Sometimes you just cannot afford to travel but that does not mean you have to spend your vacation on DIY projects. Travel to the place you know best (or at least think you do), your home town.

The advantages of vacationing at home:

1. Free accommodation
2. Minimal transportation costs
3. Local knowledge
4. No jetlag
5. No language barrier

To make sure you enjoy your vacation at home, take these steps:

1. Have your mail and papers stopped for the vacation period to reduce distractions. Limit email access and direct calls to voicemail as well.
2. Tell friends you are going on vacation but be circumspect about your destination.
3. Research your town by reading guide books and blogs. You will be surprised what you do not know about the place. Reject anything that you do regularly, the idea is to experience a different side of your city.
4. Plan an itinerary of one to two sights a day, leaving time to enjoy the vistas or cafes.
5. Avoid your favourite haunts, restaurants and cafes, we all play safe at home so stretch your boundaries.
6. Write a journal, create a scrapbook or photo record of your vacation to share with friends.

Travel is not about the distance traversed or the number of countries you visit. It is about connecting with the place, and expanding your horizons and home is a good place to start.

Have you vacationed at home, leave a comment and tell us about the experience.

The Environmental News Network published an interesting article on eating local produce, and eating local is just what you should be doing when you travel. My strongest memories are always associated with the food I ate or the local markets I visited. Food engages all of your senses creating strong links in your brain to retain the information and associate it with the place. Banana leaves remind me of the first Malay lunch I had in 1984; rice, mutton curry, some relish and curious fried whole fish that started my gastronomic conversion from bland to spicy.

Stretching your budget on a long trip is easier if you stick with the in season local produce; create a great picnic of local cheese, a few vegetables, meat and fresh bread. Find a picture postcard view, sit down and let the food make this a moment a memory.

A trip to the local market is also a fantastic way to meet the locals and practice your language skills, the merchants are keen to sell you their produce while other shoppers will help you find the best stuff if you ask around. Enrich your travel experience with the local food.

An article in the Sydney Morning Herald asked whether travellers should boycott countries that abuse human rights or otherwise do not behave as good world citizens. What do you think, do you avoid travelling somewhere as a protest against their behaviour?

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