Travel Costs

The Costs of Clean Laundry while Traveling

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The scent of fresh laundry is to be savored if you’re on an extended trip living out of a backpack. 4 days in the same underwear? The same tshirt 3-4 times? Leads to going a few weeks without clean clothes. Sure, its not ideal. But sometimes necessary due to the fact that laundry often takes more than 24 hours from the time you drop it off to the time you can pick it up because it usually air dried. The challenge with that, for me, is that I generally do all my clothes at once, which leaves me only what I’m wearing that day (I often try to make it a bathing suit) until I pick up my laundry and can change my clothes. Particularly when you are on the go every few days, timing of actually having a 24-48 hour window is challenging.

What does clean laundry cost while traveling?

It varies greatly depending on location. In Noordwijk, an hour outside of Amsterdam, I paid 10 Euro for one load of laundry. They didn’t even fold the laundry (shame on them). That’s the most I’ve ever paid abroad.

My unfolded travel laundry

I had to fold it myself

In Chiang Mai, that same load of Laundry would have costs about 90 Thai baht. The equivalent of about $3. It would have been folded neatly, and smelled better than the pile they returned to me in Noordwijk.

In Barcelona, my friend paid 4 Euro to run her clothes through the washing machine at a laundromat. Plus another 1 Euro for 15 minutes of dryer time.

So your range is somewhere from a few US Dollars to upwards of $10 or $15. Don’t ask me what dry cleaning abroad costs, as I’ve never done it.

PS: I still think the Scubba Wash Bag would be a great investment.

More reading on doing your laundry here.

Oh Hey World Updates

Why Oh Hey World Will Succeed

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logo_transparent_no_shadI’ve met with a few potential investors for Oh Hey World over the past two months, and of course the team is the the most critical component of any startup looking to raise money. After outlining why I was the right person to undertake this opportunity and build the team to execute on it to one potential investor, he told me I should articulate my answer to the “why you” question on my blog. So, here it is.

And yes, this may sound a bit like marketing text. You’re right. It is. But I’d tell you the exact same thing if you and I were to sit down for coffee and talk one on one.

1. Understanding of the target market inside and out.

I’ve been a part of every primary market segment of travelers for at least 3 years, and understand each of their pain points. From my first trip abroad in 2005 to 2008, I was a budget backpacker scrounging every last dime I could muster to travel. From 2007-2011 I was a business traveler at Zillow, traveling on average about once a month within the US. From 2010 to today, I’ve been a long term traveler with no real home base – spending significant chunks of time in Greece, Thailand, Kenya, Ghana, and Spain among other destinations. Success online comes from emulating the real world, and I get the real world traveler scenarios in need of attention. Don’t get me wrong, there are others who understand the pain points for the various traveler market segments, but understanding how to actually execute on their idea beyond a hacked together solution to address one tiny problem is another story. Which brings me to point number 2…

2. My experience at Zillow.

I’ve seen, from the inside, how a real successful web company is built from 0 to over 13 million unique users when I left the company in 2010 (now they are over 34 million uniques). It takes massive massive efforts, both in terms of building a great product and executing on a sound business strategy, to grow a web startup from zero to millions and millions of web users. It takes an incredible focus on people, culture, and recruiting (a great article on A VC regarding culture & recruiting here). It requires winning extremely strategic partnerships. It requires a great understanding of design and user experience. It requires a devotion to listening to your users and responding to their concerns. It requires a top flight public relations team to form strategic relationships with the media. It requires responding to social media inquires in minutes, not days or months. The list goes on and on.

3. Community Building

I believe any web company that doesn’t understand and invest in community building is completely toast from the beginning, no matter how good their product is. With the volume of web startups launching and the overlap involved in products, there’s simply no other defensible strategy these days. At the end of the day, users go back to destinations where they know they’ll find familiar faces. Same as in real life. Fortunately, community building is my greatest strength and a huge chunk of my time will be spent on it. I understand what it takes to build a strong community — with the most important being to genuinely care about others and want to help them achieve their goals.

4. Networking

No one can succeed on their own. I get that. I feel fortunate to have built up an amazing network of friends and advisors to provide advice, marketing, and support. Much of that network was built while at Zillow, but a huge chunk of it has been formed over the past three years while traveling the globe. So yes, I know a thing or two about sphere building.

5. I know it’s possible.

Once you know where you want to end up in life, the rest is simple. The same is true with building a web startup. Once the vision is clear, it’s just patching the puzzle together to get there. It’s as simple as that. This vision can be realized, and will be realized.

There is no “if” involved.

Travel Thoughts

Travel. Life’s Greatest Cure for Internal Conflicts

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What’s the best cure for internal conflicts?

At least for the large internal conflicts involving a career, relationships, or living situation — the answer is travel. At least in my book it is.

Many travelers travel while they sort out their internal conflicts. It’s not at all uncommon. If Monica McCarthy hadn’t been traveling for this exact reason, our lives certainly would not have crossed in Chiang Mai.

Whenever someone tells me they don’t know what they want in life, my answer is always the same. Go travel. Travel is the best soul searching tool at your disposal — particularly if you go out on your own and partake in a bit of solo travel (which I’d highly recommend). It gives you time to think, gain some perspective, and figure out what you want in life. Don’t get me wrong, travel won’t SOLVE your life problems as both Steph and Jodi have mentioned. But it does help you determine priorities in life.

As it turns out, more travel was exactly what I needed for me to move beyond my lingering career conflict.

Online Travel Annoyances

Online Travel Annoyance #2 – The Dark Art of Flight Book­ing

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[Note from editor: The Dark Art of Flight Book­ing originally published on WillMoyer.com]

I probably don’t have to tell you this, but booking flights – especially international flights – is a shadowy and mysterious process.

There are plenty of sites like KAYAK, Skyscanner, and Hipmunk that try to make it easier and the information more digestible. They’re great. But the underlying process of finding flights and figuring out the itineraries that give you the most bang for your buck is something I constantly struggle with.

Why does KAYAK show one price but Delta’s site show another? Why do some sites show only certain routes or only some carriers?

Look at this example between KAYAK and Travelocity. Same exact flight, time, day, everything. But a huge price difference. (I didn’t go out of my way to find this example. It was the first test search I tried.)

I don’t understand the economics or politics between these companies and airlines or between the airlines and each other. It’s completely opaque to me.

But there’s more than just complex relationships that make this hard to figure out. Airline websites are notoriously bad. They’re riddled with clumsy user interfaces, obscure step-by-step processes, and even dark patterns.

Look at this example from American Airlines.

Here is a flight from Beijing to Chicago to be booked as a one-way ticket. The price is 1225.60 USD.

Here is a flight from New York to Beijing, a one-way ticket. The price is 1450.70 USD.

Here are the same two flights but this time, they are booked as a multi-city ticket:

You can buy them both for 1556.50 USD! Why?

Again, I’m not sure what’s going on here behind the scenes. Is it a “bird-in-the-hand-is-worth-two-in-the-bush” situation? American Airlines would rather have a guarantee you’ll fly twice rather than only once, even if it’s for nearly the same amount of money. Is that what is really going on? Maybe not, maybe it doesn’t actually benefit American Airlines. It might just be an unintended consequence of complexities of the flight booking world. Who knows?

And, like I said before, this is coupled with poor interface design. Interface design that feels almost intentionally bad. It is entirely believable that some ordinary user would go to AA.com, click “one-way” and buy two tickets. They might never realize that by clicking the “multi-city” link and using that form, they could save more than a thousand dollars.

The multi-city link: it’s not exactly a “click here to save a thousand dollars” button, is it?

Raise your hand if you think American Airlines would send that user an email alerting them of their mistake.

One more example, and this one is going to blow your mind. Below is a flight to be booked as a one-way ticket and the exact same flight to be booked as part of a multi-city ticket. Look at the price difference:

It’s insane. You would literally save 3000 USD by buying two tickets and throwing one away than you would by buying the first flight individually.

World of international flights: what is wrong with you?

Destination Details

Istanbul Nightlife – Here we Come

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You might not appreciate it off hand but Istanbul has a nightclub and cafe culture as developed as any of those in the rest of Europe. Being one of the oldest cities in the world and located as it is on one of history’s most pivotal points in terms of trade, education and culture Istanbul has a thousands of years of experience of people coming together.

This fact is borne out by the size of the city and the variety in cultural hubs that you will see as you hop from nightspot to nightspot. I booked a great central spot with this site, so didn’t have far too trek back on those late nights out partying!

Despite the fact that Turkey is by tradition a Muslim nation the government is secular and what with all the European influences bars, restaurants, clubs and pubs all exist within the city, although nightclubs predominate on the Western side of the Bosphorus. However, beer, wine, raki and other spirits are all perfectly legal in licensed premises all over the city.

This being the case Istanbul has a night scene just like any other major European conurbation, there are venues that appeal to those who want to see a show, dance, party, watch bands, spot celebrities  or whatever else it is you choose to do with your evenings while on vacation.

If you want to play by the sea then the Ortakoy area is where you should be headed, where the three floors of the Anjelique await, There’s a nightclub on the top floor while the other floors are dedicated to Angelique’s restaurant and cocktail bar. People head here for the atmosphere and the music.

Alternatively there is Blackk, they describe themselves “With our elegant decoration and world-class music, Blackk is a unique night club in Ortaköy, Istanbul offering a magnificent view of the Bosphorus. On the upper floor, you can find a resto-lounge where you can enjoy the view of the Bosphorus as you dine or have a drink at the bar.

Then there is Suada, not actually on the coast but on a small island just off it. 165 metres from the European shoreline the nightclub and 6 restaurant s are just one part of a complex owned by Glatasaray Sports Club and is famous for its glamorous soirées frequented by internationally famous celebrities and sportspersons as well as its first class food.

Alternatively you might like to stay within the city’s precincts, for the best city centre nightlife you need to head over to Beyoglu. It’s here that you’ll find spots such as Al Jamal, a venue that defines what it is to be Istanbul, there is middle eastern cuisine, belly dancing, a harem interior with western music, food, drinks and live entertainment.

Then there is Babylon, a venue which exists for live bands to play in a small, intimate space, musicians and musical styles from all over the world including Latin, Jazz, Electo, Reggae and even Turkish can all be found here. Entrance is free, however, there is ticketed admission for concerts.

Confusingly there are four Buddha bars in Istanbul, The Buddha Rock Bar, Big Buddha and Little Buddha as well as The Buddha Bar. The Buddha Rock Bar caters mainly for students, it’s cheap and comfortable and a good place to start a night out. Big and little Buddha play a range of music from Latin and Blues to Techno and Jungle. The Buddha Bar plays alternative rock from the 90’s and 00’s.

If you want to sample some fabulous local cuisine while listening to Pop and Jazz performed by locals too then Hayal Kahvesi is a cafe bar you’ll want to check out.

That’s just a few of the best known nightclubs in Istanbul, local guidebooks or staff at your hotel will be able to give you a good idea of the best clubs and bars local to where you’re staying.

[Photo via live.villapashahotel.com]

Online Travel Annoyances

Online Travel Annoyance #1 – Dated Cost Data

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Yes, I’m a travel addict.

Yes, I do lots of research online prior to departing.

Yes, cost of travel is a consideration when I’m planning and booking my travels.

Which brings me to the constant annoyance of dated cost data.

Why oh why is it so hard to find up to date cost data for traveling to various regions in the world?

You’re left to peruse Google in hopes of finding a somewhat recent blog post from a travel blogger who happens to be kind enough to track, and blog about, their expenditures in Chiang Mai, Beijing, Rome, or Barcelona (or wherever you are going next).

Even if you do manage to find a great resource about the specific destination, there are two likely problems. First, the information is dated the second it gets published. It could be from 9 months, 3 years, or even 5 years ago. Costs change over time, some regions more so than others as a result of inflation (like Argentina) or currency fluctuations. Second, the traveler publishing the data is unlikely to be the exact same travel profile as you. If I find cost data from a 45 year old couple, that’s largely irrelevant to me given that I’m a single 30 year old male.

There is, however, a second option for determining a budget for a specific destination. Find someone with similar travel habits who has just visited the location you’re headed towards. But short of having a massive network of travelers to tap into, and know where they’ve all been recently, this approach isn’t likely to work for many people.

Accurate travel cost data for your travel profile really shouldn’t be so hard to find.

Where do you go to research travel costs? Does it work most of the time? All the time? Do you find it accurate?

And yes, I have a pretty good idea on how to solve this travel problem — but would love feedback on what type of traveler you are and what your thoughts are on the “accurate travel costs” problem outlined here so as to incorporate your feedback into an even better product down the line.

Oh Hey World Updates

The Vision Behind Oh Hey World – Part 1

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Despite the enormous sums of money that have been thrown at the online travel vertical, the online travel experience still sucks.

Royally.

Literally not a single website does a great job of unifying or improving my travel experience — either the research leading up to a trip or the experience while I’m in a particular city. The social sites with potential lack my network to make them truly useful. Or, if they do exist, I haven’t heard of them. Meanwhile, the ones with scale have crappy user experiences. I’d say HostelWorld is the only site close since it has all my hostel data since my first trip in 2005 — but it really hasn’t used that data to make my travel experience better. Sure, there are some regional sites such as TravelFish that are great when you are in a particular spot in the world. But overall? Online travel is a fragmented landscape dripping with mediocrity, or worse, outright crappiness.

What is Oh Hey World setting out to do? Aside from the obvious answer of changing the world (duh, that’s a no-brainer) we’re aiming to connect you with nearby people and things that are relevant to you.

As with any startup, building a product is a gradual process. Connecting you with other locals and travelers you know is a natural step 1, since you already know these people and likely want to see them again in person. You just need a simple and intuitive way to find them. Those that have traveled know traveling with others – whether that be your spouse, significant other, best friend of 10 years, or a random backpacker you met 2 days ago – is always a better experience than traveling solo. Even a solo traveler is never truly solo — they meet others constantly, floating from group to group as they see fit. Going one step further — if local knowledge is part of that equation, travel goes from good to great. Many of the best travel experiences I’ve had have been because of local expertise. Someone living somewhere knows which bars to go to. Knows where to take you off the tourist trail. Can take you to a local party, and get you a feel for their hometown’s true culture.

As of about two weeks ago, we have a new home page up that gives you a peak into what’s we’re going after in version 1.

  1. Inform your loved ones of your whereabouts
  2. Track your travel history
  3. Connect with locals and nearby travelers

If the proposition of a more social travel experience sounds appealing to you, go ahead and sign up to be in the first group to try our beta. Go ahead, I’ll let you and won’t bite.

As you can imagine, this is just the beginning of the journey for Oh Hey World. Stoked to see where it leads…

Travel Thoughts

Rain, Rain, and More Rain – and the Biggest Umbrella You’ve Ever Seen

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I seriously need a big, fat, heaping umbrella for all the rain I’ve experienced in Northern Europe. Luckily, I found just that in Brussels yesterday (see below).

I’m from Seattle so I know all about the rain. But I’m just a tad tired of it. After almost a month in Northern Europe (Stockholm, Amsterdam, Belgium), I was beyond excited to wake up today to see that big warm thing in the sky they call the sun shining through my window. Where? Barcelona. Don’t get me wrong, I had an unbelievable time in northern Europe even though it rained the majority of the time. But everyone needs to see the sun every once in awhile. Barcelona and a few weeks of solid sun is exactly what I need right now.

Point A to Point B

Getting from Chiang Mai to Beijing

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Traveling from Chiang Mai to Beijing via any method other than direct flight can prove to be a bit of a hassle and a challenge. But if you have the time and the patience to map out the trip, it can also save you some money and give you a chance to see a few other places along the way. I opted to go the long way, bus-ing from CM to Bangkok, flying into Shenzhen, China, then taking an overnight train home to Beijing.

Chaoyang Park, Beijing

Destination: Beijing (Photo/Casey Hynes)

The trip was not without its frustrations, but ended up being enjoyable overall. If you take a similar route, however, I’d recommend flying into Hong Kong and taking the train from there to Beijing, rather than from Shenzhen. This especially applies if you’re not pressed for time and can afford to spend a couple of days in another city. I was on a bit of a time crunch but ended up having to spend an extra day in Shenzhen anyway, and I definitely would  have preferred to have seen Hong Kong. (If you do end up in Shenzhen, though, it’s not the end of the world. The city is cleaner than Beijing and not difficult to get around.)

If this is your first time traveling into China, be prepared for hassles. Things rarely go right the first time, and if you go into it with that mindset, you’ll be more relaxed and appreciate the misadventures of China for the good stories they are rather than trip-ruining headaches.

Here’s the route I took from Chiang Mai to Beijing, including transportation, travel costs, and hostels.

Bus from Chiang Mai to Bangkok (arranged by guesthouse): 450 baht (~$15)

You can also take a train to Bangkok. I looked online and I believe it was more expensive, but it might be worth it in terms of comfort. The bus ride to Bangkok was comically awful, in my experience — no AC, crowded, loud, overhead lights didn’t work, crazy uncomfortable. It’s cheap, for sure, and I would consider doing it again if I find myself back in Chiang Mai and on a budget, but if it’s comfort you’re worried about, the train or a flight might be a better option.

Single room in a hostel in Bangkok: 450 baht (~$15)

The bus dropped us off in the Khao San Rd. area, so I wandered around until I found a hostel with an available room. None of them seemed keen to give a half-day rate (I got in to the city around 6 a.m. and only wanted a room for a few hours, until I left for the airport), and at that time of morning, most dorms seemed full so I had to pay more than I had originally budgeted. However, after the hellish overnight bus ride, the single room was a nice break from being hot and crowded around other people.

Mini-bus from Khao San Road area of Bangkok to the airport: 120 baht (~$4)

I booked this at a little travel and Internet shop called Terranet. You may be able to get a better price by haggling with taxi drivers, but I was too tired to argue and remembered that I got a way better rate using a minibus when traveling in Bangkok before (between the two bus stations on the way to Chiang Mai) so I took a chance on them. It worked out fine.

Flight from BKK to Shenzhen, China (booked through AirAsia): $142

The AirAsia website can be a pain to use sometimes, so I went directly to one of their offices, which is across the street from Lanna Guest House in Chiang Mai, just before you turn the corner to walk toward El Diablo, the Mexican place. That was a totally painless process, but even if there are any promotional prices offered for the flight when you look online, they won’t apply that price if you book in person. Make sure to tell them no meal, no checked luggage, no insurance to avoid sneaky extra charges (unless, obviously, you want those things).

Taxi from Shenzhen airport to Small Inn Fuhua, in the central business district of Shenzhen: 150RMB ($24)

Two nights at Small Inn Fuhua, Shenzhen (found/booked on hostelworld.com: 270RMB (~$43)

I totally recommend this place. The staff doesn’t speak much English but they are pleasant and checking in and out was a cheerful, easy process. The rooms are small but they’re cute and the bathrooms are clean with good showers — hot, good water pressure. They also include tea, a water boiler, and some other little items…like bottled water. And condoms featuring black men and Russian women on the package. And lube. (I’m totally serious.) That aside, it really is a charming place and it’s near a metro station. The cab ride to the rail station costs about 20-25RMB. The only downside to the hotel is that there is no wi-fi, though there are internet cables in each room and a community computer in the lobby. I just went to a Starbucks in Shenzhen’s Central Business District and used the wifi there all day, which worked out fine.

Overnight train from Shenzhen to Beijing, hard sleeper bed (booked in person at the Shenzhen Luo Hu Railway Station): 437RMB (~$70)

It is way easier to go to the train station and book the ticket yourself than to try to get some online company to do it. The further in advance you go, the better (11 days ahead is the max.) so you can get a soft sleeper, but I went the day before I wanted to leave and still got a ticket with no trouble. The actual purchasing process is fast but the lines are long. Bring your Kindle.

Total cost of travel: About $313

On top of that, there was obviously the cost of food and toiletries, which was maybe another $100 but probably less than that, and would vary person to person.

Exploring the Wild Blue Yonder