Transport Cats Across an Animated Countryside With Alexander Perrin’s Interactive Illustration ‘Short Trip’

Short Trip is an interactive illustration by Australian artist Alexander Perrin. The meditative simulation places the player in the conductor’s seat of a cross-country train, allowing the user to use their arrow keys to go forwards or backwards through the game’s peaceful black and white countryside while delivering a series of animated cat passengers.

The illustrated simulation took Perrin five years to complete, from researching how a graphite-based drawing could be presented on a digital platform, to creating all the necessary components of the train’s journey by hand. His interest for this particular scenery came from riding on the Hakone Tozan Railway in Japan, one of his favorite ways of travel.

“It’s a magical, rickety switchback railway that ascends a forest shrouded mountain all throughout the year,” Perrin told Colossal. “There’s something about the beautifully crafted forms of the railway in sculpted union with the cliff faces and trees that just hits such a therapeutic, aesthetic sweet spot. It’s a little bit like riding an enlarged miniature railway, if you know what I mean. You remain passive and enjoy the ride for the sake of the journey.”

The game was built with this passiveness in mind, the only “goal” of the project to get to the other side of the railway while you enjoy the scenery and relaxing soundtrack of gentle bird chirping and cable car as it softly rumbles across the tracks. We recommend make the game full-screen with audio to get the full, tranquil experience of Short Trip.

You can watch a scene from an earlier game prototype by Perrin called Noirmittens in the video below, and see more clips from his current simulator on his website and Instagram.

Anatomical Fish Zip Bags by Japanese Designer Keiko Otsuhata

Japanese designer Keiko Otsuhata has brought a new dimension to the popularity of fish as food by turning the sea creature into a functional-out-of-water zip bag. In Japan, fried fish (especially mackerel) is often seen on bar menus, and is prepared by splitting the fish through its stomach and frying it flat. The sight of fried fish is common visual vocabulary in Japan, but Otsuhata was curious about what the fish looked like in its pre-fried state, so she bought one from the grocery store, took photographs, and made it into a zip bag.

Tokyo-based Otsuhata is also a writer for the Japanese website Daily Portal Z, where she often documents and shares her creative process as she explores pop culture and humor. You can see how she made the original fish bag, as well as a pair of pigeon shoes.

Three varieties of Otsuhata’s fish bags—kinme, saury, and sea bream—are available in The Colossal Shop.

 

 

 

Blooming Metallic Birds and Other Animals by Taiichiro Yoshida

Hanasuzume, 2013. Copper.

Artist Taiichiro Yoshida forms the delicate wings of birds and fluffy fur of mammals from a variety of sculpted metal flowers of bronze, copper, or silver. Decorative hot metalworking in Japan is considered an ancient technique, beginning sometime in the 2-3rd century BC. Yoshida achieves the fragile nature of each piece through smithing, where the hot metal is carefully beaten and then formed into blooms before being colored. You can see more of his work on Artsy. (via Cross Connect, Hi-Fructose)

Fire Bird, 2014. Wood, grass, copper, phosphor bronze, bird’s skull.

Otherworldly ‘Earth Pyramids’ Captured in the Foggy Early Morning Light by Photographer Kilian Schönberger

Photographer Kilian Schönberger (previously) climbed the Alps late at night to capture one of the mountain range’s strangest segments, alien-like columns found in South Tyrol, an autonomous province in Northern Italy. His series Otherworld showcases the so-called “earth pyramids” in a hazy dawn light, strange creations that appear like stalagmites freed from their underground caves.

The structures are created by erosion, rising from clay soil left behind by glaciers from the last Ice Age. Each features a large boulder resting on top which protects the soil below. Eventually the tall columns loose the strength to hold the large rock overhead, shifting balance and sending it tumbling down the mountain.

The otherworldly elements remind Schönberger of the hoodos in the Southwestern United States, however the two naturally occurring wonders are formed from two very different geological processes. You can see more of German landscape photographer’s work on his Instagram and Behance.   

A Cascade of Water Over Terra Cotta Tubes Functions as a Beautiful Electricity-Free Air Conditioner

New Delhi-based architecture and design company Ant Studio recently created a completely electricity-free cooling system that relies on clay tubes and water as a cheap alternative to traditional air conditioners. The sphere-shaped system was built as a part of a larger beautification project for a DEKI Electronics factory. The simple, low-tech solution adds an aesthetic twist to the typical metal appliance, and requires little upkeep to ensure its surroundings stay cool.

In order to cool the air, the system is first packed with a few hundred terra cotta cones. Next, water is poured down the sides of the structure so the clay objects can absorb the liquid as it flows down their sides. Finally the water slowly evaporates from the soaked cones, lowering sweltering temperatures by up to 26 degrees Fahrenheit.

Similar cooling devices have been in use for thousands of years, with archaeological evidence suggesting that clay pots were utilized to assist with water cooling methods as far back as 3000 BC in Pakistan and India. The natural and cheap solution also doubles as an art installation, appearing more like a postmodern waterfall than HVAC system. (via ArchDaily and InHabitat)

Dozens of Rice Varieties Form Colorful Drawings in the Fields of Inakadate, Japan

The village of Inakadate is an area of Japan most known for its production of rice, an agricultural product that has grown in the surrounding fields for over 2,000 years. In order to increase tourism to the small village, officials began a traditional of creating large, elaborate images by strategically plantings different varieties of rice. Nearly 25 years later, the town is known throughout the country for its colorful rice drawings, which occur each year with the help of hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of local volunteers.

To begin the process for upcoming designs, there is first a conference to discuss possible ideas. Next government officials make simple computer mockups of the winning designs, which are then sent to local art teachers for more conceptual renderings. Finally, markers are placed into the fields to create what is essentially a large-scale paint-by-number, the entire process taking up to three months.

You can see more images of the famous rice paddy fields in the video above. (via Great Big Story)

10 Epic Films to Inspire You to Visit Africa

Welcome to the latest Africa related post by our resident experts Natasha and Cameron from The World Pursuit. While I’ve been to the continent in the past (and I’m actually there right now!), I’ve only seen a few countries, whereas these two spent close a year driving around the continent. This month, they share their favorite films about Africa. (I’ve seen some of them. They are really good.)

For us, learning about where you are in the world is an essential part of traveling. Instead of reading history books and researching your days away online, we’ve found that a fun way to learn is by watching movies. After a year traveling around Southern and East Africa, we’ve logged hours and hours doing just that.

Many of these movies gave us that initial urge to make our way to this less-traveled continent. Scenes of heartbreak, rolling landscapes, and wild animals told us we just had to get to Africa and explore for ourselves. We want to share our favorite movies set in Africa with you, so maybe you will watch them and feel inspired to travel there as well.

The movies below cover a wide range of topics and genres, but all are based on true events that happened in Africa and give a greater understanding of what traveling there is like.

1. Out of Africa

Out of Africa is that movie about Africa that everyone knows and adores. Romance, rolling plains, and lions — what’s not to love? We couldn’t help mentioning it, because, as clichéd as it is, it is one of our favorite movies about Africa. The scenery and landscapes are entrancing, and the breathtaking cinematography convinced us to get ourselves to the continent. If you want to get a glimpse into colonial times in East Africa, with a bit of romance and drama sprinkled in, then set aside a few hours for this classic. Before the movie came out in 1988, Kenya was a place for the rich and elite to go on safari. After this hit the screen, tourism in Kenya exploded.

2. Gorillas in the Mist

Did you know that there are only 800 mountain gorillas left in the world? Nowadays they are heavily protected in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, just a few decades ago there were no conservation efforts to help these mystical animals. But primatologist Diane Fossey spent 18 years of her life studying the social interactions of mountain gorilla families in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda; without her efforts, it is a real possibility the animals would have been extinct today. This 1988 drama chronicles her life’s work — both her struggles and achievements — and her mysterious death. The film depicts just how deep a bond between animal and human can grow.

3. The First Grader

In 2003, Kenya made African history by offering free primary education to its citizens. Unlikely hero Kimani Maruge, who had never received an education during British colonial times, decided to go to school for the first time at the ripe old age of 84. The First Grader depicts how Maruge persevered and excelled in elementary school, and how determination truly has no age limit, thus putting the importance of education for all, especially in rural Africa, in front of an international audience.

4. The Last King of Scotland

The Last King of Scotland is a must-watch before visiting Uganda. The ruthless Idi Amin became known for human rights abuses, corruption, torture, killing, and ethnic persecution during his brutal regime in the 1970s, causing an estimated 100,000-500,000 deaths, mostly Ugandans. The film’s name is taken from one of Amin’s self-proclaimed titles, the “King of Scotland.” It portrays Amin’s presidency through the eyes of his fictitious physician and conveys a sense of the political turmoil and hardship that the Ugandan people faced.

5. Hotel Rwanda

Most people have heard of the 1994 genocide that killed 500,000-1,000,000 Rwandans. During those dark days, Paul Rusembegi, the manager of the prominent Hôtel des Mille Collines in downtown Kigali, took in thousands of refugees, while making it look like the hotel was operating as usual. Although it was a tragic time in Rwanda, the movie at least has happy and uplifting points and showcases how strong the human spirit is. Of course, it’s not 100% factual, but it is a good jumping-off point for those who want to learn more about the Rwandan genocide. (We decided to visit the hotel when we were road-tripping through Rwanda earlier this year and were surprised to find that it is still one of the most beautiful and affluent hotels in Kigali.)

6. Half of a Yellow Sun

Based on the book of the same name, Half of a Yellow Sun follows two Nigerian sisters as their country’s civil car (also known as the Biafran War) breaks out in the late ’60s. Minute by minute, we watch as the sisters’ lives are decimated: family members die, others starve, and intellectuals become refugees in their own country. Although we haven’t been to Nigeria, the film and book do a great job of showing the atrocities of war, its effect on African women, the role of Western media and expats, and the results of colonialism.

7. Queen of Katwe

The Queen of Katwe is an inspirational real-life story about one young girl defying all odds. Phiona Mutesi is growing up in the slums of Uganda’s capital when she is introduced to the game of chess. With the help of her teachers and family, she goes on to be one of Uganda’s best female chess champions. The poverty her family endures and the constant struggles that so many face in Africa make this film a hard one to watch, especially after seeing it in real life.

8. The Good Lie

When we were in high school, there were two very tall African boys who looked just a tiny bit older than everyone else. We later learned that they were Sudanese refugees, or some of “The Lost Boys of Sudan,” the name given to over 20,000 boys of the Nuer and Dinka ethnic groups who were orphaned or displaced during the Sudanese civil war.A US government program allowed about 3,800 of these refugees to resettle in the United States. The Good Lie tells the story of three of these Lost Boys and their sister, whose lives are torn apart by a terrible war, and how they are relocated and integrated into American society.

9. Long Walk to Freedom

Based on of Mandela’s own autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom lends viewers a deeper understanding of the politics of South Africa. The movie does a great job at showcasing historical events, but still mixes in the drama and action to keep viewers entertained. During our three months in South Africa, we saw images of the anti-apartheid revolutionary everywhere. From statues and important buildings to street names and street art, you can truly see the impact of Mandela.

10. Endless Summer

This is not a film you’ll find on many lists about Africa, but it’s one of the most fitting for travelers to the continent. It also happens to be one of the first surf films of all time and led to the birth of a genre. The iconic and classic Endless Summer inspired a generation of surfers and travelers alike. This documentary by Bruce Brown follows two surfers as they leave the cold Californian coast behind in search of an “endless summer” in the Southern Hemisphere. They end up traveling to the coastlines of Senegal, Ghana, and South Africa, showcasing the excellent surf that can still be found in the Western Cape to this day. As world travelers and wanna-be surfers, that’s why we love it so much.

*** There are so many great films about Africa that lend a better sense of the continent. Even if you’re not heading that way, give them a watch anyway. They are all entertaining and great works of art.

Natasha and Cameron run the blog The World Pursuit, focusing on adventure and cultural travel. The two of them met in the film industry before they decided to abandon the American lifestyle and travel the world together. They’ve been traveling together for three years across 55 countries and six continents. They bought a 4×4 at the tip of Africa and are traversing the continent while documenting their story on Instagram and Facebook. 

The post 10 Epic Films to Inspire You to Visit Africa appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

A “Living” Chandelier Filled with Algae by Julian Melchiorri

ALl photos © Mike Chino.

London-based designer and engineer Julian Melchiorri has designed an elegant new lighting solution that is part chandelier and part living organism. Titled Exhale, the piece is comprised of 70 glass petals of varying shape that contain a solution of green algae sustained by daylight, LEDs, and a drip-feed of nutrients. The lighting design won the 2017 Emerging Talent Medal at the London Design Festival and was on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum. You can learn more over on Inhabitat.

Digitally Explore a Thousand-Year-Old Illustrated Guide to Plants and Their Medical Uses

Cotton MS Vitellius C III is the only surviving Old English illustrated book describing plants and their uses. Recently the British Library, along with the Bibliothèque nationale de France, digitized the 1,000-year-old illuminated manuscript. The ancient book features illustrations of plants and animals alongside various bodily issues that can be treated by their use or consumption. For example, a snake is illustrated by the passage on sweet basil, an herb that has been known to help fight poisonous bites.

Despite the manuscript being an extensive guide, there have been questions posed by several scholars regarding the piece’s exact use.

“Although it might seem like a practical guide to finding plants and preparing remedies, this manuscript’s uses are debated,” explains the the British Library’s Alison Hudson. “First, the illustrations are not always very useful for identifying plants and animals in the wild: take, for example, these depictions of strawberries and elephants [seen below].”

You can flip through the entirety of the guide’s illustrations on The British Library’s website. (via Open Culture and Hyperallergic)

Artist Transforms a Fallen Redwood Tree into A Gigantic Eight-Tentacle Sea Creature

All images via JMS Wood Sculpture

Washington-based woodcarver Jeffrey Michael Samudosky has been creating elaborate figural works from a variety of Pacific Northwest trees since he started his company JMS Wood Sculpture in 1998. One of his most recent projects is a replica of an Enteroctopus dofleini, or Giant Pacific Octopus, carved from a fallen Redwood given to him by Redwood Burl. The cephalopod’s tentacles curve and twist their way across areas which Samudosky left natural, including the entire back of the trunk which gives the illusion that the octopus is on top of the tree, rather than a part of it.

Samudosky has previously carved deep sea diving helmets, rams, and bears twice his size. You can explore more of the self-taught woodworker’s pieces on his website and Facebook. (via Laughing Squid)

New Bic Ballpoint Pen Portraits on Vintage Maps and Stationery by Mark Powell

Working atop faded street maps, vintage National Geographic magazine covers, and decades-old stationery, London-based artist Mark Powell (previously) draws the wrinkled contours of his subject’s faces with a standard black Bic ballpoint pen. The weathered portraits of both famous and anonymous people reflect his antiquated canvases both in texture and tone as he traces the topographies of their faces across literal street maps or paper materials that have traversed the world. Powell’s drawings have grown in both scale and detail over the years, magnifying the impact and density of each piece. You can see more of his recent work on his website where he sells a number of prints and quite a few originals. (via This Isn’t Happiness)

Asinas II: A Dizzying New Kinetic Sculpture by Jennifer Townley

Asinas II is the latest kinetic work by Dutch artist Jennifer Townley who is intrigued by how machines can create complicated nonlinear movements from a circular motion found in rotary engines. The work is a successor to a piece from 2015 that similarly relies on sequential geometric forms that rotate to create seemingly chaotic movements. From her statement about Asinas II:

The various angles and curves of the individual parts create an elaborated unity when joined together on the shaft. The two “wings” formed by these seventy-seven parts are able to slide through each other and rotate in opposite direction at a slightly different speed. This results in a movement that appears to be far more complex, existing of multiple layers, where repetitive shapes seem to be moving within one another.

Townley most recently exhibited work with the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey and you can follow her on Facebook. (via Prosthetic Knowledge)

A Wind-Up Bamboo Passenger Pigeon by Haptic Lab

The Flying Martha Ornithopter is a mechanical toy that when wound, flaps its wings through the air just like a real bird. The simple invention is built entirely from bamboo and Mulberry paper, and released just like a paper airplane. The ornithopter was built by Haptic Lab to honor the very last passenger pigeon, Martha, who died while in captivity at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914.

Haptic Lab believes the invention is symbolic of humanity’s role in a rapidly changing world. “Like our other projects at Haptic Lab, the Flying Martha ornithopter aims to connect people to their physical environment, to one another, and to the planet as a whole,” says the design studio. “The Flying Martha celebrates the spirit of invention and discovery essential to humanity’s survival and to the survival of our planet.”

Each ornithopter is built to reflect the true size of the extinct bird, with a wingspan of 16 inches. The handmade nature of the toy bird allows its user to customize its flight, solving problems to discover the invention’s best flight path. By a slight twist of the tail to the left or right, its flight course is altered, giving the owner full control of how the bird flies.

The project is currently raising funds on Kickstarter. You can see more projects by Haptic Lab on their website, Instagram and Facebook. (via Kottke)

Aspen Trees Grow on Delicate Ceramic Vessels by Heesoo Lee

Ceramic artist Heesoo Lee brings the textural depth of aspen forest canopies to her sculptural bowls and vases. Lee painstakingly places each and every leaf by hand, building unique, organic trees that seem to come to life with their shimmering, colorful leaves. While the vibrant glazes add a lifelike layer, the pieces are equally stunning in their unglazed form. The Montana-based artist shares many progress shots and videos on her Instagram, and works are available for purchase on Etsy. (via Lustik)

An unglazed work in progress

How to Travel Anywhere in the World (From Start to Finish) for $1,000

Wouldn’t it be great to travel anywhere in the world for $1,000 or less? And I don’t mean just the cost of getting there. I mean your entire vacation from the time you step out your door to the time you get back. How great would it be to take a one- or two-week trip anywhere for that?

Decades upon decades of marketing by expensive hotels, cruises, and resorts has left us with the cultural notion that travel is expensive. Despite all the blogs, apps, websites, and Instagram accounts out there, too many people still don’t believe that travel can be cheap.

I get that. We’ve been conditioned by big brands and companies for ages to believe this repeated message, and it takes awhile to shed that belief.

But we’re currently in a golden age of travel, thanks to cheap flights, travel hacking, and the sharing economy. We are seeing a revolution in travel that is allowing people to bypass the traditional travel gatekeepers of old — the ones who kept prices high — and travel frugally without sacrificing comfort.

It’s no longer a stark choice between cheap backpacker hostels and fancy resorts.

In fact, it’s actually really easy to travel well on a budget these days.

Today, I want to introduce the concept of the $1K trip. A thousand dollars can get you far — no matter where you want to go.

While there are many ways to travel cheaply, thanks to traveling hacking or extreme budgeting, this concept is about something more middle-of-the-road. It’s not about going away with no money or traveling on $10 or $20 a day. It’s for those of us in the middle, who have day-to-day jobs and want to travel more but always feel like we lack the resources to do so.

A thousand dollars is a lot of money, but it’s not an impossible amount of money for most of us. It’s saving $2.74 per day for a year. Most of us can save $2.74 a day.

So how do you begin?

First, flip the script. I know I’ve said this before, but if you wake up today and tell yourself, “I can’t travel because of X,” you’ll never look for ways to start traveling. You will only see roadblocks: bills, flight costs, car payments, other obligations, or whatever your “But…” is. I’m not trying to be patronizing — and I definitely recognize not everyone has the means or desire to travel — but you have to ask yourself in earnest, “How do I make travel a reality?”

You need to wake up tomorrow and say, “Yes, I can travel, too — and I am going to make it happen!”

Once you start believing it’s possible, you start looking for ways to make it possible. I’m not talking about that BS from The Secret, where you manifest a winning lottery ticket. I’m talking about thinking of the practical steps you can take from day one that will bring you closer to your travel goals.

Look at your day-to-day spending and the spending choices you make.

How much would you save if you bought a Brita filter instead of a daily bottle of water? Or gave up Starbucks, cooked more of your own food, and drank less alcohol? What if you gave up cable? Downgraded your phone plan? Walked to work? Sold your unneeded stuff on eBay?

Even if it takes you a year to save, it’s better to start today than tomorrow.

I always look at expenses and go, “I can have these new jeans or another fancy dinner — or I could have another week on the road.” I have friends who complain about not being able to travel then go buy $300 sunglasses. Not everyone can save a ton of money or even has the means to travel all the time, but with enough time and dedication, the majority of us can get somewhere. When I worked with Dianne in during our case study program, she was a big casual spender but prioritizing travel in her mind helped her dramatically increase her savings.

Second, it’s important to remember that traveling on a limited budget requires planning.

For example, a few years ago I took a trip to London for $700. I knew I had ten days, didn’t care where I slept, and was content with drinking only a little, taking public transportation, and sticking to the free attractions. I only cared about eating and having fun with friends. Everything else was secondary. Knowing myself allowed me to make the most of my limited funds — and figure out how much I needed in the first place. I could plan the exact amount I needed to save because I had a rough idea of how much I would spend.

Break your trip down into small manageable goals. Don’t think about the 1,000 steps it takes to get to where you want to go. Think about the step right in front of you. What is ONE thing you can do today to get closer to your trip? What about the ONE thing you can do tomorrow?

Once a trip is broken down into smaller steps it becomes a lot more doable.

I want to use two example trips — a week in French Polynesia and two weeks in Australia — to illustrate the concept of the $1K vacation. (I’m picking expensive places so no one thinks I’m trying to cop out by using cheap destinations!) The same techniques I used to go to London for $700 are the same ones that apply to the trips below.

Example 1: French Polynesia

OK, French Polynesia here we come! Well, French Polynesia is an expensive destination that has many rich residents and caters to higher-end tourists, and as such, even if you want to be basic and live like a local, you’ll find that prices for everything are at a premium.

But where there is a will, there is a way.

Flights
The cornerstone of budget travel is collecting points and miles, i.e., travel hacking. Reducing the cost of a flight to zero is the best way to reduce the cost of your trip. And, for any expensive destination, you will definitely need to travel hack. With flights running $1,600-1,950, French Polynesia under $1K is impossible without using miles to cover your expenses.

(Note: I won’t go into much detail in this post on how to get airline miles for your flight because that’s a whole other long post, which can be found here or here or here. I talk a lot about travel hacking on this website, and while the idea of collecting miles can be intimidating, it’s quite easy to do in relatively few months — even if you don’t fly a lot! For the purpose of this article, I’m going to assume you have or know how to get miles.)

To get to French Polynesia from the US, you can fly one of two airlines: Air France or Air Tahiti Nui (both have direct flights).

You can book Air France flights on any one of the below carriers. Here’s how many miles you’ll need:

If you want to fly Air Tahiti Nui, you’d need this many miles:

The only downside to using miles: award availability isn’t abundant on these flights. The above numbers are for “saver” awards (award tickets that need fewer miles) but sometimes only regular award tickets with higher mileage requirements are available, so you’ll need to keep that in mind.

Accommodation
Hotel award redemptions are often expensive in French Polynesia because the resorts are so luxurious. Therefore, I’d suggest lowering your overall accommodation costs by mixing up your stay with hotels, Airbnbs, or B&Bs. After all, you’re not going to French Polynesia without at least spending a night or two at a fancy resort, so we have to include at least a few nights there! Here are the typical award prices (you earn these points the same way you do as airline miles):

(Note: Air Tahiti Nui offers a free ferry shuttle from the airport for anyone who isn’t staying at a fancy resort. Most guesthouses offer free transfers from where the shuttle drops you off.)

After a couple of nights redeeming hotel points for a fancy bungalow (if you have tons of hotel points, then by all means, keep staying for free!), I would switch to an Airbnb. Airbnb private rooms cost 4,000-6,000 XPF ($40-60 USD) per night, while an entire apartment (most come with pool access) will only cost you 6,000-9,900 XPF ($60-100 USD) per night. The only thing is, the Airbnbs are pretty much all located in and around the capital, so you’re not going to get too many luxurious beachfront places.

Food
Food isn’t cheap in French Polynesia since most has to be expensively imported and those who visit tend to have money to burn. If you eat at the resorts and hotels, you’ll pay at least 2,500 XPF ($25) or more for a meal. At an upscale restaurant, expect to pay around 4,500 XPF ($45). A meal in a casual restaurant will cost around 2,200 XPF ($22 USD). A fast-food meal is about 1,000 XPF ($10) while a beer is around 600 XPF ($6 USD). However, by eating from the local snack bars on the road, you’ll only pay around 1,000 XPF ($10 USD) per day for food. If you plan on buying your own groceries, expect to spend at least 8,000-10,000 XPF ($80-100 USD) per week on food.

I’d avoid drinking, stick to as many local snack bars as possible, make picnic lunches, and eat out only at dinner to keep costs down.

Activities
Not surprisingly, activities in French Polynesia are not cheap either. Diving and other single-day water activities start at 11,000 XPF ($110 USD), with a two-tank dive costing 14,900-18,900 XPF ($150-190 USD). Surfing lessons, which generally last a few hours, cost around 13,000 XPF ($130 USD). Bike rentals are available almost anywhere and will cost 1,500-2,000 XPF ($15-20 USD) for a day. Whale-watching tours will cost around 11,500 XPF ($112 USD). I’d focus on one or two activities while here.

Sample Budget for French Polynesia

You could save more points, drink less, and even add more money to your food budget. Point is: French Polynesia suddenly became a lot more affordable! It’s pretty easy to go to French Polynesia for $1K. Using a mix of travel hacking, local restaurants, Airbnb, and doing only a few activities, you can visit here without sacrificing comfort.

Example 2: Australia

Australia is often a place where budgets go to die — but it doesn’t have to be that way. You can still get you pretty far if you know a few tips and tricks. With your flight out of the way (see below), you would have $71 USD (88 AUD) per day ($1,000 divided by 14 days). You have to be a little bit more frugal than in French Polynesia but it’s doable.

Flights
First, I would use points for the flight the way I would for French Polynesia. That takes care of your flight, and even though award flights are not abundant, you can still find some availability. Here is a list of airlines — and the miles needed — to fly directly to Australia:

In reality, saver award tickets for direct flights to Australia are hard to come by. They aren’t there often. You might be better off going indirectly. There are a lot of ways to get to Australia if you look at having a connection than going direct. I connected through Abu Dhabi, while a friend connected through Hong Kong, and another through Japan. I even had a friend fly via Chile once to save on miles.

Accommodation
Accommodation in Australia is pricey: even hostel dorms can be as high as 30-40 AUD ($24-32 USD) per night. Luckily, once you get out of the big cities, prices drop, and there are a lot of Couchsurfing hosts in the country. If that’s not your jam and you don’t want dorms, you can find rooms on Airbnb for 44-75 AUD ($35-60 USD) per day.

To keep your accommodation costs down, I would use a mix of hostels, Couchsurfing, and Airbnb. If you’re traveling in a group, Airbnb will allow you to really lower your per person costs the most. You can find entire apartments for as low as 164 AUD ($132 USD), and if you can squeeze 3-4 people into that, your per person price is only 41 AUD ($33 USD)! If you’re alone or a couple, then I would try to Couchsurf as much as possible (plus you get a kitchen too!)

Food
Food isn’t cheap in Australia, and keeping this cost down is going to be the hardest part of your trip. However, if you lower your food (and drink) expenses, you can stay under $1K. Most decent restaurant entrees cost at least 20 AUD ($16 USD). Grab-and-go places cost around 8-10 AUD ($6.50-8 USD) for sandwiches. Fast food is around 15 AUD ($12 USD) for a meal (burger, fries, soda). The best value foods are the Asian and Indian restaurants, where you can get a really filling meal for under 10 AUD ($8 USD).

The best way to reduce your costs is to cook as many meals as possible. If you do so, expect to pay 100 AUD ($80 USD) per week for groceries (pasta, vegetables, chicken, and other basic foodstuffs). Moreover, with drinks running 8-15 AUD ($6.50-12 USD) each, I’d avoid drinking out if possible. Buy beer at the store.

Transportation
Traveling around the country is tough given the long distances. The easiest way to get around the country in such a short period of time is to fly. There are often some last-minute flight deals on Tiger Airlines and Virgin. But even regular fares are pretty good. For example, Brisbane to Cairns is only 107 AUD ($86 USD) and Melbourne to Sydney is only 67 AUD ($54 USD).

Compare that to bus fares via Greyhound:

• Brisbane – Cairns: 320-374 AUD ($258-300 USD)
• Melbourne – Sydney: 120 AUD ($96 USD)
• Sydney – Cairns Unlimited Pass (i.e., the whole eastern coast, 44 stops): 429 AUD ($345 USD)

If you had more time and could stop often along the way, the unlimited pass would be better — but you don’t have that time, so cramming that $429 USD into two weeks doesn’t make sense.

I’d also consider ridesharing via websites like Gumtree or Jayride, or hostel message boards. Lots of people rent vans and are always looking for people to split the cost of gas. You can also drive yourself. Campervan rentals start at 60 AUD ($48 USD) per day and can also double as places to sleep (thus saving more money). If you are traveling with friends, it’s smart to buy a used car or campervan (or rent a new one from one of the many rental companies) and split the cost of gas.

I’d probably take a few flights and then a few rideshares. If I were in a group or liked driving, I’d rent a van to lower the cost per person. That way you save time on the long distances and still enjoy the country from the ground too! As much as I love driving across Australia, it’s better suited when you can break up the journey when you have more time.

Activities
Activities will really ruin your budget in Australia. For example, a one-day trip to the Great Barrier Reef can cost 230 AUD ($185 USD), while a two-night sailing trip around the Whitsunday Islands can cost upwards of 540 AUD ($435 USD). A three-day trip to Uluru from Alice Springs is around 480 AUD ($386 USD). Luckily, there’s a bunch of free walking tours and activities in cities, but if you’re looking for that once-in-a-lifetime adventure, you’re going to pay for it!

To lower costs, I’d do a lot of solo hiking and trips, free walking tours, and one or two big-ticket items.

Sample Budget for Australia

Again, this is a sample budget and it takes a little more effort to watch the pennies in Australia, but it’s doable to travel there and not spend a lot of money. There are incredible free activities, cheap groceries, and ways to get around on a budget. I’m not saying it will be easy, but I am saying it’s not impossible.

***

When you travel like you live, you can visit anywhere. Taking an entire vacation for less than $1,000 is completely doable. Stop thinking about travel as this big, expensive thing and start thinking about it more practical terms. Think about the steps to make your trip happen. A thousand dollars isn’t nothing – and it may take a long time to save that amount – but it’s not the multiple thousands the media makes travel out to be!

“I don’t have the money to go” is a limiting belief.

When you start looking for ways to say yes, when you start breaking travel down step-by-step and look for ways to save, the world is truly your oyster.

P.S. – Want to find out how you can meet more locals AND find free accommodation when you travel? Check out our Q&A with Couchsurfing on September 28th at 6pm EST!

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