Mad Monkey Golden Tickets: Travel Long Term Through SE Asia On A Budget

If you’re looking for a great way to kick off your long term travel, check out the Mad Monkey Golden Tickets!

It basically is a 30, 60 or 90 day pass that lets you stay at any of the Mad Monkey hostels around SE Asia for a super low, fixed, one-time fee!

Mad Monkey Hostel Locations:

11 Locations in 5 Countries

• Bangkok, Thailand
• Pai, Thailand
• Chiang Mai, Thailand
• Luang, Laos
• Gili, Indonesia
• Nacpan Beach, Philippines
• Cebu, Philippines
• Siargao, Philippines
• Phnom Penh, Cambodia
• Siem Reap, Cambodia
• Kampot, Cambodia
• Koh Rong, Cambodia
• and more coming soon!

Check out the great reviews on HostelWorld for the Mad Monkey hostel in Bangkok, Thailand!

“Bangkok is known as a party city and at Mad Monkey Bangkok we don’t let the side down. You’ll find us just off the famous Khao San Road, with views of a canal and a short walk from the river. Our staff are on hand around the clock to check you in and help you find your way around the city. Been travelling in the heat all day? You can have a well-deserved cool down in our swimming pool, before heading to the bar and restaurant. Our regular events are ideal for meeting other travellers (perfect if you’re riding solo) and our food and drink specials are budget-friendly.”

Affordable

Stay for under $100 a month. Pay in full or over 3 installments with our payment plan, available at check-out

Flexible

Come and go as you please and mix and match any of the locations across five countries in Southeast Asia.

Versatile

Travel freely, work remotely, find adventure or party as you go— the possibilities are endless!

Risk-Free

Use your ticket whenever you want before 2024. Tickets will be extended if travel restrictions remain. Add Flexible Cancellation for hassle free refunds.

Mad Monkey Golden Ticket Pricing

Book your Golden Ticket here.

More on SE Asia:

• WORK AT A PARTY HOSTEL IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
• 5 REASONS TO PUT STAR CLIPPERS SAILING AT THE TOP OF YOUR BUCKET LIST
• WHERE TO STAY IN BALI TO AVOID THE CROWDS
• FREEDIVING IN KOH TAO, THAILAND WITH BLUE IMMERSION

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Work & Live At A Party Hostel In Southeast Asia

slumber party hostels

The best and easiest way to extend your travels: get a travel job. And better yet- one that you genuinely love because you’re surrounded by friends and having a great time! If you’ve backpacked before and stayed at a party hostel, you might have thought to yourself, “wow these people get paid to live on the beach and party with travelers?!” Yep, these type of jobs exist.

So whether you want to take a gap year, go abroad for awhile or simply go live near the beach and party for work- you’ve come to the right spot. Let me introduce you to Slumber Party Hostels.

Full disclosure, I haven’t personally worked this job yet but it’s been on my radar for a long time. But since I am on a mission to share all the best travel jobs I come across- I wanted to give you the option to apply!

Slumber Party Hostels

This company has 6 hostels in Thailand and 2 more opening in Indonesia on the islands of Lombok & Bali.

So there are plenty of options across Southeast Asia for you to travel & party as you work with this fun loving crew of travelers.

Check out their Instagram here.

Slumber Party Hostels:

• KRABI
• AO NANG BEACH
• BANGKOK
• PHUKET
• KOH PHANGAN
• LOMBOK
• CANGGU

Positions Available:

• Reception
• Bartender
• Guest Entertainment Rep
• House Keeping
• Maintenance
• Administrative Staff
• Management

Check out what life is like in Phuket, Thailand with Slumber Party Hostels:

And your typical island adventure in Krabi, Thailand doesn’t look too bad either…

Adventure Hard, Party Harder

“Our motto is Adventure Hard, Party Harder and our goal is providing you with the best party hostel experience for backpackers in Southeast Asia.”

Positive Impact On the Local Community Through Donations, Beach Clean Ups & Scholarships

You might have only come across this company because it sounded fun to hang out in Thailand or Indonesia with some other fun-loving travelers but hey, there’s an added perk that they donate time and money to some really great causes! And your work there would help support this mission.

“Beyond our amazing parties we also have an unwavering commitment to having a positive impact on the communities we call home through our various activities such as our Tsunami relief fund, weekly beach cleans and our Slumber Party Scholarships, that we award each year to underprivileged children, all of which are both directly funded through our hostels and donations.” – Slumber Party Hostels

So you think you might want to live in Southeast Asia for a bit?

APPLY HERE for Slumber Party Hostels

Or earn yourself a free stay at Slumber Party Hostels…

If you don’t want to commit to more than a few nights with Slumber Party Hostel, you could earn yourself a free stay by promoting the company through your social media, writing or DJ skills. Check out the listing from their webpage below.

BLOGGERS AND VLOGGERS

We know you’re always looking for places to stay on your travels and we would love it if you stayed with us! Send an email to marketing@slumberpartyhostels.com and be sure to include the following:

• 2-3 examples of your best work
• Links to your blog or YouTube channel
• A short pitch about what you will create during your time with us
• Any other social media links
• The dates you wish to stay
• The location you wish to stay

PHOTOGRAPHERS AND VIDEOGRAPHERS

We always need more visual content to show off our amazing hostels and you can help us out! If you are travelling with your own gear let us know and we can arrange your stay. Send an email to marketing@slumberpartyhostels.comand be sure to include the following:

• 2-3 examples of your best work
• Links to your blog or YouTube channel
• A short pitch about what you will create during your time with us
• Any other social media links
• The dates you wish to stay
• The location you wish to stay

WRITERS

We publish content on our blog on a weekly basis! If you’d like to become a guest writer in exchange for a stay at our hostels we can gladly arrange the opportunity! Send an email to marketing@slumberpartyhostels.com and be sure to include the following:

• 2-3 examples of your best work
• Links to your portfolio or website
• A list of topics you are excited to write about (3-5)
• Any other social media links
• The dates you wish to stay
• The location you wish to stay

MUSICIANS AND DJS

Music is essential to any party and at Slumber Party Hostel we believe that a live experience demolishes any Spotify playlist! We are currently looking for guest artists and those looking for a long term stay. If you are travelling with your own gear then send an email to marketing@slumberpartyhostels.com and be sure to include the following:

• 2-3 of your most recent tracks or mixes
• Links to your Soundcloud, YouTube or anywhere else we can hear you
• Any other social media links
• The dates you wish to stay
• The location you wish to stay

MODELS

We are always looking for beautiful people to show off our amazing hostels! If you’re making a living as a professional model in any capacity we’d love set up a shoot! Send an email to marketing@slumberpartyhostels.com and be sure to include the following:

• Links to 2-3 recent shoots
• Links to your Instagram and Portfolio
• Any other social media links
• The dates you wish to stay
• The location you wish to stay

Creators apply here.

Looking for more party jobs? Check out HOW TO GET AN EPIC JOB AT OKTOBERFEST & 10 REASONS TO WORK AS A PUB CRAWL GUIDE WITH KRAWL THROUGH KRAKOW

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After a whirlwind trip through India, I was off to explore Thailand next. When I arrived in Koh Tao, I wasn’t sure what to expect- I had done very little research and hadn’t planned much for my trip. What I found on the island was a diver’s paradise. Countless dive schools lined the streets of the city offering everything from scuba diving to snorkeling to freediving!

Having only scuba dived once before in Mexico, I was eager to continue exploring the ocean and as always, I love developing new skills and challenging myself through new experiences. And because my friend was working as a freedive instructor, it made perfect sense to give freediving a try!

Freediving in Koh Tao, Thailand

What is freediving? Freediving is diving on a single breath of air. Also described as “deep snorkeling.” It is a sport involving special techniques of swimming, breathing, equalisation, stretching, mediation and relaxation.

So I signed up for the 2 day Wave 1 Beginner Course offered at Blue Immersion School.

Blue Immersion School: Located right on Sairee beach, the most popular area in Koh Tao, this school provides excellent and thorough training so students can achieve their Molchanov and SSI Freediving certifications. This shop is very popular with over 1,000 new students each year.

SSI Certification: SSI is an organization founded in 1970 that set the standard for all freediving schools and instructors. SSI has over 2,500 schools, 35 regional centers and offices worldwide. As a registered SSI freediver, you have access to manuals, logbooks, dive centers & dive site finder, diving videos and your certifications. All can be accessed through a smartphone, tablet or computer, allowing you to study at your own pace.

Blue Immersion Wave 1 Course Quick Facts:

• 2 days- 6,000 bat ($198 USD)
• 8:30 -4:00 PM
• Lunch included both days
• International Molchanovs Certification Provided Upon Completion
• Bonus: edited underwater photos included!
• All freediving equipment provided

BEGINNER FREEDIVING COURSE – WAVE 1

Day 1: Morning

Intro

Start your day off with an introduction to the course. Your instructor will outline what you are about to learn/accomplish.

Breathing

Time to learn the basics of relaxation and breathing while freediving. Your instructor will walk you through a variety of exercises to help improve your static breath hold.

Equalizing

Now this can be difficult for some people! The trick is to pop your ears without affecting the breath. For some, equalizing comes very naturally while others struggle to equalize the whole first day.

Day 1: Afternoon

Training

After a morning in the classroom and an included lunch, it will be time to get out into the water. Time to put into practice what you learned that morning!

And here is where I struggled at first. Something about slowly crawling down a rope into the dark ocean left me feeling surprisingly anxious. You cannot see the bottom and obviously have no source of oxygen. And you’re upside down trying to equalize. It is awesome, thrilling and scary.

My first attempt, I felt the panic rising in my chest and dashed for the surface. “How long was I under?!” I gasped. “Six seconds.” Our instructor replied. And I burst out laughing. Freediving is all a mental game. Just you and the ocean.

Slowly, with each turn down the rope (we alternated taking turns between the 3 of us) I was able to go deeper.

Fun Dive

During your first afternoon session, you will get to go on a fun dive to see some beautiful coral and marine life. This well preserved diving/snorkeling is what made Koh Tao famous!

Day 2: Morning

Rescue Session

Day two starts off with rescue training in the morning! You must know how to correctly bring someone to the surface who has blacked out under water etc. Freediving can be a dangerous sport if not done correctly.

Static Breath Hold

Now it’s time to work on your breath hold. While floating in a relaxed position, holding onto a floating device with your face fully submerged, your instructor will time how long you can hold your breath. My first go, I was able to hold it 2 minutes and 6 seconds. But I slowly improved!

Read: 7 Things You Should Know Before Your Wave 1 Freediving Course

Day 2: Afternoon

Freediving Written Exam

While it is not required that you pass the course to continue freediving in the future, if you want your certification you’ll have to also pass the written test. Blue Immersion provides lunch both days at a Thai restaurant across the street. So on your second day, you will take the written portion at the lunch table prior to having your meal.

Training

Finish off your second day by completing your Molchanov certification Wave 1 requirements. These include being able to hold your breath stationary underwater for at least 90 seconds, dive 30m horizontally and dive 12-20m depth in open water.

Overall, I was thankful for such a wonderful introduction to the sport of freediving at Blue Immersion. Koh Tao was a wonderful oasis to experiment with this new challenging but exhilarating sport!

Let me know in the comments if you have any questions about freediving. Have you tried it?

More on Thailand? Keep reading: HOW TO TAKE SPLIT OVER/UNDERWATER SHOTS & HOW TO GET INSTA-WORTHY PHOTOS IN BANGKOK

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I remember first coming across beautiful split water shots on Instagram where you could see both above the water and below the water and I was mesmerized. “How did they get that shot?!” I was obsessed with the beautiful images of a swimmer below the water and a tropical landscape, boat or surfer above! As it turns outs, an easy way to capture over/underwater photos is to purchase a simple attachment for a GoPro.

GoPro Hero 8

First you’ll need a GoPro to shoot photos this way. You can buy the lastest version on Amazon for less than $400. If you’re serious about travel, you’ll be thankful you have your GoPro for all future trips to come! You can easily edit your videos with the Quik app which edits, cuts and syncs your videos to music. It’s a huge time saver and really easy to use.

Telesin Dome

Once you own a GoPro, you’ll want to purchase a dome that is compatible with your GoPro. Simply open the back of the dome and pop your GoPro in the fitted capsule. The attachment at the back works as a trigger to click the record/photo capture button while keeping in the GoPro inside the waterproof dome. The dome keeps the water further from the camera lens which allows the camera to capture both above and below the water line.

Remember, a good split shot is composed over a strong underwater scene, a clear waterline across the frame of the photo and a strong/interesting above water scene.

You want to tell a story with your photo and to do that- both above the water and below the water shoot be an engaging image.

Tip: Place the sun behind your back when shooting!

Keep in mind, it is always darker underwater than above water so you’ll need plenty of light when shooting. If it’s an overcast day or the sun has already begun to set, you might not be able to capture what’s going on below the water.

The clearer the water, the better!

Shooting in transparent water will give you much clearer photos obviously! While muddy, murky water could be used to an interesting artistic effect, you’ll typically have much better luck with clear water. Even in a pool!

Water droplets on the dome? Try licking it! Spit helps keep it clear.

If you’ve gone snorkeling or scuba diving before you might have heard that spitting in your mask then dunking it will prevent your mask from fogging up. The same works with a dome attachment. Although you might feel a little silly licking or spitting on your dome before dunking it in the water and shooting, you will find you get clearer photos without any water droplets!

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A fun challenge!

Shooting underwater provides a fun challenging twist on travel photos! Your hair will be floating every which way, the waves might crash just as you take the photo so your waterline is disrupted and you might end up swallowing half the ocean. But the results can be mesmerizing! And it’s awfully fun swimming around the ocean and getting creative with shots.

Have you tried underwater photography before? If this blog post was helpful, repin it on Pinterest!

And if you used any of my tips to get a photo, tag me on Instagram so I can reshare it on my stories! Have fun photographing in the water

All shots taken by the amazing Tony Myshlyaev from Tones of Blue Photography. Follow his Instagram here.

Shop my favorite long sleeve one piece swimsuit style:

Interested in booking a trip to Thailand? Check out these amazing offers on TourRadar!

Keep reading: How To Get Epic Solo Travel Photos

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How To Get Insta-worthy Photos in Bangkok, Thailand

If you’re traveling to Thailand and wondering how to get Insta-worthy photos in Bangok- I’ve got you covered! Whether you’re a blogger or just looking to up your Instagram-game, there are some incredible (and affordable!!) photographers in Bangkok you can book through Airbnb experiences.

Airbnb Experiences

I adore Airbnb. I use it constantly when I travel because I love the local vibe it provides. Don’t get me wrong, there are some hotels and hostels I ADORE staying at but often times, I find hotels to be sterile and just the same in every city. Hotels can feel bland and less “authentic” to me. I like getting to see how the locals live, meeting a host, and staying in an actual neighborhood while traveling.

Which is why I was even more excited when they launched Airbnb experiences! It’s the perfect way to meet up with someone who knows the area well. Some incredible connections I’ve made abroad have come from booking an Airbnb experience with local who winds up becoming a friend!

Get $15 off your first Airbnb Experience of $50 or more!

It’s especially great if you’re traveling solo and would love to meet someone to show you around. And even better if you don’t want to only take travel selfies! I first used Airbnb experiences last year in Poland and was so thankful for the discovery.

Read: KRAKOW WITH A PHOTOGRAPHER: USING AIRBNB EXPERIENCES TO GET AMAZING TRAVEL PHOTOS

Bangkok Airbnb Experiences

Bangkok has a great selection of photo Airbnb experiences! The following are ones I have personally done and highly recommend.

The 1970’s Style Bangkok Photoshoot

Your photographer, Tommy, will pick you up in his Mercedes Benz and drive to you to some great local spots to shoot. He is FANTASTIC. This guy is a brilliant photographer and will have you feeling like a million bucks. The whole shoot, he was hyping me up, giving me compliments and helping me to feel totally comfortable. Even if you aren’t used to having your picture taken, Tommy will make you feel at ease. Before the experience is over, you might find yourself cruisin’ the streets of Bangkok, blaring Beyonce and singing along together! And did I mention he’s done an intern with Japan Vogue? Yeahhhhhh, he’s pretty awesome.

The experience lasted over 2 hours and was just me! Although it could have up to 4 people. I was sent all the photos from the shoot and the price was $133.

Book this Airbnb Experience here.

Neon Lights Portrait Photoshoot

Your photographer Varin is a total pro. He knows exactly where to go and how to help you pose. Not only that but Varin knows where all the best neon signs are in Bangkok and uses a small mirror under his camera to get a really unique and interesting effect with the lights. By holding the mirror under his camera, he reflects the neon sign above you to appear below you in the photo as well. It gives the photo a very metropolis, Hollywood feel and really emphasizes the neon vibes of the city.

The shoot was one hour long and we got to pick 30 shots for him to edit and send us. There was one other guest on the experience with me. At first I thought I would have preferred a private experience but it was fun to meet another traveler! We joked, cheered each other on and swapped sunglasses in a few pictures. The cost of this experience was $43.

Book this Airbnb Experience here.

Get $15 off your first Airbnb Experience of $50 or more!

Shop TourRadar’s incredible Thailand itineraries!

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