On the12th November 2011, I successfully completed my first ever Man Vs Clock challenge by leaving home and everything I ever knew on a one-way ticket to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. After focusing on paying off my large personal debt the year before, I had a paltry £1,000 to my name, zero income and not the slightest clue how I was going to survive, let alone travel the world!
I was a shit-hot mess with no plan but plenty of passion. I have made several mistakes along the way, which have led me to where I am now. It’s been a crazy ride and a vital learning curve. I receive a lot of emails from people who also want to travel or make money online, or both, and so I have created a comprehensive go-to page, specifically categorised for enquiring minds.
Although I can’t (and won’t) give out unqualified advice on something that I have no knowledge or background in, such as teaching English abroad or long-term volunteering, I have included links to trusted resources within the page for people who aren’t looking to make money online at this point or who simply fancy a change in life.
My field is making money online with a laptop and travelling all over this big, beautiful, mad world – that’s all I know, so that’s what I focus on. Every penny that I have made to this day has been via online adventures, so this resources page will serve people with a passion for travel and also those who want to make the location independent dream happen: make money from anywhere in the world, on their own time…absolute freedom.
After visiting over 100 countries and making a substantial five-figure monthly online income, I think I’m finally well-versed enough to create such a resources page with details of the best booking companies, gear, advice and articles to help you get started on your own journey, whatever that may be.
Some of the links will contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product after clicking on them I will earn a small commission (at no further cost to you) and it helps to keep this site running. I only endorse companies that I use and fully respect.
Travel Resources Table of Contents: |
Before You Go/Planning (Saving, Travel Gear, Packing Tips, Insurance, Vaccinations, Flights, Working and Volunteering Abroad)
On the Road (Accommodation, Laundry, Staying Connected and Safety)
Making Money Online (Start a Travel Blog, My Free Ebook, Matched Betting, Freelancing Advice)
Tech and Apps (Vital Apps for Travel, VPN Protection, Cameras, Phones)
Stay Fit and Healthy on the Road (Supplements, Travel Fitness Gear, Articles)
Connect with Me (Keep in Touch With Me)
If you’re on this section of the page, let it be known that I am vehemently jealous of you. The start of the story is always the best. Whether you’re planning your first trip around the world or are broke as a joke but your dreams are fuelled by the fire in your belly whilst looking to start an online business, this is the most romantic and pure part of the journey.
You will never be where you are now ever again.
So, embrace it and be proud of yourself for taking the leap… Most people never make it this far.
I didn’t save up a lot of money, but I did obliterate my £16,000 personal debt (plus the £1,000 that I left with) all in the space of one year. I did this on a minimum wage salary as a care worker in Newcastle, England, whilst giving pretty much every waking second to paying this off with odd jobs, whilst building my blog up before I left.
Half-a-year hustle – I’m not suggesting you do what I did; it’s a deliciously nostalgic story but it’s bloody stressful. If you want to make the online gig work, but you haven’t started making money yet, I recommend saving up enough money so that you can live in a country with a low cost of living for six months.
$1,000 a month may not get you far in London, Oslo or New York, but if you earn/spend that in a cheaper destination your money goes a long way. Check out this post from the brilliant Wandering Earl: Countries you can visit for $1000 or less.
For an alternative perspective, check out my vampire myth-buster: No, You Can’t “Live Like a King” in Bangkok For $1000 (Lies That Bloggers Tell)
Whilst the Bangkok budget story has been exaggerated to the point of delirium, Thailand is still good value for money and I highly recommend Chiang Mai as a good place to get the party started. Here are a couple of other articles that I’ve written about places around the world that I’ve lived in:
Whichever place you choose, just make sure you prioritise your business. Don’t “fake it till you make it” and piss about on Instagram all day, when you haven’t even made enough to afford that $1 mango lassi that you’re bragging about.
Delayed gratification is a powerful process which needs you to train your willpower muscles. In order to carry it out, you must resist the daily temptation of an immediate reward in preference of the greater good at stake. For example, that heavy night out boozing in the city cost you $80 USD – this could pay for a private bungalow in paradise in some countries, or a bus across a whole country into a new one in some parts of the world!
The resources below will help you embrace delayed gratification, visualise your money-wasting habits, budget wisely and succeed in your savings goal.
It’s the best app for budget travel on the market and it wasn’t designed by any faceless middle men in Silicon Valley, but by two long-term digital nomads who know exactly what we are looking for. You can track every categorised expenditure, it’s easy to use, and you can try it out for free for the first 25 items.
Unfortunately this is only available for iOS. However, my Android-using friends swear by Toshl.
Reading travel-themed books and watching movies that make you want to wander will make you want to stop your frivolous spends. I always say in terms of goals that you need a big enough “reason why,” or you will fail in your quest when times get tough.
Getting lost in books and movies will give you a good enough reason why and strengthen your delayed gratification muscles.
Deciding what to take on your travels can be an absolute nightmare, especially with the myriad of well-meaning advice online. Travel is not a ‘one size fits all’ kind of gig; it’s more of a ‘different strokes for different folks’ deal. So let’s start off with the important question: should you take a rolling suitcase, or a backpack?
Read this post here if you’re not quite sure: Backpack vs Suitcase: Choosing the Best Type of Luggage for your Trip
I left with a backpack that was almost as bad as my fashion sense back then, which resulted in a sore back, rips all over my bag and soaring cortisol levels due to the awful design flaws in it.
Let’s say you choose a backpack but aren’t sure what constitutes a “good backpack”. Feel free to check out this link here:
If a rolling suitcase is more your cup of tea don’t worry, I have you covered in A Guide To Choosing The Best Rolling Suitcase For Travel
If you’re on the road for a very long time you’ll find that your needs will evolve as you get to know your true travel self. For example, I left as a basic budget backpacker, then upgraded to a luxury traveller for a period of time once the online gig started to bear fruit, got a little bored of that and became an adventure traveller, climbing mountains and running brutal ultramarathons in the desert; when I’m not drowning in massaman curry at my home base in Chiang Mai, that is.
However, I think my basic travel gear list should help out all types of travellers. Feel free to pick and choose what to add to your travel wish-list from the link below. I hope it’s not too guy-centric, and seeing as women make up my main demographic here they must be getting some value from my site.
I’ve paid my dues with this one and made every cringeworthy mistake you can possibly imagine. When I see others on the road making the same mistakes I just want to hug them. Or cry. Or both.
Seeing as that would be kind of weird and creepy I decided to share exactly what I travel with instead in this post here:
Minimalist? Good on you. Full disclosure: I suck at it! But one person who certainly doesn’t is Erin McNeaney from Never Ending Voyage. She’s been travelling the world with her boyfriend, Simon, for nine years with carry-on luggage only and has even written a successful book about how to do it.
Even if you’re not looking to travel like this long term, there is also great value in it if you need to do a dreaded visa run, or just leave your base for a couple of days and fancy travelling light.
Check out The Carry-On Traveller: The Ultimate Guide to Packing Light
This short video from Lifehacker lays out the general thought process, with some nifty tips and tricks.
Regardless of whether I’m travelling with a backpack or a rolling suitcase, I always have a day sack with me. This is on me at all times on planes, trains, busses and whatnot, and it has all my expensive gear such as my electronics.
I tend to travel with The North Face Surge as it’s strong, reliable and has handy compartments for my laptop and electronic essentials.
If I need a slightly bigger carry-on bag I use my humble, yet dependable Cabin Zero. In fact, I use that for day trips, weekend trips, or even as an emergency hiking day pack. The CEO of Cabin Zero is an avid traveller who got sick and tired of his crappy bags falling apart, not to mention the anxiety of the nagging question: “is my bag too big for overhead luggage?”
And so Cabin Zero was born. Even though the bags are eligible as carry-on luggage, they manage to carry an absurd amount of travel gear in them. They also have gorgeous designs in an array of colours too.
I’ve yet to try out their new Adventure Cabin packs but expect a full review once I get my hands on one. Check out this cool video below to see how much you can fit into this unsung hero of a bag:
Check out the range of ultralight, Cabin-Sized Backpacks at CabinZero
Although the no-frills aspect of the CabinZero really appeals to me, sometimes when I am taking trips where I really need to have my shit together, I use my NOMATIC 40L as a carry on/day sack instead. The compartment design is second to none, it fits as a carry-on in an airplane, it’s water-resistant and durable and as much as I am reluctant to use this very overused and worn-out term, it is quite simple a… game-changer.
As it stands, I am trying to complete the Seven Summits Challenge (climb the highest mountain on every continent). I’m currently on 3/7 (number three is on its way) and I have climbed a handful of other decent humps in the sky in the last few years. If you’re interested in climbing mountains then get ready for a fully comprehensive article in the near future, until then feel free to shoot me an email with any questions that you may have.
Yeah, sorry. I hate this expense (and subject) too but it’s a necessary one. I rushed this option when I first left and when I needed it the most, I was hit with a big hospital bill. It all worked out well in the end, though, immortalised in the vintage Man Vs Clock post: Plastic Surgery in Thailand, a Cancer Scare, Broke and an Untimely Erection.
But you can’t always be that lucky and my luck ran out in Belize.
However, I had learned my lesson by then and had properly researched the best travel insurance for someone like me who travels long-term/indefinitely, but is also a digital nomad; an expat who is based in Thailand and bounces around the globe on a whim.
SafetyWing are three times cheaper than their competitors and offer free private health care in almost every country in the world. That’s just the tip of the iceberg regarding how much I love them and what they offer, I wrote a full review article about what bang you get for your buck with the best travel and digital nomad insurance on the block:
Best Digital Nomads Insurance on the Market: Why I Switched to SafetyWing
I appreciate that was a lot of information to take in, especially if you are new to the name of SafetyWing or even new to the world of travel insurance. Here are some nice graphics to absorb the information…
The number of headaches (or even heartache for some) that you’ll encounter with this subject is based on two things:
I’m not sure if you got the memo but the world is not fair. I never lose sight of how incredibly fortunate I am to be able to travel on a British passport, which is officially the fifth strongest passport in the world. Depending on the political relationship, bureaucracy and other factors, for some countries you may need to apply for a visa before arriving and sit out the agonising wait, while for others you may be able to simply pay on arrival.
It really doesn’t matter if you have the strongest passport on planet Earth; when it comes to going to offbeat places like Turkmenistan, Angola, Eritrea and pretty much all of West and Central Africa, it is a colossal pain in the bum with regard to obtaining a tourist visa.
You should always check the visa requirements for every country that you plan to visit – even if you think you’re ok, it’s better to assume you don’t know and do your research as the visa goalposts move all the time and world leaders fall out with each other more than the characters of Mean Girls.
A perfect example of this would be when I, as a British citizen got rejected when applying for a tourist visa to the USA because I had been to perceived problematic/suspicious countries in the past.
You should also find your country’s official governmental information page and bookmark that. They should have advice on “entry requirements” to each country or a similar synonym. The UK’s is: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.
Your official governmental site for travel will also link to bonafide online visa application forms too, so less chance of getting scammed. Something like this:
If you’re open to travelling all over the world then you will need the following vaccinations:
Don’t wait about for this necessary evil as some of the vaccinations require you to go multiple times and some need to be several months apart. You can get a top up on your travels, but it’s best to get the party started as soon as possible as some countries won’t allow you in unless you have proof.
For example, I recently flew from Kenya to Thailand and I had to present my yellow fever certificate and stamp to the immigration officer.
As it currently stands there is no effective vaccine or medication to prevent dengue fever. The best thing to do is avoid mosquitoes and avoid being bitten by them. Easier said than done, because they’re hungry little demons with wings.
As for malaria, I’ve tried out all the tablets and the best of a bad bunch really is Malarone (but I am not a doctor and you should certainly talk to a medical professional over me for more information on this subject). Side effects can be:
Doesn’t sound too fun, right? No, but neither does malaria. This is the best it’s going to get if you’re going into a high-risk malaria zone, and the above side effects may occur, but that doesn’t mean you’ll experience all of them or have a strong reaction.
I’ve met some absolute raving loonies on the road who refuse to take malaria tablets in highly affected areas or even spray themselves with spray because it’s “unnatural,” as they gallivant around the globe on a ten-tonne piece of metal that flies in the sky.
The irony is never lost on me. Take your pills in highly affected malaria and dengue areas, always close the mosquito nets on your bed when provided for you and spray yourself with a couple of travel-friendly sized 100% DEET insect repellent when out at dusk and dawn, as that’s when the little feckers are most likely to strike.
Women in their first trimester of pregnancy and those trying for a child should not take malaria pills, it goes without saying; chat to your doctor about it.
If you’re not travelling long term and are based somewhere with the little parasites, you should definitely invest in a zapping racket.
A world traveller should also travel with bundles of reliable mini duct tape – it has many uses but it’s also great for covering up cracks in doors and windows in order to keep the mosquitoes out and patching up mosquito nets.
My final and absolute number one golden tip for this subject is to travel with Tiger Balm in your bag of toiletries (don’t worry, none of it contains tiger parts). It’s a menthol-smelling, wax-textured, teeny tub of joy that you apply on your mosquito bites to help with the itching.
Unfortunately, I am very susceptible to the evil fangs of a mosquito so, trust me, this is a gift from the heavens when you’re suffering and scratching. It also helps to relieve muscle pain.
Don’t forget to stock up on Tiger Balm before you go.
I’ve never booked a round-the-world ticket. I thought about it back then, when they were all the rage at the time, and it seemed like not a week passed by without the eternal question: Should you buy a-round-the-world ticket, or wing it as you go?
I’m glad I never bought one. I like flexibility and freedom, and booking as you go offers that. But if you have allotted time, such as a strict gap year, and/or have a personality which embraces rigidity then it could be a good option for you.
Visa expiring in your favourite digital nomad hub? Looking for a flight to get your adventure on the way? Just broken up with a crazy, scornful local? Or simply need a break from work?
I keep it simple and always use these two comparison websites:
Top tip when using these sites: Avoid paying a third-party option like GotoGate, Edreams etc. unless it’s an absolute must (you’re travelling to an off-beat destination like myself recently in West Papua and that’s the only option that they offer). In most cases, select to go directly to the airline’s website and deal directly with the airline as most third-party companies are a pain, often not emailing you when there is a flight change.
Take that advice from someone who has been burnt one too many times from that!
Business cards build bridges and open doors; never leave the house without them. I use MOO Cards. They have a very responsive customer service team, and you can get them to print out a selection of your favourite travel photos on the back which gives your business/blog a really personal touch.
Check out a few of mine:
Stay connected and add a personal touch with MOO Cards:
As I mentioned at the start of this article of travel resources, this is not my area. But I do know trusted people who swear by these companies and a few of them (working on a cruise ship and teaching English) were my contingency plan for if things went tits up!
How to Work on a Cruise Ship – I have never met Wandering Earl but he seems a lovely guy, and he offered me great advice via email when I was home and freaking out about leaving with too little money.
Click here for more details about Earl’s Working on a Cruise Ship Book
You’ve done it. You’ve actually left and you’re on your travels. Good job! This part of the travel resources is to steer you away from scams, keep you safe, find the best accommodation for your situation and help you stay connected with your loved ones back home.
Even after all these years I still find this the most stressful thing to plan out of everything. If you’re planning on the bounce, there are a lot of things that can go wrong and that you can overlook when booking your accommodation.
Here are my preferred companies – those that I absolutely love and trust after all these years. They cater for all budgets and are hands down the best companies out there.
Airbnb
Before I bought my mortgage-free apartment in Thailand (courtesy of income from my blog, article coming soon), I used this website all over the world, staying in crazy-value penthouses in Colombia, cheap as chips serviced apartments in Budapest, and, of course, bargain basements in Cambodia right at the start.
I still use Airbnb when I’m travelling and need a rest from hotels. Renting a whole apartment is often cheaper than a hotel room, and you have more space and often a kitchen to knock up your favourite meal. House sharing is also an option if you’re on a tighter budget.
If you haven’t tried Airbnb before, sign up using this link for a $38USD/£34 credit towards your first trip.
Booking.com
My favourite online hotel booking site by a country mile. You’ll find the best deals from most areas around the world and it has an unprecedented filter search system. For example, when I am burned out I generally like to have a bathtub (I know, I’m such a princess) and a work desk and the filter helps me find that very quickly. Booking.com is a simple case of “what you see is what you get,” with high-quality photos and a myriad of details on each listing to help you decide.
Why bother looking elsewhere if I’ve already told you the best hotel booking site out there? The exception to the rule is: Asia. Agoda caters towards finding the best accommodation on the continent and I frequently use it when I’m traveling in Asia. It also has a points rewards system, so you can stay in a couple of places for free, depending on how often you use them.
My go-to search engine when I first left all those years ago with little money and big dreams. If you’re just starting out travelling this can be a budget guardian angel and you’ll often do a double take at some of the deals that you find on the site.
That said, I still use it when I want to travel in style as there are a lot of luxury/boutique hostels out there. Also, I can find a good deal and book a private room if I want to meet new people. Hostels are the most sociable accommodation option, in my opinion.
Aaah, where it all began. The very first accommodation platform that I used when I took the leap all those years ago was Couchsurfing. I stayed in the spare room of a lovely French girl’s home in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, and got to see a side of the city that I never would have seen if I was just winging it as the amateur that I was.
Online income took off pretty quickly a few months later, but I continued using the site for the social aspect – some of my highlights include being at an eco-jungle party in Borneo and having a delicious dinner with Syrian refugees and Iranian expats in Erbil, in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
An ideal option for those who want to experience living with a local family. I have had nothing but positive experiences from this site in India, Pakistan and a handful of other countries. Every time I experience one I ask myself why I don’t do them more often.
I’ve really lucked out on the cooking as well; every meal in a homestay has been heavenly. You can contact your host before if you have any food preferences, every home has reviews from other travellers and it’s a perfect way to financially contribute to where you’re visiting, all whilst seeing your new destination through the eyes of a local. The site is relatively young (it started in 2013) but I think this one will become more popular in the near future.
If you’re living the digital nomad dream in your fancy Airbnb pad, with your sexy washing machine and eco-friendly dryer, then this isn’t a problem. However, this lifestyle is one of leading two lives…
If you’re in “adventure mode” and you’re on the road, this can be very tricky. Luckily, I have written a post on this just for you:
Also, laundry is a science that one must learn, and I’ve made all the mistakes for you already, from shrinking every t-shirt in my bag into a male crop top to dyeing my clothes a different colour on a weekly basis!
So what about if you are in “work mode,” with your nice washing machine and all that jazz but have absolutely NO idea how not to ruin all your clothes? Does dark blue go in with the ‘darks’ or on its own? What to do with new denim? And those pesky reds?
Take a deep breath, relax and get ready for my upcoming post: The Ultimate Laundry Guide For Bachelors, Losers and Beginners
When is the best time of year to go to your destination? How do you get there and get around? What should you do when you’re there? Those are the kinds of questions you’ll ask if you’re travelling.
A digital nomad is more than likely to ask, “What’s the food like?” Is the Wi-Fi strong?” “How long will my visa last?”
Here is what I recommend from my 8 years experience of planning travel:
Lonely Planet Guides These guys have been around since 1972, started by an Aussie couple who wrote their first guide in their sitting room. It’s expanded to be a multimillion-pound giant in the travel guidebook scene and is seen in many an enthusiastic traveller’s hands.
There have been whispers in the travel blogging industry that Lonely Planet has let its standards slip recently, but I believe it to be much ado about nothing. Whining is addictive nowadays. I’m still very much a fan of the LP guides as a baseline and inspiration for constructing some sort of travel plan.
Transport
Daddy’s girl? Mummy’s boy? Long-distance relationship? Simply want to let people you hate know that you’re having a considerably better time than them?
We’ve got you covered here.
Social media is the obvious one, but I limit my time on it because I believe overuse of it is negative for mental health and it’s such a time suck. Here are a few options if you want something a little more personal and intimate to keep up with loved ones back home:
Permanent data on the road is vital for a digital nomad, I’ll elaborate on this more in my “Tech and Apps” section of the travel resources page later on.
Most of the advice online regarding this topic is written by women for other women, and I’m happy about that. Ladies (particularly those travelling alone) face their own set of evils on the road, and it’s important that seasoned advice is out there in order to keep women safe on their travels.
Contrary to popular belief, however, men are much more likely to be a victim of violence by other men, particularly those that they don’t know. Women suffer greater numbers of domestic violence by a partner and sexual assault, but stranger danger in terms of pure volume is certainly a cause for concern for men too.
These stats did not raise any eyebrows for me at all. I’m a realist who grew up around a hell of a lot of violence and the findings didn’t teach me anything new. I can only speak about my experience through the eyes of a man who has travelled the world, mainly solo, and so I wrote half of this article and a female traveller wrote the second half:
Making money online changed my life and opened doors that I never knew were open to me. I left home without a university degree after working a slew of jobs that I hated for a decade, and I ended up making money that I never thought “someone like me” ever could – and all of it from online resources.
It’s not a get-rich-quick gig; you have to work your arse off at the start to get it off the ground in most things that you do. The most important factors are learning, working hard, being able to do insanely boring tasks when first starting out, and the one that most people fail on – not giving up.
I can’t speak highly enough about blogging. It has the lowest business cost to potential return on investment ratio and, well, look what it’s enabled me to do. Unreal, and the crazy thing is my blog isn’t that big/popular at all in relative terms. I’m only just getting started and it’s madness to think how many more opportunities are out there.
Useful financial resources I travel with:
It’s in the works… I’m going to fill in the gaps of how I left the UK for Malaysia with £1,000 eight years ago and ended up buying an apartment with cash, visited 100+ countries and made half a million dollars online during my crazy life transition.
That’s quite a lot of filling in. I hope to get it published in PDF form in 2020. Subscribe to the newsletter if you’re interested as it’ll only be available to those on my email list.
A controversial one, but it shouldn’t be. If you’re a Brit you could be leaving a lot of free money on the table. Madness.
Feel free to turn your nose up at it if it’s not for you, but I have received emails from ecstatic single mothers and university students who have nailed this and are living a higher quality of life because of the extra, tax-free money.
Read: An Easy Way for Brits (and Irish Folk) to Make £150-£300 per Month (& £1000 on Top of That)
Note: I’m way too busy with catching up on blogging and work so I plan to streamline this, and I’m in talks with a Matched Betting pro who will run a Facebook page for me to make this easy for Matched Bettors. Go into this with an open mind. I was cynical too.
This currently pays for my utility bills and monthly scooter rental.
I made my very first penny as a freelance writer. I was paid a whopping $5USD to write 800 words…and I was eternally grateful for this opportunity. It was symbolic; the very first time I saw money in my PayPal account and, when that happens, confidence grows in what is possible.
Way too many people nowadays turn their nose up at low prices for freelance writing and other jobs. Time for a reality check: if you’re an experienced writer who has built up a profile already then yes, those numbers above aren’t worth your time or energy.
But if you’re just getting started and, like myself back then, claim to be “desperate”, freelance writing is an incredibly competitive industry and you will have to roll up your sleeves and start at the bottom to get your foot in the door.
Leave your entitlement mentality behind if you’re just starting out. I once wrote 17,000 words on the menstrual cycle, for peanuts. Do you think I wanted to do that? Hell no, but I needed to.
On top of this you can diversify with simple, mind-numbing admin work (I’m not going to glamourise it, I’m going to be as honest as possible).
I can’t hammer home this enough. Own your site fully. I still have my freelance writing website live from back in the day, because it brings in new clients for my SEO business (it’s also because I share the same name as a really famous guy from my country). It’s super ugly and cringeworthy but it brought me business when I really needed it back in the day. I’ll link to it here because I’m nice and you can get an idea of what sort of information to put on your site if you are interested in doing the same.
Word of Warning – The above advice about freelance writing and admin jobs is only for people starting out and it’s only an option. For full transparency, I think it should only be a temporary gateway to a greater good. I vote for starting an online business, especially a blog.
Imagine if you put all those hours into your blog that you put into working for clients? You’d probably do it with more passion too, as it’s your own product.
Again, freelance writing and admin jobs for cheap is not a sustainable business plan and are a recipe for inevitable burnout, but are also an option to get your foot in the door. Start there if you have to, but aim higher and value your worth. Take a risk on yourself.
Commission Junkie and ClickBank are the middlemen between content creators and affiliate marketers. If you haven’t created your own digital product yet you can partner with those who have and get a chunk of commission for sales. Make sure you only endorse products that you truly respect and you use yourself.
You don’t get very far as a digital nomad without technology. It’s a long stretch to call me a “techie”. In fact, it’d be a lot more accurate to call me a technophobe. Everything that I am about to share with you not only makes my life easier, but it also makes me more productive. As a starting point, here’s the tech that is always in my bag.
Here’s a few that I took with it on my iPhone with help of the tripod and bluetooth remote, whilst travelling on my own in Sigiriya, Sri Lanka:
I’ve divided these into categories to make it easier for you:
These have been good to me on the road over the years, some are available on the Apple Store and some are also available on Google Play.
Always being connected online is incredibly unhealthy. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you have to be. Take time to unwind with these wellness apps.
Note: You can also buy this on Apple Store and have it permanently in your “Books” app. This is what I do.
For the desktop version of limiting wasted time online I use the Self Control App. It’s free and it stops me from wasting time when I should be working on business, or myself.
Money, money, money…
I’d be so much more of a disorganised mess if it wasn’t for these apps.
Don’t worry it’s not angry…it’s just disappointed.
These are apps that I have that aren’t really anything to do with planning or being productive.
The app also informs you about movies playing in your area when you enable the GPS permission in settings. Glorious!
That’s it for now! Feel free to write in if you’d like me to cover more categories or have any other app suggestions for the ones above.
I’ve saved the best until last here. You’d be absolutely crazy not to use a VPN when working online away from your own country.
I use Express VPN on both my desktop and two mobile phones. One membership allows you to use its VPN service on five devices at one time. This is also the best VPN to use for China, which really likes to “ban all the things”. I was able to access all my usual social media sites and Gmail when travelling in China for six weeks last year.
A lot of travellers over there were freaking out because their VPN wasn’t working, so they couldn’t access the usual suspects: Google, YouTube or Facebook. Many of these people used CyberGhost, the VPN that I had dropped a month before arriving in China because they had let their standards slip over the years.
For now Express is my VPN of choice (I’ve just renewed my annual contract) and I’ll continue to use it if it keeps up this form. Bonus Express VPN tip: It works on Netflix too, so you can “be” in any country when you log in, so you will have much more options to view (I find the USA Netflix to be the best).
I’m adding this category as a reminder to myself as much as writing it for anyone else. I’ve only recently got this right. For years I travelled the world gung-ho, racing about the planet at such a rapid rate it would make anyone feel dizzy.
It’s created many beautiful memories and I have a tonne of fun stories but living like that is neither healthy nor sustainable. However, I managed to train for Marathon des Sables, the “Toughest Footrace on Earth” in the Moroccan desert, all whilst I was travelling.
The old “by failing to prepare, you prepare to fail” quote rings true here.
If you are travelling hardcore (fast, for a long time, or in a developing country for a substantial amount of time), it’s best to take a couple of supplements with you. If you’re one of these people who are anti-supplements because it’s “unnatural” then we will just have to agree to disagree on this part.
If you have a restricted diet (vegetarian, vegan, keto, or you’re celiac, for example) then you definitely should open up your mind to supplementing for a bit of extra health insurance. Again, I can’t drag you kicking and screaming into this, it’s completely up to you.
Nevertheless, wherever you are in the world if you’re looking for the most trusted source online to buy supplements, it’s without a doubt iHerb.com. I use that site and Amazon, depending on what country I am in.
I take them both together on an empty stomach, roughly an hour or two before I go to bed. The sweet spot to aim for with magnesium supplementation is 500 mg, so Nature’s Bounty is what I usually buy. For zinc aim for 15-30 mg; it’s too much of a good thing with this mineral, as if you go over 50mg you will activate a copper deficiency. So with that in mind, I find the 22 mg Zinc by Solgar to be the perfect purchase.
These are what I’m currently travelling with to fight off the potential return of a dad bod whilst on the road.
To Fitbit, or not to Fitbit? I loved the philosophy, had high hopes and ended up very disappointed. I bought the Fitbit Blaze. The battery life is pathetic and sometimes it randomly decides not to record my data. I did an Instagram poll recently, and over 500 people who participated (just over half) said they were also disillusioned with the watch that had made so many promises.
A few people have told me that the new model, Fitbit Charge 3, is a whole lot better. I still use my Blaze, but for now I won’t link to it because I’m not happy with their products thus far.
This American lady with a delightful Southern accent has multiple, free YouTube yoga videos for just about every situation.
Definitely sign up to Cronometer.com. You can track your food when you’re based somewhere for a while and see which vitamins and minerals you are falling short on, and it’s free. I stopped using MyFitnessPal because this is so much more complete.
That’s about it for staying fit on the road. I promise to add to this very soon and make it much more comprehensive; it’s a very important part of this lifestyle that doesn’t get covered enough. I’ve got your back, it’s a promise!
Whilst I try my best not to overdo my social media and smart phone usage, I like to connect with like-minded people, and I love knowing that my content has helped someone out.
Email: You can contact me via email by anthony(at)manvsclock.com.
Newsletter: Weekly and sometimes monthly updates in your inbox.
Instagram: My account is very travel-centric and I like to keep the Insta stories funny, interactive and light-hearted.
Facebook: I post regular content from my blog here and upload photos and videos. I deactivated my personal Facebook account last year, and it’s been glorious focusing on only the things I love without any distractions.
Pinterest: I am new to this world. Apparently the platform is dominated by women by a mammoth 81%. I dig the idea, I like lists and I’m very visual, so a love may blossom on there once I work out how to use it properly.
Twitter: I’m on there mainly to stalk Alan Shearer.
YouTube: Maybe in the future. It wouldn’t be a travel vlog channel as I simply don’t have the skills for that and the overall quality for that type of thing is very high nowadays. If I do start a channel, it’ll probably be an extension of a podcast. But for now, that’s all folks!
Thanks, hope you have fun here and that you find some value in these travel resources.
Bye!
Anthony