Traveling to Ethiopia’s Omo Valley is an unforgettable adventure, but the most important decision you’ll make for your trip is choosing the right guide. This Omo Valley travel guide explains why a knowledgeable and trusted guide is essential for navigating remote villages, tribal communities, and the region’s unpredictable logistics. This article may contain affiliate links where we make a small commission for purchases you make from links that you click from this article. By purchasing through our links, you support us at no additional cost. Thank you for your support ❤️. For more details, read our disclosure page.
From arranging visits to different tribes to helping plan your Omo Valley itinerary, a good guide can turn a challenging journey into a seamless, authentic experience.
What You’ll Get Out Of This Article
By the end of this guide, you’ll know:
- Expert advice on how to find a guide in the Omo Valley who will make your trip smooth, authentic, and unforgettable.
- Tips for planning your Omo Valley itinerary, including which tribes and villages to prioritize.
- Practical guidance on when to visit, how to get there, and what to know before you go.
- Insider insights from real experiences with local guides, including cultural interactions and logistics.
- Recommendations for staying safe, prepared, and respectful while exploring one of Ethiopia’s most unique regions.
In This Article
Planning Your Omo Valley Adventure
Before diving into the practical details of timing and travel logistics, it’s worth remembering that no amount of planning can replace the insight of a skilled guide.
Understanding when to visit and how to get there will help you make the most of your Omo Valley itinerary, but your guide is the person who will turn those plans into an authentic, seamless experience.
TOP TIPS FOR TRAVELLING TO ETHIOPIA
- Where to stay – We use Booking.com for all of our stays and it is great for finding the best deals. Alternatively, you can always see if hotel corporate codes might work for you. For Ethiopia this might not be the strongest option but is a good start to find accommodation when you land.
- Flights – International flights are never cheap, but with the Skyscanner “Everywhere” feature, you can find the best deals. Check how much it would be for you to get to Ethiopia!
- Insurance – Not always required but always recommended, certainly for this kind of trip! Make sure you’re covered with the best travel insurance. Our go-to is always HeyMondo for the best all-around coverage at a reasonable price.
- Best deals – Bookmark our frequently updated travel deals page.
When To Visit The Omo Valley
The best time to explore the Omo Valley is during the dry season, from October to March, when roads are accessible and cultural festivals are in full swing.
Traveling in the rainy season (May to September) can make logistics difficult, with muddy tracks and limited village access, which is why having a local guide is crucial, they know the timing of events and the safest routes to reach each community.
For a full breakdown of timing, festivals, and suggested itineraries, check out our 9-day Omo Valley itinerary.
How To Get To The Omo Valley
Most travelers start their journey in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, before connecting to Jinka or Arba Minch, the main gateways to the valley. Roads are often rough and distances deceptive, so Google Maps is generally unreliable.
This makes the guidance of a knowledgeable local essential – they can organize Jeep transport, advise on travel times, and plan stops efficiently. For detailed travel options and logistics, see our 9-day Omo Valley itinerary.
Choosing Your Omo Valley Guide
Choosing the right guide is arguably the most critical decision for your Omo Valley trip. A skilled guide is not just a navigator – they are your translator, cultural liaison, and logistical expert.
With remote villages, tribal communities, and unpredictable travel conditions, the right guide can make the difference between an unforgettable journey and a frustrating experience.
If you had no choice but to plan a shorter trip, pick all the highlights you’d like to see and get your guide to organize it for you. They will let you know whether it’s possible or not.
The original itinerary for Ethiopia had us spend 10 days in Omo Valley but we cut that short and instead of going to the Simien Mountains we made a last-minute detour to Egypt aboard a dahabiya. That’s a whole other story so more on that later.
Picking The Right Guide
Well that’s a perfect segue into guides. This is perhaps the most critical part of trip planning because having the right guide can make or break your experience. As important as this is, this also becomes the hardest to make sense of.
Finding a guide is hard because it’s extremely fragmented. On one end of the spectrum you have big companies that dominate the “high volume” tour market such as Green Land Tours. These guys are well established companies that will be the direct on-the-ground operator for many package resellers.
On the other end you have a fragmented group of independent tour operators that you’ll find being promoted on pages like this on TripAdvisor.
Then there’s a diverse group of independent guides promoted through TripAdvisor and niche travel forums. These guides can offer private tours, flexibility, and a more authentic, hands-on experience. The trade-off is that information about them can be scarce, outdated, or unreliable.
The dilemma you face is this: Do you go with a big box tour operator that has the reputation and volume to tout certain guarantees and safety or do you go with a smaller independent guide that can be more nimble and provide private tours?
Why Guides Matter
Ultimately, the one person whose input matters most is the guide you choose. While they may try to upsell longer trips, they know the region best and have their ear to the ground on local events, travel times, and which towns are most practical to base yourself in.
Google Maps is largely useless here, so your guide’s knowledge of distances, road conditions, and timing is invaluable.
If you have limited time, pick your highlights and let your guide organize the itinerary. They can tell you what’s feasible and the best order to visit villages and towns, ensuring you don’t miss key experiences.
What To Look For In A Guide
For our trip, we were looking for the flexibility of planning our trip and were adamant to put together a trip that would allow us to get more of an authentic and hands-on experience. As a result, the pre-packaged trips were off the table.
We tried looking all over the web for good information but, unfortunately, there just really isn’t much. It’s either outdated or questionably unauthentic reviews. In the end, the only place with any sort of sizeable up to date information was TripAdvisor.
We essentially read through the Omo National Park and River attraction (most information consolidated here) and went deep in both forum threads under Arba Minch, Southern Nations, and Nationalities, and People’s Region.
We’ll admit. There’s a lot of reading to do.
What’s unorthodox here is that the Ethiopians have gotten travelers to essentially leave unsolicited (most likely solicited) reviews on the attraction page since the ‘attraction’ has become kind of a catch-all for Omo Valley.
When looking for a guide, this is what we recommend that you look for:
- Someone that understands your request to have an experience that is hands on and not on the typical tourist path.
- Ability to completely customize an itinerary. Personalized service is key.
- Large number of authenticated reviews across the web (not just TripAdvisor -> Google it).
- Good command of spoken English (reviews should be telling).
- Affordable price (you’ll find most are in the same ball park).
- Personal connections with certain Omo Valley tribes (in particular Mursi) to get you ‘inside access’ that most large tours don’t have (that doesn’t necessarily mean that they have to be from south Omo).
- Explicit about inclusions and exclusions (you want this to be as all inclusive as possible as to not worry about additional costs along the way – more on that below).
The thing to look for are the clearly unauthentic reviews that are used as shameless self promotion.
- Melak: Laid-back, outgoing, and deeply connected to the Omo Valley region, having grown up in Jinka. He spoke several tribal languages and facilitated personal experiences like having dinner at his family home. His relaxed style made long travel days enjoyable, though he occasionally took a back seat when Solomon managed logistics.
- Solomon: More proactive in planning and coordinating logistics, with strong communication skills and extensive English vocabulary. He led the operational side of our trip, ensuring schedules ran smoothly.
Personal Experience With Our Guides Solomon And Melak
We’ll preface this section in saying that we did something quite unusual for our trip in that we actually contracted two guides for the trip. My friend’s theory was that if we got two of the top guides of the region, then we’d be hedging our bets in a way and leveraging the strengths of each guide.
- Melak: Laid-back, outgoing, and deeply connected to the Omo Valley region, having grown up in Jinka. He spoke several tribal languages and facilitated personal experiences like having dinner at his family home. His relaxed style made long travel days enjoyable, though he occasionally took a back seat when Solomon managed logistics.
- Solomon: More proactive in planning and coordinating logistics, with strong communication skills and extensive English vocabulary. He led the operational side of our trip, ensuring schedules ran smoothly.
Having both guides showed us the value of complementary skills: one for cultural immersion, the other for organization. Together, they turned a complex trip into a seamless experience, proving that the right guide – or combination of guides – is essential for exploring the Omo Valley.
Guide #1: Solomon Mulugeta (Sadly Passed Away)
We received the sad news from Melak that Solomon passed away. Our prayers go out to his friends and family.
We have recently heard from readers that whoever has taken over operation of Paradise Edge Tours on behalf of Solomon may be scamming travelers so we would recommend staying away. We have no idea who is running it now and cannot vouch for them. Example of this can be found on their recent TripAdvisor review.
We’ve kept the below for context and reference as our hiring of two separate guides was quite unique.
Our Experience (for reference): It was apparent from the start that Solomon’s strength was in the finances and organization. While we’re sure between our two guides, they talked to each other, ultimately most decisions about the structure of the trip was through Solomon.
He was the one that was able to provide clarity on where we were going, the logistics and costing structure.
We would say that Solomon’s personality is more of a reserved nature, but that’s not to say that he can’t be chatty and isn’t a wealth of knowledge. He was easy to get along with throughout the trip albeit a little quirky at times. His command of English was quite good in person, but we did have trouble understanding his e-mails a few times.
Despite not being from the southern region of Ethiopia, we don’t think that was a hinderance at all in terms of speaking dialect or having the right experience. In fact, we found that he was more hardworking than some of the other guides we met along the way.
There were also numerous times when Solomon brought to the table a really good local guide that he was able to build trust with over the years.
Guide #2: Melak Tadesse
How to contact Melak: [email protected]
Our Experience: We found Melak to be a great guide to be around for his laid-back nature and how easy it was to have a conversation with him, which is pretty important when you’re spending that many days together.
His strength was clearly in that he could speak many of the local languages of the tribes and is from the Omo Valley region.
In the pre-planning phase, his communication was good throughout but because of the unique circumstances where we contracted two guides, we felt that the business side of things was left for Solomon to manage and so often times we found Melak take the easy back seat.
Melak’s writing via e-mail is relatively brief and simple as we found that it was not as good and his vocabulary not as extensive as Solomon’s. In person, his command of English is good, and we personally found him to be more outgoing than Solomon.
What was great about Melak is that he grew up in Jinka and so he had many friends and local contacts in the region. We also had the pleasure of having dinner at his family home which was a lovely experience.
There were a few instances where Melak did not accompany us to a few Omo Valley tribes, which was disappointing. Again, this has to do with us having multiple guides. We kindly insisted that Melak stay with us regardless of whether we had a local guide or not and we were fine.
We would say his faults are in being less proactive and at times taking a bit more of a back seat with Solomon being more of the leader in our case.
What We Ultimately Did In Hiring Our Guides
Given that Solomon has passed, we would recommend Melak to anyone planning on travelling to the region. He was professional and excellent about providing us the best experience possible.
His ability to be flexible (even when our car broke down) and tailor the trip to our needs was critical. It was also quite apparent that he was well respected in the region and had very solid contacts he could rely on.
Where there’s room for improvement is in breaking from the norms and status quo of private guides in the region.
Experiential travel is still a relatively new concept for Ethiopia and so before we left we gave them ideas about how they could improve the trip experience by incorporating things such as cooking classes or learning how to sew that we almost had to seek ourselves while in these villages.
We also felt that they could have been more proactive about explaining things to us and tell us more anecdotal stories to enhance our overall experience.
For instance, when we were at local festivals such as Donga, we were often left to explore ourselves while they sat in the shade. It would’ve been great if they were more involved in providing commentary on what we were seeing.
We also noticed that when local guides were contracted, they also tended to let them run the show as opposed to being equally involved.
The Two Guide Experiment
So how did the two-guide experiment go? Like mentioned above, the hypothesis about having two guides was that we’d be able to take advantage of the strengths of each one, for truthfully, a marginal bump in price.
Why it worked:
- Get two guides to have a vested interest in your experience.
- One guide can back up the other in any and all situations.
- Leverage the expertise of each one to improve the overall trip.
- Larger pool of local contacts.
Why it might not make sense:
- Unknown dynamics that may develop between the two guides.
- An unnecessary added cost for marginal benefit.
The added cost of including two guides was $400 USD, which for us wasn’t too steep of a price to pay.
What was interesting to see was the dynamic that developed between the two. There were times where we could tell that they disagreed about certain things and so they really had to get over any egos they had to make sure we had the best experience.
Booking Experience
The initial contacting of our guides was done through our friend, and we were brought in later in the process, so we’ll speak to our experiences once we were brought into the fold.
This part of the planning was a bit nerve-racking for us because we like to have as much information as we can when going on a trip, especially one as exotic as this. We naturally had a lot of questions for them when we came on board and bombarded them with EVERYTHING.
They were great about answering every single thing but the one thing that wasn’t clear was what the exact itinerary was going to look like. We were expecting perhaps a PDF document with a daily breakdown and all the things we needed to know.
Instead, the plans were left completely in the hands of our guides. They knew how many days we had to work with and we were going to “go with the flow” which did make us a bit nervous.
Having done the trip, we understand why this is because things could truly change on the daily depending on what events are happening.
The truth of the matter is that working with private guides is going to feel like you have to take a leap of faith. Everything will be largely done through e-mail communication and you will just need to put your trust in the hands of your guide.
It worked out for us but a big part of it comes down to trusting your guides.
How To Pay Local Guides In Ethiopia
Simply put, this is going to require another leap of faith. Being a developing nation, securing a trip is not as easy as checking out on a website. There’s no order form where you can easily leave your credit card information nor the ability to pay with Paypal.
The truth is, Paypal doesn’t even operate in countries like Ethiopia because they’ve been prone to fraud (think Nigerian prince spam).
Understandably, guides in Ethiopia Omo Valley look for some sort of guarantee that you’ll actually come in order for them to make plans and start securing things like hotels and their local guides on the ground. So the expectation is that you’ll have to pay roughly half of the negotiated price upfront.
If PayPal and credit cards are out of the question, what’s left? Well, just like what we had to do with Andean Encounters in our 2 weeks in Peru, Western Union was the only thing available. It’s not ideal because of the additional fees involved ($25 USD) and below market exchange rates but there’s no real way around it.
If you feel that your guides are particularly antsy about payment and confirming your trip, we learned that it’s because they have all been burned before by people that cancel last minute or end up being no shows.
Since their livelihood depends on this income, you can understand why they’re also taking risk putting trust in you, which is why they like to have assurances like your flight ticket and of course this deposit.
So, what about the other half of the payment? Well, you could bring a large chunk of cash, but we wouldn’t recommend it.
Instead, to make it easier, we would just promise to pay the remaining amount via something like Western Union as well. With internet in Ethiopia, you should be able to kick off the transaction.
Omo Valley Trip Planning & Which Tribes To Visit
Once you’ve chosen your guide, the next step is planning your Omo Valley itinerary — and this is where their expertise truly shines.
Traveling through southern Ethiopia is not like following a set route; it’s about balancing time, logistics, and cultural opportunities. Every day in the Omo Valley brings a new landscape, a different tribal community, and a chance to learn something profound about human diversity.
A good guide will help you shape your journey around your interests, whether that’s photography, anthropology, or simply connecting with people. Most travelers spend 8 to 10 days exploring the region, though shorter itineraries are possible if you focus on key tribes and villages.
If you have more time, you can combine your Omo Valley adventure with other destinations in Ethiopia or even a detour abroad, as we did with our side trip to Egypt.
How To Structure Your Itinerary
We’ve outlined full itineraries in our 9-day Omo Valley guide and ultimate planning guide, but here are a few essentials to keep in mind when planning your route:
- Start in Jinka or Arba Minch depending on your guide’s base and flight availability.
- Plan your route in a loop to avoid backtracking — most guides know the best order to visit tribes depending on market days and accessibility.
- Allow flexibility: Tribal ceremonies and markets can shift unexpectedly, so it’s worth having extra time built into your schedule.
- Prioritize quality over quantity: It’s better to spend meaningful time in a few villages than to rush through too many.
The Most Fascinating Tribes To Visit
Omo Valley is home to more than a dozen tribes, each with distinct traditions, languages, and aesthetics. Your guide will help arrange visits respectfully and ensure you understand the customs before arriving. Some of the most well-known include:
- Hamar Tribe: Known for the bull-jumping ceremony, a rite of passage for young men, and the women’s intricate ochre-colored hairstyles.
- Mursi Tribe: Famous for their dramatic lip plates and body scarification, though visits to the Mursi village should be handled sensitively and with guidance to avoid exploitative interactions.
- Karo Tribe: Renowned for their striking white body paint and riverside villages overlooking the Omo River.
- Dassanech Tribe: Living near Lake Turkana, they are pastoralists who have adapted to one of the harshest environments in this remote region.
- Ari Tribe: Often visited near Jinka, they’re more integrated into modern Ethiopian society, offering a contrast to more remote communities.
Each visit is a chance to see how these groups have preserved their traditions, despite growing tourism and modernization pressures. Having a guide with established relationships within the tribes ensures your presence is welcomed and mutually beneficial.
If you’re wanting to know more about the Omo Valley tribes to help plan your itinerary, check out our post: The Many Faces of Omo Valley, Ethiopia!
The Many Faces of Omo Valley, Ethiopia – A Photo Essay
Pre-Visit Essentials
Traveling through the Omo Valley is unlike anywhere else in Africa – raw, remote, and deeply immersive. But that also means you’ll need to prepare differently than you would for a typical safari or city-based trip.
From health precautions to communication challenges, a little preparation goes a long way in making your journey smoother and more rewarding.
Health & Safety
The Omo Valley is a malaria zone, so anti-malarial medication is recommended, talk to your doctor about the best option before your trip. Pack plenty of insect repellent and cover up in the evenings when mosquitoes are most active. You’ll also want to avoid drinking tap water and stick to sealed bottled water throughout your journey.
The sun can be intense, especially during dry season, so a hat, sunscreen, and light long-sleeved clothing are essential. The heat, dust, and long drives can take a toll, so make sure to carry electrolytes and take rest breaks when needed.
Money & Connectivity
The Omo Valley is a cash-based region, and ATMs are unreliable or non-existent outside larger towns like Jinka and Arba Minch. Bring enough Ethiopian birr for your entire trip, including tips, souvenirs, and small market purchases. Your guide can help you estimate how much you’ll need in advance.
Mobile signal and Wi-Fi are limited in many parts of the valley. While guides often carry local SIMs, don’t expect reliable internet access. Embrace the digital detox – this is one of those rare places where disconnecting helps you connect more deeply with the experience.
Communication & Etiquette
English is spoken in towns, but in tribal areas, your guide will act as a translator and cultural bridge. Always ask before taking photos, and follow your guide’s lead when interacting with locals particularly during ceremonies or market days.
Your guide may also advise on appropriate gifts or interactions, depending on the tribe. Some communities have fixed photographers fees; others prefer gestures like buying local crafts.
Respect for customs and patience are key, things often move at a slower pace here, and flexibility will make your trip far more enjoyable.
Don’t miss our ultimate Ethiopia Travel Guide, including everything you need to know about the Omo Valley region before your travels!
Ultimate Omo Valley Ethiopia Travel Guide – Everything You Need to Know
Ethiopia Packing Essentials
Pack light but smart. In addition to warm-weather clothes and sturdy footwear, include:
- Sturdy walking sandals + closed-toe shoes — you’ll need sandals for heat and water crossings, but closed-toe shoes for dusty trails, village visits, and uneven terrain.
- Lightweight quick-dry clothing + long-sleeve layer — daytime in the valley is hot; evenings (or when you head to higher elevations) can cool dramatically, so layering helps.
- Sun protection essentials (hat, high-SPF sunscreen, sunglasses) — the sun is harsh; a wide-brim hat and strong sunscreen will save your skin during long guide-led excursions.
- Insect repellent & mosquito net or head net — rural villages often have a lot of bugs, especially at dawn/dusk. Repellent and optional netting help with comfort and sleeping.
- Hand Sanitizer – Perfect for freshening up on the go, especially when visiting remote villages or eating without easy access to running water.
- Reusable water bottle — safe drinking water won’t always be available. Carry enough and have a backup method for purifying.
- Daypack + rain poncho — ideal for carrying snacks, camera, water, guide tips, and being prepared in case of unexpected showers (or dusty winds).
- First aid kit + personal meds — include basics like blister care, pain relief, digestive care meds, and any prescriptions. Guides may not have everything.
- Camera – Capture the vibrant tribes, stunning landscapes, and everyday life of the Omo Valley—you’ll want more than just phone photos for this trip.
- Portable charger / power bank & spare memory cards/batteries — out in rural areas, power can be unreliable. Always good to have battery back-ups especially if documenting the experience.
- Headlamp – Power can be spotty in rural areas, so a reliable light makes evenings in basic lodges or nighttime walks much easier.
Our Personal Experience In The Omo Valley
When people ask us what made our time in the Omo Valley so memorable, we don’t immediately think of the landscapes or even the tribes — we think of Melak, our guide.
Having the right person by your side changes everything here, and Melak was the reason our experience went beyond just sightseeing.
From the moment we met, his laid-back nature and easy conversation set the tone for the journey. We spent long days driving from one village to the next, and those hours were filled with laughter, stories, and unexpected lessons about life in southern Ethiopia.
Melak grew up in Jinka, which meant he knew nearly everyone, friends in every market, family members across villages, and deep respect from the communities we visited. This trip wasn’t just about observing a culture, it was about being momentarily welcomed into it.
Melak’s strength was his fluency in multiple local languages and his ability to bridge cultural gaps with ease. He could diffuse tension, translate subtle gestures, and help us understand traditions that outsiders might easily misinterpret.
At times, we noticed he was more reserved in the logistical side of things, often letting Solomon, our second guide, take the lead in planning and communication.
There were even moments when Melak didn’t accompany us to a few tribal visits, but when we requested he stay with us throughout, that small change transformed the dynamic completely.
Looking back, those nuances, the strengths, the quirks, and the very human moments, are what made the trip real. It reminded us that in the Omo Valley, your connection to your guide is your connection to the culture. No itinerary or online review can replicate that kind of access and understanding.
Final Thoughts & Recommendations
Traveling to the Omo Valley is an extraordinary adventure, but the single most important factor in making it truly unforgettable is choosing the right guide. A skilled guide is your navigator, translator, cultural bridge, and local expert – all rolled into one.
They know which villages are open to visitors, the timing of tribal ceremonies, and how to handle unpredictable road conditions. Without a great guide, even the best-planned Omo Valley itinerary can fall short.
When planning your trip, prioritize flexibility and authenticity over rigid schedules. Let your guide shape your journey around your interests and the realities on the ground.
Independent guides or small operators often provide the most personalized experiences, while larger companies may offer security and structure. Either way, invest the time upfront to find someone you trust and feel comfortable with, the right guide will elevate every aspect of your visit.
Finally, remember that Omo Valley in Ethiopia is as much about people as it is about landscapes. Respect, patience, and openness are essential. With a knowledgeable guide by your side, you’ll leave with stories, memories, and connections that go far beyond what any guidebook can offer, making your Omo Valley adventure truly one-of-a-kind.
Frequently Asked Questions
How safe is Addis Ababa airport? Addis Ababa Bole International Airport is generally safe and well-managed, serving as one of Africa’s busiest travel hubs. Security screening is thorough, and facilities are modern by regional standards. Like in any large airport, keep valuables secure, be mindful of your belongings, and use official airport taxis or pre-arranged transfers for peace of mind. What to do before traveling to Ethiopia? Before traveling to Ethiopia, make sure your passport is valid for at least six months and apply for an e-visa in advance. Check if you need vaccinations or malaria medication, and purchase comprehensive travel insurance that covers medical emergencies. It’s also smart to carry cash in Ethiopian birr, download offline maps, and confirm your airport transfers or local guide ahead of arrival. Is it safe to visit the Omo Valley? Yes, the Omo Valley is generally safe for travelers who visit with an experienced, local guide. Guides know the region’s customs, road conditions, and community dynamics, which makes travel far smoother and safer. While infrastructure is basic and roads can be rough, visitors rarely encounter issues when following local advice and cultural etiquette. Always travel with a registered guide or tour operator, and check current travel updates before your trip. Do I need a guide for the Omo Valley? Yes, hiring a local guide for the Omo Valley is essential. The region is remote, with limited signage, rough roads, and dozens of tribal languages. A good guide helps with logistics, translation, and cultural introductions, ensuring your trip is both respectful and rewarding. They also know the timing of local markets and festivals, and can arrange access to villages that aren’t open to unaccompanied travelers. How many days do you need in the Omo Valley? Most travelers spend 8–10 days exploring the Omo Valley to fully experience its tribes, markets, and landscapes. Shorter trips of 4–5 days are possible if you focus on key highlights, but a longer stay allows time for cultural immersion and flexible scheduling. Your guide can help plan the optimal itinerary based on your interests, travel pace, and festival timing. When is the best time to visit the Omo Valley? The best time to visit the Omo Valley is during the dry season, from October to March, when roads are passable and cultural festivals are in full swing. Traveling during the rainy season can make transport difficult, and some villages may be inaccessible. Planning your trip with a knowledgeable guide ensures you visit at the right time to experience tribal ceremonies and markets safely.
Read More About Ethiopia
If you’re in the process of planning your trip and putting together your itinerary, these are genuinely the best resources that the Going Awesome Places team stands by 100%.Credit CardsDon’t get burned by hidden fees on top of terrible exchange rates. When we travel now, we use the Wise Card. Simply load it with the currency you need before you go and use it as a regular VISA or their digital wallet card. Use their free app to track how much you have and top up when you need to.
FlightsIn our opinion, of all the booking search engines, Skyscanner is the most helpful and easy to use thanks to their Everywhere feature. Kayak is also another that’s we will often check.
RideshareYou probably already have accounts but if you don’t, for new Lyft users, use code WILLIAM4825 to get 50% off your first 2 rides (max $10 USD per ride). Offer valid for 14 days after you take your first ride. For new Uber users, use code psuqbjg4d7rn for the same offer except it’s valid for 30 days.
eSIM
eSIM: Lately, we’ve really loved using eSIMs. We’ve tested several over the years and we have access to a few special promotions.
Wifi HotspotWe’ve been a huge fan of wifi hotspot devices such as PokeFi (use code GAP24300) because their rates are are hard to beat and it works globally. Solis is another that we recommend. Pros are that you can share the wifi with your whole group but cons are that you have to invest in a device and you have to charge it every night.
HotelsOur go-to is Booking.com because they have the best inventory of properties including hotels and B&Bs plus they have their Genius tier discounts. Expedia is also worth using especially with their One Key rewards program which is basically like cash. The exception is Asia where Agoda always has the best prices. Always do a quick check on TripAdvisor as well.
Vacation RentalsYour first instinct will be to go to Airbnb but we always recommend checking VRBO as well if you’re looking for a vacation rental (now eligible for One Key).
Tours and ActivitiesWhen planning our trips, we always check both Viator and GetYourGuide to at least see what’s out there in the destination that we’re going to. They often have different offerings and prices so check both.
Travel Insurance
Learn how to buy the best travel insurance for you. This isn’t something you want to travel without.
- HeyMondo – Popular insurance provider for frequent travelers and comes with great coverage and special perks. By booking through our link to get a 5% discount!
- RATESDOTCA – Search engine Canadians looking for the cheapest insurance including multi-trip annual policies.
- SafetyWing – A perfect fit for long-term nomads.
- Medjet – Global air medical transportation.
- InsureMyTrip – Best for seniors, families, and those with pre-existing conditions.
Check Out Our ToolboxIf you need more help planning your trip, make sure to check out our Travel Toolbox where we highlight all of the gear, resources, and tools we use when traveling.
Appeared first on: goingawesomeplaces.com
