Is Sri Lanka Cheap to Travel?

Before getting to Sri Lanka, I have spent days reading countless blog posts to have an idea of how much money to take with me. While I am well aware the numbers will differ from a person to person because of their needs, it was still hard to find the average.

In short, below you can see how much I spent when traveling in pair. We did not hold back when it came to food, experiences or even lodging, in some cases. At the same time, we tried not to overpay when we had an option. I believe that traveling solo would cost me around the same.

How expensive is Sri Lanka? | The Cheerful Wanderer

Please note that I first write down the price we paid together and then calculate how much it was per person.

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I’m Moving Overseas!

I still have to pinch myself, but yes, that is happening! It seems like 2019 is going to be very eventful. And quite life-changing too! Let’s cut to the chase: I am moving overseas soon. Here’s how my next year and a half will (hopefully!) look like:

USA

When I started my current 9-5 job at a travel agency back in October, I had no idea how fast my life will start changing. My colleagues are simply wonderful, I enjoy the work I do (most of the time) and I am surrounded by fellow travelers. Just 2 weeks before me, Nina started her job. I didn’t take us long to connect and come up with many inside jokes. In December we spontaneously decided we could spend our next summer in the USA. Preferably somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Turns out, we will be working in a small family-run hotel in Montana. We start in June and will stay there until autumn! Did I mention we will be living just minutes away from the national park?

At Niagara Falls, October 2015

Canada

It is not a secret I have always been drawn to Canada. I chose my high school program based on the opportunity to do an exchange with Canadians. And those 2 weeks in Fredericton, New Brunswick didn’t really help with my wish to once live there. Years later, I visited Toronto, Ontario for a few days – and again, we all know how that went. On Christmas Eve, I had finally applied for my working holiday visa. I will discuss the whole process a bit more in detail later in a separate post, however, let’s just say it can be quite a long one. The first round of invitations for Slovenians to apply for visa was sent out on January 21, 2019 – on my birthday. I was one of the lucky ones and submitted all my documents just days later. After that, it was a game of waiting. Today I finally found out – I am officially moving to Canada in 2019! Don’t ask me when and where just yet – I will keep you posted and I certainly plan to take you with me. Are you in?

So that is it! I think South America might have to wait again. Or I may be able to squeeze it in… Who knows! I couldn’t be any happier right now, that’s for sure!

Travel Goals for 2019 (and Recap on 2018)

If I could use only one adjective to describe 2018, I’d choose bittersweet. There were many days when I could not hide my smile and my eyes were sparkling with joy, but there were also days, when life was against me and everyone I loved. It was a year full of changes.

The Cheerful Wanderer (http://thecheerfulwanderer.com) in Cappadocia, Turkey
The happiest moment of 2018 in Cappadocia, Turkey

I didn’t set many goals last December – only four! All of them were quite simple and very straight-forward, yet that didn’t work out as well as I had hoped for. I have seen places I didn’t plan to visit in 2018 and I still haven’t seen South Africa (which, I must admit, bothers me quite a lot). Let’s jump to the beginning!

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What to Do in Essaouira – A Laid-Back Seaside Town

Confession time. Essaouira was almost left out of our itinerary because it seemed so ordinary. If you are about to commit the same mistake – don’t! I could not be any happier we still shortened our time in Marrakech to visit this lovely seaside town.

Essaouira (meaning little picture in Arabic) is situated on the country’s Atlantic coast, just two hours away from the chaos of Marrakech. If you are searching for a place that has not yet been ruined by mass tourism, that is the one. Just go there soon, I am pretty sure a town as beautiful will not remain untouched. Read More

8 Affordable Gifts For Any Traveler

It is that time of the year again. Streets are full of people frantically trying to find the perfect gift for their loved ones. If you still have no idea what to get, I’ve got you covered. In this post I am sharing some of my ideas for the gifts that would make any traveler smile. No matter what the occasion, all of these are very affordable and unique.

1. Ticket

When giving somebody a ticket, may it be an airplane ticket, a train ticket or a show ticket, you are giving away an experience. Every trip is full of unique memories, which is why I believe that is the most meaningful gift one can receive.

Check out this website to create a fake first-class boarding pass. It will look much prettier than a boring email confirmation you normally get when booking a flight.

2. Scratch it off map

While I personally believe it’s not all about how many countries you have been to, I love this map! Not only it is a cute home decor idea, but it is also a great icebreaker. I have received so many compliments on mine and often, when somebody visited me, they stopped in front of the map to observe where I have been. And then we talked and talked and talked our favourite travel memories for a while.

I personally have this one, because I liked how it looked, but there are so many different versions out there, I am sure you will find one that you like.

3. Passport cover

I am obsessed with all the cute passport covers you can find these days. They are cheap, useful and can easily be personalised. Click here to check them out! Read More