So here’s a new “Cost of Living” blog post that will be muuuuch more accurate than all the others ones I did.

Let’s talk about my methodology: in the past, I used to count how much we spent by tracking everything in the notes on my phones, usually only for a week or two. I’d then multiply that number to get a monthly average. Since them, I’ve purchased the Trail Wallet app to see exactly where my money is going (all of it!) I’ve been using that app for a bit over a year now, and it’s amazing! I log in every purchase I make, and now I know how much money goes to rent, how much goes to food, and how much goes to unexpected expenses.

I’ve also recently started using YNAB (click that link to get a free month!), which is another budget/money tracking app. So now I turned into a crazy lady who tracks all of her expenses manually into two apps. But YNAB had some features that Trail Wallet didn’t have, so I feel better with both. Trail Wallet is great for being abroad and currency exchange, while YNAB is great for knowing if you can afford to go on that next trip or not.

The point of this rant was that I now track my money much more efficiently, so this “cost of living” is going to be way more accurate.

Alright, let’s dive it!

Note that the currency exchange at the time was ฿32 (baht) for $1 US.

GETTING TO KOH TAO

In case you care about the price of our plane ticket from middle-of-nowhere Regina, SK to Bangkok, it cost $1,065 (CAD) for two people. To be honest, I found that going from Canada to Asia is a lot cheaper than coming back. Our flights back home are $2,170 (CAD) for two people. Quite the difference! (And that’s with relatively flexible dates and checking the many variations possible).

Getting to Thailand is not really that hard and the plane ticket prices will vary a lot depending on where you’re coming from. What’s a lot harder though, and much more standard, is how to get from Bangkok to Koh Tao.

Flying via Samui

My favorite way (and the most expensive) is to flight direct from BKK to Samui. You can flight with Bangkok Airways, but this will cost you $100-150 one way, for one person. If you can afford it, it’s much more pleasant. Once you land in Samui, you can take the shuttle for ฿100 ($3) per person to the Seatran pier. From there, getting to Koh Tao on the ferry will take you around one hour and a half. The ferry cost is usually around ฿600 ($19).

Flying via Surat Thani

A cheaper alternative is to fly to Surat Thani, and take a ferry to Koh Tao. The problem I find with this alternative is that you have to stay on the boat quite long. From the Surat Thani airport, you’ll get on a bus for an hour and a half to the pier, then you’ll take a ferry for approximately 3 hours. So depending on how the sea is, it can be a very unpleasant trip. If you’re lucky and the weather is nice, it’s not that big of a deal. You just don’t want to be stuck on a boat for 3 hours when people are vomiting. Check the weather beforehand and bring Dramamine if you get easily sea-sick.

You can fly to Surat Thani from the Don Mueang Airport (DMK) with Nok Air or AirAsia. We’ve only done it with AirAsia so far, but NokAir is another good alternative! You can expect to pay as low as $20 for a one-way flight, but budget maybe around $30-$50 for this. If you get a good deal, that’s awesome! Also, remember that you’ll have to pay extra if you’re checking a bag. That can add up pretty quickly.

The boat from Surat Thani with Lomprayah is usually around ฿950 ($30) per person one-way (which includes the bus from the airport to the pier)

Flying via Chumpon

This is an option that is available, but that we’ve never tried. There are not that many flights to Chumpon, I think there are only two daily and they don’t match up that nicely with the ferries. The great thing about traveling via Chumpon though is that you can score a cheap plane ticket and a short very ride. The downside is that, at the moment, you’ll either have to wait all day in Chumpon to connect, or have to stay overnight.

Other methods to get to Koh Tao

You can take an overnight train to Chumpon and take a ferry to Koh Tao, but again, this isn’t something we’ve done (or have been interested in doing). We have enough money to afford to travel comfortably, and for a couple of digital nomad whose hours are valuable, spending a day riding a train is not such a great deal when we can fly to get to our destination faster, and work once we get there.

There is also overnight boats that you can take from both Surat Thani and Chumpon. If you take the right one, they’re okay. I don’t really any much info on them since we’ve only taken it once, but there are days where the “good” boats run, so you want to travel on those days! Ask locals, they’ll know when that is!

Rent

There is a lot of options for long-term lodging on Koh Tao, due to the high number of expats. You can find a place to live for any budget! We like having a whole apartment with a (small) kitchen so we can make breakfast at home in the morning. We also have a living room (couch + TV) because… well we watch a lot of TV.

Last year, we paid ฿20,000 ($630) per month for a studio, which I found was quite expensive for this island. We were new and didn’t really know what was available, so we took that apartment because it was the best we’d found. This year though, we found a much nicer apartment at an even better price! This time we have a big kitchen, a normal-sized fridge, a separate bedroom and a dining table! And our couch is way more comfortable. Oh, and we also get weekly cleanings, which are soooooo nice! (I hate cleaning).

This year, we pay ฿17,000 ($530) per month. We’ve always had to pay for our utilities, and those are pretty much the same as last year. They vary from ฿3,000 to ฿4,000 ($93-$125) depending on how much water we use and if we run the AC every night (we do).

Again, we are digital nomads and have the income that goes with it. We’re not divers living on a divers wage, so we can afford a place like this. If you don’t have such a high budget, there are rooms available in the ฿8,000-฿10,000 ($250-$313) per month that are really nice and clean!

If you’re interested in renting for the same place as us, we live at Mae Haad Homestay. We get the long-term monthly price, so if you don’t stay for as long, you might not get as good of a deal. They also have various apartment sizes, so you might want to check them out anyway! And if you’re coming to Koh Tao to work online, you’ll be happy to hear that Mae Haad Homestay is like 3 minutes for Tao Hub, the only coworking place on the island (where we go daily!)

Food

Depending on what you can handle and the kind of food you like, this can vary widely. Last year, after getting to Koh Tao, Chris and I ate a lot of Thai food (hey, it’s cheap!) but ended up having stomach problems for 3 months… It only got better when we cut the Thai food out of our diet completely.

Now, we eat Thai only 1-2 times a week, max. All of our meals are Western, and we try to eat healthy-ish. We love Coconut Monkey, Big Bite Burger, Kopee Cafe and I Love Salad for lunch. Those are really nice restaurants that we enjoy heading to!

For dinner, we order in often from La Pizzeria (best pizza on Koh Tao!) and Shalimar (best Indian food on Koh Tao!). It’s really good and bad at the same time that you can order online via their Facebook pages… It’s too easy to order, which makes us eat it all the time   Oh well… Otherwise, we just go to other Western-food restaurants. I would love to list them all, but I feel like that would take waaaay too long!

Oh, and if you hadn’t figured it out yet, we eat out twice a day. The only meal we eat at home is breakfast. We find that it just doesn’t make sense to cook at home since we really don’t have that great of a kitchen and we find it hard to get fresh food.

Alright, so how much do we actually spend on food? On restaurants alone, we spend an average of $760 per month for two people. That’s quite a high budget, but we really like good food… Our meals are usually in the ฿100 to ฿200 ($3-$6) range for lunch, and ฿150-฿300 ($4.50-$9.30) range for dinner. You can easily eat Thai food for ฿60 ($1.90) per meal, but if you have to spend your day on the toilet, it’s not worth it. Not for us, anyway.

We also spend around $250 per month on groceries, which includes breakfast food, drinking water and alcohol. I eat toats and eggs every morning, Chris eats overnight oats with apples. It’s definitely cheaper to eat breakfast at home, and since those are breakfasts that we can easily put together, it’s worth it. 10 eggs cost me ฿50, but my fave loaf of bread is ฿130. Chris gets his oats for dirt cheap, same for the coconut milk. The only thing that’s a bit more pricey is the apples, but they’re worth it!

Transportation

To get around Koh Tao, most people either buy or rent scooters (or motorbikes, depending on how brave you are). If living on Koh Tao long term, buying is usually a lot cheaper. That’s what we did last year, and after losing a few thousand bahts on our bikes and getting kind of fat, we decided to buy bicycles this year instead.

This is a very unusual thing to do, there are not that many bicycles on the island. It’s mostly due to the fact that there are quite a bit of hills… But since we got an apartment that is walking distance to our coworking, we only needed a bike to go to restaurants. That wasn’t enough of an incentive for us to buy another scooter. They’re not the safest, but we’ve been lucky enough to not have really bad accidents. We didn’t want to test our luck, though!

And we also wanted to get in shape, so bicycles it was! We bought them on Lazada (the Amazon of Thailand) for ฿3,990 ($125) each. We had to put them together ourselves, which wasn’t really that easy. We bought a set of Allen keys because our bikes didn’t come with any, which cost peanuts.

After using the bikes for a couple of months already though, we can tell that they’re not quality bikes. They’ll do for now, but even though they look good, they squeak a lot. They get us from point A to point B, but they won’t last forever.

We also made a few updates, like buying front and back lights for when it’s dark, a water bottle holders. Oh, and a bell, because people who are a walking don’t hear us. In total, we didn’t spend more than $60 on those updates, but they make biking much nicer!

One tip if you decide to buy bicycles: take the road by the beach, not the main road. The main road is so crowded with scooters, it’s a bit scary. I much prefer the beach road between Mae Haad and Sairee. It’s more of a walking path, so you’ll have to let people know you’re there so they get out of the way, but it’s safer and more pleasant.

And if we want to explore the island more and go to a far beach, we just rent a scooter for ฿200 ($6) per day! It’s really cheap, and how we prefer to do it :)

Visa Run / “Out-of-Thailand” Trips

This might not apply to you if you don’t plan on staying on Koh Tao for more than a couple of months. If you want to stay for longer though, you’ll need room in your budget for a trip outside Thailand. Whether you’re on a visa on arrival, a single entry visa or a multiple entry visa, you’ll have to leave Koh Tao after 2-3 months to get a new visa or a new stamp in your passport.

Depending on the kind of trip you do, the price will vary. Since we have multiple entry visas, we can simply exit the country and come right back in. We don’t need to apply for a new visa. Last year, we went for a quick week in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This year, we decided to do a proper border run, where you come back to Koh Tao within a day. The cost for that was ฿2,500 ($78) per person, which includes the transportation from Koh Tao to Myanmar and back. Bring your own lunch though, meals are not included! (There’s usually time for dinner somewhere though).

For our next border run, we’re going to spend a week in Singapore. We usually budget around $1,500 for those trips. That makes our monthly living expenses on Koh Tao quite higher, since trips have to happen quite frequently.

Unexpected Expenses

Since we live on Koh Tao for six months at a time, we had a “nesting” budget to make our apartment comfortable. That included buying a toaster, getting a cutting board, buying new pillows, etc. That varies a lot depending on the place you get. This year, we didn’t have to buy bed sheets and towels, but we had to last year. I’d recommend having a good $100 to spend towards nesting if you’re staying for a while.

That included wine glasses too because I need a proper glass

We don’t do laundry at home, instead, we drop our dirty clothes at a laundry place (we just drop them at TaoHub, they do laundry there) and get them back the next day. ฿40-฿50 per kilo is pretty standard. Every month, we spend around $15 on laundry. We don’t have to wash our towels and bedsheets since that’s included in our weekly cleaning, but that would make the price go up!

Otherwise, I would recommend having $500 laying around if you decide to buy/rent a scooter, just in case you crash it. Honestly, I see so many tourists with bandages that it makes me not want to drive one! Accidents happen quite frequently. Especially if you’re not used to scooters. You most likely won’t need the whole $500 if you crash, but at least you won’t have to worry about your medical bills!

So every month, we spend on average $2,250 US on food, rent and other expenses for two people. That includes small, week-long trips outside of Thailand when necessary.

This post is much longer than I thought it would be  So I’ll skip the “Random Numbers” section that I usually have at the end of my other “Cost of Living” posts. If you miss it and would like me to add it, can you leave a comment? I’m not going to bother if this isn’t something you’re not interested in!

See ya in the next post, probably coming only in a year and a half, lol!

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We arrived at the airport around 5 AM on Tuesday and didn’t touch Koh Tao until Thursday afternoon (local time). We spent a good 30+ hours in transit and it was as awful as it sounds, unfortunately. If you don’t book business class tickets, you can expect to be completely drained after you land at your destination (especially if you also have to deal with jetlag on top of everything).

But to try to make our traveling time as smooth as possible, I went on an Amazon shopping spree and bought a bunch of stuff I thought might help.

And because I’ve done the experiment, I thought you’d also enjoy knowing the results!

What I decided to test

Yay or Nay? Neck pillow

Nay for the inflatable kind. The one I bought (Samsonite Neck Pillow) was not very comfortable and too bulky for my neck. I wasn’t able to find a comfortable position with it.

BUT! I know that the non-inflatable kind (like the ones with beads or foam inside) can be godsent! I was trying to save luggage space by being able to inflate/deflate our neck pillows, but it failed. Next time I’d invest in a real neck pillow instead, even though it would be bulky and annoying to carry.

Yay or Nay? Earplugs

A big “HELL YEAH” for this one! I don’t know how I would get through so many hours of flying without earplugs! I used to be a little scared of losing them in my ear so I never really wore any until maybe three or four years ago. Now, they’re my life saver when Chris snores, haha!

But on the plane, it helps cut out all the small noises you don’t realize are annoying until you put your earplugs in. And if the person next to you is blasting music in their headphones, you can still relax and enjoy your sleep!

I did my research though before buying earplugs as I know they’re not all created equals. Get cheap earplugs and you won’t even notice a difference. You also want to make sure they fit your ear properly so you don’t have to remove them after half an hour because they’re too big. I ended up buying those Hearos earplugs and they’re the best ones we’ve been able to find so far! There are still some noises that they don’t block (especially the low-pitch ones, like faraway music or snoring) but it does a good job for the rest!

Yay or Nay? Eyemask

This is something I knew we wouldn’t only use on the plane, so I decided to try it out! Chris already had a habit of putting a dark shirt on his face every morning to keep sleeping while there was some light in the room, so I knew he’d use the mask! As long as it was comfortable, I guess… So I read reviews and looked at a bunch of eye masks before deciding on the Bedtime Bliss ones.

The cool thing about this eye mask is that it doesn’t put any pressure on your eyes. It’s got a little air pocket on your eyes and the pressure is on the rest of your face, which makes it a lot more comfortable! The strap on the back is a little annoying sometimes, but the minute you fall asleep it’s all good! One more thing too is that there’s always a little stream of light that comes in from around the nose and I haven’t found a way to get rid of that. I got used to it, but it you need total darkness even when your eyes are open, you might have to figure something out! (But when you close your eyes it doesn’t really bother at all in my opinion!)

I love it and use it all the time, whether it’s on an airplane to take a nap or when Chris doesn’t come to bed at the same time as me and still wants a light on.

So Yay for that one too!

Yay or Nay? Melatonin

This is the last product that I decided to try on that long flight. I knew we’d be having a hard time falling asleep and the jetlag might get bad. I read a bit about melatonin and it sounded like a great answer to our sleep problems, but… I don’t think it worked. I’m not sure if it’s because we only got the 3mg version (there is a 5mg version too) or if it just doesn’t work in general, but the night I tried it I ended up being more awake than normal! (I tried it the night before our flight to help me sleep and hopefully feel more awake on the flight). Since it just kept me awake until waaaaay too long, I decided not to try it on the fligh itself. Chris did though, but again it didn’t do anything to him.

I might give it another try in the future, but so far it hasn’t worked for us!

What do I always take with me?

Even though these are just what I tried, there’s still a lot of stuff that I always take with me!

Dress in layers

This is super important since the temperature from an airplane to the airport to another airplane can vary a lot! I’m usually more cold than hot, so I put on a t-shirt and bring a light sweater and a jacket. If I’m still cold, I’ll usually still Chris’! But I’m always taking my sweater on and off, so unless you know your body handles temperature changes very well, bring an extra layer!

Bring your own water bottle

Most airports around the world have fountains that you can drink out of. So as long as you drink all your water before going through security, you can take it with you to the other side and refill it as many times as you want! This’ll save you money and from using too much plastic! Airport stuff is always super expensive (they know you can’t go anywhere else, so why not sell that apple for $3?) so you can keep your money in your pocket!

Have some entertainment ready

Going on a 10 hours flight without a bunch of playlists and a couple of books ready is mental suicide. Planes usually have some movies you can stream, but they might not be that interesting… So make sure you have something you know will takes your mind off of your loud neighbor! Otherwise, 10 hours is a loooooong time to be bored!

Chris and I have Spotify Premium so we download a bunch of playlist before leaving and I fill my ebook with romance books and some business non-fiction. That keeps me occupied for a while if I can’t sleep!

Also, if you like playing games on your phone, make sure you’re able to play them offline (a lot of them you can!). And bring a power bank if your phone tends to die rather quickly, just in case there aren’t any plugs on the airplane!

Pack your essentials

To me, that means having a ziploc bags full of kleenexes, a mix of over-the-counter medicine, hand sanitizer, deodorant, lotion, etc. All those things that will make your flight a lot more comfortable and that you can use at any times. I’ve been to too many bathrooms without toilet paper (hence the load on kleenexes), had too many colds on the plane which make you feel like your sinuses are going to explore (hence the over-the-counter medicine), had too much dry skin and nose (hence the lotion). You get smarter the more often you fly, but these are a few of my essentials! I don’t always need them, but at least I have them!

I also generally bring a snack in case we don’t have time to eat during a layover. If you’ve got less than an hour between two flights, it’s safe to say you won’t be able to buy something. So bring your own food! Dry fruits and nuts work great in that case. Make sure they’re okay in the country you go in though, as the United States took our two oranges that we brought from Canada :( (I was super looking forward to those but they just threw them in the garbage, even though we weren’t even going to leave the airport!)

I hope this helps you pack for your next long-haul trip! Making yourself as comfortable as possible is really the only way to survive those 10/15 hours of straight flying! We can’t all afford business class, so we gotta do what we can… ;)

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To stay in Thailand for 6 months, Chris and I had to each get a multi-entry visa and I thought I’d share our experience on the blog since there are quite a few lessons we learned that I didn’t know before.

Don’t get your visa until you’re ready to leave

When Chris went to Australia, he got a visa that was activated when he landed in the country. I thought the Thai visa would work the same, but it doesn’t. It starts on the day you get your passport stamped. So we just lost pretty much 3 months by having it done in advance. Lesson learned.

Call the embassy/consulate before doing anything else

Before you start putting all of your stuff together to get the visa, make sure you call the embassy or consulate the closest to you. The Thai Embassy does have a website, but each embassy/consulate works with its own rule. So the consulate in Montreal accepted money orders AND cash while the Ottawa embassy would only take money orders. Their forms can be different a little, and their requirements might vary. So give them a call! They’re super nice people and will totally help you out!

How Our Experience Went

Being in Quebec City for two months, we thought the best place to get our visa done would be in Montreal, since it’s a day-trip away. Chris emailed the embassy, which sent us all of their requirements (first mistake, as we should have contacted the Montreal consulate instead of the Ottawa embassy). We put all of our stuff together, which included a form filled, passport pictures, $200 money order, entry plane ticket and first hotel where we were going to stay. After we bought everything, we planned our trip to Montreal around their opening hours (they’re only open for two hours, two days a week) and arrived there a little too late for our liking.

We could either leave our paperwork with them and have them send our passports back (which seemed like a bad idea at the time since Post Canada was maybe going to be on strike) or pay an extra $80 each to get it done right away.

We ended up paying a little extra to make sure we left with our passports in our hands (I don’t like having my passport in the mail, especially when I’m planning a trip to the US not too long after!)

Note that this option might not be available everywhere, though! The Montreal Thai Consulate does express visa, but Ottawa doesn’t. So that’s why you have to call your embassy/consulate first.

Also, we had to redo our money orders because they were addressed to the Embassy instead of the Consulate. Weird? I know… (And when you have to find a post office, wait in line, get two money orders redone and run back within less than a two-hour window, it’s very stressing!)

But now our visas are done and we definitely learned from the experience! We won’t be able to stay in Thailand on our multi-entry visa for as long as we wanted, but we can always get more individual visas once it expires.

One more thing to remember is that on the multi-entry visa, you can leave Thailand as many times as you want, but you can’t stay in for more than 60 days at a time. Our visas expire on January 7th, so we’ll have to enter to Thailand on that day and we’ll get an extra two months. After that two months are up, though, we’ll have to get a single entry visa if we want to stay until April.

Hopefully, this helps you plan your long-term trip to Thailand! You honestly don’t need to go through all this trouble if you’re staying for less than two months, but you’ll probably want to if you want to stay there long-term!

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If you’ve ever traveled the world for an extended period of time and just came back home, you might very well relate to this. There are so many things I missed about Canada!

1) Flushing toilet paper in the toilet

Half the world (and maybe even more) doesn’t flush toilet paper down the toilet. Instead, you have to put it in a garbage next to the toilet and after a few days, it starts to stink. The habit of flushing toilet paper comes back very easily when you can do it!

2) Grocery Stores Full of All Kinds of Food

This is something I missed especially after staying put for five months in Central America. San Juan Del Sur didn’t have mushrooms. I get that the climate wasn’t very mushrooms friendly, but it’s pretty basic, isn’t? I’m so glad that now I can buy 5 kinds of mushrooms at the grocery store, even though I don’t really need that kind of selection. It just makes cooking (and actually following a recipe instead of adapting it) a lot easier!

3) Hanging out with people we’ve known for more than a day

It’s actually pretty hard to make and keep friends on the road, so hanging out with old high school friends or family and chatting about the good old days is just so good for the soul. We don’t have to introduce ourselves all the time and try to explain what we do: these people just get us.

Image from amazon.com

4) All-Dressed Ruffle Chips

I’m just going to leave this here, because if you’re Canadian, this doesn’t need any explanation.

5) Home-cooked meals

Remember that amazing meat loaf your mom makes? Or that secret banana bread recipe your grandma hasn’t shared with you yet because she wants you to visit her instead? Well now, you can eat it all! And it’s amazing!

6) A Place To Call Our Own

Even though we’re not settling down, we have our own place on Chris’ farm and it feels so good to be able to move the furniture around and buy what we need to make it comfortable. When we rent Airbnb places, we just have to deal with what is already there. Being able to repaint the whole thing if we wanted to is awesome!

7) Playing Video Games

We don’t travel with a PS3 or a Xbox, so being home, plugging that machine in the TV and just playing those old games we used to play is so great! We’ve been able to play games on our computer while we were traveling, but sitting in front of the TV with a remote feels a lot better… A lot more like home :)

Have you been on the road for a while? What do you miss the most about Canada?

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I thought I’d share our discoveries and the little gems we found so you don’t starve on the side of the road or get a food intoxication right after you get there!

Our Favorite Restaurants

Comedor Las Flores

If you want some delicious local food, this is where you want to go! It was recommended to us by a local because otherwise we probably would have overlooked it. It’s the best place in town if you want food for a cheap price. You can get some delicious chicken there, with a side of rice, french fries, and a small salad, or you can get burritos, burgers and even ribs! Whatever you want, I bet they have it.

Don Monchis

If you’re looking for a good pizza, this is where you’ll find it! They don’t have a very big/comfortable dining area, so you’ll want to take your pizza to go, but they have the best/cheapest in town! They put a lot of toppings plus you get a thick crust for less than the Italian pizza restaurants around town. We loved their Hawaiian and vegetarian pizza!

Dorados

This expat bar serves great American food, like burgers and club sandwich! If you’re looking for a flavor from home (or some hangover food), this is the place to go! Also, they always have the sport channel on, so if you want to catch a game, this is where you’ll be able to do it.

Wrap N’ Roll

If you feel like eating some Asian food, you won’t find much in San Juan Del Sur except for Wrap N’ Roll. They have some pretty decent noodle bowl with a lot of veggies that you can get for a reasonable price (hear: cheaper than if you made it yourself!) The restaurant looks a bit shady, I have to admit it, but they do make good food!

Taco Stop

We discovered Taco Stop only at the end of our trip and I wish we would have tried it earlier! I still wasn’t feeling like tacos a year after leaving Mexico, but when I tried their burrito, I fell in love! Apparently, their tacos are also very delicious, according to Chris! So if you feel like tacos, this is the place to go!

Philadelphia CheeseSteak Shop

This a new restaurant that opened when we were in San Juan Del Sur and Chris tried it a few weeks later. They serve really amazing cheesesteak sandwiches and you get even get a half-sized one if you’re not that hungry! Also, they’re supposed to use the best meat out there, in case you’re really picky about your beef like Chris is! This place is not really as cheap as the other ones, but it is worth it once in a while ;)

Other restaurants along the beach

I would honestly just skip those if you can. They are pretty much just overpriced for the view and their food aren’t that amazing. The only reason Chris and I went to those was for Happy Hours, which is the only time the prices are reasonable!

Our Favorite Grocery Stores

Miscelanea Sanchez

This is the place where we bought most of our products we needed to cook ourselves, and that’s mostly because the owner is such a sweet and nice lady. They also have quite a bit of imported products and for reasonable prices. We didn’t want to visit 20 grocery stores to get the best prices, but you could do it! We just went there and bought everything we needed.

The Market

Hidden inside a big yellow building, this is where you’ll find all your fruits and veggies, as well as your meat if you want some. Chris and I pretty much turned vegetarian when we were there, so we didn’t cook/buy much meat, but that’s where you’ll find it! All the ladies at the market are super nice, but since there aren’t any prices on their fruits and veggies, if you don’t speak Spanish, you might get the Gringo price. Just make sure you know how much stuff is supposed to be worth (or learn it by being overcharged a few times) and you’ll be good!

The Beer Provider

Okay, I honestly don’t know what the name of this place is, but they sell beer cheaper than at the grocery stores in town. The only thing is that it’s going to be warm beers you’ll have to put in the fridge (or the freezer) for a few hours before you can drink it. If you’re looking for something to drink right away, pay the higher price. Otherwise, you can go to this places and get a 12 pack for cheaper than anywhere else!

One Last Tip…

I bet the place where you’re staying won’t have a washing machine. If it does, LUCKY YOU! Otherwise, you’ll have to drop your laundry at some lady’s house and leave while she washes it for you. But you’re in luck, because I had to try several before finding one who wouldn’t lose ANY of my underwear! It’s the one right across from Casa Oro… But watch out, since there’s actually three laundry place on that corner. You want to go in the one that is also a Spanish School/Hostel. The lady there is pretty nice and she won’t lose your clothes! (Or she didn’t for the 20 times we went there, anyway)

Hopefully, this helps you either plan your trip to San Juan Del Sur or at least gives you a hand while actually being there!

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The post A Food Guide To San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua appeared first on FarmBoy & CityGirl.

Have you even wondered how people can travel and support themselves at the same time? It’s not as difficult as it seems! To show you that there are already plenty of people doing it, and that you can do it too, we’ve interviewed different kinds of nomads. They were all given 30 questions, with a minimum of 10 to answer.

Jonny Blair is the one answering them for us today! You can find him at http://dontstopliving.net/

1) Where are you from?

I grew up in the town of Bangor in Northern Ireland.

2) What is your background?

I am from a small town, I left school aged 17, studied Journalism then hated the fakeness of it all. I studied Irish history and politics too, and Sociology then I moved into Public Relations and Marketing. Through all of that, I had a love for travel and football. Combine it all together and I use all my experience and knowledge to backpack the world on a budget writing about it. None of my family are that interested in travel, I’m the black sheep.

3) What is your job?

I am a professional travel blogger. I have been writing since I was 15, so about 21 years. For 9 of those years I have been writing about travel, at other times it was football, music and politics. I prefer travel writing and I own a network of websites. All in all, professional travel blogging covers many different jobs within it, such as affiliate marketing, advertising, planning itineraries, writing and editing books, copywriting, telling stories and many more. I never have a spare moment in my day, nor do I crave one.

4) How much money do you make per month?

It varies, the most I have earned would be around $5,000, the lowest would be $1,000. I’m not a big fan of setting limits or getting worried about income, as long as I have enough to maintain my current lifestyle.

5) How long have you known you wanted to be a digital nomad?

I never wanted to be a digital nomad, nor had I even heard of it until about four years ago. But somehow in the madness of life, this is what I have become. I write this from a WiFi café in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

6) How did you start your online career?

I met two travel bloggers in Toronto in Canada in 2007 and they had blogs. I didn’t know what a travel blog even was back then but I transferred all my written notes from pen and paper onto the internet and started my travel blog, Don’t Stop Living! It took 5 years until I realised it was a career, though, I was backpacking the world in a hardcore way, working on the move in any job I could get and then by the end of 2012, I had earned my first buck online and I didn’t look back.

7) When did you start your online career?

As with the previous question, it began in 2007 as a hobby travel blog, about 700 articles later and still on a real life adventure, I was earning money by late 2012. By 2013, it was now a business.

8) What is the biggest mistake you made when you started?

I wouldn’t say anything is a huge mistake as this is the way my life went, but for the first 4-5 years I didn’t try to make money from the blog, I was happy as a hobby blogger. I guess it was probably when I saw other fake bloggers and those who don’t really travel making cash from it, that I had to change it into a business to grab some money for a real life backpacker.

9) Looking back, what do you wish you knew when you started?

How to make money online earlier. But again, no regrets as maybe then I wouldn’t have worked in broccoli farms, in schools or for Internations or the cool Irish Pub in Hong Kong.

10) What did your friends/family thought of you being a digital nomad?

I’m not sure they like it. Mum wants me to settle down, my friends get more distant year on year and my life spirals into the mundane.

11) Where are you right now?

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

12) How often are you on the road?

Full-time, all the time. Anyone that’s not and tries to sell themselves as a “full time traveller” is a fraud and a fake. They are literally only about 10 – 20 real life permanent nomads who run travel blogs. Fakes, beware!

13) What is a lesson you’ve learned from being on the road?

I’ve learnt loads of lesson. Probably the most important one being that it is cheaper to travel than it is to stay in the same place. I have no bills, no major outgoings, no cars, permanent fixtures, no deposits, no rent payments. It’s cheaper to travel!

14) What is your favorite place in the world?

Either my hometown of Bangor or the capital city of Belfast, Northern Ireland. That is always my favourite place.

15) What is the most important thing when it’s time to choose where to go next?

Follow your passion and heart. That’s all that matters. Weather, money and time of the year certainly are NOT important at all.

16) Are you a carry-on person or a checked luggage person?

Both and anyone that say otherwise is a liar! Although I have lost my luggage so many times, I do wish I could take 20 kg as carry on!

17) What do you always have on you that you couldn’t live without?

A Northern Ireland football shirt.

18) What kind of lifestyle are you living with the money you make?

A basic, cheap backpacking lifestyle with the odd moment of glamour of a sponsored stay in a resort or a four star. In short, I’m a cheapskate, tight assed, budget backpacker. If you meet a cheaper traveller than me, they probably don’t have a travel blog.

19) How much time do you spend on your business versus how much time you spend exploring the place where you are?

Business and travel are intertwined so it’s 24/7. I work every day, I travel every day. “I’m gonna take that tiger outside for a ride…what a life.” – Noel Gallagher

20) How do you make a new place home?

Meet local people and live cheaply. Kyrgyzstan has been a base for a few months, but I’m all over the place these days – Afghanistan, India, Karakalpakstan, Chernobyl, Austria!

21) What are the essential skills to have as a digital nomad?

There are no skills. Either you have the passion to be a digital nomad, or you don’t.

22) What is the best quality a digital nomad can have?

Hard working. Not fussy, Footloose and fancy free. Stubborn.

23) What is the best advice you could give to someone wanting to become a digital nomad?

Follow your passion.

24) What is the most important thing to keep track of?

Stay in touch with family and friends. I’ve drifted from family and friends too many times.

25) Follow your passion or follow the market?

Passion always. Markets are full of dead goats.

26) Money isn’t always consistent. What is the best way to deal with that?

Carry US Dollars, bargain for everything and move countries often to keep your bank balance up. If you’re having a bad time, head to a cheap place to make the bucks back!

27) What is the mistake everybody makes that you wish you could stop them from doing?

Being fake. I hate fakes! Be a real life person. Make your website so transparent that everyone can see what you do.

28) What do you have to say to people too scared to leave their day job?

Stay in your job. If you have fears of leaving it, stay in it. It’s not for you. I travel without fear. “There goes the fear, there it goes. You turn around and life’s passed you by!” – The Doves

29) What are the awesome benefits of being a digital nomad?

Freedom of movement.

30) What is the downside that nobody sees?

Sh*t WiFi! When your computer and internet crashes and you lose days, weeks, months of hard work!

The post Successful Nomad: Jonny Blair appeared first on FarmBoy & CityGirl.

But let me warn you: the water is pretty cold there during the winter! Like sometimes it’s even too cold to want to go in. Why? I have no idea. It probably has something to do with the fact that it’s also super windy during the winter months. But if you were planning on laying on the beach during your week in SJDS, you might have to consider another beach town…

Now that that is out the way, here are my top things to do in San Juan Del Sur!

1. Learn How To Surf at Remanso Beach

You just can’t go to San Juan Del Sur without at least trying to surf. And whether you’re a beginner or an advanced surfer doesn’t matter: there are tons of beach a few minutes out of the town that are perfect for every type of surfers. To learn, Chris and I went to Remanso with the guys at Moke Huhu. They’re great instructors and speak English!

2. Go on a Catamaran Cruise

This was honestly my favorite activity in San Juan Del Sur! I just have this thing for catamarans, I guess… But if you want to spend an afternoon on a great boat, drinking unlimited alcohol and swimming in a small deserted bay, then give the guys at Nica Sail And Surf a try! Their crew is awesome and they bring you a new drink the second you finish yours!

3. Hike to the Jesus

This isn’t really a “hike” in my book, since you’re walking on a car road 100% of the time, but you do have to go up a lot, so I’ll leave it under that name… It took Chris and me forever to decide to go up there, but it was totally worth it once we did! The view of San Juan Del Sur is just amazing. Don’t forget that there’s actually a $2 entrance fee for foreigners, so bring a little bit of cash before heading there. Once you cross the river on the beach, just follow the signs! They’ll lead you to Jesus :)

4. Horse ride on the Beach

I’ll be honest: this is the only thing we didn’t do, mostly because Chris is allergic to horses. If he wasn’t though, I totally would have gone for a nice walk during sunset! I can’t recommend a company personally, but I’ve read a few good things about Rancho Chilamate, so you might want to try them out! If you do, let me know if you liked them or not!

5. Eat at Las Flores

If you don’t know about that restaurant, you’ll pass right by it without even looking at it… But if you do know that they have the best local food in town and that everything they serve is absolutely delicious, then you just can’t miss it! This is where we took all of our friends and family out and we didn’t disappoint anybody. Note that their menus are only in Spanish though and their waitresses don’t speak much English. I can give you some recommendations, though: the pollo jalapenos (jalapenos chicken) is delicious and not very spicy at all, as well as the pollo empanizado (breaded chicken). You can also give their pescado al ajo (garlic fish) a try if you like seafood! Otherwise, just pick something at random and I bet you’ll love it :)

Where do you find this restaurant? It’s in across the street from the market, away from the church. If you have any problems finding it, just ask a local!

6. Do the Loose Moose Crawl

If you’re into drinking and partying, you want to go with the Loose Moose crawl! For $10, you get a free drink in the 5 bars that they take you to (for a total of 5 free drinks). It’s definitely more worth it than the pool crawl, which is another popular option that I think is overrated. You’ll have to pay $20 if you’re not staying at their hotel and you’ll only get a shirt and transportation. I’d rather get some free drinks for my money than a shirt, but that’s just my opinion :)

7. Take Spanish Lessons

If you know a bit of Spanish and would like to brush it off a bit, it’s a great thing to do in San Juan Del Sur! They have a few schools in town, so choose the one that feels like it fits your criteria. When we were there, there was also a trade school that offered some classes and you would bring food to the teacher in exchange for the class. I’m not sure if that’s still going on at the moment, so check the Trade School website.

8. Drink Cocktails at Sunset during Happy Hour

I found the beachfront restaurant quite overpriced for San Juan Del Sur, except during happy hour (which most of them have). So pick the one that has the best deal according to what you want to drink and enjoy the gorgeous sunset of San Juan Del Sur! Chris and I enjoyed the Josseline for their strawberry daiquiris, but you might like El Timon more if you’re looking for $1 rum or local beer!

9. See the Turtles

If you’re in San Juan Del Sur at the right moment, going to see the sea turtle is quite an experience in itself! We went with Casa Oro and they took us to the protected beach where the mama turtle come to lay their eggs. We went late at night, when there’s the most chances of seeing turtles. We didn’t get to see the babies, but it was still a fun experience! Even if it’s just to look at the dark sky and the billions of stars, it’s worth it!

10. Try Random Fruits & Veggies at The Market

If you feel a bit adventurous, this is a fun game to play! The market is inside the big yellow building one street left of the church. Go inside and pick something you’ve never tried before and taste it! You can always ask the people at the market for what it is, how you eat or how it taste, but if you don’t speak much Spanish like us, you just try to figure it out on your own. They have delicious little spiky things that look like lychees that Chris ended up enjoying very much!

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We arrived in the early afternoon, which gave us almost an extra day in Granada! I wasn’t sure how long the taxi from the hotel in Ometepe to the port, the ferry and the taxi to Granada were going to be, so the only thing I’d planned for that day was walking around the city.

After dropping our bags at the hotel, that’s what we did.

I also wanted to climb a church and see the amazing city of Granada from up top. You can climb in the Cathedral, but we decided to go to Las Mercedes, and I was very happy with my choice! The view of the volcano and the cathedral are definitely worth the $1/$2 fee they charge you to climb. There are not that many stairs to climb, but they can be a bit small, almost dangerous, at times. So just make sure you look at where you put your feet and hold on to the wall.

It didn’t take us very long, though, to be done with our walk around town. Granada isn’t nearly as big as other cities like Paris or London. You don’t need a week to see it all. Only a couple of hours is enough. Wondering what to do next, since it was still relatively early, we decided to head to the Choco Museum, not knowing what to expect. We’re chocolate lovers, so it couldn’t be bad, could it?

When we went in, we realized that there was a chocolate making activity starting in 5 minutes. We didn’t wait very long before jumping on it, as we had nothing else to do and it was something we hadn’t done before!

And it was a lot of fun!

Our tour started by roasting the cocoa beans and chanting around the fire. Honestly, it was the most fun I’d had in a while! We all went and stirred the beans as they cooked in the clay pot, and you could soon hear them pop like popcorn. It’s one of the signs that they’re ready.

Next, we removed the outside part of the beans, trying not to break them at the same time (which isn’t necessarily easy). Once that was done, we came back to the front of the building, and each got a small bowl where we would smash the beans. I was expecting them to turn into some kind of powder at one point, but it actually turned into a paste! We then used that paste to make two drinks: an Aztec spicy chocolate beverage and a Spanish hot chocolate. I preferred the hot chocolate by a long shot since it was a lot creamier. (The Aztec drink had a base of hot water instead of milk).

The last thing we did during the tour was make our own chocolate bar. We were given some 70% chocolate with two ingredients of our choice: I chose to add almonds and cinnamon while Chris went with almonds and sea salt. Mine ended up tasting better because his had waaaaay to much salt that it overpowered the chocolate.

So if you want salt in your chocolate, it’s good! Just don’t put too much.

The next day, we only had one thing on our to-do list: relax at the Laguna de Apoyo. It’s a lake inside the crater of a volcano that is supposed to have the clearest water in Nicaragua. It didn’t have extra clear water when we were there, but that didn’t stop us from swimming in it.

We decided to go to the Monkey Hut, which is a hotel on the side of the lake that also lets you use their facilities during the day for $6 per person. We found a bunch of chairs with a hammock close and relaxed there, with the new friend we’d just made: an old dog that lived on the property.

There are also kayaks that you can use, but it was a bit too windy for us after our experience on Ometepe.

And that, unfortunately, concluded our time in Nicaragua. Three days later, we were flying out of Managua and back to Canada! Nica, we’ll miss you!

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Have you even wondered how people can travel and support themselves at the same time? It’s not as difficult as it seems! To show you that there are already plenty of people doing it, and that you can do it too, we’ve interviewed different kinds of nomads. They were all given 30 questions, with a minimum of 10 to answer.

Kayla Kurin is the one answering them for us today! You can find her at http://www.arogayoga.com/

1) Where are you from?

I’m from Toronto, Canada. I also lived in Halifax, Canada for 6 years before starting life as a digital Nomad.

2) What is your job?

I’ve got two! I run online yoga and meditation courses for people with chronic illness, and I also train yoga teachers and other healthcare providers on how they can incorporate this work into their practice to better help the chronic illness community.

I also work as a freelance social media manager and writer for businesses and non-profits making the world a better place.

3) When did you start your online career?

I started almost 3 years ago. I had saved up enough money to go traveling and volunteering (with helpx.net) and quickly realised I didn’t want to give up this lifestyle anytime soon. As I was getting down to the last few dollars in my bank account I knew I needed to do something if I didn’t want to end up in my parents basement for the next 6 months. I had worked in communications previously, so started picking up work as a freelancer doing social media management and blogging. After a few months, business really took off! I was able to save enough money to do my yoga teacher training and start my second business. I wouldn’t give up either of them now!

4) How often are you on the road?

I am a big fan of slow travel. When I started I would move to a new location every few weeks. When I started working more hours I decided to have a home base in London and travel around Europe on various ‘workactions’ from there. My plan is to move to a new home base every year or two!

5) Are you a carry-on person or a checked luggage person?

Tough question! When I started I had a checked bag, but the more I travel the more I lean to carry-on bags. If I’m going on a longer trip and will be filming a yoga course or teaching a workshop I generally have to bring a checked back to bring my yoga and filming equipment. But when I am just traveling with a laptop, I am a carry-on girl.

6) What is a lesson you’ve learned from being on the road?

I am always learning new lessons. A big lesson is kindness. I’m always amazing by how kind local people are to me, and how giving they are with their hospitality when I travel. It challenges and inspires me to be a kinder traveller and host when I am in my home country. It’s part of the reason both of my jobs have a huge focus on helping people.

7) How much time do you spend on your business versus how much time you spend exploring the place where you are?

I tend to take it all in stride. If things are slow with business, instead of stressing out over that I will take the time to do more exploring and adventure. When things are busier with my business, I’ll work more hours and do less exploring! If I’m in a new or interesting place I always make sure I have the time to do some exploring.

8) What kind of lifestyle are you living with the money you make?

I generally stay in Airbnb’s but for shorter stays use hostels, couch surfing, or budget hotels. When I am staying for a few weeks to a few months I will always rent my own apartment so I have the freedom to make my own schedule. I live a similar lifestyle that I did in my home country.

9) Money isn’t always consistent. What is the best way to deal with that?

I always make sure I have a small amount of savings. It’s hard not to get stressed out about money when you don’t have a steady paycheque, so having some set aside for a rainy day gives me a lot of peace of mind. Knowing that things will ebb and flow, and sometimes will be slow and sometimes will be busy is also helpful. When things are slow I enjoy the free time to travel, or to focus on strategic things in my business which will help me grow.

10) What do you have to say to people too scared to leave their day job?

If this is the life you want to live (and it’s not for everyone!) then just go for it! It’s not as scary as it seems and you’ll meet amazing people along the way! If finances are in issue, it can be good to start your business or freelancing career as a side-gig until you feel you have enough work to quit your day job and hit the road! Good luck!

The post Successful Nomad: Kayla Kurin appeared first on FarmBoy & CityGirl.

So if you’re in need of some down time during your trip to Nicaragua, slowing down on Ometepe is probably the easiest. Just follow these steps!

1. Book a few nights at the Hacienda Merida hotel
2. Enjoy the 1h ride to the hotel
3. Check in
4. Find a hammock to lay in
5. Relax

This was pretty much our schedule for the two days that we were there.

How to Get to Ometepe

Because this is an ultimate guide and I want you to be able to relax, I’ll explain the whole process to get to Ometepe and to the hotel itself.

First, you need to get a ride to San Jorge, which is the port where you’ll take the ferry. We were leaving from San Juan Del Sur and the taxi ride cost us $20. You can also take a mix of buses + taxis to get there, but we don’t enjoy dealing with local buses, so we just put a bit more money on a taxi.

Once you arrive at the port, buy the ticket for your ferry and cross the gate. You’ll have to write down your name, nationality, and age on a sheet of paper. Why? I’m not sure… But they want it, so just give it to them.

Now that you’re in the port find your boat and get on it!

The ride to Ometepe takes around an hour, so you want to make sure you pick the right boat: you want the big ferries. There are little wooden boats that leave in between the car ferries, but they look very shady and unsafe. Considering how much wind there is on the Nicaragua lake, I’d double check the schedule to make sure you’re there in time for the ferries. You can find the ferry schedule here.

There are also two cities you can arrive in: Moyogalpa and San José del Sur. If you arrive at Moyogalpa, you can easily find a taxi to take you to your next destination. It’s not as easy in San José del Sur, but you can do it too, even though locals might tell you you can’t.

How to get to the Hacienda Merida Hotel

From the port cities, the easiest way to get to the hotel is by taxi. You can book it with them, or find one when you arrive. The one-hour ride shouldn’t cost you more than $35. You can also take a bus, but they don’t run very frequently, take double the time and are probably very crowded. If you’re into that kind of thing, though, go ahead!

But the taxi ride around the island is actually quite enjoyable, as you get to see the two volcanos quite well! So make sure you get a window seat (in case you’re in a shuttle van) and relax!

What to do at the Hacienda Merida Hotel

Once you get to the hotel, you’ll realize why I recommended it in the first place. It’s in nature, surrounded by lots of trees right on the lake and they even have a school with kids chanting once, doce, trece in Spanish. It’s the perfect setting to relax, with a bunch of hammocks hanging around the property. Just pick one and enjoy your day!

I also recommend going for a swim in the lake or chilling on the dock. The sunset is pretty amazing there, so you’ll want to pick a good spot to enjoy it!

You can also rent a kayak and explore the surrounding islands. We waited until the wind calmed down a bit to rent one and it was almost okay. Except for the part where we tipped because of the strong wind and waves and tipped two times more because we just had so much water in our kayak. We did manage to see the monkeys on the Monkey Island, but I would suggest staying in the bay in front of the hotel if you don’t have very strong arms that can paddle hard against the wind.

The last thing I recommend is to get a massage at sunset! It’s so peaceful around the hotel and for only $25 for an hour, the massage itself is pretty cheap.

Oh, and don’t miss the coconut ice cream! It’s massive and delicious :) Worth the $2.

What to do around Ometepe

You’ll want to leave the hotels a few times during your trip I bet, especially if you want some food. The Hacienda Merida hotel has great breakfasts, but they are a bit expensive. If you’re not sick of gallo pinto, eggs and bread yet, walk up the road in front of the hotel and on a hill five to seven minutes away, you’ll see a small hut with four tables called Buena Vista Restaurante. They make huuuge breakfasts for 70 córdobas ($2.50), and you can get a fresh juice for an extra 20 ($0.70). You can also eat lunch or dinner there; they serve a bunch of meats with rice and beans and a salad or tacos for 90 córdobas ($3.20). Believe me; it’s worth it!

If you like fish, there’s also a place right outside the hotel that serves some good one. They don’t have the best pork or chicken, though, you’ll want to go to Buena Vista for that!

Also, note that these restaurants are usually on island time and save a good hour and a half dedicated to ordering and eating. It takes them a while to bring your food out. If you’re in a rush, stay away from these places and eat at the hotel.

The only other reason we left the hotel was to go to Ojo de Agua, which is two man-made pool built where a natural spring used to run. The water is fresh and clear, and there’s even a Tarzan swing! They also sell a bunch of coconuts there, if you feel like relaxing even more. We had a taxi take us there and back (+ waiting two hours) for $40, but you can get it for cheaper if you find the right taxi driver.

There are a lot more things you can do on Ometepe, but if you just want to relax and slow down, I would recommend doing only those. There’s plenty of time for things like reading in a hammock, floating in the lake and just walking around the island!

Have you been to Ometepe? Are you an adventure-seeker or more like a lazy sloth (like us)?

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