Hi! We are Campbell and Alya a full-time travel couple searching for the best hiking and diving experiences around the world, we have been traveling together for 9 years. Welcome to our travel blog!
Our Expertise
We love hiking and diving and mainly travel to fulfill these two passions. The Camino de Santiago became our favorite pilgrimage in recent years and we know these routes well after walking the 7 main routes of the Camino in just two years. We live in Portugal now, hiking in Europe, and being involved with the Camino community it is easy to keep our content up to date. Our trips tend to be prolonged and we often return to the same place, this allows us to properly explore an area. Creating content we do extensive research, plan our activities, and document them well, which is helpful for people planning the same adventures. We have spent a lot of time hiking in South America and Nepal completing several popular treks. Both of us are keen divers, Campbell has a lot of experience and is a PADI dive instructor.
Our Story
In January 2014 we were both traveling in South East Asia, meeting in this little surf hostel on Luzon Island. We stayed in the same dormitory and ended up exploring the Philippines together, 9 years later, we are married and still traveling. 2021 was a very exciting year for us first of all another little Stingy Nomad was born her name is Summer. Second, we moved to Portugal now we’re living in the sunny Algarve. If you’re planning to visit this beautiful region and want to get some locals’ tips check our new destination site The Algarve Family.
Who Are We
Campbell Louw used to work as a research scientist with a Ph.D. in biotechnology. He is a Padi Scuba Instructor, loves free diving, surfing, running, hiking, and exploring the world with a backpack.
Alya Louw used to work as a linguist teaching English, Russian and Spanish, she has a Master’s degree in Linguistics and loves art, classical music, diving, hiking, running, and is an incurable travel addict.
Summer Louw, born recently this little Stingy Nomad is still just buckets full of potential!
Chile Louw is a Borador, her father is a Border Collie and her Mother is a Labrador. Chile still lives with her other mother Maryna Louw but travels with us in South Africa. Chile loves swimming, traveling, and camping!
Our Mission
- Showing the world travel does not have to be expensive or out of your reach.
- Motivating others to go for it!
- To be a valuable travel resource, if we have written on what you are looking for you would not need to search any further.
- We want to be a resource you can trust, only writing on places and activities we have experienced.
How do we still travel?
During our first couple of years on the road, Campbell freelanced as a Scuba instructor and Alya taught some English online, our income from the blog slowly started dripping in, contributing something. Today stingynomads.com is our full-time business and main source of income.
Countries we have traveled.
Why Stingy Nomads…
Stingy with a tongue in the cheek because we try to spend little money traveling on a tight budget. We would rather spend money on doing amazing things than on transport and accommodation. Nomads because we have been on the road for a couple of years, constantly moving.
Our new project
We love food. Traveling the world full time for such a long time we really missed having a home and a proper kitchen. With our nomadic lifestyle, we fell in love with salads. You do not require a proper kitchen for most recipes and awesome ingredients and inspiration to be found everywhere! On our new website Making Salads we bring you our favorite salad creations and discoveries, check it out and try some of our recipes!
More about Stingy Nomads
We have been published in several publications, both digital and print, these interviews can tell you a little more about us.
- Newspaper interview published in South African News site Media24.
- Interview with Hero and Leander, couples magazine.
- Interview with Africa and Beyond, South African blog
Want to work with us?
How did Stingy Nomads happen? – Comic
Questions or Comments?
Got any questions or comments? We would love to help! All questions and comments will be answered by us personally in Buy Me a Coffee. Click below and ask away.
Feel free to support our site by buying us a coffee!
Travel bloggers from South Africa
Tom Foolery
Monday 25th of May 2020
Hi! I was wondering if you have a more general page about how to get started. I have seen almost every state in the USA ( including Alaska once and Hawaii many times), but I have never left the borders of the US. I feel stuck and I need help getting my long-overdue dream of world travel off the ground.
Stingy Nomads
Tuesday 26th of May 2020
Hi, Tom! Thank you for the comment! We don't have any particular post on how to start traveling. If you want to explore more outside of US for the first trip you could go to Canada it's not far, the same language, similar infrastructure. Going to a very exotic place for the first trip abroad might be overwhelming. Europe is another option, in one trip you can visit a couple of countries, it's easy to move around, it's pretty safe and there are many things to see. If you want something more exotic Cost Rica is a great place, many people speak English, everything is set for tourism. I'm not sure if you like walking or hiking. I met quite a few Americans on my last Camino de Santiago walk in Spain, for many of them it was their first time traveling outside US. Walking the Camino is a great way to meet people, to learn more about Spanish culture and to get out of your comfort zone. You don't have to be very fit for most people the Camino is their first long-distance walk it's challenging and inspiring at the same time. I hope it helps! Stay safe!
Shane Driscoll
Saturday 2nd of May 2020
Hi Nomads. Love your itinerary and am using it as a basis for myt own planning. It seems to run out at Sarria though. Did you do the section from Sarria to Santiago de Compostella?
Stingy Nomads
Saturday 2nd of May 2020
Hello, Shane! Thank you! There is a separate post on the last 100km from Sarria to Santiago. You can find it if you click Camino de Santiago section in the menu. Regards
Daniel Akerman
Friday 7th of February 2020
This is a great and inspiring website! And you seem to live your lifes really well! Reading and enjoying your articles on Annapurna, Elbrus and Patagonia. You have not done Aconcagua? I-m sure you have thought about it. Are you planning to?
Stingy Nomads
Friday 7th of February 2020
Hello Daniel, thank for reading, glad you enjoy our blog! We are on our way back to Nepal. We have planned to do Aconcagua in the past, but unfortunately our plans changed for that trip, it is definitely still on our to do list!
paola
Sunday 5th of January 2020
Hi! I really loved reading about your trip to Namibia. I'm just planning mine on May 2020. I need information about the Omungunda camp site...I've tried to contact them but I haven't received any answer... Did you go there without booking? Or do you have any contact to give me? Thank you very much.
Stingy Nomads
Monday 6th of January 2020
Hello, Paola! We didn't book Omungunda campsite in advance we just arrived there and could get a spot for camping, in fact, we were the only people there, the place is spacious I'm sure they'll be able to accommodate you. Safe travels!
CAROL B.
Tuesday 10th of December 2019
Hi Stingy Nomads. My husband and I have hiked the Camino Frances, the Camino del Norte, the Camino Ingles and the Camino Portugues in the last 4 years. We ski/snowboard in winter. This coming summer he will be riding a motorcycle across India during which time I will be hiking the Camino Primitivo. In researching trip insurance (which we have never used before) I was excited to see you described adventure insurance in conjunction with an established insurance company but then found we could not even get a quote as he is 71 and I will be 70 this summer. What do you suggest?
Stingy Nomads
Thursday 12th of December 2019
Hello Carol, thanks for your msg. You guys sound like a super active traveling couple! I have contacted the companies we work with, but unfortunately they only offer travel insurance policies up to 69. Allianz is another company I am familiar with and according to their website they offer travel insurance up to 70. Goodtogoinsurance has no age limit, I found them online and have no experience with the company, but it could be worth looking into. I am sure you are going to love the Primitivo, Buen Camino!