7 Ways to Save Money as a Tourist Traveling Abroad

When you are a tourist in a foreign country it is expected you will pay more than “expat residents” for most things such as lodgings, rents and food. But thankfully there are still several ways you can save money while being a tourist! Let’s take a closer look.
 

1. Save Money on Accommodations: The ways for discounts on lodging apply to hotels, motels, hostels, inns, and B&B’s.  

• If you are staying for three days or longer you can ALWAYS receive a discount of about 10% per night! But you have to ASK for it; in most cases they will not just give it to you.

• If staying for a full month or more, make sure you ask about the monthly rate and not the weekly rate. Always check several other lodgings in the area for comparison purposes and then let them know you are checking other accommodations in the area, that way you can smile and walk out.

• If you arrive to your destination late and are too tired and hungry to check around for the best value, only pay for one night. The next morning you can find a more suitable, budget friendly hotel. This is usually what we do because no matter how hard you try sometimes you will get in too late.

2. Save Money on Sight Seeing Tours: It’s fine spending money on sight-seeing tours and most of the time you might have to just because you're hiking out in the wilderness where a guide is absolutely necessary, but some tours you can go see on your own without spending large amounts of money for a tour guide. 



If there is a particular tour you are interested in, ask around with other expats and gringos and check to see if it is something a couple could do on their own, taking a bus or taxi, or walking. 



For instance, tour operators charge tourists $50 per person to go see El Chorro Falls in Giron, Ecuador, which is about 45-min. from Cuenca.  



We think El Chorro Falls is a DIY tour. Here’s our video when we went to the falls with a friend, which is another way to do it and just pitch in on gas; and here's how to do it yourself.
 

DIY El Chorro Falls: $8 per person. 

Frank, me, and friend at El Chorro Falls in Giron, Ecuador

Step 1. Take the bus from Cuenca (Terminal Terrestre) that goes to Santa Isabel; you can also catch this bus going south along Las Americas. Look for the sign that says "Santa Isabel". The bus costs $1 per person. You will not be going all the way to Santa Isabel but getting off in Giron, which is before Santa Isabel.



Step 2. Ask the bus driver to let you off at the road that leads up to El Chorro falls in the town of Giron. He'll know. Once in Giron, Flag down a taxi and he’ll take you up to the falls for $4 to $5. 



Step 3. When you get to the landing for the falls, the attendant there will ask for $2 per person and $1 for Ecuadorians.



Step 4: Walk up the well-marked trail to the falls and enjoy! No need for a tour guide on this one, just stay on the trail. Total savings about $42!



There are several restaurants up there, by the way where you can eat lunch for $3. DIY ‘Saves Money’ once again!!
 

Targeted as a Tourist
 

They can always tell a tourist from someone who lives in the area. Tourists have back-packs or tote bags like the locals do but they also look around a lot, dress different and look like their searching for something.  The minute a tourist gets off the bus, or out of the car or taxi, the tour guides come leaping out of the woodwork.
 

For instance when we went to Puerto Lopez, the second we got off the bus, tour operators started quoting prices for the whale-watching tour.  The first price quoted was $60 per person. We knew that price was waaaay out of line so we kept walking and he came running up behind us and lowered the price to $40, and we smiled and still kept walking.
 

It was about 45 minutes and three sales people later we were quoted the real price of $15 per person to go see the whales. That was in 2013 and so the prices might have gone up a bit, but anything over $20 per person will be too much.  But of course as a tourist, feel free to spend as much as you want. Curiously, we wondered how many gullible tourists actually pay the $60 per person. That’s three times the typical employee wage in Ecuador.
 

3. Save Money on Restaurants. When you ask the gringos where is a good tasty, good priced restaurant to go eat at they usually send you to an expensive international cuisine restaurant. There’s nothing wrong with that unless of course you want to save money eating out.
 

Tip: Ask the Locals Where to Eat: When you ask the local business earners where is a good tasty restaurant to go eat at they always send you to a place they would eat at and can afford. This is what we do when we travel because it is difficult to decide where to eat when you are new to a city or town. Why pay more when you don’t have to? We have never been sorry for doing this.
 

4. Save Money on Taxis. Some cities abroad may use meters in the taxis, but that might not mean much when the driver rigs the meter to run faster; we’ve seen this happening in our home town of Cuenca, Ecuador. What you’ll need to do is have the driver start the meter, before getting in the taxi, just to see if it is running fast. You’ll only be able to do this if you’ve already taken several taxis in Cuenca and know how fast the normal meter should run.  



5. Learn what the taxi fares are in the city you are in so you can negotiate.  In countries that do not use meters in the taxis ALWAYS negotiate the price 



6. Learn to Smile and Walk Away: There's a lot of tourism going on and that means a lot of tour operators running the same service or tour. When one seems out of line, simply smile and walk away. sometimes they call you back and sometimes they don't. Go check out the next one in line. For an example, have you seen all of van operators that take people to and from Guayaquil; the prices are all over the map. Remember, you can negotiate too.
 

7. Do NOT Behave Rich. This is a biggie and pertains to anything you are paying for as a tourist. Paying for a $3 dollar taxi ride with a $20 bill is a no no.  Start collecting small bills before you’ll need them. Seriously, most places in Latin America will not have change for a $20. You don't want to give him a $5 dollar bill for a $3 ride either, or you may never see your $2 bucks again!



It’s already given that tourists have money to spend, however if the tourist acts rich, or flashes expensive jewelry, watches, etc, and pulls out big wads of cash from their wallet, you will be treated as such. Heck, you might even get pick-pocketed if you’re not careful. It is never a good idea to act too rich in developing countries.



Until we write again, have a wonderful visit wherever abroad you are going! And we think if you liked this article, you'll enjoy these too!

• 3 Ways Going Local (Integrating) Helps Ecuador

• How to Get Discounts on Flights to Ecuador and Within Ecuador

• 10 Ways to Save Money in Cuenca and Quito Ecuador

We're an Expat Family of Five, Living Frugal, Healthy and Happy Abroad. We live in Cuenca, Ecuador and travel the Ecuador coast whenever we get a chance. We just adventured throughout the country of Panama for five weeks! Come along and enjoy some of our experiences with us!

New SUPERMAXI Grocery Store on Don Bosco in Cuenca Ecuador

Sunday we strolled over to the new Supermaxi store just to see what it was like and this is the video. The store was really nice inside and we were greeted by a door greeter and the folks tending the tills were super nice and smiling a lot, we like that.

                              
 

We're an Expat Family of Five, Living Frugal, Healthy and Happy Abroad. We live in Cuenca, Ecuador and travel the Ecuador coast whenever we get a chance. We just adventured throughout the country of Panama for five weeks! Come along and enjoy some of our experiences with us!

Why Some Tourists Get Sick with Intestinal Issues When Traveling Abroad

Eating bad food or water is a serious problem with travelers to other countries, especially in countries where there are no restaurant health inspections to speak of.   Every time we eat out we are putting our trust in cooks, cleaners and servers that work in restaurants and that’s putting our trust in a lot of people, don’t you think?



NOTE: before you begin reading this article, we want to let our readers know that we have never gotten sick from eating out in Quito, Panama, or Cuenca. However, I did fall ill several years ago with intestinal issues when we traveled to Salinas from a cream filled pastry from one of the Panaderias.   

UPDATE 2015: I've been sick with food poisoning twice and Frank once, in Cuenca Ecuador. We do not touch our food with our hands at all, so it is either from unsanitary restaurant food preparation, spoiled food (unlikely) or dirty hands from the prep/cook. Take your pick. I do not want to name the popular restaurant because we did not go to the doctor, or have tests done or any other facts to back up these unfortunate events, although it was food poisoning, a person just knows that kind of thing...especially when you have all the symptoms. 

Restaurant we ate at in Quito, Ecuador

Being a tourist we are more apt to eat out for every meal because we don’t have a choice, at least not usually; and because we’re traveling and can’t cook our own meals that ups our chances of getting sick. However, we have to remember that there are many factors to look at when traveling abroad that would make a traveler sick, not just food borne bacterium.
 

Usually what happens when we become ill with intestinal issues while traveling abroad is, we think we ate something spoiled in the last restaurant we ate in, but is it really from food poisoning or could it be attributed to something else?
 

Four Main Types of Food Poisoning
 

There are many different types of food borne illnesses but some of them are rare to travelers, so we’re going to only talk about the four main ones that people seem to get most often when eating out or sometimes, just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
 

Norovirus – Norovirus is highly contagious bacteria and the most prevalent of the four types and is usually spread from not washing hands and then handling food. Noroviruses are the ones the cruise ships seem to always have which sends multitudes of people on board rushing to the toilet with vomiting and diarrhea.  Ugh! Onset of symptoms after ingested is 12 to 48 hours. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
 

E-Coli –  E-Coli is a prevalent food borne bacteria found in some US meat factories; E-coli is found most often in processed ground beef?  It can also be found on raw vegetables where the ground water is contaminated with feces. E-coli bacterium, like the norovirus is not always from food but can be spread from an infected person’s hands to food preparation and other objects. Onset after ingesting is 1 to 3 days.
 

Salmonella - Salmonella is caused usually from undercooked beef, poultry and eggs. It is also possible to get salmonella from an infected food handler that did not wash their hands. Cooking the food very done or at the very least, all the way through, kills the bacteria.  Onset after ingesting is 6 to 36 hours.



Staphylococcus – Staph food poisoning is the bacteria most often found in foods that have been sitting for hours unrefrigerated; it can be found in street carts and buffet type cafeterias and restaurants where food sits on warmers or hot plates. Once the bacterium hatch they continue to grow and multiply. Staph poisoning comes on quickly so you’ll definitely know if it was the meal you just ate a few hours earlier. Onset after ingesting is 1 to 6 hours.
 

Source: http://www.fda.gov/food/resourcesforyou/consumers/ucm103263.htm
 

As you can clearly see getting intestinal illness abroad is not always from bacteria in the food. It’s gross to think about, but often times the prep person who prepared your food was infected and didn’t wash his or her hands. If bathrooms do not have soap, it’s best to turn around and walk out. 



Sometimes the restaurant kitchen counters and cutting boards are contaminated with a myriad of bacteria and that's where they prep the food. This kind of thing happens where the cooks and servers are ignorant about food and kitchen sanitation, and usually where health inspection is nonexistent.

Fast food in Quito, Ecuador

And heck, it’s scary to think about but perhaps a fly or two or three landed on your food while it sits around in the kitchen. Flies are dirty, hairy little creatures that can and do transfer E-coli, Salmonella and Norovirus onto your food from their hairy little legs. All it takes is a fly to land on your food for a few seconds to contaminate your food and you will get sick. And many times we think the food was spoiled but it wasn’t; the dirty fly that landed on your food while the food sat around in the kitchen contaminated it. 

  

Source: http://www.food-safety-and-you.com/flies.html
 

So whether you are eating out in a restaurant in Cuenca, Salinas, Quito, Panama City, Lake Chapala or San Jose, there is always a chance for intestinal illness, either directly from the food or contaminated kitchen surfaces, or from dirty unsanitary handlers and environments. 
 

Other Reasons Vacationers Might

Get Intestinal Illnesses



Intestinal illness can also be caused from having dirty hands. Many times it is difficult to find a public restroom to wash your hands in; and in some developing countries when you do find a restroom there’s no soap! Yikes.
 

Think about this scenario for a moment. You just got off the bus or out of a taxi where hundreds of people ride in every single day. Some of the people are sick and coughing and sneezing.  Our resistance is compromised because of traveling and being out of our normal environment and then we become exposed to all of these viruses and contaminates on the bus or in the taxi, and later, without thinking, we touch our mouth area with our hands and this will make us sick.
 

All it takes is a little bit of a bad germ to give us Montezuma’s revenge and one reason why many vacationers become ill; carelessness trumps when we are in a new city or town abroad because we simply do not take the same hygienic measures like we would if we were back home.  For instance, people use alcohol-based wipes before they touch a grocery cart in the US, they use alcohol sanitizer gels at the checkout counters in the US and before they leave public department stores, etc, etc, etc...and then they come to a developing country where none of these things are present, not even soap in some of the restrooms and, BOOM, they get sick!   



Our best tip for eating out: Ask the local office workers where a good tasty and inexpensive restaurant is and they will gladly send you to their favorite.  They eat out almost every day in their city and so they know where to go; that’s what we did in Panama and we were not disappointed. See the video here where one Panamanian office worker eats at and recommended to us. 

Boca Deli - Panama City, Panama

Our second best tip for eating out:
Once you find a place that you know is sanitary with clean restrooms,
clean kitchen, and you see the wait staff eat the food, keep it in your
favorite restaurant list. It's not 100% percent full-proof but is an added measure against falling ill. 



Have You Gotten Sick Abroad? Here’s How to Replenish Your System BACK TO HEALTH in a Jiffy!



Once you can keep a little something down, start sipping on a little water. When you know for sure you can eat something, try these things. When our children were little and on the rare occasion they got sick with diarrhea, we would always put them on the BRAT Diet (bananas, rice, apple sauce, toast) for one full day before eating rich foods.
 

Soda crackers
Plain toast
Plain rice (preferably whole brown rice, if possible)
Bananas (ripe)
Water
Coconut (water) milk (fresh from the coconut)
 

Coconut water, by the way is excellent for bringing back nourishment to the body after intestinal illness. Later in the evening, if you get hungry enough, vegetable or chicken broth with a little rice will sit well in the stomach. 



After one full day on the BRAT diet, it’s time to graduate to foods that will bring back good bugs to your tummy and stabilize your intestinal tract.
 

Kefir
Yogurt
Sauerkraut

And any other fermented foods to your liking.
 

PS…when Frank and I travel we have a set up where we either cook in the hostel kitchen we are staying at, or we use our handy, dandy rice cooker and cook (most) of our own meals right in the hotel room. Sure, we eat out occasionally but we always eat where the locals love to go and have recommended to us and that seems to work well for us. To find out more about this, click here. 
 

If you liked this article we think you will like these too. Enjoy your day!

• What about Food Poisoning in Cuenca Ecuador? Is It Safe Eating Out?

• How We Stay Healthy Eating from Street Vendors and Restaurants in Cuenca

• FREE Restaurant Guide - 16 Good, Inexpensive Restaurants in Cuenca Ecuador

We're an Expat Family of Five, Living Frugal, Healthy and Happy Abroad. We live in Cuenca, Ecuador and travel the Ecuador coast whenever we get a chance. We just adventured throughout the country of Panama for five weeks! Come along and enjoy some of our experiences with us!