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Is Hong Kong Still Safe for Travellers to Visit?

Jen AveryJanuary 16, 2020
Since June last year, images of Hong Kong's tear gassed crowds, masked protestors, and shield-wielding police have flooded news outlets. As ... Read More...

The Best Travel Credit Cards for 2020

January 12, 2020
How to get TSA Precheck and Global Entry

How to Get TSA Precheck and Global Entry (& Save Hours at the Airport)

January 6, 2020
Machu Picchu

How to Buy Machu Picchu Tickets: A Step-by-Step Guide (Updated 2020)

January 5, 2020

11 Montreal Winter Activities that are Cheap or Free (Updated 2020)

December 11, 2019

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How to Get FREE Extended Layovers & Hack One Trip Into TWO

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Hey there!

Jen and Ted - Cocktails in Samui

We’re Jen and Ted, a Canadian couple with a passion to inspire affordable travel. 6 years ago we ditched our jobs, sold everything & pursued a life outside the 9-5 bubble. We learned travel doesn’t have to be pricey, and created this blog to prove it. We haven't looked back since!

Read on and get to know us better!

Like Us

Thrifty Nomads

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Instagram post 17927058631352367 An ode to creating local travel ventures ! ✨ Even “humdrum” suburbs can have curious historic places or a scenic lookout or trail that any foreigner may find interesting! Check out your local tourism board sites & guidebooks to find sites and hikes you may not have known about. 🍁 In a recent family visit to London (Ontario), we found the gorgeous Eldon House - a beautiful 19th century home filled unique and eclectic global collections of art and artefacts, including collections of pieces from Janpanese Samari stirrups and (looted) Egyptian artifacts, to an original leaf-wrapped African voodoo shaman kit with its original contents inside. Rhino horns, warthog antlers and more even a real elephant foot (for storing umbrellas) were adorned the home. It’s easy to dream of faraway places but don’t neglect the interesting sites close to home, no matter how seemingly “bland” they may be. Lookouts & historic sites will and always can be appreciated by fhe curious and motivated.
Instagram post 17843565997864933 Winter in Canada = much more tolerable in short doses (at least for us two wimps!). People (errr, ice skater?) watching, sipping a Timmie’s ☕️ and mummifying oneself with scarves, hats & mitts makes for a cozy day of frigid wandering 🥶 🔥✨⛄️
Instagram post 17848069774813814 Chilly day out visiting our old stomping grounds - back where it all began ✨ Where on a single night shift, a coworker convinced me to do my masters in Australia (as opposed to Toronto). I told Ted on picking me up from my hospital shift that we were moving to Australia. About 8 months later we left with a one way ticket to Colombia, backpacking for half a year before arriving in Aus. Before our departure we meticulously we sold every last one of our belongings, with seemingly infinite Craigslist & Kijiji buyers knocking at our door. We were scared shitless that we’d ruined our career prospects and derailed our “perfectly planned” lives (*gag*). 6 years later and none of that mattered. FYI, the world is freaking awesome and certainly worth exploring long-term, if you so wish! The best outcome of all this was realizing how paralyzing fear is. Logic holds value in life but too often it’s predominantly steering, squashing our “in another lifetime” dreams. This is the only lifetime you have, chase those damn dreams & finally make them happen ✨- J
Instagram post 17843991949856033 Spicy, sour, savoury, sweet – these are the flavours of Hong Kong (& Macau!). From street skewers with peanut sauce to squishy wontons with vinegary chilli - the streets are fragranced with mouth watering scents day & night 🤤
Instagram post 18120346342025695 Macau is the gambling capital of Asia (where gambling is illegal nearly everywhere). Us being cheap (but arguably wise in this case, given the terrible odds of winning) - we simply watched intense high stakes poker games unfold and wandered past the dinging slot machines. Interestingly, casinos like the MGM and Venetian exist here. Even if you don’t gamble, Macau is a stimulating & worthy stop ✨
Instagram post 18028391686246881 Hands up if you’ve stayed at Hong Kong’s legendary Chungking Mansions 🙋🏼‍♀️ Here’s a now (2019) & then (2014) shot of this not-so-grandeur “mansion”. 🤣 Chungking is arguably a right of passage for any backpacker passing through HK. We are grateful to have since graduated this time round! In all our Asian travels, Chungking breaks the record for the tiniest pad (in our second selfie, our backpacks are leaning on the entry door 🤣). Opening the front door results in hitting the “twin” bed. The tiny bathroom (even by Asian standards) must be squeezed into, and a shower requires your legs brushing the toilet. To reach the building elevator, one must dodge the lobby’s knock-off watch & purse sellers amidst wafts of lukewarm curries from plentiful Indian food stalls. Fond memories of that delightfully strange place! 😝
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Is Hong Kong Still Safe for Travellers to Visit?

Jen AveryJanuary 16, 2020
Since June last year, images of Hong Kong's tear gassed crowds, masked protestors, and shield-wielding police have flooded news outlets. As months have passed, ... Read More...

The Best Travel Credit Cards for 2020

Ted AveryJanuary 12, 2020
What do savvy travel bloggers, backpackers, business owners, and all other frequent flyers have in common? A high-earning travel rewards credit card. If you wan... Read More...
How to get TSA Precheck and Global Entry

How to Get TSA Precheck and Global Entry (& Save Hours at the Airport)

Ariana ArghandewalJanuary 6, 2020
You’re standing in the long TSA Precheck line, waiting for an invasive pat-down when a group of travelers confidently stride towards the proverbial velvet rop... Read More...
Machu Picchu

How to Buy Machu Picchu Tickets: A Step-by-Step Guide (Updated 2020)

Jen AveryJanuary 5, 2020
So you've made the decision to visit this incredible place ('cause why wouldn't you?!). Now begins the exciting but gruelling process of trip planning. Hopefull... Read More...

11 Montreal Winter Activities that are Cheap or Free (Updated 2020)

Jen AveryDecember 11, 2019
You know you’re in Montreal when you can see your breath as you exhale. It’s that cold! Shoveling snow from the driveway, a forecast of ice rain and winter ... Read More...
The Best Black Friday Travel Deals of 2019

The ULTIMATE List of Black Friday & Cyber Monday Travel Deals for 2019

Jen AveryNovember 26, 2019
There are two types of people in the Black Friday world – those who brave the frantic in-store hoards, and those who'd rather snatch savings from their laptop... Read More...

25 Unique Gifts for the Travel Addict in Your Life (2020)

Jen AveryNovember 21, 2019
Shopping for someone whose vice is travel can be tricky at best. A plane ticket is too costly, and avoiding unwanted "stuff" can be hard. In need of thoughtful ... Read More...

How to Visit Auschwitz from Krakow (2019 Guide)

Nathan James ThomasOctober 10, 2019
Auschwitz-Birkenau is a Nazi German concentration and extermination camp located in Poland near the major city of Krakow. Between 1940 and 1945, over one millio... Read More...

How to Visit Iceland on a Budget: The Ultimate Guide

Katie HammelSeptember 16, 2019
Once a sleepy, relatively isolated island, Iceland has recently become one of the hottest travel destinations on earth. When I first went to Iceland in 2009,... Read More...
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