Nomadic Matt's Travel Site

Nomadic Matt’s Travel Secrets

2010-03-15T01:50:55Z

Everyday my inbox is flooded with travel related questions. Where is good to go? How is this itinerary? Any suggestions on how to work overseas? What should I do before I go away? How much do things cost? How do I stay safe? The list goes on and on. After over 3 ½ years of travel and 2 years blogging about it, I have a lot of information to share. Sometimes it’s hard to dig through two years of tips, tricks, and information. Moreover, I’ve been getting requests for me to put all my secrets in one place. Giving the demand for such a book and to help answer all the questions and topics that don’t always fit into a neat and tidy blog post, I created:

Nomadic Matt’s Secrets to Successful World Travel

This 140 page ebook will help you demystify world travel, help you plan your trip, figure out costs, save money, and answer all the questions people normally have about a trip around the world. This book is broken down into three sections:

Pre-Trip Planning: This section covers everything you need to know about how to plan your trip, what to pack, how to find cheap flights, what to do with your stuff, and much more!

On the Road: All the information you need about life on the road from finding hostels, getting free accommodation, getting around, working overseas, teaching English, volunteering, and more!

Coming Home: How to deal with the emotions of coming home and advice on what to do next.

Each section provides detailed information on that topic, tips on saving money when applicable, and links to resources on the web. So how is this ebook different than my blog? Well, I cover a lot more topics in the ebook and give you more in depth information than a blog post can cover on:

How to use frequent flier miles to get free tickets and fly business class.
Buying a backpack and packing tips.
How to bank overseas, avoid ATM fees, and use your bank to make you money!
Provide sample travel itineraries.
Provide sample travel budgets to help better estimate costs!
How to find work overseas.
How to volunteer overseas.
What to look for in a hostel.
How to get the most out of your Eurail pass.
What to do when you come home.
How to save money for your trip.
What to look for in travel insurance.
And much, much more!!!

This book covers all the aspects of a long term round the world trip. I remember when I started traveling- I had no clue where to begin. What kind of backpack should I buy? What should I pack? What ‘s life like on the road? Will I make friends? Do I need a RTW ticket? What do I do with my stuff? I spent hours on the internet looking up information and even bought Rough Guides’ first time around the world in hopes of figuring it all out. Back then there wasn’t a lot of information on the internet and while forums and some sites provided some information, they didn’t provide it all.

My ebook on how to travel the world is meant to leave you without the bewilderment and questions I had when I left to travel. The information in the book is the kind that can only come with experience on the road. It comes from making mistakes, learning lessons, and trying to figure out how to make your way around the world. A lot of times people get nervous before they leave for a trip because of all the unknowns. People don’t like the unknown. Reading this book will show that getting around the world isn’t as hard as you thought it is and once you look at it in an organized way, there’s nothing to be worried about!

Even if you don’t plan to travel around the world, this book contains tips and advice for saving money while you travel. Many of the tips and tricks in my book can be applied to any type of travel. Everyone wants to save money on flights, know what kind of travel insurance to buy, find cheap accommodation, and avoid ATM fees. You don’t have to be a long term, RTW traveler to get something out of this book.

This 140 page book is only $20 US dollars. That’s not a lot of money considering the investment most round the world trips cost. This ebook will also save you hundreds of dollars while on the road with the tips and tricks I give you. You can purchase the book via PayPal or Google Checkout:

©Nomadic Matt's Travel Site. Learn to have your blog pay for your travels!

The Saturday City: Cairns

2010-03-13T12:21:03Z

Cairns is Australia’s gateway to northern Queensland. From here you can visit the Great Barrier Reef, the Daintree rainforest, the Atherton tablelands, Cape Tribulation, and much more. Cairns is a pretty typical tropical city in that life focuses here on relaxing, staying cool, moving slowly, and enjoying nature. Cairns is small with a population of about 120,000 with a city center encompassing a few streets of shops, restaurants, and bars.

Despite it being overly touristy, I liked Cairns. It’s easy to get around, the atmosphere is very relaxed, there’s good food, and most importantly, there’s a lot to do here. I could spend a few weeks in Cairns, relaxing by the lagoon (read: giant swimming pool), eating at the restaurants, enjoying the weather, and using it as a base to see all the sites in the region. The five days I spent was simply not enough. Some of the activities you can do around Cairns:

Dive the Great Barrier Reef- The only natural thing able to be seen from space, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the best place to dive in the world. Cairns is the biggest jumping off point for dive trips to the reef. Trips cost between $170 and $250 AUD for the day. I loved my dive trip. I was blown away at how great the diving was and the abundant wildlife and coral. I’ve always wanted to see the reef and it did not disappoint.

Visit the Daintree Rainforest- The rain forest north of Cairns is the oldest rainforest on the planet, dating back to dinosaur time. There are a number of day trips here but the best way to optimize your time is to visit the area on the way north towards Cape Tribulation. The area is great and makes for a beautiful day of swimming and hiking. My only regret is that I only had one day there as it would have been nice to spend a few days hiking all the trails.

Take a trip up north- Cross the Daintree river and continue up into Cape Tribulation, Cooktown, and Cape York. These towns are great jumping off points for dive trips to the reef, jungle walks, and overall, lounging. There isn’t anything to do up here except relax, enjoy nature, read a box, and avoid jellyfish.

See lots of waterfalls- South of Cairns, Atherton tablelands have a plethora of waterfalls. Day tours are long and you’ll leave early and get back late but you’ll see a ton of great waterfalls, especially the famous Millaa Millaa Falls. If you go, go with Uncle Brian’s tours. They are an incredibly popular tour and, though the day is long, the tour is great and the drivers really engaging. I’ve never been on such a wild day tour in my life. My friend’s and I left quite happy.

Do extreme sports- If hiking, diving, and swimming, is too mundane for you, there’s always AJ Hackett’s bungy jump or a sky dive. AJ Hackett also has a swing that takes you 100 meters up and then launches you. It’s like the pirate ships at carnivals except you don’t spin around. AJ himself was there when I went to visit. As you know, I hate heights. My feet stayed firmly planted on the ground but he did get me to do the swing. There’s a video of it that will remain hidden for ever because of the screaming and profanities coming out of my mouth.

Inside Cairns, you won’t find much action. The lagoon gets fairly crowded, especially on the weekends. There’s the botanical gardens, though they are a bit of a walk from the center. Cairns has a lot of good restaurants in town as well as good shopping. The restaurants near the waterfront are extremely good and equally pricey. At night, the city has a lively bar scene thanks to all the backpackers who come into town.

I wish I could have stayed longer in Cairns. I enjoyed the vibe of the city, the number of things you could do while there, the good nightlife, and the good restaurants. Cairns is definitely one of my favorite Australian cities.

Disclaimer: Queensland Backpacking Association got me Uncle Brian’s tour for free.

©Nomadic Matt's Travel Site. Learn to have your blog pay for your travels!

The Weekly Photo: Royal Botanical Gardens

2010-03-12T00:20:51Z

The Royal Botanical Gardens, Melbourne, Australia

©Nomadic Matt's Travel Site. Learn to have your blog pay for your travels!

This Person is Off to Costa Rica

2010-03-10T14:48:30Z

There were a lot of good applicants for the free trip to Costa Rica. After reading them all, I realized that I really wanted to go to Costa Rica. It’s been years since I went so I picked myself to go. I’m the winner of my own contest. Well, I was for about five minutes before Bruce and the rest of the Gap crew told me that wasn’t in the contest rules and we had to pick one of the contestants. So after some discussion, we picked….

Meggie Weirich.

She was Contestant #2 and made this amazing video as her entry:

How We Picked Meggie
Myself along with Bruce, the CEO of Gap Adventures, Greg Hayes, the marketing manager, Carrie from My Several Worlds, and Craig from Indie Travel Podcast were the voting team. We each picked our top three candidates using the top public voting as a guide.

I figured we would go through several rounds of debating as we would all pick different people and we would have to square our choices with the top voted entries. And we did. We all had different lists. Except for one name- Meggie. Not only was she on every list, she was usually number one or two. Combine that with the fact that she was #2 in the public voting, she had enough points to win. We all agreed that Meggie should go.

Meggie’s application had a lot of what we were looking for: creativity, passion, and humor. We liked how she referenced Gap Adventures environmental policy and sustainability.

Meggie will be going on March 28th and will be blogging her way through her trip. Her website will be up shortly and when it is, I’ll give everyone the URL. We’re letting Meggie pick her own site name!

So Pura Vida Meggie! Have an Imperial beer for us!

©Nomadic Matt's Travel Site. Learn to have your blog pay for your travels!

Is This Really Travel?

2010-03-08T23:45:27Z

For the last three months, I’ve been traveling around Australasia visiting New Zealand, Fiji, and Australia (for the second time). I’ve noticed something interesting- a lot of the travelers I see are young (18-24) gap year kids and most never consider leaving “the beaten track.”

Don’t get me wrong- I am happy to see people traveling. Whether by tour, cruise, car, or foot, taking the first proverbial step is a feat in itself. The very fact someone made the effort is amazing. Not enough people do it.

However, it’s dismaying to see so many of young travelers sticking to the same places. Popular places are popular for a reason and there is nothing wrong with going to them. They are wonderful but when you have nothing but time, you don’t really have an excuse to skip the other places too. The huge majority of gap year travelers always seem to want to stay in the big places and never even try to see something different. Even when I prod them and try to convince them, they seem uninterested.

Take Western Australia for example. Not a lot of backpackers travel there. Almost all the travelers I speak to say they don’t have enough time to fit it in, even if they are spending months in Australia. Many just have no real answer as to why they aren’t going. Yet Western Australia is one of the most beautiful parts of the whole country. Even Aussies say if you want to see the “real” Australia, head west. It’s a lot less developed and incredibly beautiful. However, most travelers I speak too never even consider it. They just stick to the highly touristy and overrated Sydney to Cairns route.

You see this pattern a lot in other places too. In New Zealand, travelers follow the backpacker buses. The hardly ever head out of the major tourist centers. In Fiji, they just go to the Yasawa Islands. In Laos, travelers go tubing, get drunk in Vang Vieng and declare they have seen Laos.

There have always been travelers who just stick to the beaten path. Some people just don’t want to make the effort to find something new- they want to go meet other travelers and get drunk. However, based on the conversations I’ve had with people, this trend seems to be growing. Backpacking seems to have become an “industry” in this part of the world. Everything seems to be geared to doing everything for the traveler. There are special backpacker buses, hostels will pick you up from anywhere, there are special activities, special dinners. Hostels have there own bars to keep you in once place and, overall, it seems to always be about taking the work out of long term travel and make it more like a long holiday.

Backpacking has always been about being independent. I love how you have to figure it all out yourself. You find your way and in the process find out about yourself. In Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji, everything is done for you. I feel like it’s becoming more like a tour that has you stay in hostels. It’s all easy. You just need to show up and your hand is held for you.

Travel is more than just going somewhere. If that was the case than a trip to the movies could be counted as traveling. In my world, travel is about going to destinations to experience new things, people, and places. It’s about gaining insights into new cultures, trying local food, and yes, getting drunk at the local waterhole while locals tell you slang and curse words in their native language.

Travel isn’t simply getting on the greyhound, being dropped at a hostel, then shuffled to a backpacker tour and then a backpacker bar. It’s not about always staying on the beaten path. It’s not always about having your hand held. But the more I see these young travelers simply accept this travel, the more I get discouraged. I hope this idea of long term travel and backpacking doesn’t stick around but I think this trend is only going to continue among young travelers.

Then again, maybe I am just lamenting about an idea that only existed in my head.

Editor’s Note: My goal here was not to disparage people who travel a certain way. As I say here, all travelers are equal. It doesn’t matter how you travel. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t wish people saw something different or lament the fact that backpacking has become more of an industry than an adventure in solo travel. Travel how you want to travel. Just remember popular destinations are great but they aren’t the only thing that exists and most backpackers have the time to see a mix of places.

©Nomadic Matt's Travel Site. Learn to have your blog pay for your travels!

Budgeting in New Zealand

2010-03-03T21:06:30Z

When I went to New Zealand, my goal was to live within a budget. After paying $15 dollars for lunch I knew New Zealand was going to be more expensive than I had originally though. While I work and travel and could afford $15 dollars for lunch, I wanted to live within a budget that would be realistic for travelers who don’t work while they travel.

My original budget was $80 NZD per day. How did I do with that goal? Well, pretty good- I managed to spend $70 NZD per day, $79 NZD if you include the money I lost at the casino.

I came in below my budget but before you congratulate me , there are three reasons why this happened: I stayed with friends for two weeks, Base and Nomads gave me free accommodation, and my bus passes were free.

If it weren’t for these three reasons, I would have spent about $120-140 NZD per day. Why? Because I didn’t cook like I intended and I didn’t drink as little as I hoped I would. I enjoy going to restaurants and eating good meals. I hate cooking in hostels when a million people are bumping into me and no one cleans the dishes. I’m a great cook but I’m very particular about my kitchen.

Despite that, I kept an eye out for costs and prices. Except for fancy meals, I did everything the other travelers did. I lived off groceries for a bit, took advantage of cheap goon and beer, I took the same buses, and overall, tried to get an idea of what New Zealand on a budget would look like, which would be something like this:

Hostel: $27 NZD per night for a 6 bed dorm.
Food: $20-40 NZD per day if you eat out or about $50 per week if you are cooking your food.
Drinking: $5-7 NZD per beer, $7-10 NZD for a mixed drink.
Transportation: $20-40 NZD per trip on the public bus.
Internet: $4 NZD per hour, $15 per day, $150 per month.
Activities: $80-500 NZD.

On a super tight budget, you can expect to spend about $40 NZD per day not counting transportation or activities. Two German girls I knew got by on around $30 NZD per day by Couchsurfing, working on farms in exchange for room and board, and cooking every meal. It is possible to spend very little if you really pick and choose your battles.

However, for most travelers that isn’t realistic. Realistically, you’ll stay in hostels, eat out a few meals, and have a few drinks. A realistic daily budget, including dorm bed, food, drinks, internet, and miscellaneous spending would be about $70 dollars, excluding major activities. Depending on your food and drink needs, you could probably do it around $50 NZD per day if you ate the majority of your meals in.

After that, you’ll spend the rest on activities. A bungy jump is between $100-250, a skydive is $500, the Waitomo glowworm caves are $100-200, Fox Glacier trekking is about $100, and the Tonagriro crossing is $50. AND those are just a few of the many activities you can do. The point: these activities are not cheap and can really add up.

Transportation costs vary depending on whether you take the greyhound, backpacker buses, hitch, or hire a car. Hiring a car is the cheapest way to go and great if you can find a group of people. Backpacker buses can also offer good value.

If you are a person who doesn’t want to WWOOF (farm work) or hitchhike your way across New Zealand, I would say your total daily budget with transportation and activities would be around $110 NZD. That’s assuming, like most travelers, you spend a month or more in the country, letting you spread out the cost of everything. That may seem very high but given that people tend to do a lot of activities here, I think it is the most realistic. Even if you live cheap on $35 NZD per day, a few activities and bus passes will shoot your daily average close to a hundred dollars.

The lesson I walked away from New Zealand with was that despite the favorable currency rate, it is simply not a cheap country. Tourism in NZ is really built around activities- activities that eat through your budget quickly. If you want to do a lot of them but are on a limited budget, you’ll need to pick them carefully or cut drastically in other areas. Food and drink costs here are extremely high but are also the easiest place to save money. New Zealand is a country where the old adage “pack half and take double the money you expect” really hold true.

©Nomadic Matt's Travel Site. Learn to have your blog pay for your travels!

When My Website Was Down…

2010-03-03T04:46:15Z

On Sunday, my website down for about 24 hours. I’m not 100% sure why but, according to my hosting company, there was an issue with the domain name and to the servers it pointed to. I’m still confused about the reason and will soon be switching companies because of what occurred. There is no reason why my domain name should “expire” when I have paid for it for 10 years or when it comes up for renewal it stops pointing to the right place.

How did I find out about this awful incident? While sailing through the Whitsunday islands in Australia, I checked Twitter when I got reception and found myself bombarded with messages alerting me to the problem. I then had to spend all my phone credit calling my hosting company figuring out why they took my site down. After some excuses to cover themselves, my site was back up by the time I hit land again.

Yet this was no way to enjoy a holiday. How could I enjoy the last day of my sailing tour when all I can think about was how I needed to get to land to solve the problem or see when my site would be back up. It’s a buzzkill.

Which brings me back to the age old debate about balancing work and travel. As I mentioned in a previous post, there are many things you can do to try to balance the work load and ensure that neither work nor travel takes up all your time. However, lately, I’ve found that I am having trouble with the balancing act.

Running a travel blog is a lot of work. No matter what the purpose of your website is there are pictures to post, tweets to twitter, blogs to write, and RSS’s to read. Even those who blog as a hobby can spend hours per day maintaining their site.

I don’t blog as a hobby. Nomadic Matt pays my bills- it keeps me on the road, buys my plane tickets, and puts food on my table. Without my website, I have no income and I’d have to return the cubicle. And frankly, I have no desire to do that. When your travel blog is your business there is a lot more work to do than what I mentioned above and, lately, that work has begun to dominate my life.

Over the next two months, I plan to launch two new ebooks, redesign my website, and create a travel guide section that covers backpacking in over 60 destinations around the world. These projects are quite time consuming and lately I’ve found that work or travel suffers when I need to do one or the other.

When my website was down, I learned the invaluable lesson that right now, I can’t do both. I can’t run off everyday and socialize at night while attempting to build my website. I can’t build my website and travel like I want too. I’d love to be out on the beach in Magnetic Island right now but I have work to do. I would have loved to have gone hiking in Queenstown with my friends but I had work to do.

After 7 months of non-stop travel, I need a break and work. I need a solid month to bury my nose in my laptop in order to get these projects done. I had planned on going to Bali for a month to explore Indonesia. Now, Bali will the be perfect place for me to live cheap, eat great food, enjoy a few hours at the beach, and get lots of work done. I’ll take a few day trips here and there but I’m canceling most of my plans to do work.

In truth, blogging is a lot of work and if you plan to turn your blog into a life then you need to find a good work balance. I’ve managed to become good at increasing my productivity while working. I get a lot done and can get rid of my daily list quickly. That’s important. Wasting time on the internet wastes days. Moreover, I’ve managed to dedicate a few days here and there in order to get ahead, because eventually, you’ll get behind again. After 7 months, I’m behind again. Instead of taking a break, I have just let it pile up. When my website was down, I had my wake up call.

Bali here I come- to work!

New Zealand’s Backpacker Buses

2010-02-28T15:03:46Z

One of the biggest ways travelers get across New Zealand is by backpacker bus. These buses offer a hop on/hop off service allowing travelers the flexibility to go at their own pace but also the convenience of having travel and activities organized for them. New Zealand has three major hop on/hop off buses: Kiwi Experience, Magic Bus, and Stray. I tried the Kiwi Experience and the Stray bus.

Kiwi Experience

The Kiwi Experience is the biggest and most popular backpacker bus in New Zealand. The bus mainly attracts young gap year travelers. Nine times out of ten I was usually the oldest traveler on the bus. I say it’s about 50% 18-22 year olds, 40% 23-27 year olds, and 10% 27+.

What I liked: The Kiwi Experience goes out the way to make sure everyone socializes and gets to know each other. The drivers play a lot of games, icebreakers, and there are group dinners at most of the hostels. Most of the group ends up sticking together making it a good way to find travel partners. Additionally, the Kiwi Experience gets you discounts on most attractions, activities, and hostels.

What didn’t I like: Size. The buses seat around 55 people and when they are full, they get a little bit clicky. Little groups form and in the end it feels like a Contiki Tour. I had more fun when the bus was less full and you could get to know people better. During the busy season, the bus is pretty much always full. Moreover, I wished the bus didn’t make so many little side stops. While it’s sometimes nice to see something different, by the 9th or 10th stop, most of the people are simply like “can we get to the destination already?”

Who’s it for: If you are 25 or younger or just looking for a party, this bus is for you. It’s predominately filled with young people who want to have a good time. Out of all the buses I took, I only saw one couple- most formed on the bus. Moreover, if you aren’t looking to get off the beaten track and just want to see the highlights of New Zealand, this bus is also for you. They’ll drop you of at all the main destinations.

Stray Travel

Stray is new and their goal is to “take you off the beaten path.” While they hit all the major destinations the Kiwi Experience does, they also take you to a few different ones. I was really happy that they take you right into Abel Tasman National Park for two days instead of just dropping you off in Nelson.

What I liked: Stray has smaller buses providing a more intimate setting and making it easier to meet people. While there are many gap year travelers on the bus, Stray tries to pick up more older independent travelers. On my buses I saw a lot more couples and people generally less interested in getting drunk every night. They went out but it wasn’t the only thing they were interested in. Stray seems to have a better balance than the Kiwi Experience when it comes to this.

What I didn’t like: The bus drivers I had didn’t play as many games or have as many icebreakers making it a bit awkward when you first step on the bus alone and aren’t an extrovert. Moreover, compared to the Kiwi Experience, the buses weren’t as comfortable.

Who’s it for: Stray, unlike Kiwi, goes both ways. You can defiantly find a party bus full of gap years kids, but unlike Kiwi, you are more likely to find travelers more interested in seeing something other than the bar. If you aren’t really looking to party a lot or want to spend time with more mature travelers, Stray is for you.

Overall, I liked the Kiwi Experience better. But then again I tend to enjoy a livelier atmosphere while I travel. I spend a lot of time online doing work so I am usually ready to cut loose by nightfall. The Kiwi Experience is definitely the place to do that. I thought Stray does a great job and I would recommend them to people looking to do one of these buses but not be surrounded by young travelers. But no matter what bus you choose, do not buy your ticket before you get to New Zealand. You will get better deals and discounts if you purchase your ticket from a hostel or travel agent inside the country. Many of the people I traveled with learned that lesson the hard way.

(Disclaimer: Both the Kiwi Experience and Stray Travel gave me a free bus pass.)

The Weekly Photo: Bordeaux, France

2010-02-27T09:27:55Z

A beautiful winery in Bordeaux, France

Great Places to Teach English

2010-02-24T22:35:20Z

Every year thousands of people leave their home to travel and teach English overseas. They go to experience a new culture, work overseas, put off getting a “real” job, and earn lots of money doing it. Sometimes they are just backpackers who ran out of money and are looking for an easy job that can get them back on the road quick. Whatever your reason is, here are many places around the world to teach English. If you are looking for a place to go, here are the top ten places to teach English overseas:

Korea – Korea is one of the best, if not the best, places to go teach English. Jobs are abundant, the pay is great, and you get awesome benefits such as a completion bonus, free housing, and airfare reimbursement. A lot of recent college graduates are attracted to teaching here because of the money and the benefits. Korean culture is a hard culture to get into but the country is filled with a lot of young people making it a great place for those looking to work overseas, make money, and have a lot of fun doing it.

Japan – Japan’s great culture and food as well as its reputation for good jobs means it also attracts a lot of people looking to teach. Though the fat years of teaching in Japan are over, people willing to stay at least a year can earn a lot of money. You don’t get as many perks as you might in Korea but teaching here is still an amazing experience. The cost of living can eat up a lot of your salary, especially if you live in Tokyo, but the amazing culture more than makes up for it. No one ever walks away disappointed.

The Middle East – The Middle East lures many teachers in for one reason: the salary packages. There isn’t much to do in this part of the world and some of the societies can be very restrictive but Middle Eastern countries offer incredibly large salaries, lots of benefits, and no taxes. A teacher here can walk away with around $50,000. However, this is no place for the recent college graduate. Countries here want certified and experienced teachers. No teaching degree means no job. Most of the teachers here are older, more settled, and have families. You don’t move here for a wild and crazy adventure but you’ll get live in a very unique part of the world and make a lot of money doing it.

Thailand – Thailand attracts lots of young people and new teachers with its cheap cost of living, great weather, tropical beaches, and party atmosphere. Most of the language school teachers are ex-travelers looking to save for future travels. Or travelers who thought they were doing that and ended up never leaving after marrying a Thai or just falling in love with the country. The pay in Thailand isn’t great. Unless you teach right in Bangkok or at an international school, you won’t earn much money but people don’t come here for the money. They come here for the atmosphere, the nightlife, the beaches, and the destination. Thailand won’t make you rich but no one ever walks away wishing they never came or without a massive hangover.

China – China is the rising star of the ESL world. Its continued rise on the world stage keeps attracting more and more interested people looking to figure out what the middle kingdom is all about. Jobs here can be very hit or miss. In the countryside and, at most schools, you’ll only get paid a small amount. However, in places like Beijing and Shanghai, you can find excellent paying jobs, especially if you have experience or teach business. But the money isn’t why you should come here- it’s the absolute cultural shock you’ll experience. China is the brave new world and there’s nothing like it on Earth.

Mexico – Mexico is a popular destination for Americans. It’s close, it’s not that “foreign” and it’s warm. Most of the jobs can be found in Mexico City where Mexico’s upper class hires teachers for their students. However, you can also find small language schools and government schools that hire teachers. Riches won’t be found here but if you are interested in Latin American culture, friendly people, mouth watering food, and feisty approach to life, Mexico is where it is at.

Central Asia – Central Asia is one of those places you hear very little about and know about even less. That makes it one of the most exotic places to teach English. Forget about money and benefits- you get none. Coming here is all about stepping into the past and exploring one of the most rustic and friendly areas on Earth. No matter what country you pick in the region, you’ll be stepping into a world devoid of most modern conveniences, which isn’t necessarily bad thing.

Prague – Teaching jobs in Europe are hard to get. EU visa rules make it difficult to just pick up, fly over, and find a job. Luckily, Prague doesn’t have all those complications. You can find a lot of ESL jobs at language schools. Again, forget about pay- you won’t make money like you do in Asia or the Middle East. But you are in Prague and a stone’s throw away from everywhere in Europe. Prague is a hip city with an outgoing and lively population. You’ll never be bored and if you are, you’re doing something wrong.

Argentina – Argentina is where most ESL teachers go to find work and in particular Buenos Aires. Famous for wine, beef, and beautiful women, Argentina lures native speakers looking to experience that fiery South American culture in a “not as dangerous as Brazil” way. If salsa dancing, good beef, wine, and a culture that places heavy value on siestas is your idea of a good time, then Argentina is where you want to teach.

Teaching English was a very rewarding experience for me. Even though it wasn’t always the most glamorous work, I had a lot of fun teaching overseas. While there is an opportunity to teach wherever English isn’t the native language, these ten destinations draw the biggest crowds, pay the best, or offer the best perks.