After a year of vlogging trips across Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines, a few budget lessons kept proving themselves true. Here are the five we'd tell a friend.
1. Book the experience, not the impulse
The things we remembered most were planned a little ahead — and usually cheaper for it. Booking attraction tickets and transfers in advance (we use Klook) almost always beat buying at the gate.
2. Hawker centres and local markets win
The best food was rarely the most expensive. Singapore's hawker centres and Vietnam's street stalls gave us our favourite meals for a fraction of restaurant prices.
3. Honesty over hype
Not every famous spot is worth it. We said so about Halong Bay — and our most-watched moments are often the honest ones. Travel content people trust is content that tells them when to skip.
4. Shoulder seasons and weekday flights
A little flexibility on dates did more for our budget than any single hack. Mid-week flights and off-peak weeks meant cheaper everything.
5. Pack light, move easy
Carry-on only changed how we travel — faster airports, no bag fees, and the freedom to hop on public transport instead of taxis.
Budget travel isn't about going cheap. It's about spending where it counts.
🎬 We break a lot of this down across our travel vlogs on YouTube — give us a follow if it's useful!