Cubicles? 9 to 5? Not for Megan of Mapping Megan. With over 37 countries under their belt, Megan, along with her husband Mike, are avid adventurers who’ve made the world their office. Professional travelers, and professional adrenaline junkies, they have broken what’s conventional, and now live a location independent lifestyle. They are on a mission to put some miles on all corners of the globe, and lucky for us, we get to follow along and join them on their journey…

Tell me about Mapping Megan.  Who are you guys, what you’re all about, and how long have you been on the road.

I am a 27 year old travel addict from Australia, an outdoor adventure enthusiast and adrenalin junkie with an incurable disease called “the travel bug”. My husband Mike (from America) is equally as afflicted, and after having met by chance after having climbed Mt Kilimanjaro in Africa, we kept meeting up around the world, finally married in a destination wedding in Hawaii in 2013, and have been traveling the world ever since!

I have a degree in both journalism and law, though what it ultimately came down to was my passion for traveling and writing overtook my desire to sit in a corner office. I am now a professional travel blogger, my office ranging from villas in the Galapagos Islands, to beaches on the Great Barrier Reef, bungalows overlooking volcanoes in Costa Rica, and everywhere in-between! My blog, Mapping Megan is a travel resource, which brings you the best in adventure travel from all around the globe. We’re on a mission to inspire people from all around the world to get out there and travel, and we do this through inspiring stories, video, photography, travel tips and advice, all listed on our blog.

Aiming for something different, above the regular travel blog experience, the homepage of our blog is an interactive Google map where you can click on the country you want to learn more about and pull up blog posts based on location. You could spend hours on that thing zooming in and out and getting lost in some of the greatest destinations from around the world! 

What inspired you to travel and ultimately create a lifestyle of sustained travel?  

The travel bug bit during my Gap year – I took 12 months to work as a boarding school assistant in the UK, and spend the 17 weeks of school holidays to travel and explore Europe. It was the adventure, excitement and the escape of monotony for me. This trip made me realize I wanted to see the world in living colour as opposed to watching it on a television screen. I wanted to actually feel, taste and experience the world instead of settling for the version I was reading in books.

It’s a completely different experience to journey to the Pyramids of Giza than to watch it on a History Channel documentary. It’s a completely different emotion to watch the sun set over the African Plains while on safari than it is to see someone else’s photo and think “wow!”

I quickly realized that this (travel) was the life for me! 

Have you ever thought about returning to a “normal” life and giving up a life on the road?

We have no doubt that eventually we will settle down; in fact we recently arrived in Australia and plan to set up a permanent home base here from which to launch our future travels.

Though as the last sentence implies, just because we’re likely to set up a home base, doesn’t mean that our travels will come to an end. Full time travel, for sure – it’s fantastic while it lasts, though the lack of routine and stability is something we have begun to crave after a few years of being continually on the go.

You mentioned on your blog that traveling has given you “ a more well rounded education” than university.  What are some lessons you’ve learned?

I have learned so much from traveling the world – so much about both myself, and about the world and the people in it.

1. Myself;

Travel has taught me so much about myself – and I truly believe it’s the best way to discover your true self.  I think that travel has seen me develop into a better person and for that I’m truly thankful.  I can’t imagine the person I would be today if it weren’t for the experiences and life lessons I have learned while on the road.

Because of traveling I like to think I am a grounded, well-rounded person, able to accept and listen to all points of view, appreciative of all world cultures. Travel taught me how to survive by myself; to become street smart.

It taught me that kindness exists in the world, and that strange cultures should be explored and not judged. It continually teaches me new skills, and has opened my mind to new perspectives on history and politics. Because of travel I will forever be curious, and forever be intrigued by different cultural norms, and forever have a thirst for world knowledge and new experiences.

2. People;

Travel has taught me that people are all the same. We all have our own unique customs and cultures, our own opinions and beliefs, and different ways of going about our day, however the one thing travel has taught me about people is that no matter which part of the world we hail from, we’re all the same. All human I mean.

I think that for this reason, if more people traveled, the world would be a better place. We’re all just human beings coexisting in the same world. Despite our differences, we’re all still people, and I think that we often forget that when faced with conflict.

You guys have been on the road since 2007, and one of the biggest question that comes to mind is – How do you afford it?

Right now we are lucky to have worked our blog to a point where it generates an income via advertising and freelance work, so we can work online while we are traveling, and our only expenses are that of travel! There are also many different hacks and organizations which allow you to travel at a very low price, i.e. house-sitting, couch surfing or home exchange for free accommodation, some volunteer placements will offer room and board, and work programs through companies like WorkAway allow you to work for a family, live with them, and have a few days off per week to explore your new land.

These are all fantastic ways you can make your dollar go further when traveling abroad.

In the beginning we saved by cutting costs and sacrificing unnecessary luxuries, however it was hard work and determination, which saw me, actually earn the money required to continue to travel. After my gap year in the UK in 2007 was over I wasn’t happy accepting that “reality” meant I couldn’t travel any more.  I worked incredibly hard to make my dream of seeing the world MY reality.  I did the “normal” thing to do and started University after my year away; however while studying full time I also juggled multiple full time jobs. Before I knew it, I was working two full time jobs while also studying full time.  This meant that during University semesters I was working 16-20 hour days. 

Volunteering in Kenya – quality travel experiences over counting countries

What are three steadfast rules that you abide by in order to stay on budget while traveling?

As much as possible we try to (1) Travel during the off-season, and this really helps. Each destination has a peak season, and this is when travel is most expensive, so traveling off peak is a great way to stay on budget while abroad.

We also largely plan and undertake all of our travel ourselves, i.e. not joining expensive group tours when it’s just as easy to rock up and enjoy the experience yourself. I.e. we recently did a glacier hike across Matanuska Glacier in Alaska – we found the directions ourselves, drove in a rental, paid the $20 entrance fee and then ran off and explored on our own. This approach is not only cheaper than having paid for a guide; it’s also a lot more fun as you have more freedom and flexibility with your schedule.

(3) Use public transport. Nowadays we generally rent a car as this is often cheaper for exploring a country and traveling long distances, though if you’re in and around the one spot, take public transport over taxis. While it is admittedly a lot faster to catch a can, keep in mind it will cost you a lot more than if you were to use public transport like the bud or the light rail. Check out more of our tips for saving money while abroad.  

As self professed Adrenaline Junkies I bet you have some incredibly thrilling stories.  What is your most memorable adventure that, to this day, still gives you the goose bumps?

Sandboarding in Huacahina, Peru, is definitely an adventure that stands out. I mean, you haven’t known adventure until you have zipped down a 300-foot sand dune headfirst, screaming for your life, eating sand the entire way down. And you definitely haven’t known adventure until you have strapped yourself into a sand buggy and flown through “Everest of the Desert” at high speeds, clutching your seatbelt until your knuckles turn white!!

This was one of the most thrilling experiences of our life, and you can check out our GoPro footage on the blog.

And what is the most dangerous situation you guys found yourselves in, and how did you get yourselves out of it?

We have been lucky to have never really found ourselves in a dangerous situation, and I think this comes down to really planning out our travel and making sure we’re behaving appropriately in foreign environments so to not put ourselves in harms way.

As a young female traveler before having met Mike, the biggest danger for me was finding myself in a dangerous situation after having consumed too much alcohol. Abuse of alcohol makes my list of the 5 biggest mistakes made while traveling – and I think it’s something we’ve all done before, drank to excess while partying in a new country. Though getting drunk abroad can often be a recipe for disaster.

I mean, you’re in a foreign country, potentially with little knowledge of the local language, customs and laws, with people you may have only just met, and it’s very likely that after a few drinks you’ll have no idea where you’re staying. Dangerous. Check out my post on “advice for getting drunk abroad” for more on the topic.

What tips can you give for others who want to get off the beaten path, and find that once in a lifetime experience?

Embrace slow travel, and immerse yourself into each new destination as much as possible. Interact with the locals; ask your hotel concierge about hidden local gems which tourists generally don’t go – really experience each new destination as much as you can and as you believe a local would.

We found a phenomenal secluded beach, for instance in the Galapagos Islands. We chose to experience the Galapagos by land, and set ourselves up for a week in an apartment on San Cristobal. Most tourists opt for a cruise, which includes a lot of island hopping, but we really wanted to get to know one island over the course of a week instead of 20 in that same amount of time.

The locals told us of this amazing spot, we paid $3 for a cab ride there, and spent the next 3 days snorkeling with the most unbelievable wildlife – sea lions and sea turtles came right up to your face, and the best part, there were 0 tourists to share the experience with.

If you could offer one survival/safety tip, what would it be?

Travel with common sense and make sure you’re heading abroad with a certain sense of street smarts about you. I know, I know, we’re living in a world where common sense isn’t so common anymore!! But I very much believe that the biggest tip to keeping yourself safe abroad is having street smarts.

For instance, make sure you’re aware of your surroundings, don’t travel and throw your valuables around for everyone to see. Always travel with a card from your hotel so you have the address handy if you need to get back, don’t walk down strange, dark alleys, leave a copy of your itinerary with someone you trust, have an emergency stash of cash etc, and above all, always trust your gut. If your gut is telling you that something’s off, or you should get outta there, TRUST IT and remove yourself from the situation. Common sense stuff.

Your one essential piece of travel gear you can’t leave home without?

Smartphone. It’s such an essential item because it pretty much doubles as anything you could ever imagine. Need a calculator? Pull out the Smartphone. Need a camera? Smartphone. Social media, communication, currency converters, language apps – there are so many helpful tools that are found in the one device.

Where are you now, and where will the road take you next?

We have just recently landed in Australia, and will be setting up a home base in Canberra to explore the rest of the country as well as New Zealand and the Asia Pacific. As an Australian myself I’ve quickly come to learn from my travels that the rest of the world views our country as an exotic land which they can’t wait to explore. Yet to date I’ve been so quick to jump on a plane to explore the other side of the world before exploring my own!

I think that’s generally the case that we love to explore the rest of the world before discovering the gems that are located right here in our own backyard. So for the next year at least we have decided to dedicate our time to local travel, and find out what Australia has to offer! Between the Great Barrier Reef, desert safari’s in the Outback, swimming with whale sharks in Western Australia and some of the best secluded beaches in the world I don’t think we’ll find ourselves bored! 

Do you have any final advice for others who wish to follow in your footsteps? 

Just go!! Sounds like straightforward advice right? You would be surprised by how many people don’t travel or live the life of their dreams because of fear, the unknown, or just never getting around to it. I try to live by the notion that twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do. I personally don’t want to look back and wonder where my life went.

More often than not the only thing, which is holding you back, is you. So just go!

About Mapping Megan

Megan is an Australian Journalist, and the founder and Senior Editor of Mapping Megan – an award-winning adventure travel blog bringing you the latest in adventure travel from all over the globe.

With the main aim of inspiring others to embark on their own worldwide adventure, Megan and husband Mike believe travel has the potential to inspire change in people, and in turn inspire change in the world. They embraced travel as a lifestyle in 2007, and are dedicated to documenting their journey and observations through entertaining, candid articles and brilliant photography.

Adrenalin junkies and incredibly active travellers, from mountain biking the most dangerous road in the world (Bolivia), to skydiving over the Swiss Alps and summiting Mt Kilimanjaro, there is no mountain too high, and no fete too extreme! They haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on their list.

Follow their journey:

Website: http://www.mappingmegan.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mappingmegan

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mappingmegan

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNxC7EOd0dyOoHcSm4u7zHA?feature=mhee

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/mappingmegan

Instagram: http://instagram.com/mappingmegan

The post Adventure Series: Mapping Megan appeared first on Blaze Your Adventure.

Recently, I put together my list of the top 5 best buffets in Las Vegas, but realized I was giving a peak into paradise without the keys to enter. And so I just had to follow up with a Hack: specifically how to eat your weight and conquer all you can eat Las Vegas Buffets! Nope, I’m not talking about Tupperware and hidden zip locks (Come on people, lets keep it classy!); I’m talking about proven buffet hacks!

In case you’re wondering, this week’s hack is about how to overeat and how to push the limits of the belly and keep it coming!   For the squeamish, the healthy, and the dieters, sorry, this one ain’t for you.

All you can eat Las Vegas buffets are awesome! There are very few institutions as famous as the Las Vegas buffets. Sure, Vegas has gambling, 24-hour festivities and clubs that bring it home to the break of dawn, but the desert oasis is also a buffet lovers dream come true!

They’re not cheap though, and certainly not a budget endeavor. Over the years, all you can eat Las Vegas buffets have gone from two for ones to a wallet blasting $50+.   But with the right techniques it’s still possible to walk out a winner!

So, like Kobayashi – flex the stomach and get ready:

12 Tricks to Conquer all You Can Eat Las Vegas Buffets!

1. Get the lay of the land: Do a quick pass and refrain from filling your plate first go around. Going in hungry will cause you to impulsively grab the first items you see, and by the time you discover the lobster tails, you’re already full on rice and pasta
2. Less is more: Take small portions of everything. A buffet is about variety, not just wolfing down 3 plates of spaghetti and calling it a day. As well, not all dishes are created equal, it may look better than it tastes, and you’ll be stuck wasting food, or stomach space with fillers:
3. Don’t starve yourself: your stomach will naturally contract in the absence of food. Like Kobayashi, exercise the stomach by eating, and take some sugar to prime the metabolism
4. Pre-funk with Water: If you’re really serious about breaking some world records, drink lots of water days before in order to stretch out the stomach to increase capacity
5. Time your visit: The best time to visit Las Vegas buffets is during the crossovers between breakfast and lunch, or lunch and dinner. Not only does this save money, but also it has the added benefit of more food selections.
6. Be comfortable: Don’t bother dressing up with the heels and bowtie. Wear non-restrictive comfortable clothing and avoid the finery. You’re here to eat, and you certainly can’t do that if you’re trying to maintain some decorum of civility and class!
7. Avoid empty calories: Stay away from the rice, breads, and pasta as these are just fillers that are meant to trick you. Go straight for the proteins like meat and seafood
8. Take your time: It’s a marathon not sprint. Eat with a purpose and not speed
9. Go in empty: Eat a lot of fiber along with a big meal the night before your big day. The idea is to flush the body out in preparation. No one goes to a gas station with a full tank, nah mean?
10. Prime the appetite: Get a good workout in before the buffet. I know, you’re in Las Vegas, and smashing weights is the last thing on your mind, but if you want to OWN that buffet, then you go do a few sets of squats!
11. Watch the liquids: Stay away from the fluids, especially the carbonated ones. It may not seem like it, but gas and even water takes up valuable stomach space.
12. Watch out for the salt: Salty foods will invariably make you want to drink more.   Stay away from the overly salted dishes, and try cleansing the palate with a piece of fruit.

My order is always protein, fats and then sweets. From a value standpoint, proteins always cost more and sweets, well, we always got room for sweets! Master the above, and even if you can’t beat the one armed bandits, you can still come out a winner! Good luck!

The post 12 Tricks To Conquer All You Can Eat Las Vegas Buffets appeared first on Blaze Your Adventure.

A true traveling virtuoso, Andrew Walton of Escape Velocity is a scholar of long-term travel. A prolific writer, adventurer, a polyglot and expert chess player (seriously. Top 10% in the world!), Andrew is our generation’s most interesting man in the world! Overcoming his own adversity to build life his way, Andrew shows us that a challenge is just a necessary precursor to triumph. Through his remarkably succinct guides and actionable strategies, a life on the road is realistic for just about anybody. So, if living a life of travel is your goal, I highly recommend you get to know him and his blog.

Tell us a little about Andrew Walton.  Who are you, what are you all about, you’re first introduction to traveling, and how long you’ve been blazing your adventure?

I make traveler happen. That is: I show people how to design a travel lifestyle. I cover all the nitty-gritty “how to” stuff that every traveler has to tackle whether they want to relax on the beach in Bali or explore the fjords of Norway. And while you’ll find some destination guides to some exotic locations, my main focus has always been about getting more people on the road to blaze their adventure.

I’ve almost always traveled thanks to the summer road trips my family would take when I was a child. I’d also lived in another city for a while, spent 3 months in Europe, and had my fair share of adventures within Canada, but it was 2 years ago that I started full time international travel.

Traveling as a lifestyle is an aspiration for many.  What inspired you to buck the trend of a “normal” life, and become a long-term traveler?  

I did it out of perceived necessity actually. I had suffered from some major health complications that saw me not speak for 2-2.5 years and basically unable to use my arms. In fact, I’m still only able to type these words using a strange workaround I came up with.

Anyway, I was almost out of money, having not made an income for such a long time. Even if I could have physically finished my university degree, I couldn’t have afforded it.

So, seeing the end was near (of my cash I mean), I did the only thing that made sense to me at the time: Move somewhere cheaper!

It wasn’t only desperation though. It was also opportunity. As a 20-something who had already lost several years to injury and dropped out of university, I wasn’t going to make a big splash with a conventional career path. I decided my best option was to blaze my own trail and build the life I wanted the only way possible – my way.

For most, money is the biggest hurdle to traveling long-term. How do you afford staying on the road as long as you have?

Well first of all, staying on the road means making money on the road.

Therefore, I think there’s one critical mind shift we need to make.Most of us have a preconceived notion that travel should have certain levels of comfort, luxury, freedom from responsibility and so on. Luxury vacations may be like this. Long term travel isn’t.

Long term travel is actually more like a typical career path. You don’t start as the CEO. You work your way up, taking some bumps along the way but also learning the necessary skills to one day become CEO, or a top manager, or a leading expert in your field.

So the simple truth is that if you haven’t inherited a fortune or have a remote job that can fund your dream trip, you’re going to go through some growing pains.

This should be either surprising or worrying, as it’s exactly the same as learning literally any skill on earth. If you don’t want to learn anatomy, you probably should seek a career in medicine.

If you don’t want to learn how to make money on the road (and are okay with that fact that it’s a process), don’t become a long-term traveler.

You offer an amazing guidebook titled “101 ways to earn money while on traveling”, would you be able give us a peek of one piece of actionable advice, and where can we get the full guide?

The big problem most people face is they feel like they have no ideas. Heck, you could read the entire list of 101 ideas in my guide and feel like you can’t do any of them.

That’s rather unlikely.

The real block is psychological. We ask ourselves “what can I do” and question our own worthiness rather than asking “what does that person need?”

So my best technique is to do exactly this. Start asking the people you know 2 things:

• What they’re currently working on (work projects, hobbies, personal goals…)
• What their biggest challenge with this thing is.

Literally every person has an answer to this. So by doing this you’ll start to see what is needed. Sometimes you’ll even see how you can help. This bypasses the whole “I can’t do that” objection.

Think of it this way: When a friend comes to you for advice or help, you are probably thrilled to give it. You don’t question whether you’re the best candidate for the task – you just help.

The other, juicy tactical stuff like where to actually look for work is covered in the guide, which you can read here.

What are three steadfast rules that you abide by in order to stay on budget while traveling?

• Travel slowly: You’ll experience more and spend less. It’s a no-brainer!
• Focus on Big Wins, Ignore Minutiae: Not buying a drink when you go to a restaurant isn’t going to save your budget if your travel style requires eating out 3x a day. 

Likewise, using any one of 19 insanely affordable forms of accommodation has way more impact than minutiae like skipping a bus ride, not buying souvenirs to send to friends, or taking out 2x as much cash to cut down on ATM fees. 

Intercity or international transportation is often another big win – do it less or do it cheaper to reap the rewards.
• Consciously focus on career growth on the road: There’s a limit to how much a person can cut back – both literally as well as from a practical standpoint. Therefore to stay on budget and allow ourselves more freedom, we should also be focused on increasing our income on the road. 

Concretely, I make sure that every day I do at least one thing that will contribute to my future, whether that’s connecting with important people on LinkedIn, doing an interview, or emailing new prospects.

Lets talk Languages!  As a self-professed lover of learning different languages,  what advice can you give for travelers who wish to immerse themselves and quickly learn new vocabulary?  

I’d suggest a very straightforward, 2-pronged approach:

• To start speaking, you want to learn complete phrases, not isolated words. You have no hope of recalling a bunch of isolated words to form sentences on the fly, especially when just starting out. 

My best suggestion: Create a small introduction or biography of yourself – all the things you would likely tell someone you meet for the first time. Where you’re from, where you work, what you enjoy in your free time, why you’re here etc.

Do this in your native tongue first, and then translate it into your target language.

You can find a native speaker on a site like http://livemocha.com/ or Google “language exchange” to correct your bio and help you with pronunciation.

This is by far the most effective thing you can do at the start because you’ll use it in basically every single conversation you ever have, and it immediately gets you using the language.

Do this, and it will become painfully obvious what other phrases you need when you start getting practical experience. You’ll end up thinking “Damn, I really need to know how to say that.” Write this phrase down somewhere so you can look it up later.

Second, you need to be able to understand what people say in response. For this you need to know a ton of words, because every person has their own go-to vocabulary.

To learn massive amounts of words, I like to create paper flashcards organized by theme for this (transportation, food, body parts etc). Because unlike electronic flash cards, this gives me unlimited customization options for exercises.

But for those who don’t want to carry around a bunch of paper, Anki SRS is an excellent program, as is the website Memrise.com.

Both these programs use a concept called spaced repetition, which basically mean repeating a word and refreshing your memory just before you forget. It’s extremely effective.

The only thing I’d add is: try to add as much relevance as you can to each word you learn. Put them into sentences and really imagine the scene in which you use the word. Our minds aren’t designed to remember random groups of letters, but they’re excellent at recognizing images.

Maybe I’ve hinted at this: but try to make your language learning as relevant and fun as possible. As much as you may want to wax poetic on high-energy astrophysics, mastering your personal bio will be far more rewarding at the outset!

If you could offer only one safety/survival tip, what would it be?

Have good health insurance.

The most common physical danger for travelers is traffic accidents – just as if you were staying at home.

In fact, if you’re not going into a known war zone or an area where tourists are specifically targeted, the biggest dangers you face are typically the same as in your hometown.

That’s not to say all countries (and regions within a country) are equally safe – they’re not, but look at it this way:

Would you flash your fancy camera and wads of cash in a questionable neighborhood in your hometown?

Would you get rip-roaringly drunk in an unfamiliar part of town without any plans to get home?

Would you hang out in random back alleys with poor lighting and little/no foot traffic?

If so, you’re increasing the risks you take – and it has nothing to do with the fact that you’re traveling.

If you avoid judgmental blunders, about the only thing you should need is good health insurance in case something does go wrong, especially if you’re in a region where medical standards aren’t the same as in developed nations.

How have you evolved as a traveler from when you first started to how you are now?

I’d compare my growth as a traveler to conventional career growth.

That is, starting at the bottom of the corporate ladder and working your way up.

At the beginning of my travel career I was an extreme budget traveler. I had almost no money and no income. Needless to say I had to stretch every dollar as far as possible.

Sometimes my budget would be as low a $2 a day – and that happened in Paris, not southeast Asia.

Now a lot of people see this and think “that’s horrible, I would never do that!”

And yet we see a ton of people go through grueling internships to become doctors or lawyers or accountants and don’t blink an eye.

I didn’t do extreme budget travel because I wanted to be an extreme budget traveler, any more than an aspiring lawyer shuffling papers for several years with horribly long hours and pitiful compensation is doing it because this is the work they want to do for the next 40 years.

I did it because it’s a stepping stone to higher quality travel. It’s just that I started with travel where most people start by thinking “I need more money!”

Today, I’ve gotten to the point in my location-independent career where I can afford to think about maximizing experience instead of pinching pennies.

So the big difference between then is now is that I’ve gone from “What do I need to do to survive today?” all the way to “what do I want to create today?” and “how can I give back?”

What is the one essential piece of travel gear you must have on your adventurers?

A water bottle! Not having water when you need some can range from a minor nuisance to downright dangerous.

What kind of trouble are you getting yourself into at the moment, and where will the road take you next?

Right now I’m working on my Russian in Saint Petersburg, and my next adventure is actually having my parents coming to see me here in Russia for a month. We haven’t seen each other in 2 years, so it’s been fairly difficult to plan beyond that to be honest.

Do you have any final advice for those who wish to live a life of travel?

When all else is said and done, your ability to live a life of travel will come down to your ability to build a career on the road.

All the other info we might find: Looking for cheap accommodation, getting through the airport quicker, what to see/do/eat in a destination – all that’s a distraction if we haven’t got a handle on funding the thing.

And I use the word career intentionally. Starting out it’s fine to do whatever it takes: bar tending, working in a hostel, teaching English, or anything else. But in order to maximize our experience we need to have some sort of growth over time.

All that being said, the best way of doing this is getting out there and doing it. Save up enough to travel for 6 months and go. You are 100x more likely to find ways to fund your travel dreams when you’re on the road than by being a bedroom philosopher.

Fortune always favors those who do. If you want to live a life of travel, the fastest way is to start traveling.

About Escape Velocity

Hi, I’m Andrew. Traveling, learning languages, and entrepreneurship are my passions. Join me on my adventure around the globe and get my best tips, tricks, and techniques that you can use on your own journey.

I’ve been traveling the world since 2013, and there’s no sign of slowing down. For me, travel isn’t all about monuments and museums. It’s not about resorts or luxury. For me, it’s the ultimate adventure!

So while I truly enjoyed the surf & sun of Hawai’i, Grand Cayman, and Thailand – you’re just as likely to find me in Russia, Finland – and someday soon a bunch of countries ending in “-stan.”

I consider this a necessary step to understanding both the world I live in and myself

Website: http://ajwalton.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ajwaltontravel

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ajwaltontravel

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ajwalton12

The post Adventure Series: Escape Velocity appeared first on Blaze Your Adventure.

However your strategy to tackle Las Vegas, self-restraint or moderation is probably not going to be one of them. True to form, Las Vegas does everything big!   None more so than the legendary buffets the hotels offer to entice the sins of gluttony.

Whenever we find ourselves in Las Vegas, hitting a buffet for a perfectly seared rib eye, or for the piles of gigantic crab legs, is guaranteed to be on our list of to-dos. To be clear, these are not you regular hometown or 5$ all you can eat Chinese buffets. It may seem oxymoronic, but the best buffets in Las Vegas dish out some serious cuisine.  Best of all, you can gorge yourself on cuisines from all over the world without ever having to leave the Las Vegas strip.

But with all the options, which are the best buffets in Las Vegas? Unfortunately many of the buffets, like anything in Las Vegas can be a gamble, leaving you bloated and unsatisfied on nothing but grease and filler.

So to save you time, money and to make each calorie count here’s my top 5 best buffets in Las Vegas:

Bacchanal, Caesars Palace – the flagship buffet that all, before and after, aspire to be like. You’ll be hard pressed to find a buffet lover who doesn’t have Bacchanal as one of their best buffets in Las Vegas. With mountains of crab legs, ginseng chicken soup, and honey dripping off honeycombs, each section is compartmentalized and helmed by a specialized chef to maintain quality and authenticity. The food here, tastes as good as it looks. There’s no skimping on style and quality at Bacchanal. For those interested in making a buffet the highlight of your trip or perhaps wish to indulge in 9 separate restaurants at once, Bacchanal is a must.

Be forewarned though, this type of quality certainly does not come cheap, as the price is the on the high end of buffets, but once you get past the sticker shock, heaven is just beyond the cashier!

Wicked spoon, The Cosmopolitan – A real contender for the top spot as one of the best buffets in Las Vegas, Wicked Spoon is huge on creativity and presentation. Unlike most trough style buffets, dishes here are pre-portioned on smaller plates stimulating “tastings” rather than an all out gorging. For most, it’s a departure from the stigma of buffets creating a classier experience. You’ll avoid overdoing it on their designer spicy mac-and-cheese, and be able to take advantage of the wide range of ethnic cuisines.

Probably the only think lacking is the seafood selection. Not to say they don’t have seafood, but it’s just not as ample of a selection as many of the other Las Vegas buffets on the list. But then again, it might be because they had to make room for their full sized gelato bar!

The Village Seafood Buffet, RIO All Suite Hotel and Casino- The RIO has two buffets.  But the one that you should invest your winnings in is the Village Seafood Buffet. One of the originals that once commanded massive waits and lines, the Village Seafood Buffet has gone through a bit of a renaissance over the years restyling itself as the THE premier Las Vegas seafood buffet. Although the buffet has since fallen out of favor in the wake of more upscale competition, make no mistake this is a solid buffet.  If seafood is your sin, you’ll have an endless stream of Lobster, crab legs, oysters on the half, shrimp, clams, mussels and much more.

Studio B, The M Resort – A newer edition and a bit of trek from the main strip, Studio B understands that, if you bothered to make the trip to their buffet, they better not disappoint.   With most standard offerings typical of Las Vegas buffets, Studio B rises above the competition by including beer and wine into the cost – making Studio B a great deal and a great start to your Las Vegas adventure. The alcohol selection is limited, but with mimosas on tap, who’s complaining!

Also worth mentioning, Studio B at the time that we went had quite a lot of vegetarian and meatless options – A welcome break for those on meat overload.

Le Village Buffet, Paris – If you have an awesome crepe bar, you’re going to make my list.  With a pretty impressive menu of sweet and savory crepes, Le Village Buffet brings a taste of France to Las Vegas.   I’m not going to say it’s as good as the ones you get from an authentic French creperie, but it certainly satisfies the Jones. In addition to the crepes, you’ll also find Parisian staples like macarons, crème brulee, and truffled pastas!

It’s an older option on the strip, and does lack the bells and whistles of the newer buffets, but it is quite a bit cheaper than say Bacchanal or Wicked Spoon and definitely deserves a spot as one of the best buffets in Las Vegas.

Where once Las Vegas was all about gambling, it has since become synonymous with its buffets. Regardless of what your plans are in Las Vegas, I bet you’ll end up, at a minimum, at one of the many buffets.   Hit up any of the top 5 Las Vegas Buffets listed above and you’ll walk away happy and satisfied knowing you finally beat the House!

The post You Can’t lose! The 5 Best Buffets In Las Vegas appeared first on Blaze Your Adventure.