Stephen

This is a summary of costs for 15 days traveling through Cambodia by bus and tuk-tuk with our family of 4 including all airfare, transportation, accommodations, excursions, food, groceries and everything down to a stick of gum.

Want to know how much you should pay for a trip to Angkor Wat and Bayon, how about an English tour guide? Then take a look at our chart below – be forewarned, things are not always grammatically correct, but I am sure you will be able to figure it out.

Quick Summary

  • Total cost for 15 days: $2,038.75 USD
  • Daily average: $135.92
  • Accommodation: $512
  • Transportation: $259
  • Excursions: $607
  • Visas: $120
  • Restaurant: $342.05
  • Groceries: $91.20

Cambodia Family Travel Expense Worksheet

Date Currency Price Category Item
2/15/2015 2:53:00 USD $120.00 Visa Cambodia visa
2/15/2015 22:10:00 USD $4.00 Resturaunt Shakes
2/15/2015 22:10:00 USD $5.00 clothes T shirts
2/16/2015 0:11:00 USD $31.00 gifts Scarf for demise
2/16/2015 2:31:00 USD $19.00 Resturaunt Dinner
2/16/2015 15:15:00 USD $64.00 Excursions Circus
2/16/2015 15:16:00 USD $5.00 Transport Tuk tuk for circus
2/16/2015 20:36:00 USD $80.00 Excursions Bike ride tour
2/17/2015 2:43:00 USD $6.50 Resturaunt Pizza
2/17/2015 2:43:00 USD $13.00 Resturaunt Lunch
2/17/2015 2:43:00 USD $9.00 Groceries Bug spray
2/17/2015 2:59:00 USD $4.00 Groceries Water
2/17/2015 15:13:00 USD $30.00 Accommodation Siem reap rooms
2/17/2015 15:18:00 USD $28.00 Resturaunt Dinner
2/17/2015 16:55:00 USD $3.00 Transport Tuk tuk
2/17/2015 17:59:00 USD $40.00 Excursions Angor
2/17/2015 18:01:00 USD $55.00 Excursions Tuk tuk and guide
2/17/2015 23:59:00 USD $28.00 Resturaunt Lunch
2/17/2015 23:59:00 USD $2.00 street food Fruit
2/17/2015 23:59:00 USD $1.00 Souvenir Post cards
2/18/2015 15:06:00 USD $5.00 Transport Tuk tuk
2/18/2015 15:06:00 USD $63.00 Excursions Ladyboy show
2/18/2015 15:06:00 USD $14.50 Resturaunt Lunch
2/18/2015 15:06:00 USD $8.00 Groceries Batteries Ice cream Chocholate
2/18/2015 15:11:00 USD $27.00 Resturaunt Dinner
2/18/2015 15:13:00 USD $30.00 Accommodation Siem reap rooms
2/19/2015 15:13:00 USD $18.00 Accommodation Siem reap rooms x1
2/19/2015 21:40:00 USD $3.50 Groceries Fruit
2/19/2015 21:40:00 USD $3.00 Groceries Water
2/19/2015 21:42:00 USD $10.00 Excursions Tenple
2/19/2015 21:42:00 USD $35.00 Transport Temple tuk tuk
2/20/2015 5:01:00 USD $1.00 street food Donuts
2/20/2015 5:44:00 USD $15.50 Resturaunt Mexican dinner
2/20/2015 7:37:00 USD $9.00 gifts Baby gifts pants and animals
2/20/2015 15:13:00 USD $18.00 Accommodation Seam reap rooms x1
2/20/2015 20:09:00 USD $69.25 Resturaunt Belfast x6
2/20/2015 23:28:00 USD $6.30 Resturaunt Ice cream
2/20/2015 23:52:00 USD $5.30 Groceries Gum meds
2/21/2015 0:39:00 USD $32.40 Groceries Groceries
2/21/2015 1:07:00 USD $4.00 Transport Tuk tuk
2/21/2015 1:48:00 USD $1.00 Groceries Water
2/21/2015 3:44:00 USD $18.00 Resturaunt Dinner Khmer kitchen
2/21/2015 5:37:00 USD $2.50 Souvenir Rabbit
2/21/2015 5:37:00 USD $14.00 Excursions Messages
2/21/2015 5:38:00 USD $1.00 Groceries Water
2/21/2015 15:06:00 USD $64.00 Transport Bus seim to phenom
2/21/2015 22:35:00 USD $2.50 Groceries Water and bread
2/22/2015 4:25:00 USD $5.00 Transport Tuk tuk
2/22/2015 4:25:00 USD $10.50 Resturaunt Dinner
2/22/2015 4:26:00 USD $65.00 Accommodation King grand boutique hotel pehn
2/22/2015 21:38:00 USD $18.00 clothes Berkshire shoes x2
2/22/2015 21:38:00 USD $9.00 Excursions S21+brochure
2/22/2015 22:50:00 USD $3.00 gear Sunglasses
2/22/2015 22:50:00 USD $6.00 clothes Dress
2/22/2015 22:50:00 USD $3.50 Groceries Water and ice cream
2/22/2015 22:50:00 USD $2.00 gear Watch
2/22/2015 22:50:00 USD $4.00 gear Camera bag
2/22/2015 22:52:00 USD $6.00 gear Backpack sm
2/22/2015 23:02:00 USD $10.00 Souvenir Genicide book
2/22/2015 23:28:00 USD $4.00 Souvenir Scarf
2/22/2015 23:35:00 USD $10.00 Transport Tuk tuk
2/23/2015 4:26:00 USD $65.00 Accommodation Grand king
2/23/2015 23:28:00 USD $3.00 ice cream Ice cream
2/23/2015 23:29:00 USD $12.00 Excursions Killing fields
2/23/2015 23:29:00 USD $12.00 Transport Tuk tuk
2/24/2015 1:42:00 USD $70.00 Accommodation Grand king
2/24/2015 5:25:00 USD $16.50 Resturaunt Dinner same same backpacker
2/24/2015 15:02:00 USD $8.00 Groceries Water mini bar
2/24/2015 15:04:00 USD $44.00 Transport van to sen monorom
2/24/2015 15:04:00 USD $5.00 Transport Tuk tuk to van
2/25/2015 1:42:00 USD $30.00 Accommodation Nature lodge sen monorom
2/26/2015 1:42:00 USD $30.00 Accommodation Nature lodge sen monorom
2/26/2015 4:30:00 USD $46.00 Resturaunt Dinners x 2 and brkfst desert nature lodge
2/26/2015 4:30:00 USD $8.00 Transport Motor ride
2/26/2015 4:32:00 USD $10.00 Groceries Fruit and rolls
2/26/2015 6:26:00 USD $260.00 Excursions Elephant valley all day with meals
2/26/2015 19:39:00 USD $66.00 Accommodation King gran
2/26/2015 23:34:00 USD $5.00 Transport Tuk tuk to hotel
2/27/2015 2:09:00 USD $20.00 Resturaunt Lunch
2/27/2015 6:24:00 USD $54.00 Transport Van San monorom to PP
$2,038.75 USD

This is a summary of costs for 34 days traveling the east coast of Australia by car with our family of 4 including all airfare, car rental, transportation, accommodations, excursions, food, groceries and everything down to a stick of gum.

Want to know how much you should pay for a car rental in Australia, a YHA in Melbourne or a couple days on the Sydney Hop on Hop off bus? Then take a look at our chart below – be forewarned, things are not always grammatically correct, but I am sure you will be able to figure it out.

Quick Summary

  • Total cost for 34 days: $8,296,90 USD
  • Daily average: $244.03
  • Accommodation: $3,034.68
  • Transport (including 24 day rental car and hopper flight to Queensland): $1,991.15
  • Excursions: $1,119.28
  • Restaurant: $357.81
  • Groceries: $927.26

Australia Family Travel Expense Worksheet

Date Local Currency Price Home Currency Price Category Item
11/25/2014 0:35:00 AUD 383 USD $327.66 Accommodation YHA x3 nights Melbourne
11/25/2014 1:00:00 AUD 41 USD $35.08 Transport Bus to hostel
11/25/2014 2:42:00 AUD 32.5 USD $27.80 Restaurant Dinner Melbourne
11/25/2014 15:50:00 AUD 100.68 USD $86.13 Groceries Groceries
11/25/2014 15:50:00 AUD 10 USD $8.56 Transport Bus Melbourne
11/25/2014 17:53:00 AUD 4 USD $3.42 Restaurant Ice cream
11/25/2014 23:25:00 AUD 37 USD $31.65 Restaurant Dinner Victoria market
11/26/2014 17:08:00 AUD 18 USD $15.40 Transport Sky bus to airport
11/26/2014 19:24:00 AUD 5 USD $4.28 Groceries Grapes
11/26/2014 19:24:00 AUD 2 USD $1.71 Groceries Strawberries
11/26/2014 19:24:00 AUD 3 USD $2.57 Groceries Peaches
11/26/2014 19:24:00 AUD 18 USD $15.40 clothes T shirts
11/26/2014 19:24:00 AUD 6 USD $5.13 Groceries Almonds
11/26/2014 19:24:00 AUD 6 USD $5.13 Groceries Cherries
11/26/2014 19:26:00 AUD 6 USD $5.13 Groceries Honey
11/26/2014 21:29:00 AUD 33 USD $28.23 clothes Layla clothes
11/26/2014 21:58:00 AUD 5 USD $4.28 school supplies Book
11/27/2014 0:03:00 AUD 64 USD $54.75 phone Phones
11/27/2014 22:07:00 AUD 108 USD $92.39 Accommodation Apollo big 5×1 night
11/27/2014 22:14:00 AUD 65.46 USD $56.00 Groceries Groceries
11/27/2014 22:14:00 AUD 23 USD $19.68 Groceries Wine
11/28/2014 19:23:00 AUD 36.7 USD $31.40 Transport Gas
11/28/2014 19:40:00 AUD 19.95 USD $17.07 Restaurant McDonald’s
11/28/2014 19:40:00 AUD 112.5 USD $96.24 Restaurant Lakes entrance big4
11/29/2014 5:00:00 AUD 33 USD $28.23 gear Bedding
11/29/2014 17:21:00 AUD 40.25 USD $34.43 Transport Gas
11/29/2014 21:18:00 AUD 127 USD $108.65 Accommodation Maroumna big 4
11/29/2014 21:22:00 AUD 6 USD $5.13 Resturaunt Ice cream
11/29/2014 21:28:00 AUD 154.92 USD $132.53 Groceries Groceries
11/29/2014 21:28:00 AUD 10 USD $8.56 school supplies School supplies
11/30/2014 2:07:00 AUD 20.17 USD $17.26 Transport Gas
11/30/2014 19:10:00 AUD 230 USD $196.77 Accommodation Pretty beach
11/30/2014 19:10:00 AUD 14 USD $11.98 Transport Parking in park
12/2/2014 17:18:00 AUD 37.57 USD $32.14 Transport Gas
12/2/2014 18:15:00 AUD 3.5 USD $2.99 Groceries Peaches
12/2/2014 20:33:00 AUD 19.5 USD $16.68 Resturaunt Hungry jacks
12/2/2014 20:47:00 AUD 75 USD $64.16 Transport Parking Sydney x3
12/3/2014 15:56:00 AUD 142 USD $121.48 Excursions Zoo syney
12/3/2014 16:54:00 AUD 10 USD $8.56 street food Food
12/4/2014 14:23:00 AUD 95 USD $81.27 Excursions Hop on bus Sydney
12/4/2014 15:51:00 AUD 6.5 USD $5.56 street food Snacks
12/4/2014 18:52:00 AUD 2 USD $1.71 Resturaunt McD ice cream
12/4/2014 20:19:00 AUD 29 USD $24.81 gear Sunblock
12/5/2014 1:07:00 AUD 6.15 USD $5.26 Groceries Groceries 7-11
12/5/2014 14:38:00 AUD 25 USD $21.39 Transport Parking hostel Sydney
12/5/2014 14:57:00 AUD 4.6 USD $3.94 street food Donuts
12/5/2014 17:57:00 AUD 5 USD $4.28 school supplies Books
12/5/2014 21:17:00 AUD 25.6 USD $21.90 Resturaunt Chinese katoomba
12/5/2014 22:13:00 AUD 4.04 USD $3.46 Transport Three sisters parking
12/5/2014 23:29:00 AUD 38.5 USD $32.94 Transport Gas
12/5/2014 23:29:00 AUD 136.85 USD $117.08 Groceries Groceries
12/6/2014 4:30:00 AUD 10 USD $8.56 Internet Internet Sydney
12/6/2014 12:28:00 USD 465 USD $465.00 Accommodation Sydney yha x4 nights
12/6/2014 16:12:00 USD 974 USD $974.00 Transport Car rental x21 days
12/6/2014 17:45:00 AUD 47.93 USD $41.00 Groceries Groceries
12/6/2014 17:45:00 AUD 6.9 USD $5.90 Groceries Beer
12/7/2014 12:55:00 AUD 160 USD $136.88 Excursions Surf board
12/7/2014 21:56:00 AUD 10 USD $8.56 Laundry Laundry
12/8/2014 0:22:00 AUD 20.99 USD $17.96 Groceries Wine/beer
12/8/2014 0:22:00 AUD 15.5 USD $13.26 Entertainment Movie
12/8/2014 15:09:00 AUD 30 USD $25.67 gear Surf board straps
12/8/2014 22:54:00 AUD 10 USD $8.56 Entertainment Movie theater
12/9/2014 0:32:00 AUD 121.5 USD $103.94 Accommodation Bay’s holiday park port Stephens
12/9/2014 0:39:00 USD 5 USD $5.00 phone Skype
12/9/2014 15:47:00 AUD 121 USD $103.52 Accommodation Bay’s holiday
12/9/2014 22:40:00 AUD 18 USD $15.40 clothes Clothes Layla swim suits
12/9/2014 22:40:00 AUD 18 USD $15.40 Entertainment Boogie boards
12/9/2014 22:50:00 AUD 9.9 USD $8.47 Resturaunt Pizza
12/10/2014 13:54:00 AUD 55.27 USD $47.28 Transport Gas
12/10/2014 18:15:00 AUD 164 USD $140.30 Accommodation Port mcquire x2
12/10/2014 19:21:00 AUD 77.78 USD $66.54 Groceries Groceries
12/10/2014 22:44:00 AUD 16 USD $13.69 Accommodation Sheets
12/11/2014 17:21:00 AUD 52.89 USD $45.25 Transport Gas
12/11/2014 18:41:00 AUD 19.5 USD $16.68 Restaurant Hungry jacks
12/12/2014 22:40:00 AUD 205.2 USD $175.55 Accommodation Coolangata x 2
12/13/2014 20:07:00 AUD 12 USD $10.27 Transport Coolangata beach parking
12/13/2014 20:11:00 AUD 32.27 USD $27.61 Transport Gas
12/13/2014 20:43:00 AUD 1.5 USD $1.28 Restaurant Mc d ice cream
12/13/2014 22:41:00 AUD 14.85 USD $12.70 Restaurant Pizza dominoes
12/14/2014 19:47:00 AUD 9.45 USD $8.08 Resturaunt McDonald’s
12/14/2014 21:06:00 AUD 506 USD $432.89 Accommodation Swells burleigh heights x3
12/16/2014 17:24:00 AUD 75 USD $64.16 Md visit lucca
12/16/2014 17:24:00 AUD 12.5 USD $10.69 Antibiotics
12/16/2014 18:35:00 AUD 2 USD $1.71 Resturaunt Ice cream
12/16/2014 18:35:00 AUD 105 USD $89.83 gear Mouse and I pad cover
12/16/2014 18:35:00 AUD 6.7 USD $5.73 gear Duct tape
12/16/2014 21:42:00 AUD 16 USD $13.69 gear Rash card
12/17/2014 15:50:00 AUD 23.18 USD $19.83 Transport Gas
12/17/2014 17:28:00 AUD 75 USD $64.16 Baggage to cairns
12/17/2014 19:52:00 AUD 24 USD $20.53 Resturaunt Airport lunch
12/17/2014 23:17:00 USD 446.6 USD $446.60 Transport Car x 10 days
12/18/2014 20:03:00 AUD 115 USD $98.38 Groceries Groceries
12/18/2014 20:03:00 AUD 24 USD $20.53 Transport Ferry Daintree forest
12/18/2014 20:29:00 AUD 15 USD $12.83 Groceries Beer
12/18/2014 23:02:00 USD 67.27 USD $67.27 Excursions Discovery center Cape trip
12/18/2014 23:02:00 USD 5 USD $5.00 school supplies Splash math
12/19/2014 20:15:00 AUD 6.5 USD $5.56 Souvenir Post card
12/19/2014 20:15:00 AUD 10 USD $8.56 Souvenir Tea for Denise
12/19/2014 20:25:00 AUD 9 USD $7.70 Restaurant Ice cream at Daintree
12/21/2014 15:01:00 AUD 80.07 USD $68.50 Groceries Groceries
12/21/2014 16:13:00 AUD 1022 USD $874.33 Accommodation Nimrod x7 nights
12/21/2014 16:20:00 AUD 161 USD $137.74 Groceries Groceries
12/21/2014 20:45:00 AUD 19.25 USD $16.47 Miscellaneous Stamps
12/22/2014 16:24:00 AUD 87.5 USD $74.86 Excursions Crocodile
12/22/2014 20:50:00 AUD 4 USD $3.42 Restaurant Soda
12/22/2014 22:03:00 AUD 18.85 USD $16.13 Souvenir Books at crocodile
12/22/2014 23:05:00 AUD 46.1 USD $39.44 Transport Gas
12/23/2014 3:20:00 AUD 40 USD $34.22 Miscellaneous Christmas
12/23/2014 5:36:00 AUD 150 USD $128.33 Miscellaneous Christmas
12/23/2014 22:26:00 AUD 18 USD $15.40 Excursions Lycra suits
12/23/2014 22:26:00 AUD 622.2 USD $532.30 Excursions Great Barrier Reef MAGIC +dive
12/23/2014 22:26:00 AUD 30 USD $25.67 Souvenir Pictures of snorkel trip
12/24/2014 3:20:00 AUD 6.5 USD $5.56 Restaurant Dinner
12/24/2014 3:20:00 AUD 10 USD $8.56 Miscellaneous Church
12/25/2014 22:44:00 AUD 51 USD $43.63 Miscellaneous Meds and pharmacy
12/25/2014 22:44:00 AUD 31.65 USD $27.08 Groceries Groceries
12/26/2014 18:51:00 AUD 2.5 USD $2.14 Restaurant Ice cream
12/26/2014 18:51:00 AUD 105 USD $89.83 Excursions Tjango
12/26/2014 18:53:00 AUD 24 USD $20.53 Internet Internet x 3 days
12/26/2014 20:09:00 AUD 22 USD $18.82 clothes Tshirts sunglasses
12/26/2014 20:37:00 AUD 50.48 USD $43.19 Transport Gas
12/26/2014 20:40:00 AUD 9 USD $7.70 Groceries Beer
12/27/2014 6:00:00 AUD 8 USD $6.84 Restaurant Dinner airport
12/27/2014 6:00:00 AUD 20.5 USD $17.54 Restaurant Hungry jacks airport
12/27/2014 15:50:00 AUD 27.5 USD $23.53 Restaurant Lunch caines
12/27/2014 21:09:00 AUD 10.5 USD $8.98 Transport Gas
 $ 11,542.39 AUD  $8,296.90 USD

This is a summary of costs for 44 days traveling both the north and south islands of New Zealand by car with our family of 4 including all airfare, car rental, transportation, accommodations, excursions, food, groceries and everything down to a stick of gum.

Want to know how much you should pay for a car rental, a basket of fish and chips, or a kayak ride in Abel Tasman? Then take a look at our chart below – be forewarned, things are not always grammatically correct.

Quick Summary

  • Total cost for 44 days: $8,989.61USD
  • Daily average: $204.31
  • Accommodation: $3,572.10
  • Transport (including 44 day rental car): $2,175.09
  • Excursions: $1,122.96
  • Restaurant: $129.26 (we hardly ever ate out)
  • Groceries: $1,154.98

New Zealand Family Travel Expense Worksheet

Date Local Currency Price Home Currency Price Category Item
10/12/2014 14:16:00 NZD 18.5 USD $18.50 school supplies Books for Layla
10/12/2014 21:06:00 NZD 30.5 USD $23.85 Restaurant Mcdonald’s
10/12/2014 23:00:00 NZD 975 USD $762.43 Transport Car x25 days
10/13/2014 12:00:00 NZD 89.29 USD $69.82 Groceries Groceries + b-day cake
10/13/2014 21:46:00 NZD 162.94 USD $127.42 Groceries Groceries
10/13/2014 21:46:00 NZD 76 USD $59.43 Excursions Aquarium
10/13/2014 21:52:00 NZD 5.5 USD $4.30 Groceries Cheese
10/14/2014 21:56:00 NZD 50 USD $39.10 Excursions Museum
10/14/2014 21:56:00 NZD 8 USD $6.26 Entertainment Movies
10/14/2014 21:56:00 NZD 58 USD $45.36 gear Scooters
10/15/2014 17:24:00 NZD 55 USD $43.01 clothes Jackets and tops for kids
10/15/2014 17:24:00 NZD 29 USD $22.68 Excursions Ferry to davenport
10/15/2014 18:03:00 NZD 5.5 USD $4.30 school supplies Notebooks
10/15/2014 19:00:00 NZD 27 USD $21.11 Excursions Ice skating
10/15/2014 22:30:00 NZD 48 USD $37.54 phone Phone NZ
10/15/2014 22:54:00 NZD 11.4 USD $8.91 Groceries Soup
10/15/2014 22:54:00 USD 70 USD $70.00 Visa Australian visa 20 Australian each
10/16/2014 15:08:00 NZD 188.7 USD $147.56 Accommodation 1. Night auckland
10/16/2014 15:20:00 NZD 35.5 USD $27.76 gear Bedding
10/16/2014 19:42:00 NZD 3 USD $2.35 Restaurant Coffee
10/16/2014 21:36:00 NZD 169 USD $132.16 Accommodation Bay of island holiday park 2 nights
10/16/2014 23:06:00 NZD 75.18 USD $58.79 Groceries Food
10/17/2014 18:36:00 NZD 16 USD $12.51 gear Kitchen gear knife cutting board clips
10/17/2014 18:36:00 NZD 13 USD $10.17 school supplies School art
10/17/2014 19:29:00 NZD 61 USD $47.70 Transport Gas
10/18/2014 18:11:00 IDR 23.69 USD $0.00 Groceries Groceries
10/18/2014 22:56:00 NZD 65 USD $50.83 Excursions Adventure world trapeze circus
10/18/2014 22:58:00 NZD 13 USD $10.17 Groceries Groceries
10/19/2014 13:25:00 NZD 80 USD $62.56 Accommodation Bay of island holiday park
10/19/2014 13:25:00 NZD 18 USD $14.08 Internet Internet 3 days
10/19/2014 18:07:00 NZD 12 USD $9.38 gear Blanket
10/19/2014 18:07:00 NZD 10 USD $7.82 clothes Shoes
10/19/2014 19:11:00 NZD 116.26 USD $90.91 Groceries Groceries Kaitaia
10/19/2014 21:21:00 NZD 30 USD $23.46 Accommodation Kiwi discount card
10/19/2014 21:21:00 NZD 230 USD $179.86 Accommodation Ahipara holiday park x2 nights
10/21/2014 16:18:00 NZD 3 USD $2.35 Restaurant Coffee
10/21/2014 16:18:00 NZD 58.4 USD $45.67 Transport Gas
10/21/2014 19:36:00 NZD 4.8 USD $3.75 Transport Toll
10/21/2014 21:01:00 NZD 24.6 USD $19.24 Restaurant Mcdonald’s
10/21/2014 21:18:00 NZD 210 USD $164.22 Accommodation 2 nights raglan kopua holiday
10/22/2014 18:24:00 NZD 60 USD $46.92 Excursions Surf board
10/22/2014 18:43:00 NZD 85.29 USD $66.70 Groceries Groceries teglan
10/23/2014 1:38:00 NZD 9 USD $7.04 Laundry Laundry
10/23/2014 16:00:00 NZD 4.5 USD $3.52 Resturaunt Sweets
10/23/2014 16:34:00 NZD 15.9 USD $12.43 school supplies School
10/23/2014 16:35:00 NZD 10.2 USD $7.98 gear 2 hand store sleeping bag needles yarn coffee
10/23/2014 21:57:00 NZD 15 USD $11.73 Internet Internet
10/23/2014 21:57:00 NZD 100 USD $78.20 Accommodation Reglan holiday park 1 nght
10/23/2014 22:41:00 USD 203 USD $203.00 Transport Car rental 8 days
10/24/2014 4:00:00 NZD 118 USD $92.27 Excursions Glow worm caves
10/24/2014 4:00:00 NZD 117 USD $91.49 Accommodation Waiting caves top ten park 1 night
10/24/2014 4:00:00 NZD 7 USD $5.47 Internet Internet
10/25/2014 4:00:00 NZD 79 USD $61.78 Transport Gas
10/25/2014 4:00:00 NZD 45.56 USD $35.63 Groceries Groceries
10/25/2014 4:00:00 NZD 160 USD $125.12 Excursions Hobbit town
10/25/2014 4:00:00 NZD 154.8 USD $121.05 Accommodation Rotorua 2 nights cosy cottages
10/25/2014 4:00:00 NZD 5.5 USD $4.30 Groceries Milk
10/25/2014 4:00:00 NZD 10 USD $7.82 Groceries Fruit
10/25/2014 4:00:00 NZD 4 USD $3.13 Groceries Bread
10/26/2014 4:00:00 NZD 75 USD $58.65 Groceries Groceries
10/27/2014 15:05:00 NZD 89.5 USD $69.99 Excursions Skyline luge
10/27/2014 16:52:00 NZD 15.5 USD $12.12 Resturaunt Luge lunch
10/27/2014 16:58:00 NZD 5.6 USD $4.38 Souvenir Post cards
10/27/2014 19:10:00 NZD 80.86 USD $63.23 Groceries Groceries
10/27/2014 20:35:00 NZD 180 USD $140.76 Accommodation Rotorua 2 night affordable willow haven holiday park
10/28/2014 16:16:00 NZD 18 USD $14.08 Excursions Swimming
10/28/2014 16:16:00 NZD 23 USD $17.99 gear Towels
10/28/2014 16:16:00 NZD 12 USD $9.38 clothes Shirt
10/28/2014 16:16:00 NZD 118 USD $92.27 Excursions White wate river rats
10/28/2014 18:55:00 NZD 7 USD $5.47 Internet Internet
10/29/2014 14:14:00 NZD 130 USD $101.66 Accommodation Taihapo coachman motel
10/29/2014 14:26:00 NZD 141.6 USD $110.73 Excursions Te puia
10/29/2014 16:12:00 NZD 64.14 USD $50.16 Transport Gas Rotorua
10/30/2014 14:38:00 NZD 43 USD $33.63 Transport Gas
10/30/2014 20:06:00 NZD 20 USD $15.64 Accommodation Top ten pass
10/30/2014 20:06:00 NZD 331.4 USD $259.15 Accommodation Wellington top ten holiday park 3 nights
10/30/2014 20:08:00 NZD 124.81 USD $97.60 Groceries Groceries
10/31/2014 20:46:00 NZD 20 USD $15.64 Excursions Parking te tapa museum
11/1/2014 18:02:00 NZD 60 USD $46.92 Excursions Weta museum
11/1/2014 20:17:00 NZD 10 USD $7.82 Excursions Cable car Wellington
11/2/2014 11:54:00 NZD 208 USD $162.65 Transport Inter island ferry
11/2/2014 11:54:00 NZD 14.7 USD $11.50 Resturaunt Hot cocoa
11/2/2014 12:54:00 NZD 17 USD $13.29 Internet Internet Wellington holiday park
11/2/2014 15:33:00 NZD 58.3 USD $45.59 Transport Gas
11/2/2014 18:32:00 NZD 15 USD $11.73 clothes Shirt
11/2/2014 18:33:00 NZD 20 USD $15.64 allowance for kids Layla
11/2/2014 18:46:00 NZD 360 USD $281.51 Accommodation 3 nights Nelson Nikau apts
11/2/2014 22:41:00 NZD 66.1 USD $51.69 Groceries Groceries
11/3/2014 23:49:00 NZD 6 USD $4.69 Laundry Laundry
11/4/2014 18:17:00 NZD 20 USD $15.64 gear Hair cutter
11/4/2014 19:14:00 NZD 83 USD $64.90 Groceries Groceries
11/5/2014 13:35:00 NZD 109 USD $85.24 Accommodation Kaiteriteri motor park
11/5/2014 18:17:00 NZD 8 USD $6.26 Resturaunt Lunch fish and chips
11/5/2014 18:18:00 NZD 24 USD $18.77 Miscellaneous Cloths book candy
11/6/2014 12:35:00 NZD 7.5 USD $5.86 Groceries Griceries
11/6/2014 12:53:00 NZD 90.7 USD $70.93 Excursions Able Tasman boat
11/6/2014 21:19:00 NZD 41.5 USD $32.45 Resturaunt Dinner out!
11/6/2014 21:21:00 NZD 109 USD $85.24 Accommodation Kaiteriteri 1 night
11/7/2014 13:37:00 NZD 6.6 USD $5.16 Groceries Chocolate
11/7/2014 13:37:00 NZD 56.53 USD $44.21 Transport Gas
11/7/2014 15:52:00 NZD 19.03 USD $14.88 Groceries Groceries
11/7/2014 21:33:00 NZD 83.7 USD $65.45 Accommodation Hokitika
11/7/2014 21:42:00 NZD 15.45 USD $12.08 Groceries Groceries
11/8/2014 14:30:00 NZD 27.97 USD $21.87 Groceries Groceries
11/8/2014 15:05:00 NZD 61.87 USD $48.38 Transport Gas
11/8/2014 19:34:00 NZD 58.25 USD $45.55 Transport Gas
11/8/2014 21:16:00 NZD 112 USD $87.58 Accommodation Haast 1 night
11/9/2014 21:06:00 NZD 585 USD $457.46 Accommodation Queenstown balmoral lodge 3 nights
11/11/2014 20:17:00 NZD 54.75 USD $42.81 Groceries Groceries
11/11/2014 20:17:00 NZD 51 USD $39.88 Excursions Ice Skating
11/12/2014 17:16:00 NZD 4.6 USD $3.60 school supplies Books
11/12/2014 17:16:00 NZD 9.41 USD $7.36 Groceries Candy
11/12/2014 18:14:00 NZD 57.46 USD $44.93 Transport Gas
11/12/2014 18:14:00 NZD 19.53 USD $15.27 Groceries Groceries
11/12/2014 21:21:00 NZD 195 USD $152.49 Accommodation Balmoral lodge 1 night
11/13/2014 19:39:00 NZD 178 USD $139.19 Accommodation Dunedin 2 nights
11/14/2014 14:07:00 NZD 53.79 USD $42.06 Transport Gas
11/14/2014 14:33:00 NZD 31 USD $24.24 Excursions Castle
11/14/2014 18:58:00 NZD 71.39 USD $55.83 Groceries Groceries
11/14/2014 20:40:00 NZD 10 USD $7.82 Internet Internet x2 days
11/15/2014 21:57:00 NZD 125 USD $97.75 Accommodation Omarama x 1 night Ahuriri motels
11/16/2014 1:39:00 NZD 31.12 USD $24.34 Transport Gas
11/16/2014 1:39:00 NZD 13.9 USD $10.87 Souvenir Cadbury chocolate
11/16/2014 1:42:00 NZD 40 USD $31.28 Excursions Cadbury world
11/16/2014 11:28:00 NZD 1 USD $0.78 Souvenir Post card
11/16/2014 11:28:00 NZD 5 USD $3.91 Excursions Clay cliffs oamaru hiking
11/16/2014 13:35:00 NZD 125 USD $97.75 Accommodation Motel omarama
11/17/2014 14:37:00 NZD 60.71 USD $47.47 Transport Gas
11/17/2014 16:07:00 NZD 145 USD $113.39 Accommodation Lake tekapo
11/17/2014 17:48:00 NZD 55 USD $43.01 Groceries Groceries
11/19/2014 0:31:00 NZD 31.23 USD $24.42 Groceries Groceries Christchurch
11/19/2014 0:31:00 NZD 176.4 USD $137.94 Accommodation Christchurch top ten x2nghts
11/19/2014 14:06:00 NZD 14 USD $10.95 Internet Internet
11/20/2014 3:00:00 NZD 468 USD $365.97 Transport Car rental
11/20/2014 15:20:00 NZD 84.24 USD $65.87 Excursions Bus tour Christchurch
11/20/2014 17:38:00 NZD 64.04 USD $50.08 Transport Gas
11/20/2014 19:24:00 NZD 162 USD $126.68 Accommodation Hanmer x2
11/20/2014 21:22:00 NZD 61.02 USD $47.72 Groceries Groceries hanmer springs
11/21/2014 2:04:00 NZD 9.8 USD $7.66 Transport Parking christchurch
11/22/2014 1:46:00 NZD 10 USD $7.82 Internet Internet
11/22/2014 1:46:00 NZD 20 USD $15.64 Resturaunt Dinner
11/22/2014 1:46:00 NZD 92 USD $71.94 Excursions Hot springs hanMer springs
11/22/2014 12:47:00 NZD 26.42 USD $20.66 Groceries Groceries
11/22/2014 12:47:00 NZD 18 USD $14.08 Groceries Beer milk
11/23/2014 13:35:00 NZD 8 USD $6.26 Laundry Laundry
11/23/2014 13:35:00 NZD 162 USD $126.68 Accommodation Hanmer springs x2 nights
11/23/2014 18:20:00 NZD 127.72 USD $99.87 Miscellaneous Postage home & amara gift
11/24/2014 3:00:00 NZD 19.99 USD $15.63 Souvenir Stuffed kiwi
11/24/2014 3:00:00 NZD 48.7 USD $38.08 Transport Gas
11/24/2014 3:00:00 NZD 260 USD $203.32 gear Checked luggage
$ 13,292.35 NZD $8,989.61 USD

This is a summary of costs for 42 days in Bali Indonesia with our family of 4 including all airfare, car rental, transportation, accommodations, excursions, food, groceries and everything down to a stick of gum (including $800 of a very sad visa mishap!)

Want to know how much to pay for a taxi ride to Uluwatu, or a pair of sim cards for your iPhones? Then take a look at our chart below – be forewarned things are not necessarily grammatically correct.

  • Total cost for 42 days: $5,161.67 USD (this includes our $800 visa-overstay)
  • Daily average: $122.90
  • Accommodation: $2,200.34
  • Transport (including 34 day rental car): $335.34
  • Excursions: $478
  • Restaurant: $498.95
  • Groceries: $223.55

Bali Indonesia Family Travel Expense Worksheet

Country Date/Time Local Currency Price Home Currency Price Category Item
TOTAL $ 70,947,154.15 IDR  $5,161.67 USD
Bali Indonesia 9/12/2014 3:25:00 USD 140 USD $140.00 Visa Visa on arrival x4
Bali Indonesia 9/12/2014 8:08:00 IDR 20570 USD $1.73 Resturaunt Beer at pool
Bali Indonesia 9/12/2014 8:12:00 IDR 2664750 USD $223.84 Accommodation Hotel puri Bambu jimbaran 3 nights
Bali Indonesia 9/12/2014 8:12:00 IDR 75000 USD $6.30 Transport Taxi airport to hotel
Bali Indonesia 9/12/2014 22:43:00 IDR 75000 USD $6.30 Transport Taxi kuta to hotel
Bali Indonesia 9/12/2014 23:25:00 IDR 21000 USD $1.76 Restaurant Ice cream mcdonalds
Bali Indonesia 9/12/2014 23:31:00 IDR 8500 USD $0.72 Food Water
Bali Indonesia 9/13/2014 1:32:00 IDR 100000 USD $8.50 clothes Dress and shorts
Bali Indonesia 9/13/2014 2:19:00 IDR 239775 USD $20.38 Restaurant Dinner kuta
Bali Indonesia 9/13/2014 3:28:00 IDR 16000 USD $1.36 street food Fruit
Bali Indonesia 9/13/2014 4:14:00 IDR 400000 USD $34.00 gear Suitcase
Bali Indonesia 9/14/2014 1:52:00 IDR 207000 USD $17.39 Restaurant Dinner
Bali Indonesia 9/14/2014 4:47:00 IDR 26000 USD $2.18 Food Coke
Bali Indonesia 9/14/2014 8:08:00 IDR 45980 USD $3.86 Resturaunt Desert puri Bambu restaurant
Bali Indonesia 9/14/2014 20:32:00 IDR 250500 USD $21.04 Restaurant Dinner at kuta satriya
Bali Indonesia 9/14/2014 22:43:00 IDR 35000 USD $2.94 Transport Taxi
Bali Indonesia 9/14/2014 22:52:00 IDR 89500 USD $7.52 Restaurant Mc Donald kuta lunch
Bali Indonesia 9/15/2014 5:44:00 USD 2 USD $2.00 tips Music tip with singer
Bali Indonesia 9/15/2014 5:46:00 IDR 250500 USD $21.04 Restaurant Dinner kuta satriya cottages restaurant
Bali Indonesia 9/15/2014 5:49:00 USD 88 USD $88.00 Excursions Surfing for 3 lessons
Bali Indonesia 9/15/2014 8:08:00 IDR 280000 USD $23.52 Groceries Mini fridge drinks
Bali Indonesia 9/15/2014 21:36:00 IDR 61000 USD $5.12 Groceries Shampoo
Bali Indonesia 9/15/2014 22:07:00 IDR 89000 USD $7.48 clothes Shorts outfit for me
Bali Indonesia 9/15/2014 22:40:00 IDR 48500 USD $4.07 street food Coffee
Bali Indonesia 9/15/2014 23:12:00 IDR 50000 USD $4.20 Resturaunt McDonald s
Bali Indonesia 9/16/2014 2:13:00 IDR 300000 USD $25.20 Excursions Temple dance
Bali Indonesia 9/16/2014 2:13:00 IDR 60000 USD $5.04 Excursions Uluwatu
Bali Indonesia 9/16/2014 2:27:00 IDR 15000 USD $1.26 street food Oreos
Bali Indonesia 9/16/2014 2:27:00 IDR 20000 USD $1.68 street food Coconut
Bali Indonesia 9/16/2014 5:29:00 IDR 350000 USD $29.40 Transport Taxi to Uluwatu
Bali Indonesia 9/16/2014 6:46:00 IDR 110000 USD $9.24 Restaurant Dinner kuta
Bali Indonesia 9/16/2014 6:46:00 IDR 30000 USD $2.52 gear Adapter
Bali Indonesia 9/16/2014 20:11:00 IDR 320000 USD $26.88 phone Phones 2 sims
Bali Indonesia 9/16/2014 20:32:00 IDR 30000 USD $2.52 Food Mini bar sodas
Bali Indonesia 9/16/2014 20:32:00 IDR 759000 USD $63.76 Accommodation Satriya hotel kuta
Bali Indonesia 9/16/2014 23:31:00 IDR 125000 USD $10.50 Resturaunt Lunch Nysa dua
Bali Indonesia 9/17/2014 0:55:00 IDR 250000 USD $21.00 Transport Taxi kuta to Sanur
Bali Indonesia 9/17/2014 0:55:00 USD 10 USD $10.00 Transport Taxi
Bali Indonesia 9/17/2014 6:04:00 IDR 759000 USD $63.76 Accommodation Hotel kuta
Bali Indonesia 9/17/2014 19:33:00 IDR 190000 USD $15.96 Transport Mopeds 2 days
Bali Indonesia 9/17/2014 19:40:00 IDR 28000 USD $2.35 Transport Gas mopeds
Bali Indonesia 9/17/2014 20:16:00 IDR 4000 USD $0.34 Transport Parking
Bali Indonesia 9/18/2014 0:52:00 IDR 123000 USD $10.33 Restaurant Lunch
Bali Indonesia 9/18/2014 1:57:00 IDR 12000 USD $1.01 street food Ice cream
Bali Indonesia 9/18/2014 3:37:00 IDR 60000 USD $5.04 Entertainment Umbrella at Sanur beach
Bali Indonesia 9/18/2014 19:09:00 IDR 576000 USD $48.38 gear Rash gaurd
Bali Indonesia 9/18/2014 22:50:00 IDR 4000 USD $0.34 Transport Parking at beach
Bali Indonesia 9/19/2014 2:54:00 IDR 644800 USD $54.16 Groceries Snacks and sun block
Bali Indonesia 9/19/2014 9:00:00 IDR 400000 USD $33.60 Transport Sanur to Belian beach
Bali Indonesia 9/19/2014 17:55:00 IDR 429000 USD $36.04 Restaurant Dinner x2 breakfast x3 at prima cottages
Bali Indonesia 9/19/2014 17:55:00 IDR 1197000 USD $100.55 Accommodation Sanur 3 nights prima cottages
Bali Indonesia 9/19/2014 19:01:00 IDR 75000 USD $6.30 phone Phone pay phone
Bali Indonesia 9/19/2014 20:10:00 IDR 100000 USD $8.40 Groceries Groceries snacks senur
Bali Indonesia 9/20/2014 0:17:00 IDR 250000 USD $21.00 Excursions Board rental 5 days
Bali Indonesia 9/20/2014 23:56:00 IDR 53000 USD $4.45 Groceries Groceries and school
Bali Indonesia 9/21/2014 0:43:00 IDR 5000 USD $0.42 Entertainment Ball
Bali Indonesia 9/21/2014 1:03:00 IDR 150000 USD $12.60 gear Swim truncks
Bali Indonesia 9/22/2014 1:59:00 IDR 26000 USD $2.18 Transport Gas
Bali Indonesia 9/22/2014 1:59:00 IDR 2000 USD $0.17 Transport Parking
Bali Indonesia 9/22/2014 2:00:00 IDR 109500 USD $9.20 Groceries Groceries balian
Bali Indonesia 9/22/2014 2:00:00 IDR 2000 USD $0.17 street food Peanuts
Bali Indonesia 9/22/2014 3:23:00 IDR 256500 USD $21.55 Restaurant Dinner balian beach
Bali Indonesia 9/22/2014 6:08:00 IDR 140000 USD $11.76 Transport Mopeds x 2 24 hrs
Bali Indonesia 9/22/2014 6:10:00 USD 535.35 USD $535.35 Accommodation Joey balaian beach hotel 5 nights
Bali Indonesia 9/24/2014 20:23:00 IDR 142000 USD $11.93 Groceries Groceries
Bali Indonesia 9/24/2014 20:24:00 IDR 711810 USD $59.79 Restaurant Lunch break dinners at balian hotel 5 nights
Bali Indonesia 9/25/2014 0:43:00 IDR 27500 USD $2.31 Entertainment Chess
Bali Indonesia 9/25/2014 2:42:00 IDR 135941 USD $11.42 Groceries Groceries
Bali Indonesia 9/25/2014 2:42:00 IDR 130000 USD $10.92 Restaurant Dinner Pemuteran
Bali Indonesia 9/25/2014 5:35:00 IDR 600000 USD $50.40 Transport Belian beach to Pemuteran
Bali Indonesia 9/25/2014 21:47:00 IDR 60000 USD $5.04 Restaurant Milk shakes
Bali Indonesia 9/26/2014 5:33:00 IDR 20000 USD $1.68 Groceries Watermelon
Bali Indonesia 9/26/2014 20:33:00 IDR 140000 USD $11.76 Entertainment Snorkel gear
Bali Indonesia 9/26/2014 23:18:00 IDR 54000 USD $4.54 Groceries Groceries
Bali Indonesia 9/27/2014 4:13:00 IDR 120000 USD $10.08 Restaurant Dinner
Bali Indonesia 9/27/2014 4:13:00 IDR 25000 USD $2.10 Entertainment Turtles
Bali Indonesia 9/27/2014 17:35:00 IDR 800000 USD $67.20 Excursions Snorkeling Menjangan island
Bali Indonesia 9/28/2014 3:13:00 IDR 340000 USD $28.56 Baby sitting Babysitting
Bali Indonesia 9/28/2014 20:33:00 IDR 600000 USD $50.40 Transport Taxi Pemuteran to Ubud
Bali Indonesia 9/28/2014 20:34:00 IDR 73000 USD $6.13 Restaurant Mini bar
Bali Indonesia 9/28/2014 20:34:00 USD 400 USD $400.00 Accommodation Amertha Bali villas 4 nights
Bali Indonesia 9/28/2014 20:36:00 IDR 168390 USD $14.14 Accommodation Credit card charge 3%
Bali Indonesia 9/29/2014 2:25:00 IDR 249000 USD $20.92 Restaurant Dinner Ubud
Bali Indonesia 9/29/2014 19:28:00 IDR 160000 USD $13.44 clothes Hat and surong
Bali Indonesia 9/29/2014 19:39:00 IDR 20000 USD $1.68 Groceries Banana
Bali Indonesia 9/29/2014 20:35:00 IDR 15000 USD $1.26 street food Soda
Bali Indonesia 9/29/2014 22:45:00 IDR 130000 USD $10.92 Resturaunt Lunch ubud
Bali Indonesia 9/30/2014 0:01:00 IDR 409000 USD $34.36 Groceries Groceries
Bali Indonesia 9/30/2014 1:21:00 IDR 70000 USD $5.88 Groceries Fruit
Bali Indonesia 9/30/2014 18:15:00 IDR 2263013 USD $190.09 Accommodation 2nights Ubud okawati
Bali Indonesia 10/1/2014 2:46:00 IDR 278300 USD $23.38 Restaurant Dinner Ubud
Bali Indonesia 10/1/2014 2:46:00 IDR 100000 USD $8.40 Excursions Monkey temple
Bali Indonesia 10/1/2014 2:46:00 IDR 120000 USD $10.08 clothes Dress mom
Bali Indonesia 10/1/2014 22:59:00 IDR 69000 USD $5.80 Restaurant I’ve cream and cake
Bali Indonesia 10/1/2014 23:41:00 IDR 152000 USD $12.77 school supplies Books for kids
Bali Indonesia 10/2/2014 0:01:00 IDR 80000 USD $6.72 clothes Purse and lucca t shirt
Bali Indonesia 10/2/2014 3:53:00 IDR 23000 USD $1.93 allowance for kids Allowance
Bali Indonesia 10/2/2014 20:56:00 IDR 74000 USD $6.22 Restaurant Dessert
Bali Indonesia 10/2/2014 21:09:00 IDR 23000 USD $1.93 phone Phone
Bali Indonesia 10/2/2014 21:19:00 IDR 105000 USD $8.82 Entertainment Fish spa
Bali Indonesia 10/2/2014 21:56:00 IDR 75000 USD $6.30 clothes Dress Layla
Bali Indonesia 10/2/2014 22:24:00 IDR 89000 USD $7.48 Restaurant Breads and cake
Bali Indonesia 10/2/2014 23:52:00 IDR 80000 USD $6.72 clothes Dress
Bali Indonesia 10/2/2014 23:52:00 IDR 10000 USD $0.84 Groceries Mango
Bali Indonesia 10/3/2014 23:54:00 IDR 138000 USD $11.59 Groceries Groceries
Bali Indonesia 10/3/2014 23:55:00 IDR 60000 USD $5.04 Transport Motor bike
Bali Indonesia 10/3/2014 23:55:00 IDR 50000 USD $4.20 Excursions Garden
Bali Indonesia 10/3/2014 23:58:00 IDR 20000 USD $1.68 Groceries Cold drinks
Bali Indonesia 10/4/2014 0:43:00 IDR 13000 USD $1.09 allowance for kids Allowance
Bali Indonesia 10/4/2014 2:45:00 IDR 230000 USD $19.32 Restaurant Dinner
Bali Indonesia 10/4/2014 23:42:00 IDR 825000 USD $69.30 Excursions Dance basket weaving lunch
Bali Indonesia 10/5/2014 0:15:00 IDR 270000 USD $22.68 Baby sitting Babysitter
Bali Indonesia 10/5/2014 23:21:00 IDR 200000 USD $16.80 Groceries Groceries
Bali Indonesia 10/6/2014 0:04:00 IDR 82500 USD $6.93 Restaurant Lunch
Bali Indonesia 10/6/2014 2:08:00 IDR 24000 USD $2.02 Groceries Bread
Bali Indonesia 10/6/2014 19:25:00 IDR 30000 USD $2.52 Botanical gardeb
Bali Indonesia 10/6/2014 19:25:00 USD 57 USD $57.00 Excursions Treetop adventure
Bali Indonesia 10/6/2014 19:25:00 IDR 5000 USD $0.42 Bathroom
Bali Indonesia 10/6/2014 21:31:00 IDR 20000 USD $1.68 Restaurant Cokes
Bali Indonesia 10/6/2014 22:06:00 IDR 32500 USD $2.73 Restaurant Lunch tree top
Bali Indonesia 10/6/2014 22:07:00 IDR 2000 USD $0.17 Bathroom
Bali Indonesia 10/6/2014 22:28:00 IDR 50000 USD $4.20 Groceries Jack fruit
Bali Indonesia 10/7/2014 0:51:00 IDR 400000 USD $33.60 Transport Tree top taxi
Bali Indonesia 10/7/2014 6:34:00 IDR 180000 USD $15.12 Resturaunt Dinner
Bali Indonesia 10/7/2014 18:41:00 IDR 10000 USD $0.84 Groceries Bread
Bali Indonesia 10/7/2014 20:36:00 IDR 209000 USD $17.14 Souvenir Necklace Layla birthday
Bali Indonesia 10/7/2014 20:45:00 IDR 80000 USD $6.72 Souvenir Box for layla b day
Bali Indonesia 10/7/2014 20:55:00 IDR 60000 USD $5.04 Groceries Snacks
Bali Indonesia 10/8/2014 0:35:00 IDR 90000 USD $7.38 Restaurant Ice cream
Bali Indonesia 10/8/2014 3:29:00 IDR 160000 USD $13.12 Excursions Dance ubud
Bali Indonesia 10/8/2014 3:29:00 IDR 50000 USD $4.20 Groceries Dinner groceries
Bali Indonesia 10/8/2014 19:54:00 IDR 178000 USD $14.60 Restaurant Dinner in room
Bali Indonesia 10/8/2014 20:47:00 IDR 5475000 USD $448.95 Accommodation 9 nights Ubud gayatri bungalows 2
Bali Indonesia 10/8/2014 20:55:00 IDR 450000 USD $36.90 Transport Taxi Ubud to kuta
Bali Indonesia 10/8/2014 22:02:00 IDR 96500 USD $7.91 Restaurant McDonald’s
Bali Indonesia 10/9/2014 2:01:00 IDR 50000 USD $4.10 Excursions Massage
Bali Indonesia 10/9/2014 2:01:00 IDR 60000 USD $4.92 Souvenir Fans
Bali Indonesia 10/10/2014 4:50:00 IDR 1309000 USD $107.34 Excursions Water bomb park locker and ice cream
Bali Indonesia 10/10/2014 4:50:00 IDR 25000 USD $2.05 Restaurant Starbucks
Bali Indonesia 10/10/2014 4:50:00 IDR 160500 USD $13.16 Restaurant Dinner kuta
Bali Indonesia 10/10/2014 4:50:00 IDR 100000 USD $8.20 Transport Taxi to and from water bomb park
Bali Indonesia 10/11/2014 0:40:00 IDR 45000 USD $3.69 Entertainment Nail
Bali Indonesia 10/11/2014 3:02:00 IDR 50000 USD $4.10 Souvenir Purse
Bali Indonesia 10/11/2014 3:02:00 IDR 100000 USD $8.20 Souvenir 2 surongs
Bali Indonesia 10/11/2014 3:03:00 IDR 50000 USD $4.10 Excursions Surf board kuta
Bali Indonesia 10/11/2014 4:20:00 IDR 282000 USD $23.12 Restaurant Dinner kuta
Bali Indonesia 10/11/2014 4:47:00 IDR 25000 USD $2.05 Restaurant Coffee
Bali Indonesia 10/11/2014 19:53:00 IDR 77000 USD $6.31 phone Phone call
Bali Indonesia 10/11/2014 19:54:00 IDR 50000 USD $4.10 Restaurant Bar pool
Bali Indonesia 10/11/2014 19:54:00 IDR 1950000 USD $159.90 Accommodation Kuta satriya cottages 3 nights
Bali Indonesia 10/11/2014 20:17:00 IDR 100000 USD $8.20 Transport Taxi to airport
Bali Indonesia 10/11/2014 20:46:00 USD 755 USD $755.00 Miscellaneous Plane ticket change
Bali Indonesia 10/11/2014 22:22:00 IDR 17000 USD $1.39 Restaurant McDonald’s ice cream
Bali Indonesia 10/11/2014 22:22:00 IDR 24000 USD $1.97 Restaurant Iced coffee
Bali Indonesia 10/12/2014 0:50:00 IDR 50000 USD $4.10 Excursions Surfing
Bali Indonesia 10/12/2014 2:22:00 IDR 234000 USD $19.19 Restaurant Dinner kuta
Bali Indonesia 10/12/2014 2:33:00 IDR 800000 USD $65.60 Visa Exit tax

I traveled this world for what?

Over in an instant, gone in a flash, around the world, full of life and beautiful adventure.

We return and life picks up where it left off,  indifferent, absorbed in text messages and the size of one’s screen time….  like nothing happened.

Beyond description I have grown, in ways I cannot comprehend I have become a different person. I feel alone in this regard as my family eases back into the consumerist mindset. Back into jobs, into the grind, it’s “busy-ness” as usual.

So I return to meaningful work to find meaning and purpose, my wife assumes the role of working mother and night shift RN, family time pushed to the back-burner to be lived “another day”.

It is so very typical, “have we learned nothing”?

I am afraid the answer is yes.

When I think of Vietnam I envision pointed Vietnamese hats and long lazy river cruises down the Mekong.

For this reason, a tour down the Mekong Delta was a must on our family gap year trip through Vietnam

The best launching pad for your tour will be from Ho Chi Ming City,  There are lots of ways to get to the Delta from HCM which is a 3-hour bus ride from the city center. I think the easiest and possibly the best is to simply book a tour through your hotel or one of the many travel agents that line the backpacker’s district. They will arrange transport and accommodations for you, which takes a lot of pain out of the process. Although it is a bit touristy your guide will take you to a coconut factory, rice paper factory, fruit farm, a tropical fruit farm and of course the floating market as well as a trip down the Mekong in a traditional Vietnamese boat.  There are 3 options, a one-day tour, a 2-day tour and a 3-day tour with a homestay or a hotel stay. We chose the 2-day tour on a smaller 18 passenger bus with a homestay which cost us $45 and had a wonderful experience.

Although it is a bit touristy the guided trips will take you to a coconut factory, rice paper factory, a tropical fruit farm and of course the floating market as well as a trip down the Mekong in a traditional Vietnamese longboat.

There are 3 options while booking: a one-day tour or a 2 and 3-day tour with a homestay or a hotel stay. We chose the 2-day tour with a homestay which cost us $45 per adult and a discounted rate per child, we had a wonderful experience. We stayed at the

Our Mekong Homestay

We stayed at the Hung Family Homestay where the family made us feel at home. This culminated with their 18-year old son coloring our son’s hair green! This may have been a lapse of judgment on our behalf, but it made for a great cultural experience!

The Rice Factory and Tropical Fruit Farm

Visiting the noodle factory and the tropical fruit farm were fun. Our guide walked us through the farm explaining all the curious produce and we had an hour break to relax and enjoy the region. The rice noodle factory was a real road schooling adventure for us all and I will never eat a rice covered spring roll without appreciating its origins again.

The Mekong Delta

You will tour two floating markets: One is for bulk purchases and wholesale and the other is a smaller market where you can purchase items from your boat.  The first day includes the wholesale market and on the second day you will go to the smaller market – my wife purchased a Vietnamese iced coffee and I cringed as she drank up the ice from the fishing boat… She didn’t get sick! To top it off the coffee supposedly was the best sheevery had.

If you are on the line of whether or not to take a detour from Saigon to the Mekong I would say go for it. This 2-day adventure included a lot of bus time for sure, but it is an adventure I will never forget.

What have we done?

It is the question I ask myself as I stare into the blank faces of the 100 or so black and white photographs that line the schoolroom walls; now converted to a memorial in remembrance of the brutal genocide of the Khmer Rouge.

This photo board is titled 1977, the year I was born.

s21 photo of the dead

In the 9 months, my mom holds me in her womb, 1000’s of innocent men, women and children are tortured then brutally murdered, and afterwards their bodies are disposed of; landfill for the rats and stray dogs to pick away at their rotting carcass’.

And to think, the next 20 years of my life would hold a similar fate for those unlucky enough to be born into this time and to this place.

Doing ad libs with my kids, sheltered from the scorching mid-day Cambodian sun of the S21 courtyard gives me pause, I look onward at the face of only one of 7 survivors during that 4 year period. I ask the kids if they will come shake his hand, I consider him a hero.

Tonight, in this hotel room surrounded by the ones I love I wonder how I would react if someone held a gun to my family and asked me to take the life of a child. My family or theirs? What would I do? Would I have the courage to do the right thing?

Many of those who survived the genocide have gone on to forgive their captors, acknowledging they were only following “orders”.

Following Orders S21

But I am not sure I believe in orders, in the end it comes down to free will and being prepared to do what we know is right even if it means dying for what we believe in.

We must ask ourselves, from whom then do we take our orders?

 

Muay Thai is Thailand’s national sport.

Thai kickboxing wasn’t on my radar prior to our trip, but after a couple weeks in Thailand and seeing adverts for Muay Thai events just about everywhere it was beginning to look like a fun family team building activity that we could all do together.

In Railay I watched an 11 year old and his father have a great time during a practice session and I was sold.

I spent a while searching for a place to do Muay Thai with tour small children and came up short-handed.

Internet searches for “kid friendly” and “Muay Thai” were not very productive. I emailed places in Phuket and Bangkok but most were very vague about age restrictions, cost and whether or not they would train our family together.

Muay Thai is fun for the entire family

We were lucky to happen upon the Lanta Sports Resort Muay Thai complex in Koh Lanta while riding our mopeds around the island in search of an apartment to rent for the week.

The complex itself is hidden down a dirt road with only the tiniest sign marking its presence.  You would never know that it was a renowned Muay Thai center if you weren’t looking. The road is difficult to navigate on a moped but if you hang in there you will be welcomed by what may be the finest Muay Thai complex in all of Thailand, and it just so happens to have a fabulous kids program.

After speaking with reception we were able to negotiate a great deal that included a huge, airy pool side room with our own kitchen and 3 days of Muay Thai kickboxing for the family at an exceptional rate.

The information regarding the kickboxing itself is lacking and almost everyone who comes to take a class (including the guests at the sport resort) have a confused look on their faces. Like many places in Thailand there were no set times or schedules posted and it seemed like even training times could be negotiated to fit your needs. Many of the trainers speak little English and the girls in the office inside were well-intentioned but it was hard to get a straight answer.

That being said, it is pretty straightforward if you are determined to figure out what is going on. You can book private training or join a group session. Group sessions run from 8-10 am and the beginners session are at 10 am. They have a dedicated kids class in the afternoon at 3 pm.

The first day we took a class together at 10 am which was a blast. The next several days we split up, where I trained in the morning and the kids would take the afternoon class. The kids really enjoyed training with all the other children.

Why to consider Lanta Sports Resort for Family Muay Thai Training

There may be other places to take Muay Thai classes in Thailand but I never found one quite as nice and quite so child friendly. The grounds are impeccable and the trainers are gentle and work well with children.

The cost for a kids training session is 300 THB or roughly $9, the adult session is $12 per adult per 1 hour session. If you stay at the resort 2 sessions per day are included in the price and like I said, it is a wonderful resort. It is not on the beach, but it is a short walk to the beach which is just accross the street.

The staff at reception are not the warmest but they get the job done. When I asked them why they didn’t advertise their resort they looked at me like I was crazy. The truth is that this resort is extremely popular and beloved by the local Swedes who come here by the hoards during their winter season. If you arrive in January-March like we did you will realize very quickly that most of Koh Lanta is a German and Swedish hot spot. They love their Muay Thai and so do their kids who heavily populate the 3 pm class. If you are booking after the first week in February you better make reservations well in advance. Especially if you want one of the cheaper rooms.

You can check the latest prices at the Lanta Sports complex on Agoda or consider booking as well at the White Flower Apartments. We stayed here after we left the sports complex and it is a great value.  Again, book early if you can.

Koh Lanta Kickboxing

Also, if you are wondering if taking your kids to a kickboxing event is appropriate? My answer is yes, consider staying up late one night an attending one of the evening competitions that is put on my the sports complex. We had a great time!

So much freedom, so much choice, so many opportunities to do something amazing.

And yet, it is our natural instinct to find a place to hold us, a spot where we are safe from the obligation/opportunity to choose. Because if we choose, then we are responsible, and we have to take risks, and risks are scary, because they make us vulnerable.

But in our efforts to avoid risk we give up our freedoms, and although there is comfort in this, life, and all the beauty that lies beyond the realms of comfort go undiscovered. Which isn’t that bad until you are standing in the middle of the night market in Thailand with your wife and two small children, absorbing the full spectrum of risk, and you realize, this is living!

Sometimes instincts work in our favor, like choosing not to rent a 4 person tuk tuk as our primary mode of transportation for the week, but they can also hold us back, like spending another decade working in a dead-end job. How do we know when to follow our instincts and when to not?

The answer is – we don’t, it is a leap of faith. The good news is the outcome is almost always a product of our outlook and our perspective which will only widen if we let it, This means allowing ourselves the opportunity to take risks and of course, fail. But then again, what is the alternative?

 

About 3 weeks into our trip Amazon announced the start of their new Amazon Kindle unlimited program.

Then I got the realy good news: Lonely Planet was going to include all of their guidebooks as part of the rental program.

For someone traveling the world this is really great news!

Prior to leaving Santa Cruz for South Africa and the first leg of our around the world journey we had ordered paperback copies of the Lonely Planet guidebooks we would need for our trip.

This was a calculated decision as my wife and I still have trouble visualizing a travel destination through a Kindle edition guidebook.

As you know though carrying all these guidebooks is a real drag and purchasing digital versions through Lonely Planet is very expensive.

Enter Amazon Kindle Unlimited

For $9.99 per month Kindle Unlimited allows you to virtually “check out” up to 10 books at any given time; including (but certainly not limited to) the complete collection of Lonely Planet Guidebooks.

Amazon claims: 

  • Unlimited reading from over 700,000 books
  • Unlimited listening to thousands of audiobooks
  • Read on any device
  • Only $9.99 a month

And if you are a road-schooling parent like ourselves the deal gets even sweeter with tons of childrens books on hand.

Granted, the selection of books is not world-class by any means and I still complement this with our city’s free digital library.  But having access to every single Amazon Kindle Lonely Planet Guidebook for Free as well as access to many other country specific guides makes this the best $9.99 I spend each month.

To top it off you can take Kinlde Unlimited for a test drive your first month on the road for free.

You can search Amazon’s Unlimited book collection by clicking here.

Scribd Unlimited

Scribd also offers a similar deal with over 500,000 books including all the Lonely Planet Guidebooks for $8.99.

They also offer a free 30 day trial so technically, if you are savvy you can travel for 2 months with all the Lonely Planet guidebooks you want for free.

I think Amazon is the best deal though and if you have a Kindle device and kids it makes for an ideal situation.

You can sign up for a free 30 day trial through Amazon here.