ConvenienceBigs,
Greetings from Taiwan! Back in 2009, while I was growing this blog, I lived in Taipei teaching English.
But, that whole time I lived there, I never left the city.
So, after spotting a cheap flight, I decided it was finally time to return to Taiwan. There's so much beauty, history, mouth-watering food, and incredible tea here that I'm beyond thrilled to be finally exploring the island.
I'm currently in Taichung, where I'm off to explore the famous Sun Moon Lake before heading to Tianan (the old capital). After that, I'm hiking the famous Toroko Gorge, heading to Jiufen for tea, and then back to Taipei for more endless strolls through night markets. From there, it's off to Singapore, Paris, and Berlin before finally going home.
And, as I begin my travels again, I've been thinking a lot about how to "green" them. I want to reduce the environmental and societal impact of my travels.
After all, why destroy what you love? No one wants to see paradise paved over. We all hate overtourism. We all cringe when we return to an overdeveloped, polluted destination. None of us want to contribute to that.
As we strive to become more conscious of our footprint, the question for us travelers becomes just how do we do it?
What changes can we make that are actually helpful?
Fortunately, there's a lot we can do to reduce our ecological footprint while contributing to the sustainability of the communities we visit.
We travel to learn about destinations — not destroy them — so finding ways to reduce our impact is an important part of being a responsible traveler. Let's all try to make a difference in 2020.
Note on the Coronavirus: About 50% of people here have masks on and tourism is definitely down but everyone I talk to doesn't feel the virus is a big threat here and life goes on.
TravelCon Update
TravelCon 2020 is almost here. We've got over 60 incredible speakers lined up and will have 40 travel brands and destinations joining us (they are there to meet and partner with YOU).
If you're thinking of joining the travel industry or are part of the industry already and want to level up your skills, come attend this massive event! We have experts teaching you how to grow your audience, reach #1 on Google, network, and, most importantly, make money!
This year's conference is in New Orleans from May 8-10th and will include free trips around the region!
In fact, our FAM trip registration opens next week so be sure to grab your ticket soon (there are limited spots for both FAM trips and our in-depth workshops).
As a member of this email list, you can get $50 off your ticket with the code 50off. The discount is valid until 2/24!
Community Events & Updates
1. Want to meet other travelers in real life? This year we launched The Nomadic Network, a platform created to help travelers connect, learn, and get inspired in real life! Here are our upcoming events: San Francisco (2/20 i.e. TONIGHT), Los Angeles (2/23), Detroit (2/24), Boston (2/24), San Diego (2/24), Dublin (2/24), London (2/25), Chicago (2/25), and Paris (3/3).
For more meet-ups and events, check out this page for a full list.
2. If you want to learn how to get free flights and accommodation this year, check out my free primer on travel hacking! It will show you how to collect points and miles and help you save thousands per year.
3. Like books? I have restarted our monthly book club! Each month, you'll get a list of 4-5 of my favorite current reads consisting of mostly travel but a little fiction and history too. If you're interested, click here to sign up!
Latest from the Blog
We've updated a lot of posts over the past few weeks! Here are our most recent posts as well as recently updated ones to help you kick your travels up a notch this year:
- A Guide to Teaching English in Thailand (NEW POST)
- How to Explore Tajikistan on a Budget (NEW POST)
- My List of Favorite Hostels (This new hub page lists all my favorite hostels so you can find them in one place)
- Points, Miles, and More (This new hub page has all my posts on points and miles!)
- How to Find a Cheap Flight (UPDATED POST)
- Should You Buy an RTW ticket? (UPDATED POST)
- A Food Tour Guide to Madrid (UPDATED POST)
- How to Stay Healthy on the Road (UPDATED POST)
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As always, if you have any questions or need advice, tips, or guidance, send me an e-mail! I'm happy to help.
P.S. - Leaving soon? Use these helpful links to book your trip:
- Be sure to check out our destination guidebooks and get your copy today!
- Book your travel insurance with World Nomads (Under 70) or Insure My Trip (Over 70)
- Book your flight with Momondo or Skyscanner
- Book your accommodation with Booking.com or Hostelworld
- Book a tour with Intrepid Travel (Nomadic Matt readers get special discounts!)
- Looking for a new credit card? Here's a list of my current favs! (U.S. only)
- Need something else? Check out my list of favorite companies on my resources page and book with confidence.
I personally use all these companies listed (here or on the resource page) and, by booking through these links, the small commission we earn helps us keep the content up to date, run events, create new guides, and keep the website going!
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