About

This blog records some of my travels, mostly around Asia. Why ‘Thrifty‘  you might ask? Does this mean I’m a stingy cheapskate? Not really. I prefer the wider definitions of ‘thrifty’ such as wisely economical, avoiding waste (mine and the planet’s) and careful and diligent in the use of resources.

With this in mind, my rules for travel are:

-walk wherever possible rather than drive.

-take the train or a boat rather than fly or travel by bus.

-when flying cannot be avoided, use low cost airlines rather than national carriers (Air Asia is my favourite).

-take advantage of promo packages and special offers.

-3 star hotels rather than 5 star (unless someone else is paying!).

-character hotels rather than cookie-cutter hotel chains.

-old rather than new (that applies to my clothes too!).

-off season and off the beaten track rather than peak travel.

-independent travel rather than tour group.

-if there’s a mountain or hill nearby, climb it. For exercise, inspiration, a sense of achievement and the view.

-break any of the above rules if I feel like it.

I hope you like the blog.

David, The Thrifty Traveller

My Other Websites

Northumberland Traveller

Strolls around Northumberland and the surrounding countries. Walks, castles, beaches, historic homes, gardens, and other attractions.

Malaysia Traveller

Over 600 pages of useful information on Malaysia’s top attractions, Malaysia’s mountains, beaches, national parks, museums, hill resorts , caves and events calendar as well as maps and information for over twenty self-guided walking tours of Malaysian towns and cities.

Great Malaysian Railway Journeys

Replicates a train journey made 100 years ago from Penang to Singapore and compares the sights of modern Malaysia with the Malaya of yesteryear.