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Location freedom is one of the greatest perks of being a solopreneur and it’s one of the three pillars we talk about at length on The Solopreneur Hour.
In 2009 I set a goal to work from a beach and today’s show is my achievement of that goal. Recorded from a beach in Thailand, episode 275 is a collection of travel hacks I’ve gathered over the last month in SE Asia and the lessons I’ve learned.
More Travel Hacks From a Beach in Thailand
When you hear this episode you’ll hear the waves crashing in the background as I sit on a beach called Katamai in Phuket, Thailand (that’s pronounced foo ket). It’s one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen and I wanted to share a little bit of it with you in this recording.
If you’re just joining us I’ve spent the last month traveling various countries in SE Asia, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Hong Kong and obviously Thailand. I spent a week at Chris Ducker’s annual Tropical Think Tank where I was invited to speak, and then I’ve taken the additional three weeks after to see this part of the world.
During that month I’ve realized a few things about travel and have uncovered some great travel hacks for my future trips, hopefully you can use them as well.
In This Episode, You’ll Also Hear:
- How to make traveling affordable.
- Why a SIM card has been invaluable on this trip.
- Why I skipped Bali and recorded from Thailand instead.
- Dexter’s diagnosis.
- And so much more…
I’ve learned I need to split my travel into thirds: one third just to do touristy things, another third to explore my hobbies and the final third for adventure and relaxation. That combination of activities and leisure time suit me best and allow me to get the most out of my travels.
As far as hacks, on this trip I’ve discovered 3 great resources I highly recommend: a SIM card for your phone, Hotels.com and TripAdvisor.
Whenever you leave the airport of a new country be sure to grab some cash (50-60 bucks should be enough), then look for stands that sell SIM cards. Pick one up and you should be able to get 5 gigs of data for around $10. Use that to power up your Google maps for directions, and then to explore Hotels.com and TripAdvisor.
Hotels.com has gotten me some killer hotel rooms for great rates in every city in every country I’ve traveled to. Plus they offer a rewards program where you book 9 nights and your 10th is free. You can hang on to that free night and cash it in, or apply it to a super fancy hotel for a discount.
And once I used Hotels.com to find a hotel, I checked the hotel’s ratings on TripAdvisor. TripAdvisor never steered me wrong; I always knew if the hotel was in a good location and would be a nice place to stay.
Whatever your next travel goal is these three hacks should help you greatly, they certainly did for me. I also share why this goal has meant so much to me, and why I believe travel is incredibly beneficial for all of us at any stage in our solopreneur journey. Check it out on this edition of The Solopreneur Hour and we’ll see you next time.
QUESTIONS OF THE DAY: What are your three biggest challenges as a solopreneur right now?! Let us know in the comments below!
Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, could you please leave a review here. I read them, sometimes on the show, and will reach out if you leave your Twitter handle!
Selected Links From This Episode
Big Buddha Phuket
The Solopreneur Hour on the Twitter
Here Are More Travel Hacks
Hi Michael, great to hear a podcast recorded on a beach! Living the dream!!! Some great tips on travelling, and hope to use them myself some day.
You asked about good fiction books. I used to read some Tom Clancy and Robert Ludlum but found them a little overly long (the only thing the Bourne books have in common with the films are the titles). Did read a Clive Cussler last year and found it was aimed a little too much at the lowest common denominator.
If you want a spy/thriller I recommend the British writer Frederick Forsythe. Instead of the CIA much of it is based on British Intelligence, so conjure up images of grey haired men with three piece suits and drinking tea whilst discussing illegal spy networks in Russia. The three “classics” of his are The Odessa File, The Day Of The Jackal and The Fourth Protocol, though anything he’s written is worth a read.
Forsythe’s books are far from a “light read”, but frankly the intelligent style p*sses over the likes of Cussler and once the story grips you it won’t let go.
Hope that helps pass a couple of hours on a long flight back home. Safe journey, and I’m sure Dexter will be pleased to have you back!
Once again, congratulations on achieving the dream of recording a podcast on the other side of the world. Here’s to more in the future.
Robert