Scared for my life: Sri Lanka

Arriving in a developing country at 11pm at night and trying to find transportation for my estimated 2.5 hour drive to my hotel, I can say that being mugged/kidnapped and/or having my body parts sold on the black market definitely crossed my mind. I eventually took my chances with a private driver hired from the airport for a mere $65. (I might as well have lost a kidney)

Step 1: Profit. Step 2: Profit. Step 3: Profit.

Title says it all!

If you follow our blog or listen to us preach, you'll know that a lot of our strategies have a step where we actually lose some money (most often in the form of negligible activation fees).

That won't happen this time around. Instead, it's net gain all the way. Here's what I earned today:

• 1,770 points
• $20 Staples gift card
• $11 credit for my American Express credit card

Unfortunately, this is a targeted promotion, but read on to find out how you can check to see if you're one of the lucky few!

Money, Money, Money! Getting Cash Abroad

During my travels around the world, I learned that all the spending I did didn't earn me any points. Most merchants either preferred cash and some didn't even accept credit cards at all. (If you've been reading this blog, you know not earning points while spending really breaks my heart.)

XE app for phones

So what are my strategies for access to cash while traveling? Read on to find how I prepare for my travels.

American Airlines 50k sign up bonus

The Citi American Airlines World Mastercard is now offering 50k AA miles after $3,000 in spend in 3 months with the first year fee waived ($95). Gone are the days of 75k bonus', so a 50k bonus for a card is definitely worth considering.

• First checked bag free for you and up to 4 companions on the same ticket
• Group 1 boarding
• 1 point per dollar spent on everything
• 2x pointson American Airlines purchases
• 10% back on redeemed award flights 

But why stop at one card when you can get two?

Korea: Things to check out in Itaewon

I was staying with a friend who lived in a district in Seoul called Itaewon. Itaewon was once  known as a shady district but has recently been revamped and now known more as the foreigners district. When I first heard that Itaewon was the foreigners district, I was not too excited. I imagined foreigner districts like Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong; where there was dirty bar after dirty bar and streets full of westerners being ridiculously drunk (yes, I might have been one of them).

Instead I was greeted by tasteful bars such as "Mixtures" which had a lounge atmosphere and a DJ spinning hip hop beats, and Magpie brewery which usually has a few taps of their own brews plus some imports like Rogue from my hometown. The crowd definitely seemed like more foreigners, but there was a good mix of locals as well. Overall I would almost equate what I saw of Itaewon similar to a Pearl District in Portland or Culver City in Los Angeles. Not super ritzy, but nice and up and coming. Read on for the meals/spots I felt were worth mentioning.

Kuala Lumpur: Food never stops

Arriving into Kuala Lumpur, I made my way down to the KLIA express, a train that takes you from the airport to KL Sentral for about 15 usd and takes 50 minutes. KL sentral serves a similar purpose as Taipei main station, connecting metro, high speed rail, buses and taxi, except it does a horrible job at it.

There are about 4-5 different lines owned by different companies, and transferring between them is difficult. For instance, the monorail line is shown to be at KL sentral. But in reality, it is about a 20 min walk away. The signage is not helpful either; they stopped appearing once I left the station, and I still had probably 10 min walk left. Thank God for Google maps!

(Pro tip: While you have internet access before your trip, bring up Google maps and look at the area where you will be visiting at full zoom. This will save to your phone, and when you arrive.with no internet connection you can still use the map with GPS. This saved my ass multiple times.)

Read more:

Taiwan: Food, Fun, and Friends!

Arriving into Taipei, I was able to easily follow signs to the bus that takes me from TPE to Taipei main station (1 hour ride and about $5 USD). Taipei main station is just like what it sounds like, you can access the metro, the high-speed rail, or buses. I met up with my friend who I was staying with, and we started our four day adventure of eating, drinking, and site seeing.

My other friend, who I met there, wrote a blog on 100 things to do in 14 days in Taipei. My activities were mostly with her, so it seems repetitive if I write about it twice (ok I might just be lazy).

But here are some of my favorite things!