Nayan Walker

Dhaka

Undoubtedly the most underrated country in whole Asia, Bangladesh is also the least touristy destination on the planet. Being the 8th most populous country in the world with 160 million people, it only receives around 120.000 international arrivals annually. Unsurprisingly, it has the lowest number of tourists compared to its population.
Bangladeshi history reveals the country has maintained human presence since the year 700 BC. In the Middle Ages, it adhered to Islam and became one of the richest territories of the Mongolian Empire while Dhaka became one of the wealthiest and most prosperous cities in the world.
Europeans, particularly the Portuguese, arrived in Bangladesh in the fifteenth century and, only three centuries later, the British East India Company took over its land. When India failed to administer Bangladesh, independence finally arrived after conflicts between East and West Pakistan, from 1947 until 1971, when Dhaka became the capital of an independent Bangladesh.
Today, Bangladesh holds multiparty elections every four years and is governed by a democratic political system.
Visiting Dhaka is not challenging and there are some unique and highly-regarded points of interest. In this page, I have outlined some of the factors that caused me to truly enjoy the city.

In the middle of Dhaka’s Labour Day street demonstration:

What to visit in Dhaka

Known as the “City of Mosques,” Dhaka is located on the banks of the Buriganga River, near the Ganges Delta. The city’s beautifully-landscaped setting embraces mostly tropical vegetation growing above very moist soil. Located at sea level, Dhaka is also sensitive to floods during the monsoon season.

 Hussaini Dalan

Constructed during the second half of the Mughal Empire during the 17th century, Hussaini Dalan was originally the house of Imambara, a famous and prominent Shiite imam.

Sadarghat Port

Set on the shore of the Buriganga river, this chaotic yet lively port is, in my opinion, the city’s tourism highlight. At Sadarghat, you can dive into Dhaka’s bustling daily life and enjoy interacting with welcoming, friendly Bangladeshi people.

 Lalbagh Fort

An unfinished Mughal fortress dating from the 17th century, Lalbagh Fort is located along the Buriganga River in Dhaka’s old town. Here, you can visit the mosque, the Para Bibi Mausoleum and the Diwan-i-Aam residence.

 Mausoleum of Ziaur Rahman

The tomb of Ziaur Rahman, a Bangladeshi nationalist politician assassinated in 1981, is located in Chandrima Uddan park beside the National Parliament House of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Military Museum

Opened in 1987, the Military Museum displays several armored fighting vehicles highlighting the heritage of the Bangladesh Army throughout history.

National Parliament House

 Curzon Hall

Built in 1904 and named after Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India of the time, Curzon is accessible to visitors since it is occupied by the University of Dhaka’s Faculty of Science.

Dhanmondi Lake

A peaceful lake embracing Dhaka’s Dhanmondi neighborhood, Dhanmondi Lake provides a clean outdoor environment where locals frequent to spend time with family and have picnics.

Baitul Mukarram

Built in 1968, this famous national mosque of Bangladesh currently ranks as the 10th largest mosque in the world. Surrounding the religious complex is a bustling market with several shops selling clothes, books and street food into the late hours.

Babu Bazaar

Babu Bazaar is the most important wholesale market in Dhaka city. Indulge yourself with an uncomfortable amount of people in a chaotic labyrinth of bustling, unpaved streets.

Bangladeshi People

Bangladesh culture links closely to its neighbors, India and Myanmar.
Bangladeshi culture has about 2500 years of experiences, customs, and traditions, which translates into a very diversified cultural spectrum. Bangladesh’s heterogeneity is the result of an extensive history and involvement between different ethnic groups and religions.
Thus, Dravidian, Indo-Aryan, Mongolian, Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and all other notorious cultures of Western Europe, contributed to making this place one of the most different countries in what concerns the co-existence of the various cultural roots in the same territory.
Walking through Dhaka is a unique experience where one can admire magnificent religious monuments while enjoying traditional music at any street corner. Markets, train rides and Sadarghat Port are extraordinary places where you can experience daily life along with the richness of the Bangladeshi people.
During my 5-day visit in Dhaka, I didn’t catch sight of a single western tourist, so I felt special while also discovering residents were very curious to talk to me. While visiting several monuments, I was approached by almost everyone around and asked to take “selfie” pictures with them.
Bangladeshi do take into consideration when tourists visit their country, feeling proud of the fact that there are foreign travelers who give them attention, who spend time and money while visiting.
The friendliness of the Dhaka people is, without a doubt, the highlight of my entire experience there.
So, why is Dhaka the capital of Bangladesh worth a visit?
Because of its friendly people.

Quick travel info and tips

• I flew in from Yangon, Myanmar and flew out to Kolkata, India.
• I made a quick $50-dollar, hassle-free visa on Arrival (VOA) at Dhaka’s Shahjalal International Airport.
• The best way to cruise around old Dhaka is by either walking or by rickshaw.
• Auto rickshaws, locally called “baby taxis” or “CNGs” are the best for long distances. Use the meter.
• Women visiting Dhaka should dress discreetly.
• I stayed three nights at Hotel 71 located near Baitul Mukarram national mosque at Kaizuddin Tower 176, Shaheed Syed Nazrul Islam Sarani, Dhaka. Price of single room WC + AC + B&B $40 dollars / 3300 BDT.
• I stayed one night at Hotel Chittagongon International, located near BRTC Bus Terminal at 2/1 Kabi Jasimuddi Road, Dhaka. Price of single room WC + AC: $12 dollars / 1100 BDT.
• Daily international bus services run between Dhaka and Kolkata in India. Check out the B.R.T.C. office near Dhaka’s train station.

Throughout my career as a travel blogger, the question I am asked most often is: “How do you get to travel so often? There were a good number of years when I would simply respond with, “Travel blogging is my job.” But I have been many types of traveler and many types of worker over the past half-decade. There was a period when I was traveling full time: the world was my office; I was my own boss. There were years when I was a location-independent consultant, serving clients from wherever the eff I wanted. But the past twelve months saw my usual answer evolve into something more complicated. Last year, my love for marketing brought me back to the world of meetings and overtimes, a world where I need to ask permission to travel longer than three days.
And that’s where it gets tricky. Travel has become the exception, not the rule. It has turned into a reward, something I look forward to at the end of the week.
“How do you get to travel so often?” doesn’t have a simple answer anymore. Many travel bloggers are full-time employees, too. It takes skill to master the art of vacation leaves and long weekends. Thankfully, my many years spent as a solo backpacker helped me continue to experience the many wonderful things this planet has to offer despite my full-time disadvantage. It is possible to maintain a healthy balance of the two. Here are a few tips.

1. Seize the weekends for short trips.

Consider your weekends your regular time currency. You have 52 weekends in a year. Use them for overnight or two-night getaways. You’ll be surprised by how many beautiful destinations there are within just a few hours from where you are. For example, if you’re based in Manila, just drive or take the bus to Batangas, Zambales, Quezon, or Pangasinan. If you’re in Washington DC, the Virginia countryside is waiting for you.
More information: 15 Cheap but Amazing Destinations Near Manila
The key here is to not spend so much on transportation. It doesn’t make sense to book a pricey flight to somewhere you’re going to visit for only a day or two. Set aside your hard-earned money for longer trips and farther destinations. Instead, maximize the time you have. You may choose to leave on Friday evening or early Saturday morning, and return Sunday night. You don’t need to stay long. Because these places are near, if you end up loving it, you may return on another weekend.

2. Schedule your vacation leaves around non-working holidays and long weekends.

Look at it this way: vacation leaves are more valuable because it’s flexible and when to use them is up to you. Use your precious vacation leaves wisely by reserving them for longer trips and more distant destinations. How? Schedule them around non-working holidays or long weekends.
For example, December 24, 25, 30, 31 and January 1 are holidays in the Philippines. All these dates fall on weekdays. December 26-27 and January 2-3 fall on a weekend. The only working days between December 24-January 3 are December 28-29. If you file a leave for these two sandwiched days, you’ll use only two vacation leaves but get to enjoy a total of 11 days.

Another example for those based in the Philippines, the government declared November 18-19 holidays, too. They fall on Wednesday-Thursday. If you use one leave for November 20, which is a Friday, you’ll get to enjoy five days (including the coming weekend). You’ll find many similar cases given how many holidays we have here in the Philippines.

3. Consider other destinations.

I know you’re dying to go to Paris, Tokyo, Bali, or Boracay, and it’s completely alright. But there are many other worthy places out there that you can enjoy for much lower price. Popular destinations tend to be more expensive and too crowded during the holidays and peak season. If there’s a promo for a destination, even when it’s not on my bucket list, I would try to find out if there’s something there that could appeal to me and if it’s positive, I’d book it.
For example, when Catarman (Northern Samar) was on sale, I googled it and found Biri Island, which I thought was curious. Booked it, and it was one of my best trips ever. I could say the same about Hualien (Taiwan), Mui Ne (Vietnam), Bandung (Indonesia), and South Cotabato (Philippines). Before my visit, I would never say it was a dream for me to get there, but I was delightfully surprised.

4. Take advantage of business trips.

I understand that not everyone is fortunate enough to be sent somewhere for official business, but if you are one of the lucky ones, take advantage of them. Following the principle above, extend your stay to cover the next weekend or file a leave for the days in between the business trip and the closest weekend. This way, you get to have your airfare and a few hotel nights for FREE.
My former client would always invite me to Singapore to meet with the regional team, and I would always try to schedule it on a Friday or Monday so I get to stay there for the weekend.

5. Book promo or discounted flights in advance.

Being able to travel frequently isn’t just a matter of time, it’s also a matter of money. While the cost of flying has dropped significantly over the past few years, a good fraction of travel expenses is still spent on airfare. But there are ways to find the cheapest flights. You have two options: promos and aggregators.
Stalk budget airlines on their social media accounts and subscribe to their newsletters. This way, you get to be alerted immediately when there’s a sale or a promotion going on. Here in the Philippines, promos are usually launched on the eve of a holiday. For example, Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines usually announce a seat sale at midnight of New Year’s Day, National Heroes’ Day, and Easter.

More information: How to Book Promo Flights

Another way to snag low fares: aggregators like SkyScanner. These search engines rummage through airline and travel sites to give you the cheapest flights.
Book in advance. Usually, the closer the travel dates are, the more expensive it gets. Plane seats are tiered by price and there’s a ceiling price per tier. (This tiering has nothing to do with the physical location of the seat, except for premium seats and business class.) Say in the Economy Class, 30 seats can be sold for USD100, some for USD200, others for USD 500. Most airline booking systems work in a way that it will sell you the cheapest flights first, and if they’re sold out, it will give you the next cheapest, and so on. This means that the farther the travel date is, the more likely the cheap ones are available.

6. Set up a travel fund.

Another plus of booking in advance: you’ll have time to save for your trip. Thus, it is best that you keep a travel fund. This is a separate bank account that, ideally, you can use overseas. Take a percentage of your monthly salary and put it into your travel fund, and whatever happens (except if it’s emergency), DO NOT TOUCH IT.
You need to be smart in how you spend your money even before the trip. If you want to travel more, you need to cut down on unnecessary spending. Travel comes with a price tag: plane tickets, transfers, accommodations, etc. For you to experience much of what a place has to offer, you need to have the resources to make it happen. Stop eating out, shop less frequently, quit smoking. All these little things eat up your budget, which could add to your travel fund.

7. Empower your co-workers.

If you have a team working under you, empower them by sometimes letting them take on the leadership role. Train them in making wise decisions and make them understand the complexities of your job. Pick someone who could take your place and ensure that your team can function excellently even when you’re not around. Not only is it good for their morale, it also allows you to be worry-free when you’re away.
If you don’t have a team under you, strike an agreement with a colleague to cover for each other should one of you be away for a holiday.

8. Leave work at the office.

As much as possible, don’t take work with you when you travel. The whole point of being on vacation is for you to get away from the madness of corporate life. Checking your emails every now and then is okay, but ditch the hard work. Leave it. Forget about it. Just enjoy and relax. You need it, and you probably deserve it.
Being preoccupied with work kills the joy in travel. Trust me, you’ll get to appreciate more of the journey when your mind is with you, not wandering elsewhere. There had been many instances where I failed to explore (Ugh! Amsterdam. Ugh! Cairns!) just because I was working my ass off the whole time, and I regret it even up to now.

9. Be open to possibilities to maximize your travel time and money.

Here in the Philippines, there is a popular saying, “Kung maiksi ang kumot, matutong mamaluktot.” Literally, it means if the blanket is too short, then learn to curl up. It’s a more poetic way of reminding ourselves to suck it up and make do with what we have. If you have limited time and money, it’s time to get resourceful.
Choose a hostel/homestay. Five years ago, before traveling full time, I would have never imagined myself staying anywhere other than a hotel. I liked the comfort and privacy. But as I was slowly embracing backpacking and my funds were rapidly depleting, I learned that hostels and guesthouses have their own charm. I got to meet like-minded individuals in hostels, and experience local life first-hand in homestays. Now that I’m back being a full-time employee, my love for hostels and homestays remained with me. They’re cheaper too. (Couchsurfing is free, by the way.)
Make friends. The best part of staying in hostels is that it’s easier to make friends. And since you now have travel buddies, you now have people to split the cost with. For example, a one-day tuk-tuk tour around Angkor in Cambodia costs USD15 if you’re alone, and USD 18 if you’re a group of three (which is USD6 each). That’s a 9-dollar difference. In Cameron Highlands, Malaysia, it’s cheaper to just rent a car if there are three or four of you, than to join a group tour.
Take overnight transfers. One thing I like to do is taking overnight trains and buses. Saves me airfare and hotel nights.
Bike away. In many cities, biking is safe and is the cheapest mode of transportation. I didn’t know how to ride the bicycle before, but I learned it in Cambodia. Since then, I would bike whenever possible.
Get up early. Maximize your stay by starting the day early. Ideally, right before sunrise when the streets are just starting to come alive. It’s always a great experience. Getting up early means you have more hours of daylight, more hours of exploring.
Forget expensive gifts. Coming home from a trip carrying loads of gifts (or pasalubong) is, of course, very admirable. But you don’t need it, and they probably don’t. If I would bring home gifts from each of my trips and given how often I hit the road, I’d be broke. If you’re planning on traveling more often, forget about it or settle for cheaper items.

10. Be awesome at what you do.

Whatever it is that you do for a living, be awesome at it, awesome enough that you become indispensable. Although this doesn’t hold true for everyone, excellence can mean higher pay (bigger travel fund) and, if you can pull it off, more vacation leaves (longer trips). If your arrangement is contractual and your contract is up for renewal, you can negotiate for more leaves. If you’re a regular employee, you can talk to your superior for it. (Results vary depending on how good you are or how much of a douche your boss is.) But if they see your value, you can strike a reasonable deal.

Yep, expensive. Ask travelers who have set foot on Singapore for adjectives that best describe the city, and “expensive” won’t be absent from any list. Many of the key attractions here can burn a hole in the pocket. But it doesn’t mean that budget travel isn’t possible. There are many ways to reduceexpenses if you just know where to go.

How to Get to Singapore

Singapore’s Changi Airport is one of the most well-connected and widely regarded as the best airport in the world. If you live in a major city in Asia or Europe or North America, chances are, there are direct flights to Singapore available.

From Manila

The lowest year-round fares are offered by TigerAir, JetStar, and AirAsia. But Cebu Pacific Air and Philippine Airlines also have competitive rates when they have a promo. Travel time: 3 hours 40 minutes.

If you’re a Philippine passport holder, you don’t need a visa. All you need is a valid passport (with 6 months left before expiration). Just show up at the airport and fly.
If you’re traveling with kids who are not YOUR children, you might need a DSWD Travel Clearance. Here’s how to get one: DSWD Travel Clearance

From Kuala Lumpur by Plane

Plane tickets from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore are incredibly cheap, with base fares not exceeding USD20. Travel time: around 1 hour 15 minutes.

From Kuala Lumpur or Malacca by Bus

You can also reach Singapore from KL or Malacca (Melaka) by bus. Travel time from KL is 5-7 hours, depending on traffic. From Malacca, only 4-5 hours. You will be crossing the border overland, but it’s quite easy albeit confusing in the beginning. Just make sure of the following:

• Remember your bus details (how it looks, number, etc.) because you will have to get off and hop back on at the border.
• Bring your bags with you when you cross the border.
• Don’t forget your passport and Malaysia Departure Card.

You can book your bus here: Kuala Lumpur-Singapore, Malacca-Singapore

Note: This post is not meant to discourage anyone from traveling nor does it aim to imply that this is the case for everyone all the time. This blog is filled with positive articles, but we also have to acknowledge this side of travel, that this exists, that this happens to some people. Can’t always be about rainbows and unicorns.
I’d be lying if I said I don’t envy travelers from developed countries. I envy them sometimes. I envy them more often than I would like to admit.

When I was backpacking across the Southeast Asian peninsula four years ago, I became great friends with a woman from Paris. We met at a hostel in Thailand, traveled through Laos together, and parted ways in Vietnam. Every single night we were together, she never failed to invite me to come over to
France so she could show me around.

“Before the year ends, please?” she said. But the number of times she said “please” never changed my response: “It’s not that easy.”

Not only was money an issue, securing a visa for a guy like me was waaay more difficult and complicated than she was probably thinking. At the time, I had just quit my job and had emptied my bank accounts. There was no way the embassy would approve my Schengen visa. I was able to finally see her again two years ago, but it involved saving up and slowly beefing up my travel history.
It’s moments like this that envy, which under normal circumstances lies dormant inside me, is jolted awake. Here are the reasons why.

Applying for a visa can sometimes be a grueling process.

Sure, with a Philippine passport, we can visit several countries visa-free. But a whole lot of them would still require a visa, and getting it isn’t always easy. It’s a painstaking process of gathering all the required documents and convincing the embassy to allow us to travel to their country. For many citizens of developing countries like the Philippines, the requirements that are difficult to fulfill are: proving our financial capacity and proving our rootedness in our home country.
To prove financial capacity, we need to submit a bank certificate and a bank statement listing down in full detail all the transactions over the past six months. To prove our rootedness, we must submit certificate of employment and approval of leave of absence if employed, business registration documents if self-employed, tax certificates, and copies of personal properties under our name (land titles, etc.) and other documents that would show we have every reason to return.
And even if we’re able to submit all these and meet all the requirements, there’s still no guarantee that we’d be granted a visa.
All this, I understand. Over the past decades, illegal immigration had been a big concern for many states. A lot of Filipinos enter their country illegally under the guise of tourists, only to look for employment and overstay. They have to be strict and screen applicants well, in order to protect their national interest. I understand that. It’s their duty to be strict, to scrutinize. But I can’t help feeling bad about it.

Applying for a visa can sometimes be a humiliating experience.

What I don’t understand is how mean the process is carried out sometimes. In one of my visa applications, I had to show up at the embassy for interview. If you’ve never been to a consular center before, let me describe it for you. It’s basically a room with counter windows. On one side are the officers, and on the other is the area where applicants wait for their turn. One time, I was seated a few meters from the windows when my number was called. I immediately rose from my chair and walked towards the counter, but because the room was so packed, it took several seconds. When I got to the counter, the interviewer said on the microphone — ON THE MICROPHONE — “I called your name three times. Why would you allow me to call your name three times?” All I could do was apologize and secretly blamed myself for not teleporting.
Normally I would talk back and call out anyone who is condescending, irrational, or simply out-of-line. But I couldn’t. If I wanted my application to be approved, I would have to bite my tongue.
And it wasn’t just me. Almost everyone before me (since I entered the room) was scolded or reprimanded on the microphone for the littlest things. It’s not what they say; it’s how they say it. Rudely. Arrogantly. Condescendingly. It’s stressful, uncalled for, and totally unnecessary.
At another embassy, I approached the guard station only to find another applicant get power tripped by the guard on duty. Here’s the backstory: Before going in, he had to surrender an ID card and receive a building ID that he needed to wear within the premises. Typical protocol, no problem. But after his interview, he went straight to the door and forgot to claim his ID. He immediately realized the mistake as he was walking out so he turned around and approached the desk to return the building ID and get his card. That’s when he received a mouthful from the guard. “Why did you exit without returning the iD?” the guard asked in a very confrontational tone, in front of a dozen other people falling in line. The guy didn’t answer.
“Answer me!” the guard demanded.
“I just forgot.”
“You just forgot? You’re a grown up! Who would forget his ID?”
“I remembered that’s why I returned.”
“Next time, don’t forget. Huh? You wouldn’t have to return if you didn’t forget. Huh? Don’t forget. Where did you ever see somebody going out without surrendering the ID? All buildings have that rule. Don’t forget that.”
Again, I’m not sure why it’s necessary to humiliate someone. You know what’s sadder? The person who does the humiliation is, more often than not, a Filipino too.
It’s seldom that the visa application is pleasant and easy. (Shoutout to the Korean Embassy for always being so nice every time I was there and to the German Embassy for being friendly and considerate during our Schengen application.)
Thankfully, even when I witnessed things like this, I was never denied a visa, partly because before I started going to countries that require it, I had traveled to visa-free countries to beef up my travel history. Partly because I have the financial documents; I registered myself as a sole proprietor so I would have the business registration documents and income tax returns.
And partly because I’m male. That’s a privilege that I have to acknowledge.
If I were a single female, it would probably be a different story. A lot of friends from different socio-economic backgrounds had been denied a visa, and they only had two things in common: They are all single and female. Whether they admit it or not, the system is prejudiced against women, many of whom are automatically assumed to be having motives other than tourism.
I’m still privileged at the end of the day. At least, I still get to travel. My heart goes to people who have it worse.

Going through Immigration is just as tough for many.

Having a valid visa doesn’t mean we can easily board that plane. Every time we face an Immigration Officer of our own country, we need to convince them that we’re not drug mules or potential illegal workers. Again, I understand the need for stringent rules. They need to protect us from falling victim to drug trafficking, human trafficking, slavery, and other crimes.
According to the Bureau of Immigration in 2014, around 40 people are offloaded at NAIA Terminal 1 alone every day. Most of them had the intention of seeking employment in their destination country without proper papers. Yet, 3-4 in every 50 people who get offloaded actually had legitimate reasons but were still not allowed to leave. Collateral damage, they say.
You want real-life accounts? All you need to do is read the comments on our How to Avoid Getting Offloaded post and you’ll be saddened by many of their stories.
Imagine how terrifying that is. You spend hard-earned money on plane tickets, hotel bookings, and tour reservations, only to be mistakenly accused and get blocked from boarding your flight. It’s like we’re drug mules until proven otherwise. We’re planning on being illegal aliens until proven otherwise. We’re up to no good until proven otherwise.

Getting picked for a “random” inspection.

When I first got picked for a random baggage inspection at an airport abroad, I didn’t care much about it. I knew they would find nothing. Hassle, yeah, but it didn’t take much time. When I got picked the second time, I was still okay. But when the third time happened, I was starting to see a pattern. In a sea of people, why does it always have to be me?
Random inspections don’t feel random anymore since I started hearing stories from other traveler friends. One of them had been picked almost EACH AND EVERY TIME he’s at the airport. The only airport he landed where it didn’t happen was JFK. Everywhere else, he was asked to either open his bags or have his luggage go through the X-Ray machines yet again.

Our hard work seems to be worth less.

When a Korean expat-friend learned how much most people my age was earning, he was shocked. “I don’t understand,” he said. “The prices here are almost the same as where I’m from, but why are your wages much lower? How do you get by?”
I didn’t know either. Looking back, I can’t believe how I survived. For my first writing job, I received PHP 14,000 per month. That’s roughly USD 295 per month. Minus taxes and benefits, that’s around USD 265. I also had to pay rent, bills, and meals, and buy milk for my nephew. No wonder I could not afford to go out of town in those years. Yet, I’m considered lucky because many entry-level positions pay much less.
If I go back to my first job now, someone in a developed country doing the same job as mine would get compensated enough to last him much longer on the road than I would even if we visit the same destinations and spend on the same things.
Of course, my life has improved financially since then. I had climbed the corporate ladder from the very bottom and built a portfolio strong enough to quit my full-time job and be on my own. Still, since most of my clients are local, my earnings still seem to still be widely insufficient if I travel long-term to developed countries because of the big gap in the cost of living and exchange rate.
During those years, I dreamed of traveling for good or at least extended periods of time. Sometimes, the thought of selling my properties to be able to support that dream financially would come to mind. But the thought would die as soon as it came to life. Not only would they account for very little, I would also have a harder time proving my “rootedness” should I apply for a visa. LOL.
———–
But that’s how it is. It’s just something that I have learned to swallow. Different countries, different costs of living, different salary standards. Sometimes it isn’t about merit but where you are born. Yet, it shouldn’t stop us from going places. I’m a firm believer of that old saying, “If there’s a will, there’s a way.” We just try to find a way to work around it, use it as a motivation and not an excuse, and accept that, yes, it is not fair, but life in general rarely is.
Still, I envy other travelers sometimes.

When I was invited to speak at the World Tourism Forum in Istanbul last year, I was asked to talk about this: How does one start a successful travel blog?

At first, it seemed like a simple, easy question. But the more I thought about it, the harder it was to find the right words. Any other day, I would have simply answered, “Get a domain name, find a good host, set up the blog, and write away.” But there was a qualifier there, an awfully subjective one: successful.

How do you measure success? We all have different metrics: visitor traffic, social media following, awards and recognition. Success can also mean simply being able to express yourself. If you have a goal — no matter how little — and it is achieved, then it is successful. But if we’re talking about blogging as a career, then perhaps a good measure is how the blog is able to sustain itself and generate enough income to support the blogger’s lifestyle. Yep, it is possible to travel the world for free and even get paid for it. You’ll be surprised how many people have built a career out of travel blogging, and I had the pleasure of meeting (and being friends) with many of them.

I’m not gonna pretend like I’m an expert in this field. Every day, I find myself learning more as I wade through the intricacies of the blogging community and the travel industry. But I am an expert in my personal history (LOL), and that’s what I’m sharing with you in this post.

Nope, I’m not going to tell you to quit your job and travel the world.

As someone who came from a less fortunate family with children to feed and send to school, I know it’s NOT that easy. At least for me, it wasn’t easy at all. It was made even more complicated by the fact that I’m holding a Philippine passport, which entails proving my rootedness and financial capacity before I’m allowed to set foot in many of my dream destinations. I could not just leave everything behind and ride off into the sunset. I had to plan everything, and plan everything I did.
We started this blog from nothing. At the time, I was at the very bottom of the corporate ladder, working as a social media marketing manager for a startup company from 8-5. At first, I was just blogging about our company outings because I couldn’t afford to travel on my own. I had no savings. My salary was just enough for rent, bills, and the tuition of the kids in the family. But we’ve come a long way.
Today, both Vins and I have quit our day jobs and are now full-time travel bloggers. We’ve also launched another blog called PhilippineBeaches.org. This blog alone registers almost a million page views a month and our two blogs have over 2 million social media followers in total. And because of these blogs, we are able to travel any time we want.
Related:

• More Info about Yoshke and Vins
• More Info about The Poor Traveler Blog

So how did we do it? What I’m sharing below are things I have learned over a decade of working both as a blogger and as a social media marketing professional. Some of these I already knew even before we created this blog, while others were lessons we picked up along the way. We had a few regrets — things that we would’ve done differently — and we hope sharing them would help you avoid making the same mistakes.
If I would start a travel blog right now, here’s how I would do it.

But before that, let me say this: Travel blogging as a full-time career is not as glamorous as people think. There are days when we feel like if we don’t write anything, we won’t earn anything. Most days, we just break even. We have to constantly be on our toes so we have backup plans. But between this and having a day job, we would pick this all day. Yes, we work all the time, but we work at our own pace at any place we choose.
We’re not encouraging you to quit your job, but if you decide to do it, plan it well. Here’s how we planned our exit:
How We Quit our Jobs to Travel

Step 1: Positioning

Determine what will set your blog apart from the rest.

This is what most bloggers don’t even consider. They simply think of a name and sign up for a blog. But if you want to make a career out of blogging, this is the first thing you should think about.
There are tens of thousands of blogs out there, and you need to find what would make yours stand out. So you want to blog about travel? Cool. The next question you should ask yourself is: What about it?
What would make your new blog different? What can it offer that isn’t on the table yet? Why should readers care about your blog? Also, who is your target audience? Are you writing for a specific age bracket or gender or socio-economic class?
What sets you apart may be related to any of the following:

• Target market. In our case, we built The Poor Traveler for budget travelers in developing countries in Asia. From the get-go, we knew we wanted to write for people with full-time jobs who can only travel during the weekends and holidays. For instance, when we write travel guides, we present cheap flight options from airports in Manila, Bangkok, or Kuala Lumpur. When we provide a sample itinerary, it’s often just for 2-5 days. We always take into consideration that most of our readers are not backpacking for one month but probably just taking a weekend or an extended weekend off from work. When we write about expensive first-world countries like Iceland or Switzerland, we wear the lens of someone who will be spending a year’s worth of hard work for just a week of exploring. These are travelers who can’t afford costly blunders on the road. Another blog that I look up to is Adventurous Kate, which “shows women that independent and solo travel can be safe, easy, and a lot of fun.” View from the Wing caters to frequent flyers. Their respective target markets can’t be any clearer.
• Subject. There are several great examples out there. Y Travel Blog is about being able to “travel with the people you love and have a thriving relationship.” A Luxury Travel Blog focuses on “the finer aspects of travel.” Migrationology is all about traveling for food! It can also be destination-specific! Our other blog PhilippineBeaches.org focuses on a very specific (and obvious) niche: beaches in the Philippines! You’ll find blogs out there that are about places: Bangkok, Bali, Boracay, Sagada, Goa, Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei.
• Specific Goal. Our friend Johnny Ward of One Step 4Ward documents his adventure visiting all the countries in the world. If that’s not compelling, I don’t know what is.

Step 2: Branding

Build your blog identity.

Now that you know what would make your blog stand out, it’s time to build your blog’s identity. How would you like to be known? What do you want your blog to be called? How would it look and feel?
The most important thing you need to decide on at this stage is your blog’s name. Sounds easy, yeah? Probably not. Haha. I find this to be the most difficult part of the process. The name should be able to adequately and properly encapsulate what your blog stands for. It’s tough because sometimes you might think you have it, but when you try to buy the domain name, you’ll find that it’s no longer available or someone else is using it already.
Here are my tips when picking a name:

• Don’t be too specific. Specific is good sometimes, but not TOO specific. Consider the future! You’ll most probably evolve as a traveler. If your boyfriend’s name is Juan, don’t call your blog TravelingwithJuan.com. It’s sweet and all, but if you break up, you’re gonna have to start over!
• Make it short, clear, and easy to remember. Don’t add numbers or special characters.
• Choose a .com instead of a .net or .biz. Don’t make the same mistake that we did. A .com domain name is just much easier to remember and people always assume it’s .com.
• If you can, make your blog name the same as its usernames on social media sites. This allows your readers to find you much more easily on Facebook or Instagram, and makes it intuitive. Our usernames on Twitter, YouTube, IG, and FB are all @thepoortraveler. And when there’s a new social media site, we sign up immediately to reserve the name just in case it takes off.

Be careful when picking a name. It will be tough to change it in the future. Building your blog’s authority on search engines is highly dependent on your URL (i.e. your blog name). If you change it, you will have to start from scratch, SEO-wise. I’ll discuss SEO later.
But the name is just the start. Decide on the look and feel: colors, texture, imagery, overall experience. And if you’re really serious about it, have an original logo! These things will increase recall of your brand! (Yes, you’re a brand!)
Once you’re all set with your branding ideas, the real work begins. As you move forward, you have to be guided by and stick to it. If your blog is StandUpPaddlingForever, make sure that most of your posts are about standup paddling! It’s a struggle for us, too. Even when ours is called The Poor Traveler, we often get invited by luxury hotels and resorts to stay with them for free, but we couldn’t take the offer most of the time because they just don’t fit with our blog.

Step 3: Technicals

Set up the blog.

a. Purchase a domain name and hosting plan.

There are a lot of options out there, offering various plans at different rates. We don’t have recommendations because we haven’t tried any of the big ones and thus cannot make comparisons. But the process is almost always the same.

b. Install WordPress.

There are many other blogging platforms out there, but I strongly recommend WordPress. I’ve been blogging since 2005 and I’ve tried a lot of other platforms, but WordPress is by far the best.

c. Pick a theme.

The “theme” is how your blog would appear to the readers. Some themes come with extra features. Some may require additional plugins. You can buy a “premium” theme or you can have a custom design created.
But since you’re just getting started and you don’t have much content yet, pick one of the thousands of FREE themes that are available! On your WordPress Dashboard, hover on the Appearance link on the side menu, click on Themes, and begin exploring.
These are pre-set themes, so pick one that is closest to your branding vision. When your blog has enough content, you can level up to a more premium theme.

Step 4: Content

Write, write, write!

At every marketing summit I have attended, there’s always someone that would say this: Content is King.
Although I’m sick of hearing it, there’s a reason why industry leaders keep on harping on it — because it is true. And sadly, it’s often forgotten. Sure, every once in a while, someone takes over the internet because of a stunt, sheer personality, or genetics, but they rise and fall quicker than your first one-night stand. If you’re after longevity, focus on content. A stable online career has its foundation strongly rooted on how much value you add to your readers’ experiences.
Whether you’re producing videos, photos, or articles, whether you aim to inform, entertain or inspire, it is important to bear these in mind:

• Be sincere. Don’t do it just because of the money. Do it because you love it. Do it because you have something to share.
• Don’t post anything you can’t be proud of. Quality first.
• Learn along the way. You’ll discover that some topics or styles work better than others. Feel free to experiment and do more of what you think is working.
• But don’t lose yourself. Finding the healthiest mixture of knowing your readers’ taste and staying true to yourself is no easy business. The last thing you want is to wake up one day and see that your blog is so oddly distant from the real you. Your blog is yours. Don’t lose yourself in the process.
• Keep on blogging. There will be moments when you feel like no one’s reading your blog and you begin to question why you’re doing it. Don’t stop. The start of every trek is always uphill. But the more posts you make, the better you increase your chances of getting found and noticed.

Step 5: SEO and Social Media

Get found, get followed, engage.

Perhaps one of the reasons why my partnership with Vins works is because of our backgrounds. Before we became full-time travel bloggers, Vins was an SEO Specialist by profession, while I was the Social Media Head of a number of big companies in the ASEAN region. When we combine our skills in harnessing the power of both search and social media, we get to capture our target audience.
Social Media is a complicated monster. Even after years of experience, I still cannot claim expertise in it because it changes every damn time. But the basic principles are still the same.

• Every channel is different. Create content that is tailor-made for each. What works on Facebook doesn’t necessarily work for Instagram.
• You don’t need to be present in ALL of the social media sites, but you need to figure out the right mix for your brand.
• Be human. Let your followers feel you’re one of them, you’re one with them.
• Don’t buy fake followers. Your peers know. And while you may fool clients in the beginning, sooner or later your credibility will come crashing down.

Most importantly: When you give the right content to the right audience through the right social media channel, you could make them share your posts and follow you for more.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization), on the other hand, is the art and science of appearing in the first pages of results when users Google something. And Google is a — if not THE — primary source of visitor traffic. Here’s brief primer on SEO:

There are many factors that can affect your Google ranking including the quality of your content, the keywords you use, and incoming links.
Both SEO and Social Media Marketing are complex monsters that are hard to tame and win over. They’re too complicated to be discussed here, we’ll probably just make a dedicated blog post.

Step 6: Monetization

Monetize your blog and social media assets!

How do blogs earn?
Before that, let me make it clear that not all bloggers make money from their blogs. Turning blogs into a money-generating business is difficult to do. And some choose to not monetize their blog at all. For example, we earn from The Poor Traveler, but I choose to not monetize my personal blog Yoshke.com, where I put all my travel narratives. (Yes, I have a lot of blogs.)
Those who do earn through their blogs do it in a variety of ways. Below are some examples:

• Display advertising. These are the banner or link ads that appear on the website.
• Affiliate programs. When you purchase a product or book a service on the blog, the blogger gets a commission at no extra cost to the reader. For example, if you use the search engine below to book your hotel, you’re helping us earn a little.

• Sponsored Blog Posts. Brands would tap the blogger to feature their products or services on the blog for a fee.
• Sponsored Social Media Posts. Brands would pay the blogger for a feature on their Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter accounts.
• Ambassadorship. Brands would hire a blogger for a specified period of time — say, a year — to constantly promote their products or services on their blogs and social media channels. These arrangements often entail exclusivity, which means the blogger cannot write about competing brands through the duration of the contract. It’s like being an endorser. Bloggers are paid per contract.
• Paid Trips. Airlines, travel agencies, and tourism offices around the world often invite bloggers to feature destinations on their website. Most of these trips are all-expense-paid, and some of them provide additional payment to the blogger.

There are many other ways to earn. Some do travel coaching. Some become consultants to travel companies. You can be resourceful and creative. My only guidance is to just to be discerning when it comes to paid opportunities. You need to protect your brand, too! Just because it pays DOESN’T mean you have to take it.
If you accept partnerships with brands, be transparent with your readers. Disclose your sponsorships.
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Still, even after following these steps, there is no guarantee that your blog will be successful. Aside from hard work, sometimes great timing and good luck have a lot to do with it. But you’ll never know if you don’t try.
We’re planning on holding a Travel Blogging and Social Media Workshop this year, but we don’t have details yet. If you’re interested, follow us on Facebook or Instagram to be the first to know.