budget travel Archives • The Bliss Movement

Your Quick Guide to Traveling Australia’s East Coast

The East Coast of Australia is filled with picture perfect images that entice people from all over the world to come and visit this big, beautiful country. With everything to offer from city life and sea-side villages to mountain ranges and wild rain forests, the east coast has become the most popular backpacker route within Australia. Along the way you will meet people from all walks of life, all nationalities, all ages and all abilities ticking off this bucket-list trip and they are all doing it differently. Because there are so many ways of exper[...]

Australia, Budget Travel, Travel

Sydney: Coogee Women’s Baths and the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk

It's been three months since I stepped off the train in Sydney, greeted by a friend I had met in Ecuador last year who was kind enough to take me in and show me around her hometown for my first weekend in the city. Since then, I've eased into a normal kind of life again and haven't really felt very inspired to write. But, with only eight days before I toss my bags on a bus and begin my journey up the east coast of Australia, I think it is finally time to update you all with what life has been like for the first few months of this year!After an amazin[...]

Australia, Guides + Itineraries, Travel

Margaret River: 2 Days In Western Australia’s Wine Region

If you've ever come to Perth you'll have heard of Margaret River, Western Australia's wine region - a popular place for locals and tourists to visit for a getaway when in need of a break from city life. With vineyards around every corner, quaint small towns and beautiful scenery of everything from rolling farmland to forests to the sea, Margaret River has a little something for everyone.If you have a weekend to spare, I'd recommend staying one night in Margaret River and one night in Dunsborough. Margaret River itself is a great place if your main f[...]

Budget Travel, Peru, South America, Travel

How To Visit Machu Picchu on a Budget

Despite being one of the world's most famous ancient sites, you can absolutely visit Machu Picchu on a budget. Hidden high within the Andes, the sheer size of Machu Picchu combined with architecture that would have been seemingly impossible in the times of the Inca civilization (particularly in its mountain-top location), is both beautiful and mysterious. It's no wonder why thousands of people from around the world come to take it in every year. There are a number of different ways to visit but this guide is geared towards people who want to Machu Picchu on a[...]

Ecuador, South America, Travel

Banos: The Ecuadorian Adventure Town

The journey crossing the border from Colombia to Ecuador by bus - despite making me really nervous to do alone - ended up being a breeze. After spending a night in a hotel on the border of Colombia, I hailed a taxi to the border and before I knew it, I was walking across a bridge; out of one country and into another in under two minutes. A little chit chat with immigration officials, passport stamped and it was sorted. Soon enough, I was on a bus out of there. Sometimes I wind up in countries or cities without really knowing why I want to go there in the first p[...]

Budget Travel, Tips, Planning and Packing, Travel

Travel More: 5 Steps to Afford More Adventure In Your Life

There is a misconception that traveling can only be for the top 2% of the world - that you need to have a lot of money or that travel is expensive in itself. I absolutely hate being asked how I afford to travel so much. Not because I don't like talking about money (I do), but because the people who are asking usually aren't the ones who are actually interested in making it happen for themselves. The question usually comes from people who say it as a backhanded compliment. I will say that no, it's not available to everyone but for the average middle-class person, i[...]

Tips, Planning and Packing, Travel

4 Signs You Need To Quit Your Job And Travel ASAP

So, you've graduated college and here you are - the real world. It was exciting at first; your very own desk, a work phone, your name on a shiny gold nameplate at the front of your desk. You even had free reign to personalize your office space - you had your seashell collection from around the world in a mason jar, some inspirational quotes, perhaps some flamingos hanging from the ceiling? If you were going to be spending the majority of your life in this office, it was going to be a place you wanted to be. At the very least, it would remind you of the best momen[...]

Tips, Planning and Packing, Travel

Packing Tips: 5 Tips for the Over-Packer

My first trip of the year is coming up in exactly one week so you can bet I've been itching to pack for the last month! Unfortunately, I think there is such a thing as packing too early and have had to practice restraint. I made it until this past Thursday and couldn't take it anymore - in a heart-racing frenzy I pulled out my summer clothes and the packing began! If you've ever gone on a long trip or even a one week holiday, you'll understand me when I say that packing is a skill that is best when practiced to perfection. While there is a huge difference in packi[...]

Barbados, Caribbean, Travel

8 Reasons Barbados Should Be Your Next Winter Vacay

Recently dubbed the Caribbean Destination of the Year by Caribbean Journal, Barbados is, without a doubt, the next trip you need to book. Like, yesterday. Barbados is known for its white, sandy beaches and being the birthplace of Rihanna. It’s the place where high-profile people such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Simon Cowell, Elton John and many others jet off to for their holidays in the sun. But don’t let that fool you into thinking this destination is only for the well-to-do. That’s far from the truth. Barbados is the perfect getaway for travelers of any a[...]

Alberta, Canada

A Visual Journey Through the Rocky Mountains, Part 2

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Personal Development, Travel

A World of Possibility

Sorry for being such an inconsistent blogger lately I find it difficult to write engaging posts for you when I'm home, spending most of my time working and saving for the next adventure (and it's a big adventure). But being home and surrounded by family and friends brings with it a little bit of enlightenment, so I'll likely be sharing some of that with you lately with more reflection posts rather than actual travel posts. It's a funny moment when you realize how differently you view the progression of your life compared to those around you. It's exciting to th[...]

Mood and Mindset, Self-Care

Stop Apologizing For Laughing Too Much: 4 Ways Laughter Leads To A Better Life

There was a moment in my life when I did the unthinkable. I was sitting in the front row of my late uncle’s funeral service. Somebody was up at the podium, delivering a tear-stained speech, and I was sitting there, listening. But I was also thinking about a time I had spent with him, a hilarious moment where laughter had been contagious and we had both gotten belly aches from laughing too hard. So I did the unthinkable. One of the most horrific social taboos at a funeral: I laughed. A bubbling giggle erupted from within, and I laughed in the middle of a very s[...]