How to Travel Cheaply Between Asia and South America

Face it. Anyone who’s traveled between Southeast Asia and South America knows it’s a pain in the wallet to purchase air tickets. This is because there are generally few direct flights between the two continents. Also, it’s a far off dream to have a budget airline doing the flying salsa between them. That said, there are ways to get cheap flights so you don’t cry Argentina every time you see the prices.

1. Know the popular hubs

Peru and Brazil are the most popular hubs in South America thanks to their Wonders of the World status. They also have the highest Asian population that makes the staggering 30 hour haul between the two great continents.

If you’re looking for a cheap way back to Southeast Asia from Latin America, fly from either Lima or Rio de Janeiro into Hong Kong and then hop on a budget airline from Hong Kong to any Southeast Asia country. Not only do you save thousands of dollars but you also have more choices of the flight schedules that will take you back into the country.

Another choice is to scout promo flights from Lima or Rio de  Janeiro to Los Angeles or Barcelona and then to Hong Kong.

2. Budget airlines in Southeast Asia

With Hong Kong as your central hub, there are a plethora of budget flights in Southeast Asia that costs peanuts compared to South American airlines.

Choice of airlines are

The go-to Southeast Asian budget airline. Also flies to Abu Dhabi and London: Air Asia

From Singapore to Southeast Asia, India, Sri Langka and Darwin, Australia: Tiger Airways, Jetstar, Scoot,

From Thailand to Laos, Cambodia and Xian, China: Bangkok Air

From the Philippines that not only go to Southeast Asia, they also have cheap budget flights to Japan and South Korea: Cebu Pacific Air, Zest Air and Philippine Air Express.

Other resources: The Budget Airlines in Southeast Asia

3. Know when to travel: Peak Season vs the Off Season

Since they are sitting on opposite hemispheres, what’s high season in Southeast Asia is Latin America’s low season. Travelers between the two distant continents can use this to their advantage.

You can score really cheap tickets flying into South America during its slow winter season which are around May to November. This is Southeast Asia’s summer peak season. Then when returning to Southeast Asia, aim to travel during it’s off season which are generally from September to November. That said, do not travel during international global holidays like Christmas and New Year’s.

4. Do your research

Compare prices on online travel search engines like Hipmunk, Skyscanner and ITA Matrix Search. These sites have cool features that enables you to see the range of airfares in a month so you could choose the cheapest priced date. Check out Hipmunk’s price graph and Skyscanner’s calendar feature. Hipmunk also allows you to put a fare alert on your desired flight and dates so you can be notified if there’s been a price drop. This feature saved me thousands of dollars and allowed me to travel on Christmas day to Hong Kong.

5. Don’t forget your miles.

With thousands of miles covered by your Southeast Asia-Latin American flight, it’d be a shame not to register for miles. Multiple trips can eventually reward you with a short holiday spree in a neighboring country or a free flight back home.

Consider signing up as a member for either One World, Sky Team or Star Alliance. These are global airline alliances that have several airlines registered in their networks. Cathay Pacific, LAN, COPA, Singapore Airlines, KLM and United are just some of the members.

One World’s partner airlines are: Cathay Pacific, LAN, Air Berlin, American Airways, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Qantas, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines

Star Alliance: Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asian Airlines, Austrian, Avianca/TACA, Blue1, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, Egyptair, Ehtiopian Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAM, TAP, Thai, Turkish Airlines, United, US Airways

Sky Team – Aeroflot, Aerolineas Argentinas, AeroMexico, AirEuropa, Air France, Alitalia, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, Czech Airlines, DELTA, Kenya Airways, KLM, Korean air, MEA, Saudia, Taron, Vietnam Airlines

The nifty thing about these is that you can transfer and redeem your miles from one airline to another partner in their group.

With these money saving tips under your belt, it’s a guarantee you won’t be crying whenever you see those prices. Or your wallet for that matter

Photos by Well Heleed Blog and World Atlas

Lessons I Learned From Travel (and Pics!)

I had not written in this blog for two years. Let me explain why there was a long period of not writing. Besides getting in and out of a relationship, I suddenly had an explosion of traveling to many different places. It was more of experiencing so many things and not taking the time to sit down and write about them.

And that is a shame. So below is a summary, an attempt to encapsulate what I had seen these past 2 years and hoping, here’s hoping it inspires you.

1. Travel is not just a dream. It can be reality.

There is no excuse for you to just continue sitting on your couch and moaning how boring life is. We live in an awesome world. Think how many things you could be experiencing right now if you just go out and get it.

I have a Philippine passport. That restricts me to traveling to a 100 or so countries. I need a visa to travel to most of Europe, US, Australia, Korea, Japan, New Zealand and other places. I need to do a lot of paperwork and they make it difficult for us to apply for a visa to travel to those places. I also don’t have a very high monthly income.  Did that stop me?

Nope.

I’ve now been to those countries except for Europe and New Zealand (coming soon!). What drives me to visit as many places as I can is seeing my grandparents unable to climb the Great Wall of China because of their age. Sure you can save money and finally get to visit your dream place when you retire – that is the safest option and that’s what everyone tells you- and it might happen. But what is inevitable is that you won’t be able to enjoy it fully with your 70 year old bones. Heck, my 40 year old office mate keeps complaining about climbing the stairs to our office—and yes, she did skip the Great Wall in China and bungee jumping in New Zealand.

Achieving my dream of seeing Taj Mahal, India

Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, Japan. This is where I got the best sushi ever!

2. Travel can open up your mind. You think you know the world? Think again.

A Hindu community lives in this chilly part of Bromo, Indonesia. 

I took a photo of these lovely kids in Xinjiang Province, China. They look Central Asian but no, they’re Chinese.

Cowboy culture in Moron, Mongolia. One of the last and few places that totally captures the free spirit of the Wild Wild West.

Strolling aimlessly by the road, I found this Che Guevara establishment in where else but in Yangon, Burma.

Seeing and touching snow for the first time in Minnesota, USA. I had no idea it would look like shaved ice. 

3. Experience over buying things. Iphones come and go, computer models go obsolete but memories? They last forever. Would you rather stay in your house and watch your brand new plasma T.V. and play your Xbox or would you rather –

-  scuba dive the world’s largest coral reef system a.k.a.  Great Barrier Reef of Australia?

-         paraglide amidst the Himalayan Mountains in Nepal? (My guide and I took this photo of my friend Shirley while we were riding the air currents from above.  Terrifying!)

-   go on a camel ride on the sand dunes of Mongolia? (here’s my friend David with the prettiest camel of the bunch).

-   catch a beautiful sunrise amidst 2,600 temples in Burma?

4. It’s about meeting new friends and spending time with the old. It’s about forming memories and friendships that would last a lifetime.

my best friend, Dbau and I in one of our best trips in Burma

This is our tour group shivering in front of our Russian van in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia. Spending all those days in the desert without mobile phones, T.V. or internet gave us more chances to talk about our lives and spend time with each other. 

5.  And finally, just live life.  We live in a beautiful world.

Whitsundays in Australia

Swim with the biggest fish in the world- the whale shark in the Philippines (photo from Lovely Adventures)

Marvel in the glitziest area in the world- Times Square, New York City. 

Be awestruck in one of the most beautiful monuments in the world- Hagia Sofia in Turkey (Bucket list!).  Photo from Istanbul Tours

Skydive in New Zealand (photo courtesy of  Scoop)

See the glaciers in the Roof the World, Tibet

See the world’s largest mirror in the Salt Marsh of Bolivia (photo from Beautiful Places).  I so badly want to see this. 

For “the World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” – Saint Augustine

Free your wanderlust. Happy Travels!

Except for pictures I provided a link to, all photos are from my album.  Please kindly link to this site if you want to use them. Thanks!

You might like to read:

How to Make an Easy Travel Itinerary

Sample Travel Itinerary 

The Quick Pack List

How to Prepare for your Trip the Lazy Way