Q&A with Rob Meyer of GoBudgetTravel.com

I recently discovered the website GoBudgetTravel.com. It is a travel blog that just got going earlier this summer and has already proven to be an essential bookmark for budget-conscious travelers. The author, Rob Meyer, has a genuine passion for travel, learning about world cultures and contributing to the greater good of this place we call Earth. The posts on GoBudgetTravel are insightful, well-researched and read more like magazine articles than blog posts.

Below is an interview with Rob that covers:

* How he got turned on to travel
* How to make money and travel at the same time
* More info on “Budget Travel Costs of 94 Cities around the World”
* Rob’s travel tip from LAX if he had $800 and four or more days.

Jen: Hi Rob, lets get formally and informally introduced. Please tell our readers a little bit about your travel background

Rob: Okay, well my name is Rob Meyer. I grew up in North Carolina where I also studied International Relations at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. I had done a bit of traveling as a teenager with my family and friends, but it wasn’t until I got to college and switched majors 4 times that I decided what I’m really interested in is world travel and experiencing other cultures. I was lucky enough to do a bit of traveling during my college years, which included studying abroad in Brazil, and a month after graduation I packed up my life and moved down to South America. I have been in Ecuador for the past two and a half years working with an Ecuadorian NGO and running a number of projects aiding street kids in southern Quito.

Jen: Great, so you’ve been able to blend the life of a traveler with an actual career. I like it, so how did GoBudgetTravel.com start?

Rob: GoBudgetTravel.com was basically started as an outlet for me to share all that I have learned traveling and working abroad over the past 3 years. While there are already tons of travel resources available on the web, I noticed that most were either very commercial in nature, or a little too whimsical and vague for my taste. Therefore I put together GoBudgetTravel.com as a no-nonsense, substance filled guide to making long-term budget travel part of one’s life.

Jen: Have you been interested in travel your whole life or was there a turning point in your path when you realized the importance of exploring the world and other cultures?

Rob: Well, I’ve always enjoyed travel. But it started out as more a love of vacation. Going somewhere for a week, seeing new things, tasting the food, partying at night, then back to “real life” for the next 6 months.

It wasn’t until I got to college and really began to study and learn about all that is out there, and actually started taking long-term trips on my own, that I realized there is so much in the world that I want to do and experience.

Jen: On your website, you say that you’ve learned how to not only travel on the cheap, but also make money while traveling abroad. Can you tell us how you make money on the road and/or point us to one of the pages on your blog that describes it?

Rob: Good question. There are a lot of people out there that seem to be able to travel across the globe without ever even thinking about the financial side of travel. I’m NOT one of those people. I am very aware that what I’m doing costs money, and if I’m not able to come up with a long-term strategy to keep my bank account at a manageable level, the fun’s over and I’ll have to head back home.

Jen: That’s such a mature attitude!

Rob: Haha, well, I’ve gone broke enough times to know that it’s a necessary attitude!

Currently, I finance my life and travels abroad through the meager wage I make working with an Ecuadorian NGO and teaching English. I am very interested in the work that I do with the NGO, but experience has taught me that the best way to make money while on the road is by teaching English. Some travelers pursue travel writing, development work (like myself), or tourism work, all of which can be great options if the work truly interests you. However, as far as getting the highest payout relative to time committed, maintaining flexibility, and availability of work, teaching English is the way to go.

Jen: That’s a great tip for current travelers and graduating college students who want to travel before settling down.

Rob: Very true. Travel is great when you are actually traveling. But working your butt off for 12 months so you can afford that big trip is not as much fun.

That’s why I recommend mixing work with travel. It’s an easy way to supplement your travel bankroll, extend your time on the road, while also sticking around one place long enough to really understand and enjoy it.

Working abroad is a theme I’ve just recently touched upon in my blog. As of right now, the only post I’ve written on the topic is a general list of tips for finding short-term, wage labor abroad: 5 Tips to Finding Work Overseas. However, I look forward to expanding on this topic, discussing personal experiences and even doing a couple of case studies, to further develop the concept of work while traveling.

Jen: Excellent. Any chance that you are a disciple of Tim Ferriss’ 4-Hour Work Week?

Rob: Haha, do I come across as one of Tim Ferriss’ disciples? Overall, I would have to say no, I am not.

I have read Tim’s book, and do agree with certain aspects of his philosophy, mainly taking control of your time, not getting weighed down financially, and pursuing excitement. However, I do not agree with Tim in the idea that we should be trying to figure out how to work less so that we have more time to pursue our true passions. In my opinion it is much more worthwhile to learn to reconcile work WITH passion.

Jen: I like it.

Rob: That is the philosophy I am interested in pursuing. I don’t want to work 4 hours a week so I’ll have the rest of my time to invest in my real interests. I would much rather work 80 hours a week doing something I’m really passionate about and making a positive contribution to society.

Jen: Your article, “Budget Travel Costs of 94 Cities around the World,” is a real attention grabber. How did you put together all that information? If I go to Bali, am I really only going to spend $7/day? What kind of amenities do I give up? Are we talking Chung King Mansion time?

Rob: The “Budget Travel Costs of 94 Cities around the World” was inspired by Mercer HR’s “World’s Most Expensive Cities” survey. The Mercer HR survey has always interested me as a traveler and a dreamer. Unfortunately, however, the Mercer HR survey isn’t of much practical use to budget travelers, as it only measures the cost of long-term living at expat standards, whereas most budget travelers are interested in the short-term living costs at backpacker standards. With not much else available to budget travelers interested in comparing the cost of travel for popular destinations around the globe, I decided to put together my own survey of budget travel costs.

The survey was put together by calling all my budget traveling friends around the world, getting their recommendations for the absolute cheapest accommodation and meal options available for their particular regions of expertise, and compiling everything into one report.

Jen: That’s a lot of work for a blog post and very generous of you. But I’m still pretty sure that with holiday-style eating and drinking, Internet access, souvenirs—I won’t make it on $7/day in Bali.

Haha, I agree. If you go to Bali, or any other destination covered on the survey, you are pretty much guaranteed to spend MORE than the cost/day listed on the survey. The idea behind the survey was to report the absolute cheapest available accommodation and food options (maintaining basic safety standards), and leave it up to each individual traveler to decide how much they want to add-on for “amenities”.

Unlike most guidebooks this survey does not try to generalize the minimum level of luxury demanded by travelers, instead I simply report the absolute lowest possible cost (the Chung King Mansions) and leave it up to each individual traveler to decide how much they want to tack on top to ensure their trip meets personal comfort standards. In general this usually comes out to about 150%-200% of the cost/day listed on the survey for budget minded travelers.

Jen: Rob, I think it’s great that you’re writing GoBudgetTravel. It’s becoming an invaluable resource for budget travelers and especially Vagabonders. By chance did you read Rolf Pott’s Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel?

I have read Rolf’s book, and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in travel, vagabonding, or just dreamers. It’s a very interesting and inspirational read, one that had me ready to pack my bags after this first chapter.

I really like Rolf’s philosophy, and general outlook on life. And with so much interest lately in “lifestyle change”, I’m very surprised that his hasn’t gotten a lot more attention.

Jen: Rob, do you have any destination tips for travelers that might want to spend $100/day as opposed to $15/day? As you know our readers are from the Los. Angeles area. If you were leaving out of LAX and had $800 to spend per person on flight, accommodations, meals and incidental transportation where would you go? For a minimum of 4 days.

If I were based out of LAX my mouth would be watering, because there are just so many great options for budget getaways.

My personal recommendation would definitely be Central America. With limited time, I would not try to do too much, but would focus my time on ONE of these small countries. As discount airlines continue expanding into the Central America, airfares into the region have become quite reasonable ($300-$500 RT). Comfortable accommodation can be easily found for $20-$30/night, so with $800 money really won’t be much of an issue. Your choice of destination really just depends on your interests, and Central America is capable of appealing to all types of travelers.

My personal favorite is Guatemala. The people are amazing, you can see Mayan ruins, colonial towns, and most of the country is relatively unspoiled by tourism.

Nicaragua is known for incredible beaches, great surf, rainforest, and the oldest colonial town in the Western Hemisphere (Granada). The people are generous, caring, and real.

Costa Rica is a well conserved and unrivaled natural beauty. It’s pricier than others in the region, and is certainly more touristy, but the country is so beautiful it’s worth it. You have the option of just relaxing on gorgeous beaches or in a jungle lodge, or getting out and taking advantage of the dozens of adventure sports offered by the well-managed tourism industry.

Panama is another favorite of mine. Panama City is definitely the most cosmopolitan city in the region, with great nightlife, and a lot of culture. Outside the city the country is beautiful, amazing beaches, Pacific and Atlantic oceans within 40 miles of one another, all in a relatively safe environment.

Southern California really is an incredible destination with easy access to so many other regions of the world. With just a little more time and money you could easily check out Mexico, South America, Southeast Asia, China, Japan, or the South Pacific as well. I really am envious of you all!

Jen: Thanks for your time, Rob. Now I want to go to Central America!

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Ed.: Post your suggestions below for who you’d like Jen to interview next….

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This entry was posted on Friday, September 7, 2007 at 4:38 pm by Jen Leo and is filed under Weekend Getaways. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.