The Manic Nomad

The Best Way to Call from Overseas while Traveling

themanicnomad — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 18:44:32 +0000

There are many ways to call from overseas. You will easily find a lot of information outlining the various methods on how to do so. But what I am going to do is explain in detail what the one best way is for almost all international travelers, whether on a cruise around New Zealand and Australia or backpacking for a year.

What I consider to be the best way is one that most people are unfamiliar with and thus are most uncomfortable with trying. And who wants to leave on an international trip not feeling confident that they are going to be able to communicate the way they want? Most people aren’t willing to take a chance on the unfamiliar. That is how cell phone companies get away with selling international cell phone calling plans at outrageously expensive rates. Don’t do it!

My goal with this article is to give you all the details needed on how best to call from overseas so that you feel confident that you can do it. The method I am going to show you is both the most inexpensive method as well as the best method. So if you want to know how more just keep reading. And if by any chance I miss any detail you have a question about just add a remark and I’ll answer it for you.

Before Leaving Home

Make sure your phone is “unlocked.” This simply means that you can remove your phone’s SIM card for your normal carrier, insert a SIM card from another carrier, and have the phone work. US carriers must provide unlocked phones. If your phone is locked get it unlocked. I had Verizon so I know that all the phones they sell are indeed unlocked.
Make sure your phone will work on the GSM platform. This is the platform used in almost every country around the world. If your phone has a SIM card then it is GSM. If it does not then it is CDMA. Either obtain a phone with a SIM card or if you don’t want to do that you can stop reading this article here :-).
Sign up for a Skype account if you don’t already have one. I subscribe to the “Unlimited US & Canada” plan and pay annually for some savings. This subscription costs about $30/year. If you are from another country I am sure Skype has similar plans for your home country. I will talk more about using Skype later in this article but I am mentioning it hear because you must sign up for this plan before leaving home. If you are reading this and you have already left home go to go this link about using VPN services and problem solved.
When you get on the plane to fly to a foreign country (or before crossing the border from your home country or region that your home cell service is included) remove your existing SIM card and store it in a safe place. I store mine in a plastic case as shown here which I also use to store my MicroSD cards. This can be a stressful step for someone. Most people have never taken the SIM card out of their phone. Rest assured it is okay to do. Nothing bad will happen. If you do happen to lose your SIM card it is no big deal. When you get back to your home country you can get a replacement, usually free of charge from your carrier.

Know how to remove your phone’s SIM card.

Note: This step is important to avoid accidental charges by your cell service provider when you arrive in a foreign country. It can happen that even if you turn off your phone’s data setting and/or have it on airplane mode that those settings somehow get changed and all the sudden you start getting emails, text messages, and phone calls even before you get out of customs and get hit with expensive and unnecessary charges.

A simple plastic SD card holder comes in very handy.

You Are in a Foreign Country, Now What?!

First of all if you are North American you need to understand that it is extremely easy in almost every country in the world outside of the US and Canada to obtain a SIM card for the country you are in at very, very affordable prices. Almost all airports just outside of customs will have kiosks for cell phone service providers. I travel by motorcycle a lot so to not forget about my fellow overland travelers, while many borders are in remote places and there are no cell phone service kiosks at the border you only have to make it to the nearest town to find one.

The only thing you will need to do is to go a cell service provider kiosk and purchase a SIM card and service plan.

Typical airport arrival lobby with cellular provider stores.

One thing to consider each time you arrive in a new country is whether you need cellular access to the Internet, phone, and text.

Maybe you are only going to be in a country a few days. Maybe you just want a “vacation” from being constantly connected. Then consider whether you need cellular access or not. If you decide you don’t then skip the SIM card for this country. Remember, almost anywhere you will be going, free Wi-Fi will be widely available. North Americans will be surprised about just how widely available Wi-Fi is in other parts of the world. If on the other hand you are traveling to the US and Canada beware, Wi-Fi is not nearly as ubiquitous as one might think or even close to what it is in other countries around the world. The point is, if you are not going to be needing or wanting constant connectivity then you may not want to get a SIM.

Free Wi-Fi Zone signs found everywhere outside North America.

Before deciding against a SIM consider the added benefits of constant connectivity:

When you are away from free Wi-Fi zones and need help you are out of luck without a SIM.
Calling local numbers. It is much cheaper with a local SIM (usually free) than even using VOIP service you may have through Skype or other providers.
Connecting to free Wi-Fi services such as at Starbucks (Turkey) and McDonalds (Austria) in some countries requires you to enter a code sent via text message. Without a local SIM this is not possible. Believe me, I know from personal experience how frustrating that can be!
Having access to tourist information, news, and more any time
Being able to receive calls from family in case of emergencies even when not connected to a Wi-Fi network.

What to Know About SIM Cards & Service Plans

First you need a SIM card. It will be free or cost only a couple of dollars.

SIM cards come in 2 sizes, both sizes found everywhere.

Then you need a service plan. They come in all “shapes and sizes” but the basics are the same. From my experience the 2 key components to a plan that I look for is the amount of data and the length of time the plan is valid. Very seldom did I need to make in-country phone calls. Most data plans included a certain number of call minutes and text messages within the country regardless of the amount of data you purchased. If you follow along with what I present in this article you will never be using the cellular calling capability to make international calls (such as calling family back home) so you don’t ever have to figure that into your calculation of the plan to choose. So don’t let that confuse you when shopping for the service plan.

So, How Much Data to Get?

I use my data plan for making VOIP calls via WhatsApp, Skype, and Messenger, all text messaging, browsing the web for information and news, using various apps that use Internet data, and on occasion uploading photos to Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. I do try to keep the photo uploads to a minimum though and I turn off photo-syncing with my cloud storage application, Dropbox. Using data in this manner I find that I can get by with about 1 GB of data a week.

In the US and Canada data plans are extremely expensive and there are few options. But around the world it really is inexpensive. In Kyrgyzstan I spent about $3 per week for all the data I needed.

Getting Setup

You don’t have to worry about getting the SIM card to work. The setup of a new SIM card varies by country and carrier. So it is pointless trying to explain the actual methods here. All you need to know is whoever you purchase the SIM from will also be able to install and activate it. I found this to be true whether I got it from a fancy air-conditioned store or from a hole-in-the-wall Kiosk.

Why Are Local SIM Cards The Best Option

So I don’t want to cover all the various options that exist from International Calling Plans from your home carrier, to International SIM cards that work for multiple countries and are purchased before leaving home, and many other options. Instead I will focus on the benefits of going the route of using local SIM cards. Here they are:

Very easy to obtain.
Very inexpensive. Even if you are only in a country for a few days it is worth getting if staying connected to the Internet is important to you.
You can choose your plan for each country as your needs in one country may be different than in another. This is a huge, huge advantage to other options.
You get the best possible coverage since you can choose which carrier you want to use in a country and you are their customer.
If you have any issues with your service it is easy to get support since your provider is local.

Got SIM, Got Service Plan, Now for Communicating

So, now down to the communicating part. With the SIM card activated and a service plan purchased you are now connected all the time as long as there is cellular service available and that is pretty ubiquitous even in the most underdeveloped countries.

You will now have access to all your web-based communications apps like Messenger, Facebook, WhatsApp, Skype, or whatever you use. There are a few notable exceptions in certain countries like Turkmenistan, Iran, and China but it is not related to your SIM card but because some apps are blocked in general.

Using Skype & Why I Like It

When in a foreign country I find that I still need to call the US and Canada often enough. Sure, with my family and friends I can use WhatsApp or Messenger but if I need to call banks, businesses, technical support, government agencies, and people that still primarily use a landline then without Skype I am out of luck when it comes to a cheap option for calling. Of course as alluded to above I could use the cellular service through my local SIM card but that would be the same as making an international phone call and would be very expensive.

With my Skype Unlimited Canada & US plan I can make those calls to land lines at no additional cost. It doesn’t matter what country I am physically when I make the call just so the number I am calling is in Canada or the US.

I also buy credit on Skype for when I need to make calls to countries not in Canada or the US. I often find myself in a foreign country; let’s say Papua New Guinea and I want to call Argentina. Well, by having pre-paid credit on Skype I can make that call at Skype’s extremely good rates (you can check them out here https://secure.skype.com/en/calling-rates?expo365=empty). This would be much cheaper than making an international call via the local cellular service provider. And I don’t know but it may not even be possible on an International calling plan you might get from your home country service provider.

If you are a true long-term adventure traveler like me you may even want to get a Skype virtual phone number. I do and at a cost of about $30/year. I actually got rid of my cell phone service in the US when I started traveling. I know many people wouldn’t even consider doing that but I did say “true long-term adventure traveler.” A Skype virtual number is a phone number that anyone can call as if you were in your home country; the USA in my case. This is very convenient to have if you have no US landline or cell service plan. Those who want to communicate with you but don’t use VOIP applications (Grandparents for example) or business that you still maintain a relationship with such as credit card companies, banks, and doctors can call the Skype virtual number. If you are connected to Wi-Fi at the time of the call your phone rings and you can answer no matter where you are in the world. If you are not connected to Wi-Fi at the time of a call the caller gets your voice mail and you will be notified of a missed call and waiting voice mail message. It works really great and while in my case it does not get used much it is still very important to have when on the road for months at a time.

My Skype account showing my pre-paid credit for calls to non-US/Canada numbers, unlimited US/Canada calling plan, and my virtual phone number subscription.

So Now You Are Convinced a Local SIM Card is the Way to Go…

I know that if you have never taken your SIM card out of your phone before that it can seem a bit scary to leave on an International journey thinking you will do what I’ve discussed here. But you will no doubt be surprised just how easy it really is.

Are you worried that the country or countries you are going to will not have SIM cards available? Let me put you at ease. I have been to 118 countries as of this writing. The only country I have been to that did not have SIM cards available was Tuvalu, a very tiny island country in the South Pacific. I survived 2 days there without. Just saying. Another little trick I use is just before going to my next foreign country I Google “Cellular Service Providers in” + name of country. I then can see which providers there are, how they rate in coverage, plans, and pricing. Then when I arrive in a new country I know exactly what I am looking for.

So, in Summary:

Have an unlocked cell phone with a SIM card and learn how to access the SIM card. It is easier on some phones than others.
Once signed up with Skype purchase a calling plan and optionally a virtual phone number
Remove your home SIM card upon boarding your International flight or before crossing a border overland.
Upon arrival in a foreign country, purchase a SIM card and service plan.
Make sure it is setup and activated before leaving the store or kiosk.
Start having fun knowing you are covered.

I hope this in-depth article gives you the confidence you need to stay connected and safe while traveling the world.

One more thing! Now that you know how to get and stay connected and call from overseas while traveling check out another great article of ours called “Essential Travel Apps.” This article is not about travel apps but about useful apps for the traveler. There is a difference as you’ll see.

Anecdote:

In spring, 2017 I took a cruise of New Zealand and Australia. In Auckland prior to boarding the ship I got a New Zealand SIM card. As the ship hugged the eastern coastline for the first 5 days of the cruise I noticed that I was getting a cellular signal even while the ship was at sea. I was able to book rental cars in my next port of call, research things to do in the ports, check the weather, and even check out news from home all from my cell phone at no cost other than my cheap data plan that cost only a few bucks. I would go by the Internet Café on board where people were using the ship’s Internet packages at rates of upwards to hundreds of dollars and I could only smile at my own good foresight…and sympathize with their waste of good money.

Thanks for reading! Any comments or questions?

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Essential Apps for the Adventure Traveler

themanicnomad — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 17:31:14 +0000

A List of Apps for the Traveler, Not a List of Travel Apps

Sometimes I am envious of adventure travelers that got to explore the world a hundred, fifty, or even just twenty years ago. I think they had to be more resourceful than adventure travelers of today. But we do live in an age of technology, ubiquitous resources, and access to knowledge. As an adventure traveler and armed with nothing more than a cell phone, apps can significantly enhance your travel experience. Here is our Guide to Apps for the Adventure Traveler.

Listed below are apps that made our travels easier, more enjoyable, and safer. The list is not meant to list everything under the sun. You will not see Facebook and Twitter in the list. Of course you are going to think of these. So if you don’t see your favorite App please don’t fret. Hopefully you will see some apps that you have never heard of and learn the benefits it has for your travels.

Enjoy our list of Essential Apps for the Adventure Traveler.

This is in our opinion the best messaging app there is. It uses Internet (as opposed to cell service) and can be used for texting, voice calls, video calls, and file sharing. Most importantly it is used by 1.2 billion people worldwide. It is not used much in North America and most North Americans I meet have not ever used it. But as an Adventure Traveler be prepared and have this installed so you can keep in touch with new acquaintances you make along your way.

Skype

Why Skype you might ask? Despite being in foreign countries there are still times that I need to conduct business and personal affairs with companies in North America. Sometimes this requires a phone call to a real phone. In addition, I also find that I need to call businesses such as airlines, hotels, hostels, tour operators and the like in countries I am, where I will be, or where I recently was where apps like WhatsApp and Messenger just don’t cut it. I also have some family, friends, and businesses that I want to be able to call me that don’t use WhatsApp or Messenger.

Before leaving your home country get a Skype account, a subscription service, and a virtual phone number. Get your subscription before leaving home. In this way you will have access to the most economical plan for places you will call most.

I have an account where I pay $30 per year for unlimited calls to phones in the US and Canada. I also carry a $10 credit automatically recharged each time I fall below $1 in credit for calls I make with Skype to phones outside the US and Canada. The rates are usually very good but you have to be particularly careful calling cell phones in some countries. The costs can be astronomical. But Skype does have a rates web page that you can access to get rates before you make a call.

In addition, my virtual phone number costs $30 per year. When I left for my travels I knew I would not be back for a long time. I did the unthinkable and in addition to selling my house and car I also got rid of my US cell phone service (and thus number). But for just $30 a year I can still have a US-based phone number that anyone can use to contact me. Sure I can only receive a call when I have Internet connectivity but if I don’t answer the caller gets my voice mail and are none the wiser. As for me I did not give my number out much but I did like my banks, family, and close friends to have a way to call me.

Facebook Messenger

Let’s face it, if you are from North America most of those you want to communicate with from home do not use WhatsApp. So I also have the Messenger App on my phone. I am not a fan as I think WhatsApp has a better interface, usability, and is used by most of the people I meet along the road during my travels. But instead of fighting it I use Messenger as well.

Super Sudoku

I am not sure I ever played Sudoku on my phone prior to beginning my travels. Well for sure I am not of the generation that constantly plays electronic games. I do like the “Super Sudoku” app though. While traveling I often find myself waiting in lines or otherwise. It is nice to have this basic yet challenging game I can pull out and just play for a few minutes at a time when I am waiting.

Google Translate

This is kind of a no-brainer so, well…just install it. I have spent months at a time traveling through regions where English is not spoken and Google Translate is certainly my friend. If you don’t know this already you can download languages that you want available offline. Whenever I enter a region with a new language I download that language so it is available even if I don’t have connectivity to the Internet.

Currency Converter

“Currency Converter” by Oanda is my currency conversion app of choice. I have not tried out all the possible apps for converting currencies but this one does the job and I do like it usability. It does everything I need it to do. Most importantly, even if you are not connected to the Internet rates for any currency are accurate to the last time you were connected to the Internet. You do not have to take any actions to update rates. It is just always ready to go to work and give you the answers you need.

Tip: Before crossing a border into a new country with a different currency check your Currency Converter App for the exchange rate. Figure out in your mind a simple calculation to convert local currency into your home currency that will get you close. For example local currency x 2 or local currency / 4.

Maps.me

This is one that I am surprised that even many adventure travelers I meet along the way do not know about. Indeed that was me at one point. I don’t remember now where or when it was but at some point I met a fellow traveler that introduced me to the app. I have been a huge fan ever since.

Maps.me works offline so no matter where you are you can use it to find your location and even get directions. This is a totally free app and does not even have advertising. I use this app several times a day when traveling.

Google Maps

You are probably already familiar with and using this one. I use it as a backup to Maps.me. It does have an offline mode but my experience with it is not good. Sometimes the offline data disappears and it seems to happen when you need it the most. Remember, as an adventure traveler you are not always where there is Internet service. One thing that I find Google Maps best for is finding businesses. It is the most comprehensive tool available for finding restaurants, gas stations, well really just about anything.

Uber

If you have followed the blog at all you will know that we do most of our travel by motorcycle. So the need for Uber is fairly limited. But there are times when I don my backpack and take off for a few months. The trick with Uber is you need a cell phone number to sign up for an account. So plan ahead.

Booking.com

For many years I worked at Expedia so I was always a bit partial to them but as an adventure traveler I soon learned that Booking.com was the place to go to research (and sometimes book) accommodations. Booking.com has by far the most comprehensive listing of properties for places throughout the world. What I really like is that they have all the hostels in their system as well as hotels.

Because they have such a comprehensive listing of properties of all types I have one place to go to research accommodations. Many times I do not know if I want a hotel or hostel and depending on where I am in the world the price difference between the 2 may be little enough or great enough to influence my decision.

If I am ready to book, they do a great job in making the booking process quick and easy. It usually only takes me 30 seconds to complete a booking.

Airbnb

As an adventure traveler I don’t use Airbnb too often but there are still occasions where it is a good fit. I am usually looking for cheap accommodations such as a hostel or campsite. But there are times when I either want to pamper myself if even for just a night or there are no cheap options available. Big cities that are not tourist destinations often do not have hostels and even the cheapest hotels can be expensive. With Airbnb I can often times find a bedroom at a reasonable price.

My biggest challenge with Airbnb is that you can’t always get immediate confirmation of a stay and I am always booking last minute. There are more and more places offering instant confirmation but not enough. Another consideration for me with Airbnb is whether I am in the mood to interact with the hosts. If my brain and body are exhausted Airbnb can be a burden even though I am a sociable person. But let’s face it, even the most social person when tired just wants their own space.

PureVPN

A VPN service is extremely useful to the adventure traveler. If unfamiliar with what it is, in short it allows you to make it look like your computer is in any country you want it to be in. For instance, as an American I “like” to follow news produced in the US. Many sources of TV programming are blocked to IP addresses outside the US. Thus, you will get an error if you are trying to access the content from Brazil for instance.

With a VPN service you can overcome this obstacle. You can make it look like you are coming from a US-based IP address when in fact you are in a foreign country. Here is another example but in reverse. I like American football. But when I am traveling through Central Asia there is no way to get that programming. Did you know that on YouTube the games are available? Well on YouTube in the US they are not. YouTube blocks them. But they don’t block them around the world. So I was in Argentina and using PureVPN I logged into a server in Kazakhstan, went to YouTube’s Kazakhstan site and could find the game I was looking for.

Well there are many other uses for a VPN service while traveling around the world but hopefully this gives you an idea how you can benefit from it. I tried a few services before I settled on PureVPN. I am extremely satisfied with both the quality of the service and the pricing. I highly recommend this to any adventure traveler!

Spotify

I like Spotify to provide me access to the music I like and to keep me abreast of new music that is popular. Music affects culture and if you are gone traveling for a long period of time you tend to lose touch with your own culture. I don’t worry about this too much but it does help to have exposure to what’s popular back home even if on a limited basis.

What I like about Spotify is that it is available all over the world. But unless you have a paid account you can only access it from your home country. I do not have a paid account. But with my PureVPN service I can trick Spotify into thinking I am in the US no matter where I am in the world. So I continue to listen to Spotify without a paid account.

Now that you know what apps to use with your cell phone, check out another great article we have on what is the best way to make calls from overseas.

Thanks for reading! Any comments or questions?

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The Web’s Ultimate Adventure Travel Packing List

themanicnomad — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 07:46:46 +0000

The ultimate Packing List for the Adventure Traveler. When I decided to quit my job and a “normal” life for that of an adventure traveler I had to first dispose of a lot of my possessions. After all, I was going to be gone for years. Once I got rid of everything I then had to set my mind to what I needed to pack for my journey. Going from a 2 bedroom house to a backpack sounds like an easy task but it is anything but.

Getting It Just Right

It took me over 3 months of research and trial and error to get to where I thought I had it right. Did you know that a pair of jeans does not work? They are too bulky and heavy. It took me another 1 year of travel to figure out my mistakes and to adjust my limited possessions to where I had what I needed and only what I needed. Do you realize that buying cheap gear does not save you money but costs you more in the long run?

Saving You Time & Giving You Confidence

I have taken this knowledge and experience and developed what I believe to be the web’s best travel gear packing lists out there. Not only do I provide comprehensive lists of what to pack and what gear to use but also I explain why each item is useful and tips on what to consider when getting them. To make it super simple for you there are also links to purchase the exact same items I use. Theoretically, using the packing lists provided you can do what I took years to figure out and you can be packed in a few weeks with the confidence that you will have it mostly right.

Of course you are not going to want all of the exact same items I use but this packing list will significantly simplify the process. I hope you enjoy using the Ultimate Travel Gear Guide in our Resources section and if so please share it with your friends!

Thanks for reading! Any comments or questions?

I love hearing from my readers. Did this post get you thinking? Maybe you have a question about this subject or comments that other readers will be interested in. Please share in the Comments section below.

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Accessing Cash as an Adventure Traveler

themanicnomad — Thu, 19 Oct 2017 07:14:36 +0000

The ATM Machine: Friend & Foe

Access cash overseas. Accessing your cash from a foreign country can be an expensive affair. You can save a fortune, beat the system, and get free access to your money if you just know how.

The ATM is your friend and foe in the game of accessing your money in a foreign country. But there is a way to use ATM’s all over the world without it costing you a penny. I was fortunate to discover the secret before I started my multi-year journey and I hope you have too. But even if you are just going on a 2 week vacation but you travel overseas more than a few times a year keep on reading. This is for you too!

I saved $712.42 in 3 years of travel!

First things first. Why using ATM’s is the best way to access cash overseas? Let’s try to answer that question. Following are many of the advantages of using ATM’s:

ATM’s are ubiquitous around the world. The only place I did not find a single ATM was in the tiny island country of Tuvalu in the middle of the South Pacific.
ATM’s dispense local currency.
Almost any airport you arrive into a new country at and many land border crossings there are ATM’s available so you can get local currency the instant you exit customs.
Because ATM’s are ubiquitous you do not have to withdrawal a lot of cash at one time.
Your transactions appear on your bank statement so it is easy to monitor how much you are spending even when paying with cash.

Traditional problems with using just any Debit Card that may make one think twice about using it:

ATM’s around the world charge a transaction fee to use them. Almost always these fees are exorbitant.
Because ATM’s charge a flat rate transaction fee you tend to take the maximum amount of money allowed so as to lower your effective cost of accessing your money. But this means you carry more cash than necessary and it increases your exposure to lose in the event of robbery or just misplacing your wallet.
ATM’s set a maximum withdrawal amount which is artificially low (sometimes as little as $100 USD per transaction) to maximize their profits at your expense. I have had experiences where I needed to make up to 8 withdrawals in a day to get the cash needed.

A word of warning! And a few other questions about foreign currency exchange answered: (italic)

Travelex kiosks that you find at North American airports and other major international airports around the world are rip-offs! Stay clear! They charge a huge fee and their rates suck. One time in Auckland, NZ I went to the Travelex kiosk at the airport and wanted to exchange the $25 I had leftover. They told me it would cost me $26! The gall.
You don’t need local currency before entering a foreign country. You can always use an ATM to get local currency and it is a much cheaper option. There are a few exceptions to this of course. Iran is one example. Never you a credit card or ATM card in Iran. Because of US sanctions American banks are not allowed to do business there and just by trying to use your card the banks will block all access to your accounts. Or so I have been told and I did not want to test it out firsthand. Take cash if going to Iran.
In most countries you can go to any currency exchange kiosks where they have fair rates and do not charge a transaction fee. I often changed just $10 or whatever small amount I had at the end of my stay in a country.
Credit cards are great to use wherever you go. They are widely accepted in a majority of countries. Many countries you can visit without ever using any hard currency. Foreign currency exchange problem solved. The word of warning here is to get a credit card that does not charge foreign transaction fees. You’d be surprised how many cards do charge a fee on foreign transactions. My favorite cards that do not charge a foreign transaction fee are issued by Hyatt and Alaska Airlines.
The exchange rates used by credit cards and by debit cards is essentially the same in my experience.

The Secret to Saving Big on Accessing Cash Overseas Revealed!

Charles Schwab Debit Card: The Best Way to Access Cash Overseas

I was fortunate to discover the Charles Schwab Checking (Debit) Card before starting my journey around the world. This Debit Card is the holy grail of Debit Cards! It is simply this; they rebate all ATM fees you pay anywhere in the world on each monthly statement. There are no strings attached. There are no limits to the amount you can get rebated.

How It All Works

Both a Charles Schwab Brokerage & Checking Account Are Required

When you establish an account you first set up a brokerage account. Along with the brokerage account you will get a separate but linked checking account. What to know about these accounts:

A brokerage account is required but there is no minimum balance required in the brokerage account. Despite no minimum balance being required this is where I keep the majority of my travel budget for security (more on this later).
Although a brokerage account is required there are no requirements to invest any amount of money in financial instruments.
Connect your current bank’s account to your new Charles Schwab account so that you can transfer funds electronically between the 2 banks.
Transfers between your current bank (assume it is not Charles Schwab) and your new Charles Schwab account takes between 3 to 5 business days. Thus, I keep a large sum of money in my brokerage account. Transfers between the brokerage account and checking account are instant. Thus, you are never stuck for days without access to cash.

The Advantages of the Charles Schwab Checking Card:

No-limit rebate of ATM fees paid, rebated monthly and automatically
Because ATM fees are rebated I could freely withdrawal even just $10 and not worry that there was a $7.50 ATM fee. Thus, I could travel with just the right amount of cash for my current situation. This greatly increased my safety and reduced my exposure to loss.
You can protect yourself from excessive loss and still have quick access to more money when exposed. I would keep $5,000 in my brokerage account. I would then keep a much lower balance, say $500 in my checking account. The money in the brokerage account could not be accessed even if I lost my debit card or it was stolen. However, it was sitting in the same institution as my checking account. Thus, when my checking account got low I could do a simple transfer from the brokerage account to the checking account and within 60 seconds I could withdrawal the money. I always felt secure knowing I would never lose all the money I had for my travel.
Charles Schwab has great customer service.

For the skeptic: Proof of actual rebate amounts I received!

Now that you are sold on getting a Charles Schwab Account I am making it easy for you. Click here to get started!

Note: It is free to sign up for this account. I do not get any compensation for this recommendation. My enthusiastic recommendation is solely based on my amazing experience with Charles Schwab and the knowledge that it is what every international traveler needs to get access to their own money at a fair rate.

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Shark Diving Without a Cage: Destination Fiji

themanicnomad — Mon, 09 Oct 2017 02:47:02 +0000

Dropping to 100′ to meet the sharks

Beqa Island, Fiji

When thinking of shark diving I always had the concept of descending in a secure cage, well protected from the man-eating creatures of the deep that have been feared since the beginning of time.

Like many, my first exposure to sharks was the movie “Jaws.” Since then when is it that you hear about sharks? When people get attacked! So they must be terribly dangerous and life threatening, right? Well that’s what gives adrenaline junkies like me something to challenge.

When considering diving with sharks and purposely seeking them out, purposely getting as close to them as possible I took solace in the fact that all shark attacks I heard about were surfers or swimmers. I have never heard of one on a SCUBA diver.

On my journey through the South Pacific I planned to do as much diving as possible and sure enough prior to arriving in Fiji I had seen some grey tip and white tip sharks in my vicinity but not really up close. If you are not familiar with your sharks; grey tip and white tip sharks are on the small side and pretty docile.

Along the way I overheard another diver talk about the world’s best shark diving experience in Fiji. Since Fiji was still ahead of me I started doing my research.

The World’s Best Shark Diving Experience

Fiji has set up the Shark Reef Marine Reserve and there is one official dive operator authorized to conduct dives there called Beqa Adventurer Divers. While fishing is prohibited, feeding of sharks is modus operandi and while there are questions as to whether this is a moral practice or not, there is no solid evidence to date to show that it is harmful to the sharks or dangerous to humans.

This marine reserve is frequented by 8 species of shark including Whitetip Reef Sharks, Blacktip Reef Sharks, Grey Reef Sharks, Tawny Nurse Sharks, Sicklefin Lemon Sharks, Silvertip Sharks, Bull Sharks and occasionally Tiger Sharks.

All this combines to truly make it a world famous shark dive location and arguably the best in the world.

A bull shark swims directly at me after a big bite of shark food

Taking the Plunge: Face to Face with the Sharks

A 45-minute boat ride out to the reef adds to the excitement of the occasion. During the ride out we get the lowdown on the dive from the dive masters. It is a well-orchestrated affair and in that way very different from any other SCUBA diving you have done. The group is large; about 15 divers on each of 2 boats. Geared up and ready to go we all take the plunge at the same time and immediately descend 100’ where there is a ledge on the coral wall looking out on sandy yet deeper bottom. We have been instructed to knell on the ledge and not to move.

There is one dive master per 5 divers located behind us with 4 foot steel rods that they use to ward off any overly curious sharks. Within a minute of getting situated a couple of large garbage bins lowered on large lines from the boat above full of shark food are opened right in front of us. The sharks appear out of nowhere. First we see the smaller black tip and white tip sharks but it does not take long before the nurse sharks and larger bull sharks appear as well.

The shark food is dumped literally a few feet from our faces and the sharks are swarming. The beasts don’t seem to mind our presence in the least and they do not seem at all scary. A few times though I did have to quickly jerk my head back to keep from getting sideswiped by the tails of the sharks as the turned away from me.

After several minutes of this one dive master started hand feeding the bull sharks. They would come one after another just taking turns. The visibility was not great the day I was there so a the sharks approached it was not easy to spot them until they were pretty close to the “bait” yet they were swimming straight for me so they became larger and larger making it quite a sensation. They opened their mouths wide to inhale the “bait”, teeth looming large in front of me. It was a very exhilarating experience to say the least.

After 20 minutes we were repositioned to a nearby location at a 30-foot depth where more shark feeding took place. Once again we were positioned in one spot for good viewing and safety. Only during the repositioning did we get to move around much so don’t be expecting a diving experience to see all of your surroundings. This diving adventure really is all about getting up close and very personal with the sharks.

Getting up close and personal with big sharks off of Mana Island, Fiji

A Different Shark Diving Experience: Mana Island, Fiji

A week after my unforgettable dive at Beqa I found myself on a great little island an hour from Nadi, Fiji called Mana. On Mana there is a great place called the Ratu Kini Backpackers and Dive Resort. My first order of business upon checking in was to seek out the dive master. They had a shark dive here as well but it was notably different from Beqa.

Here they took us out and also used shark food to attract the sharks but it was a much less structured event. Here there were no bull or tiger sharks but only the smaller black and white tip sharks and grey reef sharks. They were very plentiful though. Here we got to swim more freely with the sharks.

Personally I am glad I did both dives as they provided very different experiences.

Things to Know

For the Beqa diving experience go to Beqa Adventure Divers website and book early. If you are an adventure traveler like me your scheduled time in Fiji may be limited. They do not operate tours every day and they are usually fully booked by the day of the tour. They do require a deposit but they also fully refund the deposit if you have to cancel provided you cancel early enough.

A great place to stay for Beqa that is not mentioned on the Beqa Adventure Divers website is called the Beachhouse Fiji. Although it is an hour away from Pacific Harbour it is a much less expensive option than the hotels there and it offers nice rooms and great facilities.

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Me and My Triumph Tiger Explorer XC

themanicnomad — Fri, 01 Jan 2016 17:53:54 +0000

Sitting in my driveway anticipating my departure!

I bought this Triumph Tiger Explorer XC not knowing anything about motorcycles. I had never ridden a motorcycle prior to embarking on my trip and I am even now not a motorcycle fanatic. The first motorcycle dealership I entered was a Triumph dealership. This too was simply by chance as a friend of mine owned one and needed a ride from the “shop” after dropping his bike off for some routine maintenance.

The Triumph Tiger Explorer XC is perfect for the kind of trip I am on. I debated between the Tiger 800cc and the Tiger Explorer XC which is 1215cc. The drawback to the Explorer is that it is heavier than the 800cc. Being brand new to riding it was explained that lighter might be better. As I ended up going with the Explorer and now having ridden it the length of the Americas I can say that the weight has not been a problem (for the most part – I must admit I’ve dropped the bike a handful of times which may or may not have happened with a Tiger, but weight is always a factor when dropping the bike.)

The Explorer has so, so many advantages that make it, in my opinion a great choice for this kind of trip. First of all the Explorer XC needed no modifications (add-ons). I didn’t have to figure out what all needed to be added which would have been the case with the Tiger 800. It came with fog lamps, extended shield, steel plate on the under chassis, hand guards, heated seat, and heated handgrips.

The Explorer also has a drive shaft as opposed to being chain driven. This reduces possible problems while on the road and can go much further before needing routine maintenance. So far, after 33,000 kilometers, 6 months, and 15 countries I have not encountered a single mechanical problem. In almost every country in the Americas there is a Triumph dealership (to get a list of all the dealerships be sure to go to the Triumph UK website, not the U.S. Triumph website).

Here I am standing in front of the Triumph Factory in England

My favorite things about my Triumph Tiger Explorer XC are:

It is the best looking motorcycle for touring I’ve seen
Cruise control – it is so, so nice to have when driving 5,000 km of straight road in Argentina!
It is quiet. It purrs like a kitten even at 150 kmp and 6,000 rpm
The seat is comfortable – eleven or twelve hour days are doable
Gear indicator – it may seem trivial but it makes life so much easier – often with wind and other noises it is not easy to hear your engine
Heat and hand grip heaters – this was included when I bought my bike but it may be optional – you never know when you’re going to hit some cold weather and if you do these really are a nice to have

Of course nothing is perfect. Here is what could be better with the bike:

There is a hook for securing your helmet. When used, the helmet cannot be stolen off of the bike. To use the hook requires unlocking and then lifting the seat off. The problem with this is that I always have luggage loaded on top of the seat. Thus, it is highly impractical to use the hook. It would be great if Triumph figured out a new way of incorporating a helmet hook locking system that did not require removal of the seat.
The clutch lever and brake lever break easily when the bike is dropped – this is actually by design. Of course they do not break every time you drop the bike. But they will break. They are designed with a weak spot that is relatively high up on the lever. In this way, when the lever does break the lever is still usable although uncomfortable (especially if you have arthritis in your hands). I have had to replace the clutch or break lever 5 times. Sometimes it would take me 2 to 3 weeks before I could get to a dealership to get the maintenance done. I would highly recommend caring spares with you and to know how to replace them yourself. It is on my to-do list to learn this on my break between the Americas and Europe.

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Lovin’ Our Luna Sandals

themanicnomad — Fri, 29 May 2015 19:51:20 +0000

Luna’s Over Mexico. Just Chillin’

I first came across LUNA Sandals in May, 2014 as I was planning the start of my journey around the world. I knew I would not be able to carry any more than a couple of very functional foot apparel. And being a long time runner I wanted to be able to continue running while traveling but without the need for specialized running shoes that I was used to.

Of course I knew I’d also need sandals since I would be traveling mostly in warm to hot climates (when your goal is to travel the world why not follow the sun, right?!). That is when I discovered LUNA Sandals. LUNAs are made for runners. And to me they seemed like they’d easily double as beach sandals, hiking shoes, really anything I wanted.

So I read all about LUNA Sandals, checked reviews, researched the company, and watched YouTube videos. I also felt a connection with the company right off as it is a Seattle-based company that actually manufactures its own stuff and my being a Seattleite I liked that. Anyway I got really excited about owning a pair.

I must say they had so many variations of their product that it was hard to decide on just what to buy. But I did decide and I placed my order. Back then they were a bit backlogged so I remember waiting impatiently each day for the mail hoping that my LUNAs would arrive. When they did arrive I had to go take them out for a test run right away. It was amazing. They really worked. I had a great run in them. It feels different and forces you to run with a different form that makes you feel like you are just springing along.

The style that I got has a long, red, leather strap that I must admit takes about 5 minutes to lace up for the pair. The advantage here is the obvious “cool factor.” I swear I now get to experience what women already know. You can get attention from your footwear. More people look at my feet now as I’m walking down the street in my LUNAs than I ever noticed in my previous 50 years. A thumb up from passersby is not an uncommon occurrence.

So now that I knew I loved my LUNAs I just had to have a pair that I could slip on in an instant. After all it would not be practical to have to take 5 minutes to strap on your sandals just to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night (note that I stay in hostels when traveling so going to the bathroom in bare feet is just not an option). Needless to say LUNA Sandals also makes a model for that. You get the same great functionality and light-weight sandal but with a strapping system that easy very quick and easy to get on and off. I ordered a pair right away.

LUNAs love water!

As mentioned I felt a really connection to this company. In addition to being a local Seattle company I think the feeling came from the interaction I had with the staff during the process of ordering my sandals and from the philosophy of the company as described on their fun website. So before leaving on my trip I just dropped by their place near the Space Needle in Seattle one afternoon. What a great experience. They are so welcoming there. You can just walk in and see them making the sandals right there in front of you. You can instantly tell that the staff are really into what they are doing and have a deep connection to the products they make. It was a great time with them and I even got a picture of it.

I departed on my trip through Central and South America with my motorcycle riding boots and my 2 pair of LUNA Sandals. Now that is traveling light-weight! In Honduras I ended up losing a pair of my LUNAs, the quick on quick off pair. That was a tragedy. You would have thought my motorcycle wouldn’t start as distraught as I was.

Visiting LUNA’s HQ in Seattle.

I immediately contacted the good people at LUNA Sandals (they call themselves LUNA Monkeys) and ordered a new pair. They expedited my order and got them delivered to my parent’s place in Olympia right away. They were then included in a “care package” that my parents had waiting to send to me.

I am now back in the Seattle area (May, 2015) recovering from the Americas leg of my journey and I have gone back to the LUNA factory and gotten reacquainted with the staff there. I am so, so excited about their products that I took Roy there to get a pair as well. Now Roy and I will be traveling together both sporting our LUNA Sandals. You’ll be seeing plenty of pictures on of us doing crazy things with our LUNA Sandals in the coming months.

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