Leisa’s Trips and Falls

24/09/2023

Diversify your trip money! What I mean by that…
First of all I have as much as possible paid for before I leave (the less you have to worry about finances the more you’ll enjoy your trip). Split your money that you are bringing with you into card and cash. Cards should be your normal spending debit card and a credit card that you can use for emergencies or large amounts (such as a high deductible for a rental such as a car, moped, or jet ski, etc). Your cash should be kept in 2 different areas of your belongings. One that’s made up of mostly smaller bills easy to access and one hidden away with bigger bills that potential thieves won’t see you using. For international travel I keep coins and bills separate as well. I’ve never been robbed but if I do I know I have backups.

12/04/2023

Our solo female travel expert Kristin Addis gives her 11 most important tips to safe when you travel as a female - solo or otherwise!

16/09/2022

03/08/2022

I have a confession to make, I am not a great traveller.

31/07/2022

London Heathrow may be in the news, but it’s far from the worst offender.

29/07/2022

I’ve seriously booked a Frontier flight for $16 before! You have to be flexible and open minded to take advantage of the flash sales and mistake fares!

Act fast, the offer runs through August 1.

08/07/2022

Visit Costa Rica❗️🦥 Flights to San Jose👏 from $229 🧳
🌿 https://l.travelpirates.com/ueKcY 🌿

03/07/2022

I love PR!!!

19/06/2022

24/05/2022

These nightlife casino shifts are aging me but my trips keep me young. Back to Ecuador to finish it out completely with more Baños exploring and Galapagos, Costa Rica, back to Cabo, and back to Mexico to explore a new part of the country in Puerto Escondido.

Pro tip: I’m planning all of those ☝🏼 right now and this is how I do it. I break the year up into 2 six month periods and book the most affordable dates in that period. I use Skyscanner and Google flights to see the cheapest day I can make the flight. Then I play logistical Tetris by filling in the accommodations around my flights. I’m staying at hostels, couch surfing and camping on the beach. I plug and play which location is cheaper to go to for the next destination and I reach out to my connects from that area to let them know I’m coming through

26/04/2022

Opening yourself up to conversation is likely to turn out better than you expect.

14/04/2022

14/04/2022

09/04/2022

I don’t hardly sleep at all on a trip. Just enough to get the job done for a good day when it’s possible. All nighters are common for me. High on life at the time.

08/04/2022

29/03/2022

Let’s talking planning trips! It does take a lot to plan a good trip but the better you get at planning the better the trips are and the more you can take.

When trying to decide where to go, when am I going to go there, can I afford it, is it safe, will I enjoy the things to do there…I build mock trips. I go through the steps without completely booking to answer those ☝🏼?s before pulling the trigger.

The last costs I consider before decided to book is transportation. If I’m staying in a city like Miami or Las Vegas, I’m using Lyft the whole time. I walk as much as possible like when I explored Philly I walked almost 20 miles in one day to save on Lyft charges. When I’m exploring a country with my stopping points far like in Ireland, Iceland, and PR I’m renting a car. I try to use public transportation as much as possible like in Ecuador I traveled by bus. In PR and USVI I needed several ferries. It really depends on the place. I add these costs into my trip’s budget before booking. I have been burned by rental cars a couple of times. Make sure you have unlimited mileage and insurance. I always expect additional charges so I ask lots of questions before signing and save pictures and screenshots of all of the contracts. I also take photos of the vehicle before leaving the agency lot. If I’m traveling from IAH as I usually do, I consider the costs for me to drive to Houston and pay for parking in my trip costs. I use the same parking service every time bc they offer a frequent user rewards system and I make my reservations in advance bc it’s cheaper.

29/03/2022

Let’s talking planning trips! It does take a lot to plan a good trip but the better you get at planning the better the trips are and the more you can take.

When trying to decide where to go, when am I going to go there, can I afford it, is it safe, will I enjoy the things to do there…I build mock trips. I go through the steps without completely booking to answer those ☝🏼?s before pulling the trigger.

If the airfare and lodging are affordable and enticing, the next thing on my mind is am I allowed to be there and do I want to be there? Traveling during Covid has brought restrictions that are ever changing and not living somewhere means you really don’t know what is going on there. I go straight to the country’s official .gov website or you can visit the US embassy website.
I’m looking for if:
Are US citizens are currently allowed?
What are the entry/exit requirements or fees? (Usually included in your airfare)
Covid testing or vaccination status required?
What are the current events happening?
Any political up-rest?
Any recent natural disasters or bad weather?
Are they encouraging towards tourism from Americans? (I could feel the hatred in the DR)

If all of those things are good 👍🏼 I use Pinterest to search for the things I’d like to do there. Travel bloggers post their trips there. I prefer to read the ones from solo female travelers bc that usually how I travel so I want to know how safe and happy they were while there. They post the most detailed itineraries and even where they made mistakes so I know what to do and what not to do before I get there. A lot of times that is where I save money bc I read about how they overspent.

29/03/2022

Let’s talking planning trips! It does take a lot to plan a good trip but the better you get at planning the better the trips are and the more you can take.

When trying to decide where to go, when am I going to go there, can I afford it, is it safe, will I enjoy the things to do there…I build mock trips. I go through the steps without completely booking to answer those ☝🏼?s before pulling the trigger.

Lodging is always second. The costs of the airfare combined with accommodations is my deciding factor on if I can afford this trip or not. These are the most substantial part of the trip’s budget. Airbnb has been my go to for years, but just recently the additional charges and cleaning requirements have made me prefer hotels. When shopping Airbnbs, go all the way through to the reserve portion without actually booking to see how much that hosts charges for cleaning and service fees to see the actual rate of that room. Keep in mind that Airbnb hosts will send you entry and exit instructions AFTER booking that are way too strict such as taking all trash out to dumpsters and doing the towel laundry for example. Hotels can sometimes be a better option bc of simply checking in and out. I understand that most people will overlook these options, but personally I choose hostels and couch surfing often. These are the most affordable choices but it depends on your comfort level. I have never put myself in a situation that I wasn’t ok with. There was one time that I showed up for check in at a hostel I booked in Puerto Rico and instead of getting out of the car I took the loss on the $13 I paid for my booking there and found a better hostel a few minutes away that I was more comfortable with. Because of this, I no longer book hostels in advance I only arrive and ask for an available bed. When couch/bed surfing it’s oftentimes someone I haven’t met or just met but there is always a reputable mutual friend that I trust and I trust myself to walk away from any negative energy or situations that make me uncomfortable. I’ve never regretted traveling solo or doubted my confidence in handling anything like that. Jamaica and the Dominican Republic are the 2 places I’ve been that I slept with one eye open and those were at resorts. My biggest concerns when shopping where I’m going to sleep on a trip is how clean the bed linens and shower are. I will bring my mummy sleeping bag with me if I’m concerned I might be grossed out about the bed situation and I’ll bring single pack freshening up wipes with me if the shower is going to make me feel dirtier by getting in it than not showering at all (an Airbnb in NM). The last advice I have is I never book without reading some reviews and studying the map of the area it is located. How far is it from my airport? How safe is that neighborhood? How difficult is it going to be for me to get from there to the places I want to be during the day?

29/03/2022

Let’s talking planning trips! It does take a lot to plan a good trip but the better you get at planning the better the trips are and the more you can take.

When trying to decide where to go, when am I going to go there, can I afford it, is it safe, will I enjoy the things to do there…I build mock trips. I go through the steps without completely booking to answer those ☝🏼?s before pulling the trigger.

Airfare is always first. Airfare prices fluctuate so often I monitor them on pretty much a weekly basis if not daily. A flight that that is $33 one day can be $293 the next. When I see a flash sale on unsold seats or a mistake fare is most commonly how I choose my travel destination. You must be flexible on dates to take advantage of these deals. This is how I flew to the Virgin Islands for $189. Skyscanner and Google flights are the best for flight searches but if you only put in specific locations and specific dates you’ll only ever see those specific prices so being open minded is the best way to save money. Also expand your mind and be a little adventurous with the airports you choose. For example, I’ve saved money on flights by skipping my usual departure airport IAH, drove a little further to Austin for a cheaper flight and made the Austin visit part of my trip as well. Another way to save money on flights is to consider not booking round trip. One way flights can off you more travel freedom and savings if done correctly. This is how I flew Houston-Denver for $16. From there I flew one way to Philly, then one way to Boston, and back to IAH for less than a RT ticket to only one of those locations.

28/03/2022

Wondering if this is where Bigfoot lives 🤔 💭

28/03/2022

It was beautiful listening to what she had to say about people and the Ayahuasca ceremonies they guide.

24/03/2022

With a priority of being respectful as possible, I wanted to capture the traditional dress of the people of Ecuador. So many people in Otavalo still participating in the traditional attire especially the men with the long black hair and women with their babies comfortably on their back.

23/03/2022

I can’t say enough good things about the Kuyana Amazon Lodge. They took such good care of us and fed us the most amazing food during our stay. We had to arrange private transportation to reach it from Quito and the drive was crazy! But well worth it to reach the solitude of this place. We had the whole place to ourselves bc we were there during the week with no other guests booked those days. We made chocolate from scratch with the cacao he collected from the plant, we planted a tree in the jungle, we hiked the area, we swam at the waterfall, and met the local indigenous peoples while we were there.

23/03/2022

Gracias Ecuador ❤️

23/03/2022

During my stay in the Amazon, I caught sight a few times of this amazing neon blue butterfly. I felt like I was on Avatar when it graced me with its presence for a few seconds. Not something you can really capture on camera. So I was sure to take pic of this photo of it in a local cafe!