For a sport with roots that run centuries deep, surfing has been comically misunderstood by mainstream pop culture. It could be the fault of surfers themselves, who, when asked to describe the basic pursuit of riding waves, will often devolve into the babble of a religious zealot. Or it could be the simple fact that, while surfing is well-known around the world today, it鈥檚 still only available to a lucky few. Surf films are often no less inaccessible鈥攖hey tend to be made by surfers, leading to work that is more navel-gazing than probing.

So when the World Surf League, pro surfing鈥檚 governing body, that it had created a content division called WSL Studios 鈥渢o connect with established and up-and-coming filmmakers, award-winning and innovative new producers, as well as experienced production companies,鈥� there was cautious hope that a new generation of surf filmography was on the horizon. However, there were doubts, because the WSL has long long been averse to听supporting filmmakers and other outside media that might depict the league in any tint but rose.

WSL Studios鈥� first mainstream effort was , a competition-based reality show that debuted in 2021 and sought the kind of back-biting narrative made essential by Survivor. Instead, it ended up with a generally amiable cast of young pros, many of whom had been pals since their amateur days and were unwilling to appease producers鈥� appetite for drama. The series was a flop. Not long after, the curtains quietly closed on WSL Studios.

It appears, however, that the WSL has achieved some redemption with its recent involvement in , a seven-part docuseries released in April听that recounts the competitive and personal triumphs and travails of a group of women and men competing on the 2021 WSL Championship Tour. It features big names like world champions Kelly Slater and Stephanie Gilmore, as well as pro surfers who most casual fans have probably never heard of, like Morgan Cibilic and Leonardo Fioravanti.

While the project was done in partnership with the WSL, a 鈥淲SL Studios鈥� logo is nowhere to be found, and this distance is a blessing. In the independent hands of Box to Box Films, a London-based production company led by Oscar-winning producer James Gay-Rees and BAFTA-nominated producer Paul Martin, Make or Break paints a refreshingly messy picture of professional surfing life.

Gay-Rees and Martin鈥檚 hit Netflix docuseries was the model for Make or Break. In both, the key to success has been making an obscure sport relatable to a wider, nonexpert audience. How to do that? In the case of Make or Break, it meant bucking one of the cardinal rules of old-school surf journalism: pulling the lens away from the water. 鈥淚t is not even about riding waves, exactly,鈥� writes Matt Warshaw, a surfing historian and author of the newsletter. 鈥�Make or Break听is a reality show set within the grind and turmoil of the [World Tour], and as a viewer, to my eyes anyway, that grind and turmoil is bliss compared to the smiley听brain-dead presentation we get from the WSL听itself.鈥�

For example, we learn that South African Tour rookie Matt McGillivray sometimes sleeps in his truck in order to have enough money to afford his dream job鈥攖he big paychecks only go to the Tour鈥檚 few top surfers. That American Sage Erickson, heretofore marketed by sponsors and the WSL as a delicate, unruffled soul, is capable of unleashing cutting verbal lashings on competitors who have pulled less than sportsmanlike maneuvers in a heat. (鈥淚鈥檓 just playing the game,鈥� a defiant Tatiana Weston-Webb later responds to the camera.) That Brazilian Filipe Toledo, who for the past few years has been overshadowed by two of his own countrymen and friends, has been battling depression. (And also that he is quite possibly pro surfing鈥檚 best dad.)

But the truest sign that Make or Break is something different, something better, comes when Yasmin Brunet, wife of three-time world champion and Brazilian icon Gabriel Medina, says how incredible it is that Medina was able to win a third world title after the year that he and Brunet had just endured. Instead of letting Brunet glaze over such a loaded statement, as would very well be the case in a WSL-led production, the interviewer stops Brunet and asks her to explain. No doubt it took Gay-Rees and Martin a few tries to crack the couple, but ultimately they did. (The revelations, about recently discovered secrets in Medina鈥檚 family, as well as growing tension between Medina and Brunet, also nicely tee up a second season, which has already been cleared for production.)

Luckily, Make or Break isn鈥檛 the only surf filmmaking out there that鈥檚 finally exhibiting some journalistic rigor. Released last year, provides a detailed鈥攁lbeit at points snoozy鈥攈istorical accounting of the life and legacy of Native Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku, the five-time Olympic medalist who is considered the father of modern-day surfing. (In May it enjoyed a wider release, as part of its American Masters series.)

Both as an Olympic swimmer and later a Hollywood actor, the Duke, as he was known, has long been celebrated by the surfing community as the 鈥渁mbassador of aloha.鈥� It鈥檚 true that Kahanamoku became a beloved promotor of Hawaiian culture, surfing, and swimming around the globe. But it鈥檚 an incomplete description of his experience as a non-white athlete and entertainer in the early 20th century. While Waterman remains focused on Kahanamoku鈥檚 athletic talents and ability to spread the joy of water sports to countless cultures, it doesn鈥檛 hesitate to remind viewers that the Duke鈥檚 acceptance among white, Western cultures around the world didn鈥檛 come without episodes of prejudice.

In 1911, after word of a gifted Hawaiian swimmer reached mainland America, the Amateur Athletic Union arranged for a race to determine if Kahanamoku was as good as rumor had it. At Honolulu Harbor, Kahanamoku swam a 100-yard sprint in just a touch over 55 seconds, smashing the world record at the time. Despite his incredible performance, the AAU refused to accept the result and insisted he travel to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, of all places, for another race. It was on this trip that Kahanamoku first witnessed racial segregation, 鈥渢he antithesis of aloha,鈥� as the film鈥檚 narrator, actor Jason Mamoa, says. 鈥淎s a man of color, whatever unease he felt, Duke likely kept it in his heart,鈥� he continues, referring to the Hawaiian phrase Mahape a ale walaua鈥斺�淒on鈥檛 talk, keep it in your heart.鈥�

Facing cold water and competing in an indoor pool for the first time, Kahanamoku鈥檚 first swim ended in failure, but he soon rebounded, traveling in 1912 to Stockholm to compete in the Summer Olympics alongside Native American Olympian Jim Thorpe. Both men set records and proudly won gold for the country that had taken so much from their people.

Aside from telling the underappreciated story of the father of modern surfing, Waterman is also an invitation to future surf filmmakers to be unafraid of tackling the thornier cultural stories that abound in the globally popular sport. That鈥檚 exactly what Los Angeles鈥揵ased filmmaker Corey McLean has accomplished in his new film听, now streaming online on and . It鈥檚 about a group of Cuban surfers fighting to get their government to sanction surfing as an official sport.

In the wake of the Cuban refugee crisis of the 1980s and 鈥�90s, the nation鈥檚 government essentially banned water activities as a way to dissuade people from fleeing. Apparently, police viewed surfboards as watercraft sufficient enough for escape. Over the course of many years, McLean follows a Cuban surfer named Frank, who, despite living in a country not known for having good waves (an unfair听criticism, as McLean discovers), is a skilled athlete with dreams of representing Cuba in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where surfing made its debut. While Frank chases his competitive hopes鈥攊ncluding a risky trip to a contest in Peru鈥攈is friend Yaya works to build support for surfing in communities around Havana, in an effort to convince the Cuban government to sanction surfing.

It鈥檚 jarring to watch Make or Break and Havana Libre back-to-back. Hardly bankrolled like Formula One drivers, the WSL鈥檚 top competitors are nevertheless showered with free plane tickets, clothing, and enough new surfboards to smash one or two in anger after a bad contest result. Meanwhile, in Cuba, surfers like Frank and Yaya are scouring the beaches for foam pieces from the rafts of unsuccessful migrants to use for homemade surfboards. It鈥檚 heart-wrenching to see them obsessing over American surf magazines that folded years ago and to realize that they must devote huge amounts of their lives to scraping together the necessary materials to build a board that is destroyed without thought by another surfer, just because of a stroke of cultural fate.

But there is also beauty in this gulf, a kind of validation of surfing itself, proof that it鈥檚 a sport that reaches and transforms lives across the spectrum of human experience. (Despite his competitive ambitions, Frank, in fact, is leery of calling surfing a sport, preferring instead to think of it as an art.) So it鈥檚 nice to learn in the credits that Havana Libre was made with support from WSL Studios. While it produced some duds, clearly the initiative was able to help discover and support surf filmmakers creating stories with complexity and worth. Who will step in to keep this positive trend alive?

The post 鈥楳ake or Break鈥� Uses the 鈥楧rive to Surive鈥� Formula to Examine Pro Surfing appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Una Razon para Pescar, from 听补苍诲 , follows Miami tarpon fisherman Dan Diez听as he explores how the sport is woven into his blood and family鈥檚 history as Cuban immigrants.

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Whether due to expensive flights, high exchange rates, or steep on-the-ground expenses, there are some places in the world that always seem unattainable to penny-pinching travelers. But with enough planning, the willingness to jump on bargain flights as soon as you see them,听补苍诲 the flexibility to听fly听to or from airports that are less convenient, even pricey destinations are doable on the smallest of budgets. Not only that, but 2020 is seeing more affordable international fares than ever before听as airlines add new routes in a battle for dominance.听We tapped a network of adventure travelers, as well as听Scott Keyes, founder of the travel-deals newsletter , for the听20 adventure locales to keep both your days and wallet full this year.

Go Because the Flights Are Cheap

China

This will be a big year听for adventure travel to China, as the country plans to open a handful of new and overhauled national parks modeled after the United States鈥� own system. (.)听One of the most anticipated is Giant Panda National Park, which will connect dozens of reserves in the central Qinling Mountains听to provide a unified, protected area for the animals. China has also been investing in high-speed bullet trains (a cheaper alternative to regional flights) from major cities to popular provinces; two听such options听are听the Shanghai-to-Chengdu line (from $39.50), which passes through Qinling, and the Hangzhou-to-Huangshan line听in the east (from $17.23), a region听famed for its misted peaks. According to flight-search site , the lowest-priced round-trip tickets from Los Angeles to Beijing in March currently cost about $300 round-trip, so keep your eyes peeled for deals like this throughout the year.

Japan

No matter what your priorities听are in an active vacation, Japan can accommodate them. There are epic thru-hikes that trace ancient pilgrimage routes, like the 559-mile Michinoku Coastal Trail in the northeast; stunning rock formations along the north-central听coast that can be explored by kayak, such as those found in San鈥檌n Kaigan听National Geopark;听补苍诲 an abundance of public hot springs you can access for less than $15 (including ). An increase in international routes from Asian carriers听has听driven down ticket prices: Scott鈥檚 Cheap Flights and find fares as low as $300 to $400 round-trip from the West Coast and even cities such as New York鈥攚hich is $1,000 below average. Once you鈥檙e there, stay in pod hostels, where beds are tucked away into cubbies to offer more privacy than a standard bunk room, or camp at one of 3,000 sites in more than 30 national parks. Fill up for cheap by sticking to $5 bowls of ramen and udon, conveyor-belt sushi, or street foods. If you plan to travel between cities, invest in a听 pass, which starts at $271 for seven days of unlimited travel.听

Kenya

Thanks to more flight connections from European hubs like Paris and Amsterdam, it鈥檚 becoming increasingly听affordable to travel to this East African nation. In 2019, Scott鈥檚 Cheap Flights found fares as low as $557 between Nairobi and cities like New York, San Francisco, and Chicago. Safaris typically top the list of highlights here, but for something different, head for the coast. You鈥檒l find spectacular beaches like those at Watamu Marine National Park and Reserve, 90 miles north of Mombasa, known for its thriving turtle population听补苍诲 Gedi Ruins, an abandoned city believed to have formed during the 13th century. Stay in a shorefront听hut or sleep out听at 听(from $29), a nonprofit that supports the surrounding community.听Diani Beach, three hours south by car and听also a short hop from Mombasa, puts you in a great position to access both stunning coral reefs for diving and snorkeling and nearby land-based adventure hubs for hiking and safaris. Its affordable and plentiful boutique resorts will make you think you鈥檙e in Tulum, Mexico鈥攂ut the beach scene here is far more low-key.听

Malaysia

Ocean lovers should search for flight deals to Kuala Lumpur, where you can access incredible islands听for world-class scuba diving and snorkeling. , for example, has a huge concentration of sea turtles and uncrowded reefs鈥攋ust 120 are issued per day, spread out among resorts on nearby islands and dive outfitters licensed to guide tourists. Bunks cost less than $20, and dive packages start from $175 at backpacker-focused hostels like and . With round-trip flights from New York in February currently starting around $500, and eight international airports across the country, it鈥檚 possible to hit the city听补苍诲 island-hop from there with ease. It鈥檚听worth spending a long layover in the capital, though, thanks to an incredible food scene and cultural attractions such as the Batu Caves, which house a temple and several Hindu shrines. Kuala Lumpur also makes a great starting point on a larger Southeast Asia itinerary: according to听Scott鈥檚 Cheap Flights, you can regularly find sub-$100 round-trip tickets to Singapore;听Phuket, Thailand; and Bali, Indonesia.

South Africa

Now is a good time to visit South Africa if high flight costs have been your barrier to going on a safari. Dollar Flight Club predicts that you鈥檒l be able to find round-trip flights from major U.S. cities to Johannesburg as low as $550 in 2020, especially between February and April, the ideal shoulder season for good weather, lower prices, and smaller crowds. A more affordable alternative to flying into Cape Town, Johannesburg is also a cheaper place to spend the night while you鈥檙e waiting for that bush plane听to a nearby game reserve: the 46-room Hallmark House, one of the city鈥檚 trendier hotels, starts at $59. At听nearby Kruger National Park, you鈥檒l find animals such as lions, leopards, and zebras,听along with听safari outfitters that range in price and trip duration. From Johannesburg, hop on a $40-to-$60 flight to Cape Town to snorkel with seals, peep at penguins, and scale Table Mountain.

South Korea

For an even more affordable alternative to Japan, head to South Korea, which has just as many natural wonders and sites within easy reach of its urban centers. , just 45 minutes south of Seoul by subway, offers听challenging hikes and . The island of Jeju, with its massive surf breaks and Hallasan Mountain, the country鈥檚 highest peak, is听four hours from the capital by ferry.听With Seoul as your base camp, check in to one of the hostels in听Hongdae, a vibrant neighborhood that caters to students from the nearby arts college. Scott鈥檚 Cheap Flights found deals from Los Angeles to Seoul under $500 round-trip in 2019 and expects to see even more bargains in 2020, thanks to Delta moving its Asian hub from Tokyo to Seoul.

Go for the听Favorable Exchange Rate

Canada

Canada has always been easy to get to from the U.S., since it鈥檚 a doable road trip from many major cities in the northern states. Plus, a current exchange rate of about one U.S. dollar听to 1.3 Canadian听dollars makes it a solid budget destination. British Columbia and the Banff and Lake Louise area of Alberta typically get all the fame, but the far east is also full of adventure. Quebec has the 65-mile听, which you can paddle in the summer and cross-country ski when it鈥檚 frozen in winter. Right off mainland Newfoundland, kayakers and canoers can island-hop for several days of camping in Fortune Harbor. The favorable exchange rate also means you can splurge on a luxury adventure, like heli-skiing in Whistler, British Columbia鈥攁 day with starts around $575 per person for a group of four. Compare that to $1,190 per person for heli drops with in southwestern Colorado.

Chile and Argentina

It鈥檚 never a bad time to hit Patagonia, but Dollar Flight Club predicts that tickets from major U.S. cities to Santiago and Buenos Aires could bottom out around $600 round-trip in 2020. On top of that,听the Argentine peso has听plummeted against the dollar in the past couple of years鈥攐ur buying power there, currently at about one dollar听to 60 pesos,听is now three times what it was two years ago听补苍诲 nearly six times what it was at the end of 2014. For the second year in a row, the path of totality for the will pass through both countries on December 14. But this year comes with an extra bonus: the eclipse will occur in the middle of the Geminid meteor shower. Consider watching from a campsite at听 in Chile鈥檚 Lake District; main attractions include听the active 9,340-foot Villarrica and 12,388-foot Lan铆n volcanoes, the latter of which straddles the Argentinean border. Staunch eclipse chasers are known to book out hotels years in advance, so find lodging as soon as possible if you plan to join the totality craze.

Colombia

Yes, it鈥檚 safe to visit Colombia, and 2020 is the perfect time to go. It鈥檚 not yet overflowing with tourists; large swaths of backcountry, previously unwise to visit due to threats of听violence, are now accessible for hiking;听补苍诲听money听goes far there, even in the big cities of Bogot谩, Medell铆n, and Cartagena.听One dollar yields about 3,300 Colombian pesos, around the cost of a beer. Medell铆n makes a great base camp for exploring the colorful rural towns around the mountains of Antioquia, like Jard铆n, where hiking and locally grown coffee abound. For backpacking treks, aim for one of the country鈥檚 many 辫谩谤补尘辞蝉, otherworldly ecosystems high in the Andes where frailejones, low-growing trees that look a bit like giant pineapples, sprout out of the marshy ground like a scene from The Lorax. Bus travel around Colombia is often under $10 each way, and domestic flights can cost less than $50 round-trip, so it鈥檚 easy to explore several cities over a week or two. Flights to Bogot谩听from major Florida airports start around $188 round-trip, according to Skyscanner.

Cuba

Even though the Trump administration has limited travel to Cuba, it鈥檚 still , and this year will be especially great for folks traveling on a budget. In anticipation of a , many Cubans are currently buying American dollars on the black market in hopes of protecting their assets against potential devaluing. Because of that, the dollar now . From Havana, head west to Las Terrazas, a relatively little-known Unesco听Biosphere Reserve on the same bus route as the touristy and mountainous town of Vi帽ales. The reserve鈥檚 lush forests are home to the cascading Ba帽os del San Juan, a picturesque set of swimming holes you can hike to. If beaches are more your speed, try Matanzas, an alternative to the nearby resort hot spot of Varadero, where you can snorkel among coral reefs from relatively empty strands. Rooms on Airbnb run under $30 a night throughout the country, but just ask around for a casa particular once you arrive;听marked with official signs, they鈥檙e essentially an analog, government-regulated Airbnb where Cuban families make extra money by renting out rooms in their homes.

Mexico

The bustling urban center of Mexico City, home to nearly nine听million people, is extremely cosmopolitan, with stunning architecture, leafy听parks, and truly world-class restaurants. Come for the tacos鈥� will take you on a spectacular walking tour of the best taquerias and mezcal bars in the hip听neighborhoods of Roma and Condesa (from $100)鈥攂ut stay for the surrounding mountains, forests, and ruins. Just an hour northeast of the capital听are the giant pyramids of Teotihuac谩n, whose architects are still a mystery. About two hours southwest from the urban sprawl, you鈥檒l find Nevado de Toluca National Park, home to Mexico鈥檚 fourth-tallest peak, a 15,400-foot extinct volcano of the same name. And in Valle de Bravo, two hours west of Mexico City, Lake Av谩ndaro and its surrounding jungle are听adventure playgrounds filled with singletrack for bikers, wind for kitesurfers, and thermals for paragliders. Travel between cities is also easy and affordable, with long-distance bus tickets still under 560 pesos ($30). Not to mention, buses typically have seats that resemble easy chairs, which feel simply luxurious compared to American Greyhounds.

Go for the Free and Low-Cost Outdoor 国产吃瓜黑料s

Alaska

If finding more peace and quiet is on your list of New Year鈥檚 resolutions, a trip to Alaska might be just what you鈥檙e after. Alaska has some of our largest and least-visited national parks, where you鈥檙e unlikely to run into other people. Gates of the Arctic National Park, for example, saw less than 10,000 visitors across its 8.4 million mountainous acres in 2018. Part of that is because the park has no roads鈥攖he easiest way in is by air taxi鈥攂ut if you鈥檝e got time and a small budget, you can听 or the Dalton Highway. While the barrier to exploring the 49th state has traditionally been the high cost of traveling there, that鈥檚 changing quickly. Alaska and Delta Airlines are currently duking it out to be the top carrier to cities in the last frontier. In 2019, Scott鈥檚 Cheap Flights saw fares as low as $154 from Seattle to Anchorage听补苍诲 round-trip tickets from Minneapolis, Detroit, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, for under $350. If you don鈥檛 live near one of those cities, you may still be able to save on flights by booking a separate ticket from your hometown to an Alaska or Delta Airlines hub such as Los Angeles or Seattle.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica is the ultimate destination for budget travelers. There鈥檚 an abundance of round-trip flights from major U.S. cities as low as $200, the exchange rate is favorable, and a huge variety of outdoor adventures there are free or low-cost. Many national parks have fees of less than $15 per day, including Monteverde Cloud Forest, a three-hour drive northwest of听San Jos茅, home to 2.5 percent of the world鈥檚 biodiversity. Another three hours north is La Fortuna, a well-known adventure hub whose crown jewel is Arenal Volcano. The area is full of zip lining, natural hot springs, and hiking trails that incorporate suspended pedestrian bridges, like those at . Costa Rica also has pristine beaches and coral reefs for snorkeling and scuba diving, not to mention lots of opportunities to see wildlife in its many different ecosystems. Head to for a chance to spot breaching whales and dolphins, then take a water taxi to , where sea turtles nest on protected shores.

England to Italy听

You鈥檝e almost certainly heard of Spain鈥檚 Camino de Santiago, a roughly 500-mile journey from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. But the 1,240-mile , which passes through idyllic British, French, Swiss, and Italian towns, is far less crowded. In 2015, 25,000 people hiked this ancient trade route that extends from Canterbury, England, to Rome, which is a quarter of the number of hikers on the Camino every year. If you only want to do a few days, choose the Tuscan part. You鈥檒l walk听or bike along rolling hills and past听small towns with restaurants that serve unbeatable local wine, cheese, and charcuterie. The trail itself is free and does not require a guide, and the Via Francigena European Association offers an of hostels and hotels along the trail that offer听discounts for walkers. If you prefer to have someone else handle the logistics, however, runs self-guided tours, ranging from $164 for two nights听补苍诲 up to $5,826 for 50 nights, that cover the entire 400-plus mile听Italian stretch of the route, with breakfast and luggage transfers between each hotel.

Jordan

If you think of Jordan as a barren desert, you鈥檝e got it all wrong. The 400-mile Jordan Trail extends the length of the country from the northern town of Umm Qais, dotted with hot springs and oak forests, to the southern tip of Aqaba, on the shores of the Red Sea. Some of the more iconic sections pass through Wadi Rum鈥攁 classic desert landscape, complete with camels鈥攁nd the ancient city of Petra, which is all the more stunning when you鈥檝e arrived there on foot. It鈥檚 easy and safe to do the trek without a guide, with providing detailed information about each leg. If you prefer to go with a crew, the organization holds an 鈥攖his year鈥檚 runs from March 6 to April 18. You can join for one or up to eight regional sections听or do the whole thing. The trek includes听all meals and accommodations at homestays and serviced campsites (starting at $3,150). If you go on your own, plan a trip for winter, early spring, or fall, as summer temperatures can be unbearable starting in May.

Kyrgyzstan

This mountainous nation is largely under the radar for U.S. tourists, but its national park system is worth exploring. According to , flights to Bishkek start around $650 from New York, and once you get there, you can all but put away your wallet. Bus travel within the country is quite cheap, and you don鈥檛 need a guide to hike in the country鈥檚 national parks. Journal of Nomads, a blog that also , offers an听 to trekking there, including detailed information on the costs of public and private transportation. One highlight backpackers should consider is a听 in the country鈥檚 northeast, with powder-blue waters at 11,600 feet. Along the way, you鈥檒l find hot springs, dramatic mountain views, and virtually no tourists. Alpine weather is unpredictable year-round, but the summer months are best for hiking to avoid blizzard conditions at high altitude.

New Mexico

Of course we鈥檙e partial to 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 home state, but it鈥檚 an objective fact that New Mexico is underrated. Its northern neighbor Colorado might receive all the glory鈥攁nd more than twice as many tourists鈥攚ith its 14,000-foot peaks and international ski destinations, but New Mexico is full of landscapes that you wouldn鈥檛 expect to find in the Southwest. Road trips here can incorporate the pristine gypsum dunes of the nation鈥檚 newest national park听at White Sands, near the state鈥檚 southeastern border, the lava fields of Valley of Fires Recreation Area, the formations of Carlsbad Caverns, and the sunken pools of Bottomless Lakes State Park. Ghost towns and natural hot springs are dotted throughout the state, as are ancient ruins like those the Ancestral Pueblo people left behind at Bandelier National Monument. There鈥檚 also great skiing, with affordable lift tickets beneath 13,000 foot summits at resorts such as Ski Santa Fe and Taos Ski Valley. Thanks to its varied terrain and dry climate, the weather is palatable year-round, but spring and fall are the best times to go to avoid hot temperatures. Inexpensive hostels, National Park Service campgrounds, and an abundance of national-forest and Bureau of Land Management areas make it a cheap place to road-trip for a few days or a few weeks.

Puerto Rico

As a U.S. territory, Puerto Rico is an easy trip for U.S. citizens who want to feel like they鈥檙e going abroad without really leaving home. While some areas are still recovering from the 2017 hurricane and recent , there are plenty of adventure-filled destinations surrounding San Juan that are up and running. In December, Spirit Airlines announced it will expand its daily nonstop flights to the capital, with new routes from Boston starting in February and additional daily flights from Philadelphia;听Baltimore;听Newark, New Jersey; and Orlando, Florida. Once you鈥檙e there, rent a car听for under $15 a day and tour听the island鈥檚 many natural wonders, such as , the only tropical rainforest in the national forest system. From there听drive听the 45 minutes to Ceiba and take a to smaller islands like Vieques and Culebra for scuba diving. Or听head to La Parguera, a two-hour trip southwest from San Juan, to experience听one of the country鈥檚 famous bioluminescent bays, which glow blue at night when you paddle or swim through them.听

Go for These Bargain-Basement Tour Deals

Antarctica

OK, we know: Antarctica is not budget friendly, no matter how you slice it. But relative to what it can typically cost to visit this听end of the earth, you can find steals if you can drop everything and book a trip right now. and , for example, are both offering last-minute sales for some of their February cruises at up to 50 percent off if you book by January 15. The most economical option still available from Quark Expeditions is its听11-day departing from Buenos Aires, which starts around $7,300 per person (compared to usual prices of $9,500 to $10,500)听for a twin bunk. Peregrine鈥檚 ten-day听 departing from Ushuaia, Argentina, has triple bunk rooms starting at $6,900 per person, 50 percent below the typical cost.听Both Scott鈥檚 Cheap Flights and Dollar Flight Club have identified Buenos Aires as a hub for bargain flights next year. Need some time to save up? Keep an eye on end-of-year promotions for Antarctica travel in late 2020 and early 2021.

The Azores

This听set of nine volcanic islands off Portugal is听easier than ever to get to thanks to an听increase in flights from the United States (think: fares like $340 round-trip听from Boston without lifting a finger to hunt for deals). It鈥檚 inexpensive once you get there, too, especially since the island鈥檚 main draws are hiking trails and natural hot springs like Caldeira Velha, where iron-rich water tumbles into the kinds of scenic pools you鈥檇 expect to find in Hawaii. For a real bargain, check out听, where you can regularly find travel packages under $600 per person, including round-trip flights from the U.S. and five nights of lodging. Or, if you鈥檇 rather go on your own, stretch your budget further by booking with , which allows you a free stopover of up to five days in Lisbon or Porto.

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In the past three years, I鈥檝e visited Palestine, Cuba, and Mexico (five times), and I鈥檓 currently living in Medell铆n, Colombia. Each time I told friends and family I was headed off to visit these countries, I heard the same set of questions: Is that safe? Aren鈥檛 you scared? Didn鈥檛 (insert bad thing from recent New York Times headline here)听just happen?

Most of us probably already know, at least logically, that we are far more likely to get injured crossing the street in our hometowns than we are to end up in international headlines as the tourist victim of some heinous crime or disaster. Yet that can be hard to remember when we鈥檙e planning trips, reading the news, and hearing the concern in loved ones鈥� voices. Pending where we intend to go, there are sometimes real risks to consider, from seasonal disasters like hurricanes to political upheaval and violent protests. But how do we know when the news is played up for the clickbait听补苍诲 when it鈥檚 a warning that should be heeded? That鈥檚 a hard question to answer. So I asked Phil Sylvester, director of communications for the adventure travel insurance company , for some guidelines.

Reference a Map

When five people were killed and five others injured in a nighclub shooting , Sylvester dug into the details to determine whether travelers were at risk. The first thing he did was find the club on a map. 鈥淎ll the headlines were, 鈥楪ang Shootout in Holiday Hot Spot in Canc煤n,鈥� but they were actually three to four miles away from the hotels, in a dodgy area of downtown where tourists have no reason to go,鈥� Sylvester said. Oftentimes听we associate these incidents with the destination as a whole, when that kind of logic doesn鈥檛 make sense. To keep things in perspective: the same could be said for many places in the U.S. that see comparable crime rates, but those reports rarely听deter tourists from visiting other parts of the country. So look at a map to determine where you鈥檙e听heading in relation to the any recently reported danger and its geographical scope. A one-off event in a shady neighborhood听may not warrant a cancelled trip, though a听citywide demonstration听might.

Ask a Local

Sylvester also suggests checking with听a local for information. Say you鈥檙e planning to visit听Indonesia听补苍诲 a typhoon rips through a few weeks before your flight. Headlines might make it sound like everything is either destroyed, shut down, or temporarily closed for business. That doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean you shouldn鈥檛 go. First call the hotel where you鈥檙e planning to stay, or reach out to your Airbnb host and ask for details about the situation. Better yet, find someone unaffiliated with a business鈥攁 writer, an artist, or a friend of a friend based there听who can shed light on what the circumstances are听actually like.

I did exactly this two years ago, after an earthquake hit Mexico City听just a couple of weeks before my planned trip there. Articles in American听newspapers made it seem like the neighborhood of La Roma, where I was scheduled to stay, had been leveled. But I contacted听my Airbnb host, who reassured me that her building was safe and undamaged听补苍诲 that local stores听were open. I fell in love with Mexico City on that trip and have since returned three more times. In cases like these, tourism dollars can help communities rebuild after natural disasters.

Check State Department Advisories

The State Department鈥檚听 are also an important resource for determining what the risks are in visiting any particular country, but be aware that these designations tend to err on the side of caution and generalizations. Let鈥檚 use Mexico as an example again. On the same trip I took after the earthquake, I also visited Lake P谩tzcuaro, 224 miles west of Mexico City, and many of the small towns along its shores听for D铆a de听Muertos, or听Day of the Dead. The city of P谩tzcuaro is often lauded as one of the most beautiful听places to go for the event, due to its authentic celebrations that take place in the traditional cemeteries in towns surrounding the lake.听I had such a great experience that I returned again last year. But I later discovered that the state P谩tzcuaro is located in, Michoac谩n, has a level-four听鈥淒o Not Travel鈥� State Department advisory. Even though I saw no evidence of violent crime while I was there, these specific听advisories should be taken seriously. When U.S. government employees are prohibited from traveling somewhere, their ability to help you in the event of an emergency of any kind can be extremely limited.

Get Scrappy with Your Research

Before I started focusing on writing about travel and outdoor adventure, I spent a few years as a newspaper reporter, including a stint on the nighttime crime beat at the Gazette in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I always knew what was going on in the city, and I grew to understand that violent crime is rarely random. It usually happens between people who already know each other.

When I moved to Medell铆n听a few weeks ago, I was curious about what kind of crimes still happen here, especially听since it has finally shed its title of murder capital of the world.听I found a blog that analyzed murder statistics over the past ten听years听补苍诲 broke them down by the nature of the crimes. In 1990, the murder rate was 375 per 100,000 people; today听it鈥檚 25. That鈥檚 still a lot, but it doesn鈥檛 inherently mean that tourists are in peril. Between 2007 and 2017, 37 foreigners were killed in Medell铆n, . Of those 12, it appears that more than half either fought back during a robbery or were engaging in drug trafficking or sex crimes. Not random.

If You Do Go, Be Smart

As听long as you behave like you normally would in your own country鈥攍ike steering clear of sketchy areas after dark, keeping your wits about you, adhering to听local laws, and avoiding flashing wads of cash or听traveling to actual war zones or clearly problematic听areas鈥攇enerally speaking, your chances of being in danger are remarkably low. 鈥淲ithout thinking about it, we behave in a certain way in our home cities and hometowns听to make sure we don鈥檛 get ourselves into trouble,鈥� Sylvester said. 鈥淣ot that Sydney [where he lives] is a particularly violent city, but there are certain places I wouldn鈥檛 go at night. So why would I do that in a foreign city?鈥� Of course, deciding to travel anywhere should be an informed decision. It鈥檚 no longer enough to trust a single source of information, so take the appropriate steps to determine what the reality is听before canceling a flight or abandoning a dream destination. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really hard [for a country] to get a bad reputation听补苍诲 even harder to lose it,鈥� Sylvester said.

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Since launching in 2016, has attracted more than 55,000 and many more website visitors who come for destination-specific advice on responsible travel, about traveling as people of color, and humorous rants about oblivious tourist practices鈥攍ike thoughtless geotagging or only staying in resorts where a visitor won鈥檛 interact with any real culture. For its creator, Hawaiian-born, 30-year-old Kiona (who prefers to keep her last name off the record), the blog is much more than a travel-influencer account. It鈥檚 become a multichannel brand and a full-time job. Kiona, who is of Korean and Austrian descent and is based in Austin, Texas, now leads paid educational trips for her followers in Cuba, co-runs a managing Airbnbs that are paired with ethically minded experiences, and hosts the How Not to Travel , which launched this month.

Even before Kiona adopted it for her brand, the term had become a part of the as a reference to women, predominantly white, who tend to like and wear the same stereotypical things, like Uggs. Since then, it has been the subject of memes, feminist criticism, and self-descriptors aplenty. But Kiona isn鈥檛 using the phrase to levy insults about what it represents; she鈥檚 using it as a lighthearted way to talk about serious issues in travel. She is quick to point out that traveling like a basic bitch has nothing to do with liking pumpkin-spice lattes. She employs the term to describe people who visit new places but insulate themselves from connections with those who live there, who disregard how locals are affected by tourists鈥� decisions, or who don鈥檛 bother to appreciate the history and culture in front of them. 鈥淚鈥檝e thought a million times about changing the name,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut I realized it attracts certain people鈥攖hose who engage with humor and don鈥檛 take themselves too seriously.鈥�

In 2016, Kiona took a trip to Cuba, then posted a guide to the country on Facebook. After seeing the positive reaction, she decided to start a dedicated travel blog. Things have since grown exponentially. These days, Kiona mostly interacts with her audience on Instagram. She pairs typical travel-influencer imagery鈥攃olorful shots of her, stylishly dressed, on far-flung city streets and beaches鈥攚ith lengthy captions full of statistics, history, and thoughts on race, socioeconomics, and other dynamics. Led with all-caps titles, her posts are essays in their own right. Some explain how to travel more conscientiously, like 鈥�,鈥� which outlines respectful ways for nonindigenous travelers to interact with New Mexico鈥檚 indigenous spaces. Others spotlight people she meets, such as 鈥�,鈥� about a Chinese-Cuban man who maintains an archive of historical documents for the country鈥檚 Chinese community. In some captions, Kiona shares personal experiences that speak to the politics of travel or just how we treat each other online, like 鈥�,鈥� and 鈥�,鈥� about how social-media comments affect mental health. Her captions are rendered with self-awareness and humor鈥攈er point, with each, is that everyone has their own basic-bitch tendencies, including herself.

Every time she gains 1,000 followers, she鈥檒l post a butt-centric bikini photo of herself, along with a reminder that 鈥渁 woman in a bikini can still have brains, ambition, goals, finesse AND post her ass at the same time.鈥� These shots encompass a lot of what makes Kiona鈥檚 philosophy stand apart in the age of the travel influencer. She鈥檚 a woman who earned four degrees鈥攕he has a BA in sports medicine, two master鈥檚 degrees, in nutritional epidemiology and statistics, and a Ph.D. in nutritional sciences鈥攂ut fights back against the stodgy professionalism of academia and tries to increase access to education, in travel and beyond. 鈥淕etting your Ph.D. teaches you that you don鈥檛 really know anything,鈥� she says.

At the same time, the ass shots poke a little fun at influencer culture, which is rife with sponsored content and the practice of doing anything for the 鈥檊ram. That鈥檚 because Kiona is a travel influencer who has no time for the politics of being a travel influencer. This includes rejecting most sponcon outright鈥攕he pays for all her travel through money she earns from her Airbnb collaboration, her paid tours, and from being a freelance sports medic. She also has no time for people who think her bikini pics exist only to gain followers or hide a lack of substance. 鈥淭his here ass shot is for all the people who think I post my butt for any other reason than myself and cause I have one,鈥� reads a recent caption.

All this has endeared her to people as a very charismatic lead of a platform that she鈥檇 like to keep focused on everyone else. 鈥淚t鈥檚 turned into passing the mic [to locals] and listening to what they have to say,鈥� she says. Kiona makes a point of directing her followers to other travel accounts run by people who can speak to traveling as members of marginalized groups, such as those from indigenous or LGBTQ+ communities or those facing body-image issues. She鈥檚 most proud of takeover posts, where she asks locals, like an () or a (), to explain what you need to know before visiting their country.

As her following has grown, Kiona has had to create more boundaries with social media. 鈥淎t 10,000 followers, I realized I have to be more intentional,鈥� she says. 鈥淎t 50,000 followers, I was like, this is next-level, and I can鈥檛 put so much of myself into it.鈥� She no longer shares personal information about her love life or family members, for instance.

Four years into running Basic Bitch, she鈥檚 starting to shift her focus. 鈥淚 actually want to move off Instagram,鈥� she says. 鈥淢y goal is to create video lessons that stream on their own platform, like a Netflix of education.鈥� Her focus has always been on education, not just related to travel. For example, she wants to hire teachers who can explain to entrepreneurial viewers how to start a business or file their own taxes. 鈥淭hose are all the things I鈥檝e had to learn on my own just to get where I am,鈥� she says. It鈥檚 a natural extension to the mission of Basic Bitch鈥攕mart, useful information, presented in a way that鈥檚 deliberately low-key. Kiona emphasizes that combination of intellect and fun, because she鈥檚 often fought what people think of her based on how she presents鈥攕he never dressed or spoke to play the part of an academic. 鈥淲hat drove me to create this lane is that I realized there were no lanes for me to fit in,鈥� she says. 鈥淚f people have defined me or my work ethic based on my appearance or how they think of me, I鈥檒l just have to create where I belong.鈥�

Now she鈥檚 created a community that鈥檚 getting bigger by the day and rallying around an increasingly clear philosophy: being a good traveler means being curious and thoughtful. 鈥淚鈥檓 generally interested in people鈥檚 lives,鈥� Kiona said when asked what has made her travel experiences so positive. 鈥淚鈥檝e always been a collaborative human being.鈥� When we spoke in October, Kiona was in Cuba, the place that kick-started her website in 2016. She鈥檇 learned enough to know that there had once been a thriving Chinatown in the country, but wondered, 鈥淲here are all the Chinese people?鈥� So she started asking those who lived there. By the time we spoke, she鈥檇 worked on a documentary about Cuba鈥檚 Chinese community with Chinese-American filmmaker Jalena Keane-Lee, to premiere in 2020. She鈥檇 also spoken with Cuba鈥檚 minister of culture about a potential festival for the country鈥檚 oft-overlooked Asian population.

This, like all the big things still in store for Kiona, seemed like a natural result of her savvy and willingness to learn. 鈥淢y top advice right now for how not to travel like a basic bitch is to listen without the intent to respond,鈥� she says. 鈥淲ith travel, we鈥檙e not necessarily meant to speak all the time.鈥�

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Saving for a trip is often made to sound easy: skip听a latte every week, and before you know it, you鈥檙e halfway to Patagonia. But anyone who鈥檚 tried to squirrel away more than a few bucks here and there knows it takes a lot more discipline to accumulate significant reserves.

That鈥檚 bad news for those of us (read: everyone) who don鈥檛 have time to toil away at Excel spreadsheets, or who get anxiety from just looking at our bank accounts. Luckily听there are tools that do the hard work for you. For the past few years, I鈥檝e used a combination of savings, investment, and budgeting apps to put aside thousands of dollars to pay off my student loans, quit my job to write freelance full time, and fund a life of adventure.

My obsession started when I stumbled upon the Qapital app in late 2016, after emptying all but a few hundred bucks from my bank account to pay off a student loan. The timing couldn鈥檛 have been worse: I鈥檇 recently booked a trip to听Cuba, where you need cash for 别惫别谤测迟丑颈苍驳鈥�I couldn鈥檛 put expenses on a credit card and pay it off with the next paycheck. Qapital, which transfers money into a separate account based on parameters you set, held me accountable toward听spending less than usual on everyday treats, so I鈥檇 have money for on-the-ground purchases. In conjunction with freelancing on the side of my full-time editorial job, closely monitoring my savings goals, and cutting back on splurges, the app helped me put aside more than $10,000 in less than a year.

From then on, I was hooked. I now have a set of apps that helps me cut down on frivolous purchases, earn cash back on necessities, and track my spending.

Qapital

听is the easiest听set-it-and-forget-it savings app I use. It transfers money into an external account based on rules you create yourself, which can be as simple as 鈥渞ound up to the nearest $1鈥� every time you swipe a credit card or as elaborate as putting aside $5 toward a donation to charity whenever you splurge on Starbucks. To make the stakes even higher, sync it up with the app (If This, Then That),听 which uses real-life cause and effect scenarios to deposit a set amount to your Qapital account every time a specific action occurs.听 I use IFTTT to put aside $1 every time President Trump tweets, which has funded more than one taco-infused adventure to Mexico City. It鈥檚 $3 per month for Qapital鈥檚 basic savings model (additional features, like investment and checking account services, cost up to $12), and IFTTT is free.

Trim

If you have a cell phone, internet, or cable bill, odds are you鈥檙e overpaying for it due to fine-print exceptions like reimbursements for periodic lapses in service.听 鈥檚 bots renegotiate your bills and monitor your internet provider for outages you might not have been aware of, then request refunds on your behalf. The bots log into your accounts and contact customer-service reps posing as you to lower monthly fees and request discounts and refunds. I regularly save about $5 to $20 per month using Trim on my Comcast internet bill alone, even with the app鈥檚 25 percent commission. Trim will also identify all of your recurring monthly subscriptions, so you can see how $5 here and $15 there adds up over a month or听year. You can ask the app to cancel some of these services on your behalf, saving you time, cutting down on your excess spending, and helping you funnel that money directly into savings for travel.

Service

trolls your inbox for flight information and automatically requests refunds or mileage points when you experience a significant delay or cancellation. It will also check for compensation from the previous year鈥檚 flights upon sign up, so you can get cash back even before booking another trip. This is especially useful if you鈥檝e taken a flight from the European Union recently. EU regulations that airlines pay customers up to around $660 for delays and cancellations. On a work trip earlier this year, I got stuck in Stockholm for an extra day because of a late flight. Within a couple weeks, Delta sent me a check for $675, which I immediately dropped into my savings. Service takes 30 percent of what they save you, but it’s well worth it.

Drop

Most of us earn cash back or miles on credit cards for everyday purchases. works similarly, giving users points for every dollar spent at certain stores (such as Trader Joe鈥檚 or Whole Foods) on top of the normal rewards that you receive from your credit-card company. It鈥檚 basically free money that can be redeemed for gift cards, like $100 at American Airlines or $25 at Whole Foods. Points add up slowly if you only accumulate them from daily spending, so browse Drop鈥檚 special offers for bonus points on purchases like online shopping, trials with Hulu or Barkbox, and promos for a wine subscription. You save more money by not spending it, of course, but if you鈥檙e going to shop anyway, it鈥檚 worth checking for deals before making a big purchase. In a little over a year, I鈥檝e accumulated about $235 in Drop points.

Trail Wallet

Small purchases during a trip add up fast鈥攅specially if you fall into the exchange-rate trap, where everything seems cheap compared with听prices back home. That鈥檚 why I use , which records every dollar you spend for a trip, from the moment you book the first flight or Airbnb to the car ride home from the airport. It allows you to log transactions in any currency and converts them to U.S. dollars, offers day-to-day real-time spending reports, and calculates your daily average as you go. Set a daily or overall budget, appoint caps for standard categories like food and lodging, or pick one of your own choosing (I spend too much on coffee). The free version allows for 25 transactions per trip, but I recommend paying the $5 fee for full access. This app helped me stay $200 under budget on a recent trip to听Japan by putting my small buys into perspective. Skipping a souvenir here and there allowed me guilt-free splurges on more expensive meals and higher-quality gifts toward the end of my trip.

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Surf Cuba, from , is a deep dive into听the country鈥檚 surf culture. With so much funding from the communist听government going toward boxing and baseball, it鈥檚 much harder to find surf gear in this听island nation. But its听small community rallies together to share boards and carpool when the waves are good听so they all can experience the joy of riding.

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, from filmmakers and , replicates a common paddling trail taken by Cuban refugees on their way to a better life in the U.S. In the film,听three paddlers鈥擟ochrane,听, and Luke Walker鈥攕ail to Havana in order to kayak 27 hours all the way back to Key West, Florida.

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is Spanish for 鈥渢he bad way.鈥澨鼴ut it鈥檚 also the name of听a bikepacking trail through Cuba, documented here by听cyclist and filmmaker .

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