“The world is a book, those who do not travel, read only one page.”
When we think about travelling, there are always a few misconceptions that will be stopping us from purchasing that ticket, grabbing that passport and just go for an adventure worth sharing for a lifetime. Below are 5 of our favourite myths about travelling, and how we busted them gracefully.
1. I need a lot of money to travel
One of the favourite excuses reasons used by almost everyone when they think about travelling is not true at all.
Yes everything in this world comes at a certain cost, including travelling. But the very idea of “travelling is expensive and only expensive travelling is fun and worth going for” is the result of advertisements, commercials, and travel magazines that highlight fancy and luxurious tours that promises a once in lifetime experience.
Guess what? It is not true at all!
One simple way to debunk the myth of “travelling is only for the rich” myth is as simple as going to Google and type in how to have a budget travelling, and the result will blow your mind away. Believe us, you are not the first one to ever think of this question and there are a plethora of websites, articles, videos, guides, real life examples, tips etc. out there dedicated just to debunk this famous myth (including this very article)!
What’s more? You don’t even need to save up the entire travelling budget before you go, you can always work overseas to aid your finance!
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2. Work overseas? Pfft…
Don’t give us that reaction just yet. We promise it’ll be a good read ahead.
When we think about working, we always link it with interviews, resumes, formal attire with fixed working hours etc. When you are travelling, as long as you’re not picky with the nature of your job, most of the countries actually offer travellers legal employments.
Take for example Australia, they offer working holiday visa where travellers under 30 can get a year-long working visa! How cool is that?
Here is a list of jobs that you can consider:
- Farm worker
- Bartender
- Waiter/Waitress
- Cruise ship worker
- Volunteer
- English teacher
- Part time fisherman
So on and so forth. Most of these jobs doesn’t require high level degree or advance technical skills to work in, in fact, (to be really honest) they are low paying minimal wage with bad working environment that will fund your travelling expenses with awesome stories to tell!
3. I don’t speak the local language
You don’t have to! Many foreigners can actually understand English and even if they don’t, some basic hand signs and gestures would be more than enough to communicate your message across!
Take for example most of the foreign travellers in our beautiful Malaysia. Most of them don’t speak Malaysian language, or Chinese, or Tamil. They are doing okay. So what’s stopping you?
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4. The accommodation fees are far too expensive
We’re going to assume that you’re talking about staying in a beautiful luxurious hotel that offers swimming pool, WiFi, great dining experiences, good customer services etc.
First and foremost, you are going to pay for the things that you don’t really use. When you are travelling abroad, who has the time to swim in the hotel and uses their WiFi all day long?
Secondly, where’s the fun in travelling if you don’t get the chance to experience some local culture and meet new people (both of which you cannot get in a hotel)? That’s why we highly recommend homestay.
Homestay is a service provided by the locals that offers a place to stay in their house to foreign travellers. This is an option that are both affordable and worth trying out for!
Imagine staying with the locals in Cambodia, eating their home cooked food, experiencing their daily Cambodian lifestyle, going to places that the locals actually go. This is what you should be looking forward to in travelling, we promise you that it will be unforgettable!
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5. Okay but it’s not safe to travel
All travellers face risks while travelling, but it would not be correct to assume that murderers are lurking behind every corner. There are plenty of safety measures that you can take to ensure that you are travelling safe.
- Research about your destination before you travel
- Read about reviews and articles to find out previous travelling experiences
- Record down a few local emergency contact numbers and locations
- Plan thoroughly about your trip
- Update yourself with recent happenings of your travelling destination
- Get the facts right about the country! (For example, Rwanda is the safest country in East Africa)
