A Beginner's Guide to World Travel

Wat Pho Temple, Bangkok, Thailand

I took my very first solo travel trip ever, late in 2012 and even then, at 31, the very idea of solo travel was completely new to me.  And backpacking, that was something teenagers --born with silver spoons-- did with graduation money.  Until very recently, I had no idea that it was in fact absolutely possible to travel the world, venturing across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, to see and do as much as I could, all the while paying off huge chunks of debt I had accumulated as an undergraduate at Rutgers University.

As a woman born in the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago, I had become an American citizen via naturalization in 2009 and I was pretty much a very small fish in a very large pond.

Luckily for me, my very first solo trip to Busan -- a trip I made while teaching English for one year in Pohang, South Korea -- proved to be a wonderful experience that pretty much opened up many doors to seeing and doing lots of adventurous things in and around South Korea and later, southeast Asia.

Youngungsa Temple, Busan South Korea-October 2012

So far, the list of countries I've traveled to is a whopping six countries, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines and now, I can add Hong Kong.  Let me not forget my trip to meet my maternal grandmother in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in 2013.

I am well on my way to being a world traveler.  :)

Near Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan-January 2013

Shinjuku Goyen Gardens, Tokyo, Japan-June 2013

Ciyou Temple, Taipei, Taiwan-January 2014

Xinbetou Millenium Hot Springs, Taipei, Taiwan-January 2014

Trekking, Chiang Mai, Thailand-January 2015

Sunday Night Market, Chiang Mai, Thailand-January 2015

Mermaiding, Boracay, Philippines- February 2015

Cebu Zoo, Cebu, Philippines- February 2015

Philippine Taoist Temple, Cebu, Philippines-February 2015

If like me, and you're wondering how people can afford to travel the world while paying off student loans and other debts, read on.

One year teaching contracts. With English an unofficial global language, teaching English in Asia is an almost guaranteed job as long as you're a native from the U.S., Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, or the U.K. If you're like me, not a native but have lived and been educated in the U.S. for at least 8 of the 12 years Americans and resident aliens attend public schools and you hold a U.S. passport.  You'll also need to show at least an undergraduate degree from an accredited school, pass a criminal background check, be drug free and HIV negative.  You may or may not need a TEFL certificate.

As I've been in Korea for three years now, I've gathered some useful information about how the Korean education system works with regard to English teaching contracts.  Read on.

There are at least two types of contracts:  Public school teaching, EPIK, TALK Scholars and GEPIK. Contracts typically start in August or February with February being the start of the school year and August being the start of the second semester.  There are also private academies called hagwons, where teachers work afternoon/evening hours.  For teaching in Korea, go here.  For a look at the day in my life as an English teacher with EPIK, check this out.

For teaching in China, go here.

For teaching in Japan, go here.

For teaching in Taiwan, go here.

For teaching elsewhere, go here and/or here.

Moderate Accommodations.  Ever heard of a hostel?  Aside from Couch Surfing, hostels are THE most affordable way to get a nights rest all the while interacting with other foreigners and/or locals in the area.  I haven't spent the night in a hotel since I learned about hostels.  The dorms range from either solely male or female, as well co-ed dorms or mixed with male and female.  You basically get a bed in a room with other beds/guests with clean bedding and room to keep your belongings.  Some hostels provide lockers and/or locks and keys to secure your belongings.  So far, I've had pretty good experiences with hostels.  On countless occasions, I've left my things lying around and nothing has ever gone missing.  Hostels offer a relaxed and convenient way to lodge in cities around the world.

But if bunking with complete strangers is too much for you, hostels also carry an option to have a private room (solo) or private room (two person), which of course is a tad more expensive that a bed in a dorm for the night.  Check out these two popular sites for booking hostels in Asia and around the world, here and here.

Cheap Flights via Local Airlines.  Presently, I'm in Seoul and heading to Hong Kong tomorrow. From Seoul, I was able to secure a flight to Hong Kong for 80,000 won ($68.00) one way, with a local airline Jeju Air.  Jeju Air also offers flights from Seoul to the Philippines, Bangkok, Vietnam and Taiwan for similar prices.

Free things to do.  Just one google search for "free things to do in ..." will get you lots of information on any particular destination.

Do you have any other tips on world travel?  Comment below.