Matthew looking out over the sand dunes of Huacachina, Peru. Photo courtesy of Matthew Bailey.
Travel can seem so daunting sometimes – saving up the money, getting the courage to try new experiences, getting the time off from work – but Matthew Bailey wants everyone to know that they can achieve their travel goals with a lot less effort than they might expect. Matthew, 30, is a self-taught “travel hacker” – someone who collects reward points, as well as using other tricks to travel the world as inexpensively as possible. While Matt might be anywhere in the world at a given time, you can find him online writing about travel and lifestyle for Live Limitless, exploring Canada’s great destinations at Must Do Canada, and helping Canadians discover the travel hacks available to them at his business, Canadian Free Flyers. I chatted with Matt about his many adventures, and he shared some of his best tips for those looking to get started “hacking” their travels.
How old were you when you began travelling?
I travelled within Canada from an early age. My dad is from Newfoundland and my mom is from Montreal, so as a kid we travelled to the east a lot, but the first time I left the country was in my early twenties. My first trip was actually to Denmark after receiving a two-week scholarship to study international marketing. My first big trip however was when I turned 24 and flew to Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia for six months on my own. Experiencing solo travel for the first time really gave me the confidence to not let anything hold me back. Since then, I’ve been to 21 countries and typically spend an average of 4-6 months each year backpacking around the world.
What countries have you visited so far?
I’ll go in order. Canada, USA, Denmark, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Mexico, Japan, Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
Where are you originally from?
I’m originally from Fort McMurray, Alberta, but have been living in Calgary for the last 10 years. I’m not only one of the rare people born up there but also one of very few who left.
What inspired you to become a travel hacker?
I first learned about travel hacking on some American blogs, and then from an eBook. I took some of the advice and ended up earning enough points for a trip to Mexico. After a couple years of doing it, I realized that most of the information found online catered to the American market and that they were missing all the incredible deals we have up here in Canada. Once I began doing my own research for deals and promotions, I ended up earning hundreds of thousands of points every year. I then shared that information with my parents who earned enough points to join me in Mexico. I knew I had to share it with more people and that’s when Canadian Free Flyers was born.
Do you primarily travel solo, or do you have travel partners?
My first few trips were by myself. I went to Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia alone for a total of six months. My short trip to Japan was also on my own. Since then, I’ve been with my wife Karla and we have travelled together to Southeast Asia, Mexico, South America and all over the United States and Canada.
I believe it’s very important to travel solo if you have the chance. It’s an incredible experience to be truly independent, find out who you really are and meet new people while you’re at it.
Matthew and his wife, Karla, with a giant tortoise in the Galapagos. Photo courtesy of Matthew Bailey.
What are some of your favourite (or most wild) experiences you’ve had on your trips?
Oh wow. I love answering questions like this but I’ll have to scale back on some of them because there are so many experiences that stand out so as unforgettable. As a country, Myanmar (Burma) was a real gem. Due to it being a military regime for much of its past, Myanmar has been cut off from the world and feels like you’re going back in time. The people are so friendly; it makes your heart melt. Peddling a bike around Bagan, Myanmar and finding vantage points to stare out at more than 3000 temples was pretty incredible as well!
Scuba diving is another activity that has added so much beauty to my life. One of the best experiences was in Malapascua, Philippines where we dived with Thresher sharks. As soon as we reached the bottom of the shallow seabed, two big sharks came and circled us for a good 10 minutes, wondering what we were up to. It was incredible. Sipadan, a world-class diving spot in Malaysian Borneo was another mind-blowing experience with incredible coral walls and abundant fish life.
We also volunteered at an animal refuge in Bolivia called La Senda Verde, getting up close and personal with many different animals ranging from monkeys to parrots. We toured the Bolivian Amazon as well, swimming with pink river dolphins and fishing for piranhas. In the Galapagos, we dived with playful sea lions and hammerhead sharks as well as dolphins and marine iguanas. We even witnessed a volcano erupt near Quito, Ecuador. That was amazing!
My first trip to Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia stands out as life changing as well because it was the first time I really pushed my physical limits and challenged my fears. I went skydiving, bungee-jumping, hang-gliding and night diving with sharks. I landed in Indonesia with no clue as to where I was. I didn’t even know I needed a visa, which luckily could be bought at immigration. What an adventure!
Whether it’s walking through the ancient walled city of Pingyao, China or sleeping in a capsule hotel in Tokyo, Japan, travel has been such a dramatically life-enhancing experience for me. I could go on for days about some of my favourite experiences abroad.
A volcano erupting in Quito, Ecuador. Photo courtesy of Matthew Bailey.
I saw on your website that you ended up owning an elephant for a day. Can you tell me a little bit about that?
This was also a mind-blowing experience. When it comes to elephant encounters, we did a lot of research to make sure we were going with a reputable company who took care of the animals. We ended up in Northern Thailand at a place called Patara Elephant Farm. Instead of the typical ride-only experience, we spent the whole day learning about the elephants and how to tell if they are healthy and happy, as well as feeding them, bathing them, riding bareback through the jungle and swimming with them in a nearby river. I didn’t know they loved swimming so much. In fact, as I sat on the elephants back while she dunked herself into the river, a baby elephant thought it would be a good idea to copy me and tried climbing onto the mother’s back as well, which didn’t work out so well. I don’t think the baby elephants realize how big they really are.
We did everything an elephant caretaker would have to do, including picking up the elephant poo with our hands and squeezing it to make sure the elephant was drinking enough water. We learned so much about elephants that we came home with a completely different understanding of these amazing creatures.
I would love to go back.
If you could give your top tips or advice for those looking to become expert travel hackers, what would they be?
The first step is to stop ignoring frequent flyer programs and realize how incredible they can be once you know how to use them. While credit cards certainly offer the quickest path to frequent flyer miles, there are actually many free online promotions throughout the year that can easily add up to free flights. While I could easily go very in-depth with methods for earning hundreds of thousands of frequent flyer miles, the easiest method to start with is a good travel rewards credit card that earns at least one point per dollar and then use that to buy everything you need such as groceries and gas. As long as you’re spending on necessary items, you might as well earn miles for them. If the store also accepts Aeroplan, make sure to double-dip by using both the Aeroplan card and the credit card. Now you’re getting two points for every dollar!
Typically, the further the destination, the better the value for redeeming points. It’s a good idea to write down the dream trip you want to take and then use that as your “travel hacking” goal. Use that destination as your encouragement and don’t stop until you have enough points to go there. It really doesn’t take that long.
To give you an idea of what Canadian Free Flyers is all about, Matt is sharing a deal for getting 30,000 Aeroplan miles in one shot. This is Matt’s favourite credit card at the moment. The American Express Aeroplan card usually comes with 20,000 Aeroplan miles but if you apply through this link, you will get an additional 10,000 miles for a total of 30,000! That’s enough to go anywhere in Canada or the continental U.S.A and still have 5000 miles left over. Click here for Matt’s referral link to receive 30,000 points.
For those who want to take maximum advantage of free flights and hotels, Calgary is Awesome readers will also get a free 30-minute consultation with Matt after signing up with Canadian Free Flyers. After you enroll, just send an email to matt@canadianfreeflyers.com and let him know you came from CIA. He’ll then schedule a phone call with you to discuss your travel dreams and travel hacking ambitions as well as answer all the questions you may have.