18 ways to travel more responsibly

1. Avoid flying and prefer the train ! Not only will you see the landscapes changing but you’ll be using less fuel. 
2. Plant a tree : if you can’t avoid flying, think about planting a tree to compensate !
3. Use public transportation : When visiting a city prefer using the city bikes, metro, tram or even the bus instead of taxi.
4. Travel light : the more you pack the heavier the plane or car gets, and the more CO2 it consumes !
5. Use less electricity and water : wash your hands and rinse your dishes with cold water, use less water in the shower, turn off the lights when it is not necessary, unplug your electronics, don’t flush the toilets every time, don’t let the water run while brushing your teeth.
6. Reduce your consumption of plastic & packaging : we, for example, always carry a reusable plastic container with us, when ordering take away or street food, instead of taking their plastic container we ask our food to be put in ours.
7. Recycle your packaging & plastic : always ask in your hotel, guesthouse or hostel if they have a special bin for recycling. Even if they don’t, the more people ask them, the more they will think about doing it !
8. Use biodegradable cosmetics : any beauty & toiletries product you use will somehow end up in nature. Use more natural products, it will be good for your body and skin, and for the nature !
9. Use less beauty products in general, find the ones that can be useful for more than just one thing like coconut oil or baking powder. It’s even better for you as you’ll travel lighter.
10. Don’t pick wild flowers and plants when hiking
11. Do not feed wild animals : they will get used to it, then turn into thieves and depend on human beings to eat. And especially don’t give them sweets ! 
12. Use a refillable water bottle. Especially in parts of the world where tap water isn’t safe, we usually consume a lot of plastic bottles. In Thailand for example, we used the drinking water dispensers. Try to find those where you travel and refill your own bottle there.
13. Pack a foldable bag or backpack with you. You might end up doing some shopping at the grocery store, try not to use their plastic bags. Again, the more people turn down the offer the more they will think about not using them !
14. Use a solar portable charger. In some parts of the world electricity might be hard to get anyway so you might need it !
15. Reduce your meat & fish consumption. We understand not everyone wants to be vegetarian or vegan, but we need to understand the importance of reducing our meat consumption if the human race continues to expand so fast. 
16. Eat less processed food : they’re usually bad for your health if not for the planet.
17. Buy & eat more local products. They’re not always more expensive than imported products. You have to think about the impact of importation on the planet and the quality of what you’re eating.
18. Buy fruits and vegetables from local markets. Instead of going to a supermarket, go to a local market to reduce packaging. It’s also a good way to favorise local producers over imported products.

Steps to book cheap flights

1. Use incognito mode and clear your cookies
2. Use a VPN (we suse CyberGhost) : if for example you’re booking tickets to Southeast Asia, try to connect from a server in SEAsia instead of your own. Most of the times it will be cheaper.
3. Book and fly midweek : according to a lot of studies, the best time to book cheap flights is the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, in the middle of the night, between 2 and 4am. We have tried it and got indeed a very cheap price.
4. Book in advance, up until 2 months before departure. After then the prices just go higher.
5. Subscribe to flight companies and comparison websites’ newsletter and social media to get special deals before the rest of the world.
6. Look for fares on comparison websites then go on the flight company’s website and check if the price is cheaper. Most of the time it’s the case but it can be more expensive as well. Just check.
7. Look for fares to/from nearby airports. Example : Flying to/from Johor Barhu is cheaper than Singapore, and only a bus away.

For France and most of Western Europe you can also use Blablacar : a car pooling website & app. Great for meeting people and save money on transportation !

We generally advise to travel by public transportation whenever you’re in a city for 3 main reasons :

• It’s cheaper
• You experience what the life really is like in this city
• It’s less polluting

But of course, sometimes you just want to take a taxi. And for that, we recommend using Uber or Grab in Asia.