Can We Really Travel On Holiday For Free?
With some street smarts and courage to go out of your comfort zone, there are ways for everyone to live the tourist lifestyle practically for free.
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Many of us love to travel. To set out on an adventure and explore new places, meet new people and encounter new experiences.
But for most of us, our wanderlust desires can remain pipe dreams simply for our lack of money and time. After all, it’s not easy to just pack a bag and fly off somewhere nice when you have bills to pay, a 9-to-5 and other life commitments.
And when factoring in things like flight tickets, visas, accommodations, meal expenses and other things, even a quick vacay can add up to be a costly affair.
But with some street smarts and courage to go out of your comfort zone, there are ways for everyone to live the tourist lifestyle practically for free.
We assembled TRP’s troop of travel bugs to share their experiences of travelling the world without breaking the bank and still making the bank.
1. Going nomad
With WFH taking over the mainstream, people are realising that they can choose to WF-Anywhere and are adopting the digital nomad lifestyle — allowing them the independence of working remotely and the freedom to travel at the same time.
Being uprooted from the office gives the ‘anywhere worker’ opportunities to travel on our own time, and still get paid. All a digital nomad needs is a phone or a laptop to work on and a decent internet connection to remain tethered to our respective professions.
And even governments around the world, including Malaysia, are in support of digital nomads by adopting digitization strategies and offering things like special visas in order to promote professional mobility.
I myself have gone nomad on several occasions locally and abroad on quick getaways playing the working tourist.
2. Voluntourism
Now the idea of being a tourist at a monsoon-ravaged ‘flood festival’ may seem out of the box, but a little compassion can do a lot to broaden our horizons.
Volunteer tourism or ‘voluntourism’ is the practice where people travel with the intention of doing some good in the world. Every voluntourist possesses personal motivation to do what they do — whether it’s to help the community or the environment.
Voluntourists are able to discover interesting locations, gain immersive experiences and build genuine relationships with people from all walks of life.
For example, you could be helping distribute food and supplies to disaster victims or join an activist group to help clean up the beach.
TRP’s very own Hakim Hassan says he has fond memories of voluntourism by helping uplift urban youths through music.
Sure, you may not be staying at fancy hotels and there’s a lot of work involved. But it’s rewarding to go to new places and walk in other people’s shoes.
3. The Bargain B*tch
For TRP’s lifestyle guru, Anne Dorall, travelling is all about maximising one’s gain. Anne believes that keeping a close eye on bargains, deals and discounts is the best way for the budget-tourist to travel (nearly) for free.
There’s always a free breakfast coupon or an extra night’s stay at a hotel if you look hard enough. And you can always gain extra rewards and travel points if you spend smart. All it takes is research and planning.
Charting her own adventure this year, Anne says that she’ll be taking advantage of AirAsia’s ‘Free Seats’ campaign to make the most of her next getaway.
During the promo, I get to book a free flight to Alor Setar, Johor Bahru, Langkawi, Penang, Kota Bharu, Terengganu, Krabi, Phu Quoc, Singapore, Nha Trang, Sihanoukville and more. The sky’s the limit!
With 4 million free seats available, you too can travel the world for free with AirAsia! During this big sale, you can also set a course to Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland, Seoul, New Delhi, Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo and Hawaii from as low as RM499 with AirAsia X.
Plus if you pay for your flights with the AirAsia Pocket eWallet, you’ll earn AirAsia points to redeem on hotels, tours and activities and more to maximise your vacation.
Just book free flights to your dream holiday destination from 25 till 31 July 2022 and set your travel date between 1 October 2022 and 28 October 2023 to fly there on the house. (T&C apply. All-in-fare from RM23 including airport taxes, MAVCOM fee, fuel surcharges and other applicable fees).
Check out AirAsia’s website for details and more free travel advice.
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