Value Traveling Asians

So, you've not satisfied by the crowded Bocagrande beaches of Cartagena...let's book a day trip to the beautiful Rosario Islands with crystal clear water! The Rosario Islands is an archipelago of 27 islands, mostly privately owned with limited facilities (only 3 are publicly owned). We decided not to overnight on the Islands because the available accommodations are pretty basic and we were just coming from a beautiful few beach days at Finca Barlovento near Tayrona National Park. There are lots of resellers hawking tours around Old Town/Getsemani, so you can definitely negotiate and wait to book this tour until you get to Cartagena so you know a bit more about what the weather will be like. There are three main types of trips that you can book: Chill option: Go to one island and hang out there for the whole day (trip is from 9am-4pm, 130-195,000 COP. We were able to negotiate 25-40k off when booking the night before.) Cheapest option: do a scenic boat tour around th...

We stayed in the Sacred Valley for two nights to acclimatize to the high altitude before staying in the even higher Cusco. Because we weren't part of a tour, we had to piece together lots of different transportation.  Taxis (~1 soles/minute): very nice cars and very easy to book from your hotel or restaurant but more difficult when you're . Always negotiate your fare upfront before getting into the taxi. For example, from our hotel in Urubamba to Ollantaytambo, about 30 minutes, it was 30 soles (~$9 USD).  Motobikes (also known as tuktuks in Asia!): mostly taken by locals, they help transport you that last mile but they won't travel far distances (>10 minutes). They are often at popular colectivo stops. Colectivos (~1 soles/20 minutes): Run every 5 minutes along the major Sacred Valley road. These are more expensive and run more often than the local bus and seem to be private operators traveling on a community-agreed upon route. There are stops along the road ...

We were staying outside Urubamba in the Sacred Valley to acclimatize before our Machu Picchu trek. We wanted to do some hiking to get used to the altitude, see Incan ruins, and not walk all day (since we were about to walk for 5 days/70km!). Oh, and of course, avoid the buses of tourists going from ruin to ruin. Our hotel was not helpful in giving this information although they were happy to book a three hour driving tour for Maras, Moray, and Salineras for 130 soles (~$39USD). 😑 So, here's how to self-hike around Urubamba in mostly lazy fashion! 1) Download the  Maps.me  app and the map of the area. It has the hiking paths in the area, otherwise known as walking paths for farmers, hooray! 2) Hire a taxi to take you up to the Moray ruins (60 soles/~$18USD, about 1 hour). Because starting from the top of the mountain is the way to go 😁 Our taxi driver helpfully pointed out the paths that we'd be taking on the way down and where we would come out at the end of the hike. ...

We like to check out the free walking tours in a city to orient ourselves, learn some history, and swap tips with fellow travelers (don't forget to tip!) but we typically shy away from tours from both a cost and flexibility perspective. In Cartagena, locals and Tripadvisor recommended doing a tour to visit the local market, Mercado de Bazurto and I couldn't find much information about visiting on your own (the tour is $50USD). Well, I am here to report: it's a great trip to do by yourself! Of course, use common sense when visiting because it can be quite crowded - no flashy jewelry, keep your valuables in front of you and not in backpacks or back pockets. If you're staying in Old Town or Getsemani (we recommend Getsemani because it's way less touristy and just as picturesque), it's a 7-10,000 COP ($2-3USD) to take a taxi to the market, about 10 minutes away. Your cab driver will definitely know where it is and will probably ask you where you want to get drop...