TRAVEL RECOMMENDATIONS

FINANCES

Depending on the country you are travelling to/in, it may be better getting local cash by exchanging foreign physical money, or by withdrawing cash from an ATM.

• For travel in countries where all ATMS charge fees - such as in Thailand - I would recommend bringing USD, EUR or another common currency, and exchanging it at booths with good rates in the country.

• For countries where you can withdraw money at ATMs for free - such as in Sri Lanka - I would recommend doing that and using a bank account that also allows free cash withdrawals abroad as well as good exchange rates.
  As many banks offering free international withdrawals at close-to-market exchange rates limit the amount of cash you can withdraw per month, I recommend having several such accounts. The two I recommend most are listed below.

FREE WITHDRAWALS

Revolut allows free cash withdrawals worldwide up to a certain limit (depends on your plan). In the free plan I can withdraw €200 per month for free. Currency exchanges are also free up to a limit, in my case up to €1000 per month. You get your ATM card for free on the standard plan, so you can enjoy the benefits without any costs.

Wise also allows free global withdrawals and exchanges, however here you need to invest minimally (€4) one-off to receive your ATM card for withdrawals.

I also have a free N26 account which is useful for free withdrawals within the Euro zone.

LOW-COST INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS

Both Wise and Revolut offer very cheap international transfers and currency exchanges. Transfers are subject to only very low fees and the exchange rates close around mid-market. From my memory, Wise had the slightly better international transfer conditions; but upon research I was unable to remind myself why I thought that was the case.

Personally, I would recommend having an account with each bank to be able to withdraw a higher amount for free per month, and because they each offer additional features that may be useful for you, e.g. travel insurance, cryptocurrency and commodity investments, etc. - so you can use the more beneficial provider for your respective activities.

BANKING

WATER FILTERS

When I travel, I like to avoid buying water in plastic bottles, and also want to avoid purchasing heavy and pricey glass bottles. of water

The solution I like best is filtering my own water for drinking and cooking. I use the water filter by Bachgold to filter tap water across the world, e.g. in Sri Lanka. I chose the Bachgold XL water filter (800ml) to filter larger amounts of water at once. You can also choose the slightly smaller 500ml filter bottle.
I use it for most of my drinking water when I travel. The filter cartridge it comes with goes a long way, but I also carry a subsitute filter cartridge that I get when I'm somewhere where it can easily be delivered.

An alternative to Bachgold is the Grayl filter which works in a similar way, but is a bit pricier. It comes in a 710ml and a 473ml size.

The container we keep our water in may also contribute to it positively.

• In Ayurveda, storing water in copper vessels is considered beneficial for digestion, immunity and for purifying water due to copper's antibacterial properties. Copper is also an essential trace mineral and drinking water from copper vessels is said to support keeping the body in balance. I also love my copper drinking bottle for aesthetic reasons, I think it is really beautiful. I have this one. Beware, copper can "bruise" (dent - its a soft metal) easily so treat with care :)

• You can also add small crystals in water to energise it with the properties/frequency of those crystals.

• In addition, the stone Shungite has been proven to actually cleanse water of toxins; in fact I noticed that a day-old tea in a cup with shungite remained fresh-tasting, while day-old tea in a cup without it had that slightly soapy, off taste of too-old tea.
  Elite shungite has the strongest cleansing properties. I recommend trying it by adding the stone to any regular water bottle or container you use, so that the stone can sit in the water for a while (that's what I do).

• Generally, I recommend using vessels made of glass, steel or copper, rather than plastic, to avoid chemicals from the plastic entering your water. This is especially important if you are storing warm drinks. I used this thermos for many years, which comes with a removable mesh on top that is great if you put loose tea or herbs in it. I could let fresh herbs, loose tea etc. soak and wouldn't need an extra strainer or so for pouring. By the way, drinking warm water (rather than cold water) is recommended for digestive health in Ayurveda and many other Eastern medicine traditions.

BOTTLES & STORAGE

DRINKING WATER

CONTACT

If you have questions, feedback or tips, please do message me. :)

SUBSCRIBE

Subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date about any new yoga retreats and potential special offers <3.