Get Inspired 🧭 with Free Independent Travel
Why Free Independent Travel?
Are you ready to embark on a journey that’s uniquely yours? Free independent travel (FIT) allows you to explore the world at your own pace, following your instincts and passions.
Say goodbye to rigid itineraries and hello to spontaneity! Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or a first-timer, FIT offers a liberating experience that connects you with the heart and soul of each destination.
Discover Hidden Gems
Free independent travel encourages you to step off the beaten path and discover hidden gems that might not make it into guidebooks. These are the moments that define FIT – the unexpected encounters that leave lasting impressions and bring many advantages over a standard packaged holiday deal.
Craft Your Itinerary
With FIT, you’re the master of your own adventure. No more rigid schedules or group tours.
Start your day with sunrise at Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, then hop on a local tuk-tuk to explore the nearby floating villages. In Gdańsk, meander along the Motława River, stopping to admire the medieval crane and indulge in pierogi at a waterfront restaurant. And when you’re in Mumbai, weave through the bustling markets, savor street food, and catch a sunset at Marine Drive.
The freedom to craft your own itinerary ensures that every moment is tailored to your interests and preferences. Even within a modest budget, there are no limits. Go where you want, when you want – and tailor the trip to fit your own personal aspirations.
Airlines, Airports & Transfers ✈️
The single most expensive item of your long haul trip to the tropics will no doubt be your air fare. Getting a great deal here could easily be worth an extra week or two in your chosen destinations.
But it’s not just about the cost – How about reliability and service?… and most importantly of all – safety? Here then is a summary of our highs and lows with a variety of airlines, airports & transfers.
Airlines, Airports & Transfers
Best Bites & Spicy Delights 🌶️🔥🍛🌮
From our perspective, the local food on offer can make or break an extended travel agenda. If you have an adventurous palette, more often than not you’ll discover some amazing flavours and experience a diversity of unforgettable snacks and dishes.
Here is a summary of our favourite eating establishments and best bites discovered to date.
Budget Accommodation Nightmares we didn’t see coming… 😱
We’re great believers in checking and double-checking the photos, descriptions and reviews of hotels and guesthouses before making a booking. What we’ve learned though is that you can’t always rely on the integrity of your research. Reviews can be faked, photos and descriptions can be misleading or out-of-date, and your budget accommodation nightmares become a reality.
Inevitably, if you kiss enough princes you’re going to find some toads… Check out some of the toads from our collection… and whatever else you do – don’t book them!
Budget Accommodation Nightmares
Checkout Our 360 Degree Panoramas 🌄
Using Google Street View and some post processing software, its possible to produce some pretty nifty 360 degree panoramic images from a standard smartphone, without having to splash out on an expensive dedicated 360 degree camera. Having said that, a 360 degree camera is definitely on our birthday wish list (to create some amazing bullet-time videos).
In the meantime, here are some results from our most recent trips…
SandSpice at the Movies 🎬
Travel is all about discovering new places, and many of the countries we have visited have been used as the setting for some iconic movies: ‘From Russia with Love’ in Turkey, ‘Prison Break’ in Panama, ‘South Pacific’ in Malaysia, ‘Game of Thrones’ in Spain.
Add another dimension to your trip by checking out these and other classic movie locations with ‘SandSpice at the Movies’.
Videos & Soundtracks from our Favourite Destinations 📽️
For us, the real essence of a trip isn’t found in a static picture. It’s in the fleeting moments—the way the light hits a particular street corner just before sunset, the muffled sounds of a distant city coming alive at dawn, or that one song that just seems to fit a certain memory so completely it feels like it was written for it.
What we have here, then, is a collection of those very moments, stitched together into a sort of digital scrapbook, with the sights and sounds of our favourite adventures all lined up, ready to transport you back there with us.
It’s the unvarnished truth of travel, a raw, and sometimes slightly wobbly, window into our world, complete with the tunes we just couldn’t get out of our heads.
Be sure to crank up the volume!
Easy-Access Snorkeling Locations 🤿
Tropical beaches are fine, but if you enjoy exploring the scenery below the waterline it’s fun to hire a mask and fins and go checkout the marine life. The ideal way to do this is directly from the beach. Often however you’ll find the best snorkeling is offshore – in which case you’ll need to hire a boat or join a tour.
Here are some of our favourite easy-access snorkeling locations, most of which are accessible straight off the beach.
Easy-Access Snorkeling Locations
Exploring the Depths 🥽 A Dive into Sea Scooters
At Sandspice we’ve always been passionate about sustainable travel. We seek ECO-friendly experiences that connect us with nature while minimizing our impact on the environment.
In this article, we dive into the fascinating world of sea scooters, also known as diver propulsion vehicles (DPVs). These underwater marvels allow you to glide effortlessly through the depths, exploring marine wonders like never before.
Join us as we unravel the secrets of these aquatic companions and discover how they can enhance your underwater adventures.
Step off the Grid to find Secluded Tropical Beaches 🌴
Secluded beaches are just one of the great rewards when visiting remote destinations in less-accessible areas of the tropics.
Here are some of our favourites. All you need to take along is a towel, a picnic and a long cool drink 🤫
Cost-Effective Accommodation🎒 Your Budget-Friendly Home From Home
The truth of the matter is that where you lay your head down at night can completely make or break a trip, and we’re not just talking about a good night’s sleep.
Your choice of hotel or guesthouse has a dramatic effect on your overall travel experience. It is, perhaps, the most crucial decision you can make when planning a budget-conscious adventure.
We’ve certainly had our share of hits and misses over the years, and we’ve discovered that “budget-friendly” does not have to mean compromising on atmosphere, cleanliness, or location.
We’ve compiled our recommendations for some of the best and most cost-effective places we’ve had the pleasure of staying in during our recent travels, all of which prove that you can find comfort and charm without an eye-watering price tag.
Experiences, Not Just Sightseeing 🚀 Find Your Next Adventure
Fancy a city-center infinity pool over 50 floors high? How about some Desert Dune Bashing, or a 4½ km zip line tour over the Panamanian jungle?
Whether you’re into water rafting in Borneo or beach combing in Goa, for inspiration check out these accessible, inexpensive & unique activities at SandSpice.
Plan Your Travel: Travel Your Plan
Budget itineraries for the Free independent Traveler (FIT). Subscribe now to get instant notifications of newly published articles (no spam).
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… with discounted hotel deals, cost-saving travel itineraries & SandSpice escapades! 😉
