Around the World in 323 Days

         Have you ever thought about taking a year off to travel the world? Not just around Europe but as many continents as possible? Well, Sasha Hill and Sierra Clark, age 19, are living the dream.

            These girls, fresh out of high school, are traveling all around the world and here is the inside scoop to how they made this dream a reality.

            Hill and Clark have been planning this trip since they were 14 years old.  They each worked four jobs for the previous two summers before starting their excursion to save up to about $28,000.   The girls also set a budget for each country they went to.

            Although they researched as much as possible online and from books before their trip, the girls also had some help from the free services of STA Travel.   In the countries they volunteered their time in exchange for housing they used sites like workaway.info or WWOOF.org.

Neuschwanstein Castle. 2012. Photograph. Bavaria, Germany. Comp. Sierra Clark and Sasha Hill.

Hill and Clark started off their trip by flying to Peru and from there went to:

• France
• Germany
• Switzerland
• Spain
• Italy
• Morocco
• Israel
• Palestine
• Jordan
• Turkey
• Greece
• Thailand
• Laos
• Cambodia
• Vietnam

From hostels to home stays, Hill and Clark have experienced it all.

“In cheaper countries we stayed in hostels and in Southeast Asia we mostly slept in hotels and guesthouses. Throughout Europe we couch surfed www.couchsurfing.com which is free and a great way to see the country through the eyes of a local. When we volunteered we stayed in family homes, cultural centers, and we worked at a hostel for some time,” Hill said.

By meeting people on the trip Hill and Clark said that the locals they met along the way always gave the best recommendations of where to go.  However the backpackers they met helped them prepare for anything unexpected and how to take safety precautions.

In order to talk to the locals, Hill and Clark found it fairly easy to find locals who speak English.  If not, they used hand gestures.

“A lot can be said without speaking,” Hill said.

In order to get around Hill and Clark have been using any transportation possible between busses, trains, planes, and even boats.  So far Hill and Sasha said the busses have been cheapest, but the trains allow for some extra downtime.

Throughout the year Hill and Clark have been posting to a website their blog, pictures, and videos! So make sure to also check out their travel blog!

As their trip comes to a close within the next week, Hill and Clark said Cambodia is the cheapest and overall their favorite country.

“I liked Cambodia the best because of the incredible kind spirit of her people. Also, I can never seem to get my fill of the incredible street food and the cheaply priced yet incredibly luxurious hotels,” Clark said.

Machu Picchu. 2012. Photograph. Cusco, Peru. Comp. Sierra Clark and Sasha Hill.

Find Cheap Hotels and Accommodations

     Although choosing the flight is the most expensive part of the trip, finding a cheap place to stay can be hard without the right tools.

            There are a lot of great options that people do not always think about or even know of to make a trip cheaper.  This blog is here to help give helpful tips of where to stay while traveling or how to find those places.

            A lot of people start traveling with their parents and usually end up staying in hotels, however hostels can be found in almost any other country and are made for backpackers looking for a cheap place to crash.

            Hostels in some countries can be as low as $3 per night as Karla Palomino, currently traveling around Nicaragua and other places in Central America, said.

Maria Delacruz and Taylor Nakayama hiking Cerro Negro Volcano, Leon, Nicaragua. Personal photograph by author. 2011.

            Sleeping in a tent on the beach is a great way to save money, Alyssa Giannetti, freshman at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, said.

Giannetti travels domestically 20 times a year for soccer and has been to a few different countries, including Argentina where she has family.

“You should definitely compare prices of hotels and look for discounts in advance; sometimes AAA gives discounts people don’t even know about!” Giannetti said.

When looking to take a step up from hostels or camping, Jackie Grealish, daughter of Airline Customer Service, recommends staying at a Vacation Rental by Owner (VRBO), an apartment style rental in order to save money by not spending extra money on restaurants.

Grealish has traveled to six out of seven of the continents and has been to around 45 countries in her lifetime.

“I bring a different bag to the hostels like a big backpack or lock up the bag for like $2 at the train station.  That’s what we also do for day trips,” Grealish said.

            According to these sources, here are some helpful ways to find where to stay:

• Expedia.com
• Hotwire.com
• Tripadvisor.com
• Talk to locals

“I just live on trip advisor. It’s honestly the best because you can figure out what neighborhood to be in and what type of hotel if you want to do a VRBO or a hostel or a traditional hotel,” Grealish said.

Katja Waldron on a hostel balcony, Sydney, Australia. Personal photograph by author. 2012.

When planning, try to stay walking distance away from the main street to not be too expensive or too loud, Grealish said.

The main streets and tourist spots are usually the most expensive areas to stay near.

Hostels that are made for foreigners usually charge more, Palomino said.

Depending what area, think about how far in advance to book where you’re staying.  Third world countries have a lot of cheap hostels that are easy to walk into and book the day of.  However, while traveling within the United States that would be difficult.

Try and book a hotel two or three months in advance, which is when you get the real deals, Giannetti said.

For people thinking of traveling for a long period of time, a common way of traveling is going to a Work away site.

Workaway is what I used and it is an easy way to travel, only three steps to do it, Palomino said:

1. Set up a profile resume (questionnaire syle)
2. Email people you’re interested in working for
3. Make sure it is safe

“It’s kind of all up to you to make sure it is safe; for example talk to them on the phone or Skype and make sure you know what you’re doing by looking at reviews on the site of others who have worked for them.  If they don’t have any past workers, Google them,” Palomino said.

            Now, the hardest steps of planning a cheap trip are over! Stay tuned for some extra helpful hints in my next blog!