These are the companies I use.
I trust them.
I’ve tested them.
I’ve compared them to other companies for years.
And they are the best travel resources available. Period.
They offer the best deals, the best customer service, and the most honest products & procedures.
Heads Up: When you book through the links in this article, you are directly supporting me and my travels.
At no additional cost to you, I earn a commission when you make a purchase…and sometimes you earn a commission or discount when you book through these links, too.
Airfare
skyscanner
The cheapest deals and fastest routes are on Skyscanner.
This site collectively searches every flight-booking site (Expedia, Priceline, and small booking sites) to find the best prices, layovers, and total flight times. They also have a “whole month” search feature that shows you which days of the month have the best prices, ideal for flexible trips.
AirTreks
Traveling to multiple cities? Want to book a Round-The-World Ticket?
AirTreks will find you multiple-destination flight routes that make sense. Add all of your cities in the trip planner, give your email address, and AirTreks sends you a customized flight itinerary for your trip. A real human will walk you through your travel itinerary, and then book your flights for you. Plus, travel insurance & 24/7 travel assistance is complimentary with your booking!
Hotels
Booking.com
My #1 hotel booking site!
Booking.com has over 1 million properties to choose from, all over the world. Rather than booking directly with a hotel, Booking.com acts as a mediator to make sure that you get exactly what you’ve paid for! They’ve got free-cancelation on many properties and often offer daily-deals for members! I love the ‘map search’ feature to help you find that perfect beachfront bungalow or city-center hotel.
airbnb
Always check Airbnb when traveling!
Sleep in a treehouse in Vietnam, a bubble on the beach in Bali, or a floating raft in Thailand…AirBnb offers some of the most unique accommodation out there, with local hosts! Signing up for the first time? Use this link and get $40 off your first stay.
Hostel World
Backpackers! Many hostels list themselves on Hostelworld...and nowhere else.
In fact, most of the best hostels only list themselves on HostelWorld, and not the other booking sites. The reviews are honest and the search features are easy to use. If you’re looking for social vibes and cheap prices, this is where you wanna look.
Gear
Chase Sapphire Travel Card
The #1 Travel Credit Card for travel card beginners.
Chase Sapphire gets you Priority Pass Lounge Access around the world, travel insurance on your gadgets, and the opportunity to travel for free with your points! Use this link and get 60k points at sign-up (that's enough to fly to Japan and back).
American Express Platinum
The most powerful Travel Credit Card (and everyday credit card) ever.
SOME of the rewards include 5x points on flights and hotels,
$200 in Uber Credits per year, $200 Airline Fee Credit per year (aka money back) and Airport Lounge Global Access with Priority Pass. Use this link to get 60k points!
World Nomads Insurance
For trips under 3-months, WorldNomads offers the most straight-forward travel plans.
Pick the Standard Plan for basic travel coverage/flight protection or the Explorer Plan for extreme adventures like Kayaking and Rock-climbing. These plans include massive accident coverage from $100,000 to $1,000,000 - plus, evacuation coverage if you need to be helicoptered off a mountain somewhere.
Amazon.com
I buy all of my travel gear from Amazon!
All of the biggest brands sell their gear through Amazon with a 30-day return guarantee. Reading through real reviews is the best way to find the backpack, shoes, headphones to fit your trip.
Express VPN
Protect your identity while traveling.
A day after my friends logged into their bank account from Bali, their credit card information was stolen by hackers. Now we always use a VPN to protect our personal information. A VPN also allows you to stream Netflix and American websites abroad.
Tours
airbnb Experience
Local tours by local hosts.
You can choose random day-tours from random street vendors…or you can pre-arrange a tour offered by a local and backed-up with real reviews from travelers just like you. Nearly every big city in Asia offers bucket list activities on AirBnb now! Get the best of local life without the risk of local scams.
SoFe
Egypt. Bali. Antarctica.
SoFe Travel Tours are female-only adventure tours for wanderlusting women who want to get outside of their comfort zone and explore the world alongside like-minded new friends. The tours are fun, safe, and perfect for girls of any age.
Intrepid
Want to take a big international trip but not ready to go it alone?
Intrepid Tours is the most reputable (and epic) tour company offering 1,000 trips across 100 countries. Machu Pichu in Peru, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, The Northern Lights in Iceland – Intrepid Tours travels sustainably with your budget in mind. Plus, the tour guides are known for being wonderful, hilarious humans to turn that travel anxiety into travel excitement.
Transportation
!2Go
The #1 Transportation Resource for Travelers.
Boats, Trains, Buses and Flights – when it comes to getting from Point A to Point B, a quick search will show you all your options and even help you book your tickets
Seat 61
Any train. Any country.
The Man in Seat 61 allows you to search train routes and times for even the most remote train journeys. For each particular journey, the site will tell you how to book (or if you can just show up), the ticket price, and offers insider tips to make your journey more comfortable and safe.
Job Opportunities
ITT TEFL
Do you speak English? Did you graduate high-school? Congratulations, you can teach English as a second-language
…but first, you’ll need a TEFL certificate. This certificate opens doors to landing jobs and gives you a competitive edge! Take the course online do it at your own pace, or take a 4-week in-class course in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines…or somewhere equally exotic. Afterwards, ITT TEFL will help connect you with a paid teaching job abroad.
WorkAway.info
Bartend at a hostel in the Philippines, work at a ski resort in Japan, volunteer at a Cat Sanctuary in Thailand!
The options and opportunities are endless! WorkAway.info is an exchange-platform where business owners and volunteers exchange work for accommodation, food, and sometimes payment. You could literally travel around the entire world and never pay for a night’s sleep….
WOOFing
Organic farming abroad!
Live on an organic farm and learn how to farm sustainably under the teachings of an organic farmer. You’ll work 5-8 hours per day, and in exchange, be given accommodation and food. Many WOOFing farms take multiple volunteers at a time, giving you the opportunity to form international friendships.
TrustedHouseSitters.com
I traveled from South America, through Central America and up into Mexico just by house sitting.
Then I did it all again through Thailand. Your job as a house sitter is simple: take care of the house and/or pets while the homeowners travel. House sits can range anywhere from a weekend-long job to a 6-month gig. That’s free rent for you!
Travel Facebook Groups
SGTG
That’s us! Ask your travel questions and get answers from ME and other travel girls just like you. There are NO stupid questions here! Ask what you might feel hesitant asking in other travel groups
Women in Thailand
Connect with other girls traveling to Thailand or living in Thailand! Get local advice and support during your trip, or just scroll through the newsfeed to cover questions that you might never have thought about asking.
Women in Bali
Join Bali meet-ups, link up with other girls for volcano hikes, and get in the loop for events and parties on the island. Women in Bali is one of the most welcoming and useful Facebook travel groups around.
