sure all the ones who have left their home country to go and live in a more developed society will relate with me, there is such a thing as backwards cultural shock, that moment when you go back home after living abroad for quite a while and you see the way your people act and you’re like WTF!!!!!

For example, public transportation, in Taiwan people like to stand in lines, and everyone is respectful of each other’s space, no one will try to cut in line, even on the electric stairs there are two lines, the one on the right is for standing on the electric stairs and the one on the left is for walking upstairs as the electric stairs are moving (for the ones in a hurry)

In Nicaragua, well…..there are no lines, if you see the public bus approaching people will run towards it and fight you to get in before you, public buses in Nicaragua are always super crowded specially during rush hour.

That was just an example, a very simple every day activity as taking the public transportation in your home country becomes a bit strange after living abroad for long.

When you get the chance of hanging out with your friends after not seeing them for sooo long , you realize that you have grown apart, they have their own life where you’re no longer really part of and the same goes for them, they’re no longer an active part of your life, and that’s understandable if you’re now living on different continents.

Also, you finally realize how bad your country is doing politically, economically and socially (when you go from living in a 3rd world country to a more developed and rich country), I mean I've always known that Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in America, but after living in Asia and visiting many countries like China, Singapore, Malaysia and even Thailand, you finally realize that there is a lot of work to do to move forward.

I believe living abroad changes you, you’re definitely not the same you were when you left, and this is not a reason for you to believe that you’re better than everyone else who’s never left their home country, instead is a great opportunity to realize how lucky you are and be humble about it.

I love my home country, I love Nicaragua, that one who doesn't love his/her birth country doesn't love his/her mother, I can’t wait to go back, but there is a part of me that now has seen more of the world and wants to see more, a part of me that says: no you’re not ready to go back and live in Nicaragua, there are still many opportunities out there.

After all, the reason why most people migrate from poor countries is to look for better life opportunities you, unfortunately, can not get in your home country, it is always good to look back so you don’t forget where you come from, but keep looking ahead so you can keep moving forward.

Oh and food, eating my local food again after so long is just pure happiness

Best,

Eulises Quintero

https://thelifestyleiwant.com 

What are the best sites for a cheap booking flight?

Eulises Quintero

 · 

Following

Content Manager at Titoma Design (2019–present)4y

What are the best sites for a cheap booking flight?

Well that would naturally be the most famous flight search engines such as Skyscanner or Momondo.

I personally prefer Skyscanner, but beyond which website you use, there are other important things you have to consider if you want to find the cheapest flight possible for your needs, it all comes down to flexibility though.

Flexibility when it comes to destination, travel time, travel dates and days, and whether you want to travel with one backpack only or take 2 suitcases, are you willing to make long layovers?

International flights with long layovers tend to be cheaper than those with short layovers.

For all the beginners, here's a little guide I put together about how to use Skyscanner

How To Find The Best Deals For International Flights

Don’t waste money on travel agents.

As a young person who is always traveling on a budget, it’s really important for me to save money in all aspects of a trip.

The most important one is the flight.

It’s really important to make sure you find the best deals for international flights with layovers.

By best deals, I mean how much you’ll pay for the flight ticket and how long it’ll take you to get to your final destination after 1 or 2 layovers.

Now, this is what I do to find the most convenient flight for the dates I wanna travel on.

It’s a very simple guide to follow.

1- Find some free time for research

Grab a couple of hours of your weekend, maybe on a Saturday afternoon, get a cup of coffee or tea, and open your laptop or use your phone.

2- Open any flight search engine of your preference

As a first-time or still novice traveler like me, this is a very important step so you know which airlines operate the route for your flight, average price and other important travel details.

It will give you a good understanding of all the things you have to consider before and during your flight.

My favorite one is Skyscanner

Proceed to input the date for your trip and destination, plus other information such as one way or return, how many adults, cabin class, etc…

3 Pay attention to the important details

Click Search Flights

Now take a really good look at the information presented to you when the search is done.

For this example, I’m trying to find the best deal in terms of money and time for a flight from Miami to Rovaniemi, Finland.

Budget for vacations in Rovaniemi, Finland

At the top of the results, you’ll see three categories, Best, Cheapest, and Fastest.

Now you wanna go and take a look at the “Best” it’s always the one that makes more sense regarding money and time.

The fastest is always very expensive and the average time it takes is almost the same as the “Best”.

The “Cheapest” option will always take longer to get you to your final destination.

This means long layovers of up to 8 hours or more, but if you don’t mind the waiting then is not a problem.

You might even have the chance to go out of the airport and explore the city for a little bit.

Or join free airport tours for passengers with long layovers like the one Singapore’s airport offers. Changi Airport Free Tours

Important pieces of information you need to pay attention to

These are 3 very simple things you need to know to find the best deal for international flights

First, which airlines operate the route? In the results you can see is British Airways and Finnair.

Second, the layovers, how many layovers will there be and where? all of that is shown in Skyscanner.

Third, is the connecting flight in the same airport?

When you have a connecting flight usually you have it within the same airport where you just landed.

But in the case you have to change airports it will be stated clearly in the results page.

When you click Select, you will see all the details for outbound and inbound flights.

• Outbound Flight
• Inbound Flight

In the outbound itinerary, you can see it takes 16 hours and 55 minutes total to get to Rovaniemi. Things to do during winter in Rovaniemi

You can also see the breakdown of the connections.

In New York, you have to go from La Guardia to JFK for your flight to Helsinki.

From La Guardia to JFK is around a 20-minute car ride, and the time allotted for the layover is 3 hours and 47 minutes so you’d have no problems making it on time.

For the rest of this article please click here How To Find The Best Deals For International Flights 

Do Southeast Asian countries have the possibility to become the biggest economies by 2060? Could they compete with other big economies like China and India? Can Southeast Asia become an economic powerhouse region?

Thomas Pauken II

 · 

Follow

B.A. from Thomas More College of Liberal Arts (Graduated 1999)

BEIJING: Well the question is framed in a strange manner. China and India are the two world’s largest populations with each having more than a billion people. Not other countries are close in having their size of populations.

China and India will remain very large economies simply for having so many people residing there. Nevertheless, I see Southeast Asia as having huge business potential for many years to come on account of its geography and the sovereign governments are becoming more stable.

The City-State Singapore has emerged as the financial and banking hub for the region. The city-state is recognized for having a government that shuns corruption and they can act as a role model for its neighbors. Singapore is also acting as a mediator amid diplomatic spats between other member states in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).

Vietnam is also enjoying much improved economic conditions. It’s a southern neighbor to China. Many Chinese manufacturers in search of lower labor and land costs are reopening their factories in Vietnam, as well as in Laos, Cambodia and Thailand as they are in close proximity to China.

Beijing has introduced the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), by encouraging participating nations to agree on joint projects to build major infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, railroads and so much more while offering a finance mechanism the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to provide loans and to secure cross-border investments.

Countries in Southeast Asia have been major beneficiaries of the BRI, such as Laos as Chinese companies invested heavily into constructing new hydro-power dams, railroads, roads and bridges. Setting up new power plants are essential for developing nations to embark on nationwide urbanization, modernization and industrialization drives.

Southeast Asian nations have long struggled with poor infrastructure, rampant corruption and social instability. Meanwhile, China has witnessed good social stability, rapid development of its infrastructure and fair economic conditions.

Southeast Asian nations have very large Chinese communities residing there, but when visiting Singapore and Malaysia you will find huge Indian communities as well. Accordingly, the influx of Chinese and Indian communities have ensured much more vibrant and diverse communities in Southeast Asia.

We should anticipate that more Chinese and Indians will either migrate to Southeastern Asian nations or they will conduct more business dealing in the region, while people from Southeast Asia could migrate or do business in China and India in response.

The closer interconnectivity between ASEAN with China and India could be a game changer in future international economic trends. We can read more about it from the China Daily. The link is here:

http://epaper.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202101/07/WS5ff64932a31099a234353110.html

As reported by the China Daily:

“China is taking concrete steps to further bolster reform and expand opening-up, continue to promote the Belt and Road Initiative and tap the potential of its domestic consumer market. It is gradually fostering the "dual circulation "development pattern, which takes domestic circulation as the mainstay, with domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other. By fostering the new development paradigm, China will make the best of both domestic and global resources instead of relying solely on the economic drivers within its borders. Sustained and robust growth in China will provide great development opportunities for other Asian nations, and their resources and markets will further increase China's growth momentum.”

Southeast Asian countries will enjoy greater prosperity up to the year 2060, but they are smaller in size to China and India so it’s impossible for them to match China and India in total GDP (gross domestic product) size.

WeChat: 86 13439758718

Why do so many people from different countries want to visit Thailand?

Eulises Quintero

 · 

Follow

Working in tech and hardware for the past 5 years 4y

Why do so many people from different countries want to visit Thailand?

This is simply my opinion.

I’ve been to Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippines, Laos; but no other country keeps me coming back as much as Thailand does. I love Thailand. I feel that Thailand has so much to offer.

Charming small towns in the North such as Nong Khai

A developing city that still holds spots of Thai tradition and religion.

Bangkok is more than just Khaosan Road- If you’re a backpacker and you’re reading this remember that.

The rooftop bar scenes in Bangkok are like nothing I’ve seen in any other Asian country, there are many options to choose from, my personal favorite is Vertigo Moon and Bar

Incredible temples the likes you can not find in any other Asian country

Beautiful beaches in the south

A fun adult nightlife scene for anyone who is looking for that sort of fun

A very open gay lifestyle

Some of the most impressive ruins you’ll see in South East Asia are in Thailand

They have a very fun New Year’s celebration- Songkran.

Breathtaking sunsets

I guess what I’m trying to say is that there are many different sides of Thailand, so many that you can make out of your Thailand holiday what you want it to be.

If you want to party every night, meet girls or boys, and drink until you pass out, then you can in Thailand. If you’re traveling with your family and want to stay away from the craziness, you can book a beachfront resort in the south and have a nice and calm holiday. If you’re into exploring ruins, then go to Thailand as there are many.

Thailand has something to offer for all tastes and budgets. You can stay at a nice party hostel

or at the Marriot overlooking the whole city.

This is a list of my favorite places to visit in Thailand

A Beautiful Trip Through Thailand, a list of things to do in Thailand

How to Do a One Day Trip to Ayutthaya from Bangkok