About two months ago, I had the pleasure of spending a few days in Singapore.  Although it was a while ago, I regularly recall how beautiful, clean and amazing Singapore is.  

Have you avoided traveling to Asia because it seems too foreign?  Are you apprehensive to visit a new place, where you don’t speak the same language?  If you have never considered traveling to Singapore, check out my top 5 reasons to visit Singapore.

Top 5 Reasons to Visit Singapore

1. It’s green and clean.  Singapore is by far one of the greenest and cleanest places in Asia.  To cut down on air pollution, fees have been put in place for driving downtown.  Over 5% of the island is reserved for nature.  Littering is a crime.  You can even receive a fine for forgetting to flush in a public restroom.  In addition, it is a crime to spit on the sidewalk.  With all of these factors considered, you will find Singapore clean enough to eat the m&m that you dropped on the sidewalk.
2. Everyone speaks English.  This is something to treasure as many Asian languages are difficult to learn and utilize while traveling.  With an abundance of English speakers (and the national language of Singapore being English) you can ask locals for directions and advice on what to see or do.  What a perfect place to visit in Asia!  Check out Asia for the first time, without the language barrier.
3. It is safe.  Low car accidents.  Low theft and crimes.  Singapore is so safe, a woman could walk around alone at any time of the day or night and feel completely safe, anywhere.  Singapore is a great location for independent travel, as you never need to look over your shoulder and fear for your safety.  
4. Singapore supports the arts.  The arts and entertainment are found in abundance.  Sculptures, art shows, theater, music and dance.  The Esplanade alone has loads of theater and art.  It’s easy to find a broadway show, or an up and coming musician.  Whatever your entertainment tastes are, you should be able to find a quality live show to attend.  
5. Loads of shopping.  One of Singapore’s national pastimes is shopping.  You don’t have to enjoy clothing shopping to get in on the action.  I wondered through an entire 5 story mall devoted to electronics.  Everything from computers, to cell phones, to digital media and more.  Singapore is the place to find the perfect shopping spree for anyone, even non-shop-aholics.

These are only my “Top 5 Reasons to Visit Singapore”.  It is easy to find countless reasons why Singapore is such an attractive place to visit.  It’s clean, affordable, easy to navigate with clean and reliable transportation, friendly people, and so many different areas of the city to explore.  

Many things have changed over the past few decades, causing Singapore to become an easy and enjoyable place to visit.  

However, who knows how long Singapore will remain a travel treasure.  The government is currently running a campaign to “Have Children Now”.  The population is due to increase rapidly over the next several years.  Make your visit to Singapore a priority in the next year or two, and savor the beautiful place that Singapore has become.  

You too can wonder aimlessly in a mall of 100% electronics.  Singapore has something for everyone!

I now ride my bike to work.  Everyday!  We live 1 mile from the preschool that I teach at. 

I do not ride alone.  Each day, as I ride my bike to work, I see dozens of other individuals choosing transportation via pedals. Some are biking to work like me. Others are cycling to class, a friends house, a local coffee shop, the store, an appointment, or they are doing it for the health of it.

Fort Collins, Colorado is an extremely bike friendly community. The parents of my students will often ride to the school with their child or children riding behind them.  You have to admit, that in a vehicle dominated society, this is impressive.  I often experience this new, hard to describe feeling of pride and excitement for living in an area of the country that is as “pro-bicycles” as this area of Colorado.

It’s a feeling of pride because I know our community has a smaller carbon footprint than areas that rely upon motor vehicles for transportation. The air is cleaner. It’s easier to see the mountains in the horizon. If hundreds of people stopped biking to work (and other places) and began driving cars everywhere, I am sure that our local air pollution would increase rapidly.

I also get an energetic rush as I pedal in the bike lane, experiencing the trill of my commute. Alright, it’s not so thrilling when it is raining. But I am not the only cyclist getting wet!

I have lived in several places that have no bike lanes (or even sidewalk), causing extreme difficulty for anyone attempting to bike or walk. These “non-bicycle friendly communities” force individuals to rely solely upon their vehicles.

I enjoy the freedom my bike offers. No oil change, less money spent on gas (petrol) and no speeding tickets.  It is such a cheap method of transportation! If you are serious about travel and adventure, why wouldn’t you live in a community that caters to bike riding and/or offers a reliable form of mass transportation? It’s easy to cut out the cost of owning or leasing, and maintaining a motor vehicle. Then you can save that money for travel, adventures and fun!

Justin and I are currently a one car family. We would like to continue to have only one vehicle to insure and maintain. Living in Fort Collins, Colorado should allow us to continue to practice our “one car family policy” as we utilize bicycles for a majority of our transportation needs.

Our Bikes

Justin just bought a bike this weekend.  Now we are both able to leave the car at home and bike downtown for entertainment or bike to friends house.  I found a great vintage bike about a month ago, at Brave New Wheel, the bike shop behind our house.  Ironically, Justin also bought a vintage cruiser from Brave New Wheel.  It is a great shop that fixes up bikes from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, as to be both environmentally friendly (re-use) as well as, allowing classics to cruise the streets again.  

My bike is a dark green mens “ALL PRO” from the 70’s.  It was made in Troy, Michigan, where my brother and his wife live.  However, the bike itself was not the “corvette” of bikes back in the day.  In fact, it has a vintage KMart sticker on it.  But that’s how I roll!  My bike’s name is Green Tea (or in Mandarin Chinese - lǜ chá).  Brave New Wheel is such a fun store, they even gave me the teapot bike bell (with the Chinese character for tea on it) for FREE.

Justin’s bike is also from the 70’s, it’s the classic Schwinn.  His bike was one of the last to be produced in the Rockbrook Chicago factory before Schwinn outsourced their manufacturing needs to Japan (Panasonic) and Taiwan (Giant).   We have installed the bell, the rack and a steal basket.  Now all Justin’s bike needs is a name.  You Choose:  Justin’s bikes name.  Vote in the You Choose Poll now!

How do you find a bike friendly city?  

The League of American Bicyclists is a good place to start.  They have ranked Fort Collins at GOLD, when it comes to Most Bicycle Friendly Communities.  

You don’t even have to spend a cent to get a bike.  In Fort Collins, you can save more money for travel by volunteering 20 hours of community service (with any non-profit organization in Fort Collins) and earn a bike for FREE.  The Fort Collins Bike Co-op is the perfect organization to unite a community to bike together.  

Do you bike to work? Go on bike-cations? Let me know about your biking experiences and adventures. Feel free to email me a picture of you and your bike. I would love to see your Earth-friendly wheels!

Northern Michigan is ideal during June, July and August.  Each weekend thousands of families drive  north on Friday evening, for the privilege of relaxing for a few days as they escape into nature.

Various Lodging Options:

• Camp in a tent or a motor home
• Rent or own a cottage
• Stay at Bed & Breakfast
• Contact a University and sleep in a dorm room

Be creative with your summer lodging options.  Due to the economic stress in Michigan, now is a great time to bargain and play ‘lets make a deal’ with your lodging.

Michigan is full of summer adventure.  Many of the outdoor enthusiasts focus on water sports, fishing, and other lake-focused activities.  In fact, Michigan has over 11,000 lakes.  Growing up in Michigan turns most Michiganders into fresh water snobs.  I am one  of them.  Why would I swim in the cold, salty ocean?  When I can swim in a fresh water lake that doesn’t sting my eyes or cause me to feel dehydrated.

Besides the countless lakes, northern Michigan has endless places to visit and check out.

Popular Summer Places:

1. Mackinac Island - [pronounced Mac-in-NAW eye-Land]   Did you know that peanut butter fudge exists? Eat fudge, watch butterflies, hike the interior of the island, rent a bike and ride it everywhere because cars are not allowed on the island.  You can even feel like a part of history while going on a horse drawn carriage ride.  Not only can you savor the unique summer culture of Mackinac, but you can savor the food as well.
2. Sleeping Bear Dunes - Some of the most rewarding yet difficult hiking is found at these  sand dunes.  The Sleeping Bear Dunes very in color and size and they are vast and stretching for miles. While hiking the Sleeping Bear Dunes you might find yourself singing the Lawrence of Arabia soundtrack.  After a hot tiring hike, jump in Lake Michigan for some beautiful swimming.  Visiting the Sleeping Bear Dunes leads to a great camping trip, which could include hiking, biking, fishing, canoeing or any adventure you desire.
3. Pictured Rocks - With over 40 miles of National Lakeshore, Pictured Rocks will take your breath away.  Scientifically these sandstone rocks show centuries of life and lake activity.  Visually, there are so many colors and textures to the massive rocks that stretch endlessly that they seem unreal.  Take a boat tour and enjoy a tiny fraction of Lake Superior while enjoying Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.  Camping is the main lodging option while visiting this remote region of the Upper Peninsula.
4. Sault Sainte Marie - [pronounced Sue Saint Marie]  Have you heard of the Soo Locks?  Here you will find the world’s largest system of locks.  It is incredible to watch the locks fill with water allowing large cargo ships the ability to pass through with ease.  Sault Sainte Marie also boasts a downtown culture with high foot traffic.  There are hundreds of fun shops, restaurants, museums and even an excellent theater.  Plus, you are almost in Canada!
5. Drummond Island - A wonderful place to escape into a secluded Michigan wilderness and relax for a few days.  Drummond Island is a tiny island in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  Very few people live on the island.  However, enough families live on the island that their is an elementary school and a library, which allows you to borrow books, movies and even jigsaw puzzles for rainy Drummond Island days.  You can drink beer out of a mason jar at the local bar.  You can sit in awe at Yacht Haven as the majestic vessels come in and out of the docks.  Win brownies at Baked Goods Bingo!  Or you can walk through the woods and sight deer and other wonderful wildlife. Drummond Island is truly a gem, as many tourists do not discover it.  I hope Drummond Island remains a tourist-free treasure for years!

Northern Michigan is a great summer get away location for a family, a young couple or even a single backpacker.  As a backpacker, if you pack light enough, and appear clean and friendly, hitch hiking in northern Michigan shouldn’t be too difficult.  However, always carry water (or the means to purify water), as many regions of northern Michigan are very remote and desolate.

Although, we grew up in Detroit, in many ways, both Justin and I have spent our summers growing up in northern Michigan.  We each have amazing childhood memories of unforgettable adventures and exploration.  If you have never been to Michigan, I would recommend it.  Especially, in the summer!

Thank you for participating in the most resent You Choose: Poll on www.nomadbackpackers.com 

You have voted on the future of this website.

The winner is:  Share travel information on cities and places we visit or live in.

The site will now focus both on Fort Collins, Colorado, where Justin and I live, in addition to places in which we visit.  Some of these places will be local, in Colorado.  Other places will include various cities and regions of America that we explore.  

Justin and I would love to visit other countries and continue international travel.  For now, we are both focusing on life in America.  However, feel free to ask questions and request articles on other countries we visited.  For example, the “Rome Hostels” article was requested by a backpacker traveling to Rome, interested in finding the best hostel Rome.    

It’s not Europe, but when it comes to America, I can’t think of a more fascinating place to live and experience life than Fort Collins, Colorado.  The city offers an awesome biking culture, an active downtown, countless opportunities for nearby recreation, a handful of local micro breweries, museums, shops, restaurants, bars, theater, festivals, and so many other opportunities for entertainment and adventure.  I couldn’t imagine a more dynamic place to write about.  I hope you enjoy reading about Fort Collins as we set out to discover and explore life!

Soon, life will bring us to Michigan again, for a brief visit.  Since we have both grown up in Michigan, and are very familiar with the Great Lakes State, I plan to write a special article on Michigan.  Enjoy reading about the Big Mitten!

Thanks again for voting.  Please let us know if you want to hear about something special or have an idea for an article.

Nomad Backpackers update: Where are you guys?

Justin and I have moved to Fort Collins, Colorado.  I now have a wonderful job as a preschool teacher and Justin is exploring various employment opportunities.

Although we are not currently living a nomadic lifestyle out of backpacks, we still have a great passion for travel and exploring the world.  The two of us are excited about where we are in life.  It’s great to live out of a backpack and pursue continual travel, but we are also excited to be in one place permanently.  Last week, on May 27th, Justin and I celebrated our 3 year wedding anniversary.  Over the past 3 years we haven’t lived in one place for more than a year.  The two of us have lived an extremely nomadic lifestyle.  Feel free to check out some of our favorite cities in which we have lived in www.justinandnatalie.com

For now, Fort Collins, Colorado will prove to be our happy home as we become a part of a community and continue to build great friendships.  However, after experiencing a season of international travel, Justin and I will be unable to deny future travel adventures.  Although we are currently unable to depart on a long-term trip, the two of us will supplement our wander lust with small trips and adventures that we will mix into our current lifestyle.

Soon the You Choose poll to decide the future of www.nomadbackpackers.com will close.  At this time, we will formally announce what the plans for this website include.  I can’t wait to see the outcome!

Follow Up

The You Choose Poll results:  The outcome was for our website to be updated with cities and places we visit or live in.  

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© nomadbackpackers.com -  All rights reserved 2009

Traveling allows more time to read.  It’s a simple fact.  Travel is a reason to love books.

Whether it’s on an 8 hour flight or a few days at the beach.  Traveling will even inspire a non-avid reader to flip through pages endlessly.

Books are great travel companions.  They are lightweight.  If you get tired of what they are saying you can simply close it.  If you loose a book along the way, it could be upsetting if you were at a suspenseful place in the book.  Overall books are inexpensive and easily replaceable.

As you complete a book along your travels you may give the book away, bring it home for your personal book collection or donate it to a local library.

If you want a new book along your journey, there are countless options beyond the airport bookstore.

Get new books as you travel

• A used book store
• A garage sale
• Book exchange shelves at hostels
• Ask the person sitting next to you on the train, bus or plane if they have finished reading their book, you could even offer to buy it from them.
• An Amazon Kindle or other electronic book reader – this will allow you to bring an entire library (100’s of books) along your travels.  Easily the the best item in my backpack.  I would recommend a Kindle to anyone!

As you travel and explore the new places, it is also good to explore new elements of reading.

Mix reading and Traveling

• Read a fictional novel set in the area of the world in which you will travel to in the future.
• Read a new form of literature – ex. Always reading the classics?  Try a modern tale by an unfamiliar author.
• Read a text book – learn a new language
• Read the local newspaper – attend a local activity or sporting event
• Go for a reading walk (works well in urban environments) – read billboards, traffic signs, flyers and other forms of media that have infiltrated the culture.
• Be creative!  Experiment with new forms of travel that play well with literature.

Reading and traveling can be fascinating.  Mixing the two together can often lead to even more enjoyable experiences and adventures.   Some individuals have began to combine Book Crossing in their travel adventures.  This will allow you to leave books behind at a cafe, museum or other fun location for someone else to discover and read.  You will be able to follow the books online and track who else reads them and where the books travel.

Even if you are currently unable to travel, a book can take you there.  Don’t let anything hold you back.  You too can say, ‘been there, read that’.

© nomadbackpackers.com -  All rights reserved 2009

Rome has over 100 hostels and budget accommodations. With so many options it becomes difficult to select the right place to stay. In fact, many hostels in Rome require a minimum stay of at least 2 nights. The typical backpacker approach of, “I’ll stay one night, if I don’t like it, I can find another hostel,” doesn’t work with Rome.

Rome is an old, ancient city, in which every square foot is priceless. Keep in mind that most hostels and budget accommodations will be in old buildings and space is in short supply. Rome hostels tend to be small.

Selecting your Rome Hostel:

• How far is the hostel from a metro station? What is in walking distance?
• Are the bathrooms unisex? Will I have a hot shower?
• How big is the kitchen? How many individuals share that same kitchen?
• What are the amenities? Is there a place to hang wet clothes to dry?
• What type of security is offered?  24-hour front desk?  Lockers?

These are great questions to ask before committing yourself to a hostel. In fact, our first mistake occurred after booking a hostel in Rome. Justin and I later found out that they did not have security lockers, or lock the rooms. This was a huge concern.

However, after arriving, checking in, seeing our beds, and chatting in Italenglish, we discovered that an individual sits at the 24-hour front desk monitoring who comes and goes. In fact, after staying out past 10pm (which we did), we needed to hit an entry button on the front door. Then they would verify that the two of us were currently checked in, before pressing the automatic release on the door. Our hostel in Rome was so secure, that we couldn’t believe we had so many previous concerns.

We loved the Color’s Hotel & Hostel in Rome; they even had a rooftop terrace. This offered a great place to relax with a cup of coffee in the morning as we enjoyed the beauty of Rome. The terrace also doubled as a place to hang our laundry to dry. Fortunately, the covering provided keeps Roman Pigeon poop from meeting your fresh and clean threads.  It proved to be a great hostel in Rome.

The Color’s Hotel & Hostel was the perfect location and accommodation for us. We selected our hostel and got lucky. This is a big part of finding a hostel in Rome. Some locations are amazing, while others lead to nights you don’t want to remember. Reading online reviews can be helpful. Try hostels, hostelbookers, hostelworld and hostelz. The reviews can be less accurate than we wish they were.  At the same time, these websites provide information on location and nightly rates.  Sometimes it costs extra money to book through one of these sites.  See if the hostel has their own website.  The hostel booking websites are a good place to start.

Other than that, travel is about risk! Know what you want to do in Rome and then decide where you want to stay, and book it! If you are really adventurous, find a hostel when you arrive. However, in the high season (Mid-May to early September) you might want to book ahead so you don’t sleep outside a Gelato shop near Trevi fountain.

A new poll has just opened!  You Choose the future of www.nomadbackpackers.com

Vote, because You Choose what will appear in the future.  It’s up to You!

The You Choose poll is located in the sidebar.  Scroll down and You Choose is on the right.  If you have a better idea, that’s great!  Email us.  We would love to hear your great ideas or advice for how www.nomadbackpackers.com should transition.

Although, we don’t know where we are going next.  We love to travel, and plan to do lots of exploring in the future.  There will still be many adventures to read about.

You Choose what is next!

On another note…

Thank you for voting in our most recent You Choose poll.  We are currently unable to explore South East Asia.  However, when we travel to South East Asia in the future, we will be sure to take part in a Multi-day elephant riding trip.

Jason and Sara, of Our New Office, travel and work along the way.  This couple has mastered the art of travel and international telecommuting.  Would you like to work remotely and travel?  How did Jason and Sara design their lifestyle to allow continual travel?

Since Our New Office is always on the go, Jason and Sara agreed to a virtual interview.  Their advice will help anyone think outside of the cubicle and dream of working, while traveling the world.

Natalie: How did you gain the necessary skills to work remotely?  Did you read lots of books?  Experiment with personal websites and online marketing?

Jason: Trial by fire. Sara and I have left multiple broken and failed websites in our wake. From these failures we have attained enough knowledge, confidence, and skills to both make money through our own websites, as well as, help others do the same.

Of course, books, education, and experience played a role as well.

Natalie: Is it difficult to work while you are traveling?  Are the distractions endless?

Sara: Generally speaking, it is a little harder to work overseas than it is at home. Internet access is often a problem, so we usually plan around that. As for distractions, while living in Denver, I was distracted by episodes of Lost and invites to happy hour.  My more recent distractions of jungle tours in Costa Rica and shoe shopping in Bangkok are just as tempting as the Denver distractions of my past. It’s all about discipline.

Natalie: Do you have a physical home to return to?  How long have you been traveling? How often do you return?

Sara: Our address is Public Storage unit #67, Denver, Colorado…we’re definitely homeless, but surprisingly we don’t miss having a home. We just miss friends and family.  Jason and I altered our lifestyle in August, 2008. We return to the states every 1-3 months to take care of business and see friends and family, and we plan on returning to the USA at the end of May for a wedding…we almost always come back for the weddings (including our own).

Natalie: Weddings are a good excuse to return (especially your own).  Is it difficult to keep new work consistently coming in?  Do you have key clients you depend on?  Are you ever concerned that work opportunities will lessen with the global economic issues?

Jason: Finding new clients is always a concern, regardless of where we are. Still, we like to think we’re doing a good job because we’re able to depend on referrals for new business. As for the economy, we’re not terribly concerned. The Internet industry is still going strong.

Sara: We plan on working remotely through the end of the year. After that - who knows. The more time we spend doing this, the easier it gets.

Natalie: It’s good to know it gets easier.  It has been fascinating to learn about your lifestyle of travel and international telecommuting.  Your lifestyle will encourage and inspire so many others to work remotely as they travel the world.  Thanks Jason and Sara!

NOTE:  The photos I have included are not actual photos of Jason or Sara working around the world.  Although, they look just as sharp while working remotely.  If you would like to see actual photos of Jason and Sara visit their gallery.

Check out Jason and Sara at Our New Office and follow their travels.  Jason’s latest travel discovery is bite-size bananas in Panama.  While Sara is savoring her natural alarm clock each morning, as the sounds of traffic, horns and car alarms wake her up in Panama.

As for Justin and I, we are sorting out our next step in life.  Thank you so much for all of the encouraging emails and topic suggestions for future articles we will consider writing.  Be sure to vote in our next poll, You Choose, coming soon!

After reading Explore Australia: Part One you may be dreaming of taking a trip to the Outback  in the future.  I have brief  descriptions on a few elements that will make exploring Australia more enjoyable.  Explore Australia - Part Two concludes with ways to dream of your trip if your departure date is not in the near future.

Transportation

As for transportation, the options are similar to New Zealand.  A traveler can buy a car or a camper van, rent a car or a camper van, buy a bus pass, or even hitch hike.  Be aware, if driving in Australia, during certain seasons, roads can become treacherous as drivers must avoid hitting Kangaroos.  This is similar to the problem in the  Midwest (of the U.S.A.) of hitting deer.

Money

It’s easy to travel Australia with $20-40 US per day.  ATM’s are readily available in all of the cities, but plan ahead and carry some cash for more remote over land travel.  Australia becomes even more accessible to the apprehensive traveler through being an English speaking nation.  The best way to save money in Australia, is through self catering.  Buy your own food at the store instead of eating out 3 meals a day.

Best to Explore

Australia offers so many wonderful places to explore including Sydney, Melbourne, Fraser Island, Nimbin, the Gold Coast, and the Great Ocean Road.  Sydney was an awesome city, and we found lots of FREE activities.

Although Justin and I have not visited Melbourne yet, we have only heard positive recommendations on Melbourne.  Aussies have described it as beautiful, friendly, colorful, artistic, and inviting.  Looking back, Justin and I really wish we would have made a few days in Melbourne a priority.  But it’s good to have an excuse to return and explore Australia.  Melbourne is currently ours excuse to return.  If you have been to Melbourne let me know what you think.  Is it truly an awesome place?

Problems

Now not all of Australia is perfect.  In fact, the long distances between one point of interest to another is a major  hindrance if you have not set aside an adequate amount of time to explore Australia.  It can also become dangerous to attempt driving a multi-day road trip across more remote regions of Australia.  Make sure you have properly loaded your vehicle with extra gasoline (or petrol), water, food, spare car parts, tools, and other necessary supplies.

Individuals complain that exploring Australia can become very expensive, quickly.  If you are looking for a cheap budget destination perhaps consider a trip to a less expensive country.  If your heart is set on exploring Australia, opportunities exist in order to avoid holding a ‘WILL WORK FOR FOOD’ sign.

Explore for Less

Many individuals get around the expensive of exploring Australia through working.  Work is not difficult to find and 12 month Work Visas are available online.  If you don’t have 12 months to spend exploring Australia, know that other opportunities exist.  In Australia it is popular to spend 2-4 hours working each day in exchange for accommodation.  Justin and I only spent one week in Australia and we did not participate in WWOOFing, however we spent two weeks in New Zealand working at a Pub on the Great Barrier Island for our food and lodging.  Just because we only spent 2 weeks receiving FREE food and accommodations, doesn’t mean you can’t spend several months lowering your travel expenses through becoming a WWOOFer.  You could even work at an alpaca farm!

Waiting to Explore

While waiting to explore Australia I would recommend the following as fun ways to learn and plan:

• Check Australia guide books out at the library
• Rent a movie based in Australia (Lord of the Rings doesn’t count, it was filmed in New Zealand)
• Read a fictional book (not just guide books)
• Hang a map of Australia on the wall – great inspiration to save money
• Need more inspiration?  You Tube beautiful Australia videos
• Look into WWOOLFing opportunities
• Set up a buzz alert with Kayak to monitor airfare prices

We currently have one year visas that are valid until early 2010.  Although we have only seen one week of Australia, who knows what the future could bring, we may even head back to the Outback?

© nomadbackpackers.com -  All rights reserved 2009