Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
does in the United States. Yet restaurants here have fixed menus for lunch that cost between $10 USD and
$15 USD as opposed to $25 USD for dinner. In England, pubs provide set meals for as low as $10 USD.
Sadly, there is no one website where you can find all the restaurants in the world that offer lunch specials.
They vary from city to city and region to region. What you can do other than wander aimlessly around the
city in hopes of finding a place (though I have done that) is to ask the tourist office or the staff at your hostel/
hotel if they know where to find lunch specials. They are usually very aware of food deals.
Refill Your Water Bottle
You need to stay hydrated when traveling, and buying water every day costs money. Even if a bottle of water
only costs $1 USD, assume that you'll buy two per day and suddenly that becomes $60 USD per month for
something you can get from the tap for free. Get a metal water bottle or reuse your plastic water bottle a
few times to save money. I usually use a plastic water bottle for about four days, more if I can find a place
to clean it. Instead of buying three bottles a day, I usually buy two per week. I may only be saving a small
amount of money each time, but over the course of a long trip that can really add up. Moreover, it reduces
the amount of plastic I use, which is also good for the environment. It's win-win.
Everyone always wonders “Is the tap water safe to drink?” The answer is usually yes. The water in every
Western/modern country is safe for consumption. From Singapore to Australia to Japan to Greece, the water
is safe to drink. Heck, you can even drink the water in Costa Rica. The United States doesn't have a mono-
poly on safe tap water. If you are in doubt, you should always double-check to make sure.
If the tap water in your part of the world is not drinkable, you can use Steripen (steripen.com) to purify
your water, save money, and reduce your use of plastic bottles and waste. These products use ultraviolet
light to purify water and are small enough to be carried in your pocket. Prices begin at $99 USD. If you are
traveling to parts of the world with a lot of unsafe drinking water, I advise getting one of these devices.
Eat with Locals
Just like with hospitality networks, the Internet has allowed people to open their homes for people looking
for a culinary delight. Many websites have sprouted up that connect travelers with locals looking to host a
dinner party. Eatwith (eatwith.com) lets locals post listings for dinner parties and specialty meals that people
can sign up for. There is a fee (each host sets his or her own price), and you can pick from a variety of
cuisines (depending on what the host wants to cook). EatWithaLOCAL (eatwithalocal.socialgo.com), Meal
Sharing (mealsharing.com), and COlunching (colunching.com) are similar networks worth investigating.
The Ghetto Gourmet (theghet.com) is an older version in which locals organize free dinner parties. It's not
as widespread, but it's the free option.
Never Eat in a Tourist Area
This is a simple enough tip, but one often forgotten, since we tend to be in these areas because they are
where the attractions are. Prices in tourist areas tend to be 20 to 50 percent higher because tourists are often
willing to spend more money, since they are away for a short time and unfamiliar with local prices.
