July 18, 2025 • 21 mins
Linda King, the founder of The Smart Travelista, shares her secrets to traveling in style while keeping your budget intact. Discover pro tips on finding affordable accommodations, dining delicacies on a dime, and maximizing experiences without breaking the bank. Tune in to learn how to enjoy luxurious travel experiences for less, allowing you to explore more of the world while saving money!
Listen on Podbean:
https://brainworkframework.podbean.com/
Connect with Linda King:
Company Website: https://www.thesmarttravelista.com/
X: https://x.com/the_travelista
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesmartravelista/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thesmartravelista
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thesmartravelista
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thesmartravelista
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thesmartravelista.bsky.social
Connect with Chris Troka:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-troka-3a093058/
Website: https://focused-biz.com/
Website: https://christroka.com/ #brainwork #framework #business #travel #explore #experience #guide #savingmone
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
I think you've gotta beauthentic to yourself.
(00:01):
If you're not, people cansee right through that.
And I've always loved helping people.
That's been what I've done in amost of my career, is help people.
So it comes naturally to me andmy aim for everyone, or my mission
really with the Smart travel, is foreveryone to learn these tips so they
can travel in quality more cheaper,and they can travel the world because
(00:24):
it's such a fabulous experience.
It's so educational and itreally adds value to your life.
So that's what I wouldwant for everyone really.
You are listening to Brainwork Framework,a Business and Marketing podcast,
brought to you by Focused-biz.com.
Welcome back to another episode.
(00:45):
With us today is the founder ofthe Smart travelista, Linda King.
The smart travelista helps those whowant to travel in quality but without
the hefty price take with budgetfriendly prices but not budget quality.
Linda, so excited to have you on.
How are you doing today?
Thank you Chris.
Thanks for the lovely welcome.
It's pleasure being here.
Thank you so much.
We always like to ask ourentrepreneurs about their journey.
(01:05):
What were you doing before that ledyou into what you're doing today?
So I started traveling as a kid.
I was lucky to have that opportunity andonce the travel bug hit me as a kid, I
wanted to get in the travel industry.
So that's what I did.
I became a travel agent at an airlineand worked with them for a while.
Then I moved from where I was born,which was in Sydney, Australia.
(01:29):
As you can tell by my accent andthen moved down to Melbourne,
but the jobs weren't there.
So I decided to pivot and do a differentindustry, which was the banking.
And in between all of that.
I've been traveling the world as you dothen the smart travel lister came about.
I think from my love of travel and alsolove of money, everyone loves money.
(01:49):
If we're honest with ourselves, moneygives us a lot of opportunities,
especially to travel and do other things.
So the smart travel list cameabout because of those two loves.
And also just questions I was gettingfrom other travelers and I realized
that I had a lot of knowledge andpotentially tips that I could give people.
(02:11):
For me they're just commonsense or automatic because I've
been doing them for so long.
But for other people,they may only be new.
So that's how it all came about.
Wow, that is so cool.
A lot of our entrepreneurs shareabout how it was kind of a seedling
of solving a problem that theyhad themselves or felt like that
information would be helpful to others.
(02:31):
And for me, I don't travel often enoughto really know the ins and outs and tips
and tricks and I think that preventsme from wanting to travel a bit more.
But tell me more about your contentjourney, because you have a website, you
have a YouTube channel, you're postingthis content to Tell me how that vision
kind of came together and how contentmarketing is working for you right now.
That's interesting.
I had a conversation a fewyears ago with someone who was
(02:54):
highly experienced in marketing.
It was just the beginning of my journey.
I think it was probably the first podcastthat I've ever been on and he questioned
me and said, so you've written this book.
Do you have a website?
Are you doing blogging?
And these things were goingaround in my brain and I really
didn't know how to start.
But after that pivotalconversation with a fabulous man.
(03:17):
I thought, you know what?
I don't have a website.
I don't have a blog.
I need to be getting these things.
Obviously I was starting with writingthe books and I built my website.
I knew nothing about building websitesand I think along the time I've
just learned more and improve thecontent I've always been writing and
I think as you do is you're right, you getbetter because you're doing more of it.
(03:39):
As far as the marketing, I experimentedprobably like a lot of business owners,
what fits well with me, what works.
Obviously I'm talking to you now on apodcast but I've done other things like.
I think what you've gotta do is you'vegotta investigate and do what's right
for you because it's an ongoing thing.
As an author or even as a business owner,you need to do that continual marketing.
(04:03):
So it's gotta feel naturaland comfortable for you.
My advice would be,
have a go at everything and seewhat resonates with you most and
then continue doing that because youwill go on the long haul with that.
If you're doing things that don't fit wellwith you then you're not gonna do them.
It's so true.
We're not gonna stay committedto something that we just don't
(04:24):
feel confident in the directionor just don't feel good about
doing that type of content.
It's stuck.
It's tough to stayconsistent with that type.
So it's important for you to findsomething that fits well with you.
So for your business, tell me moreabout the business as a whole.
How do people find you, whatservices do you help them with?
Or is it more about thecontent education piece?
I guess how does a clientstart with your business?
(04:48):
So normally people willobviously see the books.
I get feedback, people send meemails after that I put out content.
So I'm trying to put out regular blogs.
I'll do social media, be on podcastsand people reach out to me either by the
website or the social media or email and
(05:10):
I don't really officially helppeople on a paid sort of service.
I have a full-time job.
So this thing with the smarttravel issue is on the side.
Maybe in the future I will domore of that but look at the
moment, I help people for free.
Obviously I have the expertise asa travel agent and people that I've
either collaborated with or I've hadcontact with, will come to me and say.
(05:32):
I'm thinking Paris, can yougive me some recommendations?
Are there some blog posts thatyou've written about that and they
just asked me those sorts of things.
I have been doing a little bit ofthat but I think probably in the
future it'll be a bigger thing.
But as you can imagine with a full-timejob, the time is a little bit limited but
If anyone sends me or reaches out, I'mvery helpful and we'll give them tips.
(05:56):
And I think it's good for relationships.
You do those things.
You give out and obviously a lot ofbusiness owners give out free content.
I think that's a good thing becausepeople get a taste of what you do.
And if they like what you do, then they'remore willing to build that stronger
relationship with you in the future.
I totally agree.
(06:16):
I actually love that you're notfocused on selling a product
or making money from this.
This is, hey, this is gonnabe helpful for people.
It's more of an educationalentertainment piece of it and
it could be monetized later.
But I agree.
Those relationships and conversationsthat you have with others, I think they
bring more benefits than doing some sortof upfront fee for any of the services
'cause now maybe they're willing tolet you stay at their guest house when
(06:39):
they come in or they can hook you upwith some special discounts or bonuses.
So I love that approach to how youkind of build this out for people.
I think, you've gotta be authenticto yourself . If you're not, people
can see right through that andI've always loved helping people.
That's been what I've done inmost of my career is help people.
So it comes naturally to me and my aimfor everyone or my mission really with the
(07:04):
smart travel list is for everyone to learnthese tips so they can travel quality but
more cheaper and they can travel the worldbecause it's such a fabulous experience.
It's so educational and itreally adds value to your life.
So that's what I wouldwant for everyone really.
Absolutely.
And for those of us who have a negativeconnotation about traveling abroad or
(07:28):
at face value, it seems very expensive.
I guess there like a typical budgetrange that we should expect to spend
or maybe here's the craftiest way youcan go to Paris on X amount of money?
I think it depends on thedestination you're talking about.
Chris.
So for instance, for me, becauseof my location in the world, if
I go to Asia, it's very cheap.
(07:49):
So my budget is going to be alot more or I'm not gonna need
as much money, put it that way.
But if I'm going to Europe, wellthat's a different situation.
You don't wanna let the cost of goingsomewhere deter you because there are
ways of getting around the expensive cost.
It's just about the research andknowing when the best times to travel.
(08:14):
So if you can get thatinformation, it gives you a
really good base to be able to go.
I know this is traditionallya really expensive place.
I've built up my miles.
How about if we take the miles and usethat for the airfare automatically?
That's a cost reduction, right?
So there's ways and means of making thecost more affordable and you're gonna
(08:38):
see those luxury, beautiful, nice places.
But it's all about the strategyyou build for yourself.
One, the research and then thestrategy and the plans that
you've got for your travel.
Absolutely.
And speaking of that research, is there agenerally a recommended timeframe of when
people should be booking their vacation?
Plans and ideas because I feel likethe further you book out the higher the
(09:01):
price 'cause you're guaranteeing a date.
And then sometimes when you get alittle bit closer, those prices could
get cheaper but you run the risk oflosing a flight or an available hotel.
Is there typically a recommendedtimeframe that you like to suggest for
people to book their vacation plans?
It depends on what sort of person you are.
Are you a risk taker or areyou more wanna be more stable?
(09:24):
Well said.
Very true.
Yeah.
If you're a risk taker then maybea month out is good for you.
But what I would say, you think it'sgonna be more expensive further out?
You'd be surprised because somehotels will offer you a really
cheaper rate for the accommodation.
But the big rule with thatis it's non-refundable.
(09:47):
So if you can pay more then be ableto cancel at the last minute or you
can pay less but it's non-refundable.
So in a way, it's a bit of a risk eitherway if something happens and you're
in trouble because it's non-refundablebut there are hotels do offer that.
What I would say with airlinesis be on their mailing lists
(10:09):
because they have a lot of sales.
How are you gonna findout about those sales?
You need to be on their mailing list'cause they will tell you when those sales
are on and say you are nine months out andyou are going to London and a sale comes
out, well, I'd be booking that sale fair
because you may not get thatprice closer to the time.
(10:29):
So again, it's about your decision,how comfortable you feel about,
is that within your budget?
If that sale price is right whereyour budget sits then buy that fair.
You can take the risk of beingat non-refundable then book
that accommodation early.
But that would be my advice.
But we're not all the same.
some people love doingit at the last minute.
(10:52):
That's great.
Others wanna plan it.
So it's up to the individual really.
I like that it's like,how lucky are you feeling?
Are you a risk taker?
Do you want to take that chance?
And like you said, if it's theright price, you might as well
just buy it now and lock it in.
I think that's really important.
Something I wanna ask you, since youlike to be a helpful resource, what
has your experience been workingwith YouTube, creating this content?
(11:12):
Are you finding that a certain practiceor strategy has worked better than others?
Or something that may have beensurprising to you within the
YouTube marketing that you're doing?
Yeah.
Something that's really interestingis, i'll have a blog post and I
might replicate that into a video.
I'm finding that people aremore interested in the video.
(11:34):
I think people like videosthey like to read as well.
There's a big proportion of the populationthat like to watch because it's easier.
Right.
That was quite interesting for meand I'm seeing the hits on the video.
That was really interesting.
I think YouTube is something for everyone.
So some people like the videosabout the travel tips other
(11:57):
people's like to be amused.
Other people like to find information,so you've got a cross section of people
on YouTube that want different thing.
So it's about how do youappeal to all those markets.
Build your following andyour followers on there.
Yes, absolutely.
And I hear that from a lot of people istrying to find that balance and blend
(12:18):
between the education and entertainment
'cause you're right people whowanna find the information.
Then you have other peoplewho are more just casual.
They want something to watch and view.
So it's like how do we craft thisinto the script and the storytelling?
And everything that you createis all of your footage from
everything you capture yourself ordo you source any footage as well?
Like, okay, maybe I couldn't geta shot of this place, so I'll
(12:40):
add some B roll but you stillwanna include it in your content.
No, it's all my footage that I take.
I'm an avid photographer whenI travel as well as writing.
I take probably more videosthan I need and then eventually
I'm gonna need the videos.
So I've almost blow up myiPhone every time I go somewhere
because I'm taking all the videos
(13:01):
it's like always reaching back storage.
That's it.
You just dunno when you'regonna need something.
Right.
Better to be prepared.
But I would agree with you.
Everyone's in for different things.
Entertainment.
Yeah.
I try and educate but alsoentertain and show people
things about Australia as well.
I've found that some of my really popularcontent is anything to do with Australia.
They absolutely love that.
(13:24):
Kangaroos and other animals.
So it's about trying to do a littlebit for everyone but things that I'd
want to see myself, so they're thesorts of things that I'll put up.
Oh, that's very cool and it's interesting,you're like, I really didn't plan
on traveling to my backyard but ifpeople wanna see a kangaroo, I guess
that's what I'm gonna have to do.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
(13:44):
That's very interesting.
But it's one of those thingsthat we don't really know until
we put the content out there.
What we see gets picked up by thealgorithm, what people start to engage
with a bit more and then that datajust helps us define our strategy,
give us more clear direction on shouldwe create more content like this?
Is this my audience?
Or does kangaroos have alimit to it where you're like,
(14:04):
I can't do any moreAustralia based content.
So it's up to you as thecreator to be able to do that.
Now Linda, I wanted to askwhere can people find you online
and get connected with you?
Yeah, so they can go to my website,so the smart travel lister.com.
They can reach out to me on social media,someone on almost all social medias.
I love a chat.
If you've got a travelquestion, I love those as well.
(14:26):
And absolutely if you wanna getmore in depth into my book series,
you can go on my two book series.
You can go on to Amazon and investigatethem there but all the details are on my
website if anyone wants to check it out.
And definitely if you wanna read blogposts about everywhere around the
world and get a few money saving tips,go to the blog as well on my website.
(14:48):
I think everybody loves saving money.
I think a lot of people are gonna gothere and we will have those links
available down in the show notesand the description for everybody.
Linda, I wanted to ask yousomething personal to you.
Your top three places to visit.
If you feel like there's only three placesyou could recommend to other people,
Hey, you have to try this at least once.
Do you have a top three?
That's a hard one, Chris.
(15:08):
I probably have to think about the placesI've been to recently but one place
that I would always recommend is Italy.
Italy is just a fabulous country.
Another place that really surprisedme was South Korea, Seoul, that's
quite an interesting and amazingplace and then also French Polynesia.
So Reese, so last year went toBora Bora and also Tahiti which is
(15:30):
traditionally a really expensive place.
But as I said, you use your travelstrategies, you can get their cheap.
But they'd be my top three.
I'd probably have a top 20 butwe'll keep it at the three.
I know, right?
I was like, how much time do we have?
'cause I could really go into a top20 'cause it's hard to pick and choose
'cause there's places you haven't visitedyet and maybe you didn't feel like you
got the full experience from a place.
(15:50):
Is there a way that you recommendto build out your own itinerary
to make the most out of a place?
'cause I feel like you have halfa people who really like plans
and they wanna structure to it.
You have people who just wantto go with the flow and kind
of take things as they come.
Do you recommend some sort of strategywhen building out an itinerary so people
can make the most of their vacation?
I think you've gotta ask yourself, wheredo I wanna go and how long have I got?
(16:14):
'cause that's gonna be the realbig triggers on what you can do.
Also part of that is what's your budget?
So consider that as well.
What I would say, you need aflight, you need accommodation.
They're your basics, right?
And maybe transport toget from the airport.
All the rest of it can come later butwhat I would say is, what do you wanna do?
(16:35):
Do you wanna go on a beach holidayand sit by the beach and raid or swim
or drink or whatever you wanna do?
Do you want cultural experiences?
Do you wanna see your bucket list places?
Is there certain tourist attractions?
So I'd think about what you wannado or what you enjoy doing most
(16:56):
because that's probably where yousort of the area you'll go into.
So say you love your beaches, youlove relaxing, you wanna sit by the
pool and read and maybe have a drink,well then maybe Thailand or somewhere
in Asia, like an island destinationmight be the perfect place for you.
If you want cultural you might wannago to Italy or somewhere in Europe
(17:18):
where you've got all that deephistory and you can go on tours.
If you want something that's gonnastretch you mentally and physically,
you might wanna go to somewhere likeSouth America and do some hiking,
Machu Picchu or somewhere like that.
So it's really up to the individualwhat they wanna do, what is it that they
wanna see or what's the aim of theirtrip, what is it that they want to do?
(17:41):
And then build the trip around that.
I like that approach to that becausefor me personally, number one
sounded of the best with the beach.
Swimming, reading a book, just hangingout, relaxing but also number two and
three, I wanna pepper that in a little bit'cause I want some cultural experiences
and then something just kind of big thatif you're a physical and active person,
that would be something to try as well.
But I want that blend of relaxing onthe beach with seeing some cool sites.
(18:04):
I think that's a nice blend.
Yeah.
And it's individual, so what Imight wanna do might be totally
different to what you wanna do butit doesn't mean it's not right.
It's just what's right for you.
Absolutely.
And for us in the states we havelike visas we have to apply for and
sometimes that process is maybe threeto seven months and picture and some
paperwork and we send in some moneyand then we get our passport to be
(18:26):
able to travel outside the country.
What is the process either forAustralia or other countries as well?
'cause I assume our audience isgonna be from different places.
What does the travel restrictionlook like or the process?
So it depends on whatpassport you're a holder of.
So being an Australian passportholder, we can go into certain
countries without visa.
But it depends on yourpassport nationality.
(18:48):
So what I would say, if you aredoing your booking yourself.
You need to go and check.
And normally the airlinesmake this easy for you.
They'll give you a link into a Visa portalbut you can also search for them yourself.
And it's about Googling and saying,I'm an Australian passport holder and
I'm traveling to such and such a place.
Do I need a visa?
(19:09):
And then will be some websitesand it's just about going through.
And they'll ask you that question,what passport holder are you?
How long are you gonna be at this place?
And that'll tell you whetheryou need a visa or not.
So yes, it's a really importantthing because some visas take time
to get up to 72 hours beforehand.
If you arrive at customs at anairport, you might be in real
(19:31):
trouble if you haven't done that.
You actually might get charged more whichis something we don't wanna be doing
because we want our trip to be affordable.
Right?
So it's always, again, as I say, research.
Find out that before you gobecause that is a requirement
depending on where you go.
And for instance, now theUK has brought in a new rule
(19:54):
where you need to get a visa.
Whereas before, as an Australian,we didn't need to have that.
So it's good to keep up to date,especially not on everywhere
in the world but on the placesthat you're going to go soon.
Absolutely.
Any policy or legislation might come intoplay that'll affect your travel planes.
Something we need to bemindful and aware of.
Linda wanted to ask, what are youmost excited for into 2025 here?
(20:17):
Are you kind of doing all of thesame amazing stuff you've been doing
or do you have new initiatives orproducts you're considering launching?
So I'm on the verge of launching my11th book within the next month or so.
I'm madly getting the 12th book finished.
So definitely two books this year.
Also I'm gonna be involvedin an author book fair.
(20:38):
With less than three weeks now inBrisbane, Australia, I'm gonna be
up there on an author panel speakingand then also talking to people
face-to-face and selling my books.
So if anyone's in Brisbane on the 13thof April, you need to reach out to me
and I will tell you all the details.
And then in September thisyear, I'm going to Donal and
Ireland for a travel conference.
(21:01):
To meet other travel creatorsbloggers and that's gonna be
an amazing few days as well.
And plenty of travel on thehorizon as well, so very busy.
Oh and probably writing blogposts in between when I've
got time in between all that.
That's great.
I love that.
Very exciting.
A lot of things to look forward toboth the speaking engagements, meeting
and networking with more people.
Just kind of sharing your loveand passion for traveling.
(21:23):
Linda, we appreciate you comingonto our show and sharing all
of your tips and tricks with us.
We really really appreciate it.
Thanks Chris.
Thanks for having me.
It was a pleasure.
Thank you.
I think you've gotta beauthentic to yourself.
(00:01):
If you're not, people cansee right through that.
And I've always loved helping people.
That's been what I've done in amost of my career, is help people.
So it comes naturally to me andmy aim for everyone, or my mission
really with the Smart travel, is foreveryone to learn these tips so they
can travel in quality more cheaper,and they can travel the world because
(00:24):
it's such a fabulous experience.
It's so educational and itreally adds value to your life.
So that's what I wouldwant for everyone really.
You are listening to Brainwork Framework,a Business and Marketing podcast,
brought to you by Focused-biz.com.
Welcome back to another episode.
(00:45):
With us today is the founder ofthe Smart travelista, Linda King.
The smart travelista helps those whowant to travel in quality but without
the hefty price take with budgetfriendly prices but not budget quality.
Linda, so excited to have you on.
How are you doing today?
Thank you Chris.
Thanks for the lovely welcome.
It's pleasure being here.
Thank you so much.
We always like to ask ourentrepreneurs about their journey.
(01:05):
What were you doing before that ledyou into what you're doing today?
So I started traveling as a kid.
I was lucky to have that opportunity andonce the travel bug hit me as a kid, I
wanted to get in the travel industry.
So that's what I did.
I became a travel agent at an airlineand worked with them for a while.
Then I moved from where I was born,which was in Sydney, Australia.
(01:29):
As you can tell by my accent andthen moved down to Melbourne,
but the jobs weren't there.
So I decided to pivot and do a differentindustry, which was the banking.
And in between all of that.
I've been traveling the world as you dothen the smart travel lister came about.
I think from my love of travel and alsolove of money, everyone loves money.
(01:49):
If we're honest with ourselves, moneygives us a lot of opportunities,
especially to travel and do other things.
So the smart travel list cameabout because of those two loves.
And also just questions I was gettingfrom other travelers and I realized
that I had a lot of knowledge andpotentially tips that I could give people.
(02:11):
For me they're just commonsense or automatic because I've
been doing them for so long.
But for other people,they may only be new.
So that's how it all came about.
Wow, that is so cool.
A lot of our entrepreneurs shareabout how it was kind of a seedling
of solving a problem that theyhad themselves or felt like that
information would be helpful to others.
(02:31):
And for me, I don't travel often enoughto really know the ins and outs and tips
and tricks and I think that preventsme from wanting to travel a bit more.
But tell me more about your contentjourney, because you have a website, you
have a YouTube channel, you're postingthis content to Tell me how that vision
kind of came together and how contentmarketing is working for you right now.
That's interesting.
I had a conversation a fewyears ago with someone who was
(02:54):
highly experienced in marketing.
It was just the beginning of my journey.
I think it was probably the first podcastthat I've ever been on and he questioned
me and said, so you've written this book.
Do you have a website?
Are you doing blogging?
And these things were goingaround in my brain and I really
didn't know how to start.
But after that pivotalconversation with a fabulous man.
(03:17):
I thought, you know what?
I don't have a website.
I don't have a blog.
I need to be getting these things.
Obviously I was starting with writingthe books and I built my website.
I knew nothing about building websitesand I think along the time I've
just learned more and improve thecontent I've always been writing and
I think as you do is you're right, you getbetter because you're doing more of it.
(03:39):
As far as the marketing, I experimentedprobably like a lot of business owners,
what fits well with me, what works.
Obviously I'm talking to you now on apodcast but I've done other things like.
I think what you've gotta do is you'vegotta investigate and do what's right
for you because it's an ongoing thing.
As an author or even as a business owner,you need to do that continual marketing.
(04:03):
So it's gotta feel naturaland comfortable for you.
My advice would be,
have a go at everything and seewhat resonates with you most and
then continue doing that because youwill go on the long haul with that.
If you're doing things that don't fit wellwith you then you're not gonna do them.
It's so true.
We're not gonna stay committedto something that we just don't
(04:24):
feel confident in the directionor just don't feel good about
doing that type of content.
It's stuck.
It's tough to stayconsistent with that type.
So it's important for you to findsomething that fits well with you.
So for your business, tell me moreabout the business as a whole.
How do people find you, whatservices do you help them with?
Or is it more about thecontent education piece?
I guess how does a clientstart with your business?
(04:48):
So normally people willobviously see the books.
I get feedback, people send meemails after that I put out content.
So I'm trying to put out regular blogs.
I'll do social media, be on podcastsand people reach out to me either by the
website or the social media or email and
(05:10):
I don't really officially helppeople on a paid sort of service.
I have a full-time job.
So this thing with the smarttravel issue is on the side.
Maybe in the future I will domore of that but look at the
moment, I help people for free.
Obviously I have the expertise asa travel agent and people that I've
either collaborated with or I've hadcontact with, will come to me and say.
(05:32):
I'm thinking Paris, can yougive me some recommendations?
Are there some blog posts thatyou've written about that and they
just asked me those sorts of things.
I have been doing a little bit ofthat but I think probably in the
future it'll be a bigger thing.
But as you can imagine with a full-timejob, the time is a little bit limited but
If anyone sends me or reaches out, I'mvery helpful and we'll give them tips.
(05:56):
And I think it's good for relationships.
You do those things.
You give out and obviously a lot ofbusiness owners give out free content.
I think that's a good thing becausepeople get a taste of what you do.
And if they like what you do, then they'remore willing to build that stronger
relationship with you in the future.
I totally agree.
(06:16):
I actually love that you're notfocused on selling a product
or making money from this.
This is, hey, this is gonnabe helpful for people.
It's more of an educationalentertainment piece of it and
it could be monetized later.
But I agree.
Those relationships and conversationsthat you have with others, I think they
bring more benefits than doing some sortof upfront fee for any of the services
'cause now maybe they're willing tolet you stay at their guest house when
(06:39):
they come in or they can hook you upwith some special discounts or bonuses.
So I love that approach to how youkind of build this out for people.
I think, you've gotta be authenticto yourself . If you're not, people
can see right through that andI've always loved helping people.
That's been what I've done inmost of my career is help people.
So it comes naturally to me and my aimfor everyone or my mission really with the
(07:04):
smart travel list is for everyone to learnthese tips so they can travel quality but
more cheaper and they can travel the worldbecause it's such a fabulous experience.
It's so educational and itreally adds value to your life.
So that's what I wouldwant for everyone really.
Absolutely.
And for those of us who have a negativeconnotation about traveling abroad or
(07:28):
at face value, it seems very expensive.
I guess there like a typical budgetrange that we should expect to spend
or maybe here's the craftiest way youcan go to Paris on X amount of money?
I think it depends on thedestination you're talking about.
Chris.
So for instance, for me, becauseof my location in the world, if
I go to Asia, it's very cheap.
(07:49):
So my budget is going to be alot more or I'm not gonna need
as much money, put it that way.
But if I'm going to Europe, wellthat's a different situation.
You don't wanna let the cost of goingsomewhere deter you because there are
ways of getting around the expensive cost.
It's just about the research andknowing when the best times to travel.
(08:14):
So if you can get thatinformation, it gives you a
really good base to be able to go.
I know this is traditionallya really expensive place.
I've built up my miles.
How about if we take the miles and usethat for the airfare automatically?
That's a cost reduction, right?
So there's ways and means of making thecost more affordable and you're gonna
(08:38):
see those luxury, beautiful, nice places.
But it's all about the strategyyou build for yourself.
One, the research and then thestrategy and the plans that
you've got for your travel.
Absolutely.
And speaking of that research, is there agenerally a recommended timeframe of when
people should be booking their vacation?
Plans and ideas because I feel likethe further you book out the higher the
(09:01):
price 'cause you're guaranteeing a date.
And then sometimes when you get alittle bit closer, those prices could
get cheaper but you run the risk oflosing a flight or an available hotel.
Is there typically a recommendedtimeframe that you like to suggest for
people to book their vacation plans?
It depends on what sort of person you are.
Are you a risk taker or areyou more wanna be more stable?
(09:24):
Well said.
Very true.
Yeah.
If you're a risk taker then maybea month out is good for you.
But what I would say, you think it'sgonna be more expensive further out?
You'd be surprised because somehotels will offer you a really
cheaper rate for the accommodation.
But the big rule with thatis it's non-refundable.
(09:47):
So if you can pay more then be ableto cancel at the last minute or you
can pay less but it's non-refundable.
So in a way, it's a bit of a risk eitherway if something happens and you're
in trouble because it's non-refundablebut there are hotels do offer that.
What I would say with airlinesis be on their mailing lists
(10:09):
because they have a lot of sales.
How are you gonna findout about those sales?
You need to be on their mailing list'cause they will tell you when those sales
are on and say you are nine months out andyou are going to London and a sale comes
out, well, I'd be booking that sale fair
because you may not get thatprice closer to the time.
(10:29):
So again, it's about your decision,how comfortable you feel about,
is that within your budget?
If that sale price is right whereyour budget sits then buy that fair.
You can take the risk of beingat non-refundable then book
that accommodation early.
But that would be my advice.
But we're not all the same.
some people love doingit at the last minute.
(10:52):
That's great.
Others wanna plan it.
So it's up to the individual really.
I like that it's like,how lucky are you feeling?
Are you a risk taker?
Do you want to take that chance?
And like you said, if it's theright price, you might as well
just buy it now and lock it in.
I think that's really important.
Something I wanna ask you, since youlike to be a helpful resource, what
has your experience been workingwith YouTube, creating this content?
(11:12):
Are you finding that a certain practiceor strategy has worked better than others?
Or something that may have beensurprising to you within the
YouTube marketing that you're doing?
Yeah.
Something that's really interestingis, i'll have a blog post and I
might replicate that into a video.
I'm finding that people aremore interested in the video.
(11:34):
I think people like videosthey like to read as well.
There's a big proportion of the populationthat like to watch because it's easier.
Right.
That was quite interesting for meand I'm seeing the hits on the video.
That was really interesting.
I think YouTube is something for everyone.
So some people like the videosabout the travel tips other
(11:57):
people's like to be amused.
Other people like to find information,so you've got a cross section of people
on YouTube that want different thing.
So it's about how do youappeal to all those markets.
Build your following andyour followers on there.
Yes, absolutely.
And I hear that from a lot of people istrying to find that balance and blend
(12:18):
between the education and entertainment
'cause you're right people whowanna find the information.
Then you have other peoplewho are more just casual.
They want something to watch and view.
So it's like how do we craft thisinto the script and the storytelling?
And everything that you createis all of your footage from
everything you capture yourself ordo you source any footage as well?
Like, okay, maybe I couldn't geta shot of this place, so I'll
(12:40):
add some B roll but you stillwanna include it in your content.
No, it's all my footage that I take.
I'm an avid photographer whenI travel as well as writing.
I take probably more videosthan I need and then eventually
I'm gonna need the videos.
So I've almost blow up myiPhone every time I go somewhere
because I'm taking all the videos
(13:01):
it's like always reaching back storage.
That's it.
You just dunno when you'regonna need something.
Right.
Better to be prepared.
But I would agree with you.
Everyone's in for different things.
Entertainment.
Yeah.
I try and educate but alsoentertain and show people
things about Australia as well.
I've found that some of my really popularcontent is anything to do with Australia.
They absolutely love that.
(13:24):
Kangaroos and other animals.
So it's about trying to do a littlebit for everyone but things that I'd
want to see myself, so they're thesorts of things that I'll put up.
Oh, that's very cool and it's interesting,you're like, I really didn't plan
on traveling to my backyard but ifpeople wanna see a kangaroo, I guess
that's what I'm gonna have to do.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
(13:44):
That's very interesting.
But it's one of those thingsthat we don't really know until
we put the content out there.
What we see gets picked up by thealgorithm, what people start to engage
with a bit more and then that datajust helps us define our strategy,
give us more clear direction on shouldwe create more content like this?
Is this my audience?
Or does kangaroos have alimit to it where you're like,
(14:04):
I can't do any moreAustralia based content.
So it's up to you as thecreator to be able to do that.
Now Linda, I wanted to askwhere can people find you online
and get connected with you?
Yeah, so they can go to my website,so the smart travel lister.com.
They can reach out to me on social media,someone on almost all social medias.
I love a chat.
If you've got a travelquestion, I love those as well.
(14:26):
And absolutely if you wanna getmore in depth into my book series,
you can go on my two book series.
You can go on to Amazon and investigatethem there but all the details are on my
website if anyone wants to check it out.
And definitely if you wanna read blogposts about everywhere around the
world and get a few money saving tips,go to the blog as well on my website.
(14:48):
I think everybody loves saving money.
I think a lot of people are gonna gothere and we will have those links
available down in the show notesand the description for everybody.
Linda, I wanted to ask yousomething personal to you.
Your top three places to visit.
If you feel like there's only three placesyou could recommend to other people,
Hey, you have to try this at least once.
Do you have a top three?
That's a hard one, Chris.
(15:08):
I probably have to think about the placesI've been to recently but one place
that I would always recommend is Italy.
Italy is just a fabulous country.
Another place that really surprisedme was South Korea, Seoul, that's
quite an interesting and amazingplace and then also French Polynesia.
So Reese, so last year went toBora Bora and also Tahiti which is
(15:30):
traditionally a really expensive place.
But as I said, you use your travelstrategies, you can get their cheap.
But they'd be my top three.
I'd probably have a top 20 butwe'll keep it at the three.
I know, right?
I was like, how much time do we have?
'cause I could really go into a top20 'cause it's hard to pick and choose
'cause there's places you haven't visitedyet and maybe you didn't feel like you
got the full experience from a place.
(15:50):
Is there a way that you recommendto build out your own itinerary
to make the most out of a place?
'cause I feel like you have halfa people who really like plans
and they wanna structure to it.
You have people who just wantto go with the flow and kind
of take things as they come.
Do you recommend some sort of strategywhen building out an itinerary so people
can make the most of their vacation?
I think you've gotta ask yourself, wheredo I wanna go and how long have I got?
(16:14):
'cause that's gonna be the realbig triggers on what you can do.
Also part of that is what's your budget?
So consider that as well.
What I would say, you need aflight, you need accommodation.
They're your basics, right?
And maybe transport toget from the airport.
All the rest of it can come later butwhat I would say is, what do you wanna do?
(16:35):
Do you wanna go on a beach holidayand sit by the beach and raid or swim
or drink or whatever you wanna do?
Do you want cultural experiences?
Do you wanna see your bucket list places?
Is there certain tourist attractions?
So I'd think about what you wannado or what you enjoy doing most
(16:56):
because that's probably where yousort of the area you'll go into.
So say you love your beaches, youlove relaxing, you wanna sit by the
pool and read and maybe have a drink,well then maybe Thailand or somewhere
in Asia, like an island destinationmight be the perfect place for you.
If you want cultural you might wannago to Italy or somewhere in Europe
(17:18):
where you've got all that deephistory and you can go on tours.
If you want something that's gonnastretch you mentally and physically,
you might wanna go to somewhere likeSouth America and do some hiking,
Machu Picchu or somewhere like that.
So it's really up to the individualwhat they wanna do, what is it that they
wanna see or what's the aim of theirtrip, what is it that they want to do?
(17:41):
And then build the trip around that.
I like that approach to that becausefor me personally, number one
sounded of the best with the beach.
Swimming, reading a book, just hangingout, relaxing but also number two and
three, I wanna pepper that in a little bit'cause I want some cultural experiences
and then something just kind of big thatif you're a physical and active person,
that would be something to try as well.
But I want that blend of relaxing onthe beach with seeing some cool sites.
(18:04):
I think that's a nice blend.
Yeah.
And it's individual, so what Imight wanna do might be totally
different to what you wanna do butit doesn't mean it's not right.
It's just what's right for you.
Absolutely.
And for us in the states we havelike visas we have to apply for and
sometimes that process is maybe threeto seven months and picture and some
paperwork and we send in some moneyand then we get our passport to be
(18:26):
able to travel outside the country.
What is the process either forAustralia or other countries as well?
'cause I assume our audience isgonna be from different places.
What does the travel restrictionlook like or the process?
So it depends on whatpassport you're a holder of.
So being an Australian passportholder, we can go into certain
countries without visa.
But it depends on yourpassport nationality.
(18:48):
So what I would say, if you aredoing your booking yourself.
You need to go and check.
And normally the airlinesmake this easy for you.
They'll give you a link into a Visa portalbut you can also search for them yourself.
And it's about Googling and saying,I'm an Australian passport holder and
I'm traveling to such and such a place.
Do I need a visa?
(19:09):
And then will be some websitesand it's just about going through.
And they'll ask you that question,what passport holder are you?
How long are you gonna be at this place?
And that'll tell you whetheryou need a visa or not.
So yes, it's a really importantthing because some visas take time
to get up to 72 hours beforehand.
If you arrive at customs at anairport, you might be in real
(19:31):
trouble if you haven't done that.
You actually might get charged more whichis something we don't wanna be doing
because we want our trip to be affordable.
Right?
So it's always, again, as I say, research.
Find out that before you gobecause that is a requirement
depending on where you go.
And for instance, now theUK has brought in a new rule
(19:54):
where you need to get a visa.
Whereas before, as an Australian,we didn't need to have that.
So it's good to keep up to date,especially not on everywhere
in the world but on the placesthat you're going to go soon.
Absolutely.
Any policy or legislation might come intoplay that'll affect your travel planes.
Something we need to bemindful and aware of.
Linda wanted to ask, what are youmost excited for into 2025 here?
(20:17):
Are you kind of doing all of thesame amazing stuff you've been doing
or do you have new initiatives orproducts you're considering launching?
So I'm on the verge of launching my11th book within the next month or so.
I'm madly getting the 12th book finished.
So definitely two books this year.
Also I'm gonna be involvedin an author book fair.
(20:38):
With less than three weeks now inBrisbane, Australia, I'm gonna be
up there on an author panel speakingand then also talking to people
face-to-face and selling my books.
So if anyone's in Brisbane on the 13thof April, you need to reach out to me
and I will tell you all the details.
And then in September thisyear, I'm going to Donal and
Ireland for a travel conference.
(21:01):
To meet other travel creatorsbloggers and that's gonna be
an amazing few days as well.
And plenty of travel on thehorizon as well, so very busy.
Oh and probably writing blogposts in between when I've
got time in between all that.
That's great.
I love that.
Very exciting.
A lot of things to look forward toboth the speaking engagements, meeting
and networking with more people.
Just kind of sharing your loveand passion for traveling.
(21:23):
Linda, we appreciate you comingonto our show and sharing all
of your tips and tricks with us.
We really really appreciate it.
Thanks Chris.
Thanks for having me.
It was a pleasure.
Thank you.
Popular Podcasts
New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce
Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!