My namesake, Pablo Olóndriz, has written a book aimed at anyone stuck in the daily grind who needs a push to break the routine and take the plunge — specifically, to go and live in Southeast Asia for a spell.
What the book is about
The author draws on his own travel experience to illustrate his points: how he left Spain with little more than €2,000 in his bank account, how he lived in a temple, hired out motorbikes to tourists, and worked on a Thai permaculture farm. None of it is theory — it's a life he actually went out and lived.
The stories and advice are focused mainly on Southeast Asia, a region we've both spent a decent amount of time travelling through. That's partly why it rang true for me: I've watched the same maths play out on the road. When your rent, food and transport are all priced for locals rather than for tourists, the numbers stop looking impossible and start looking obvious.
In the book he hammers home something we bang on about again and again on this blog: travel is cheap when you pay local prices. Spend like a local, not like a holidaymaker, and €300 a month stops being a stunt and becomes a fairly comfortable way to live.
The format — a conversation, not a lecture
What makes it easy to read is the structure. The whole thing is built around a conversation with a friend — the author fielding his doubts, talking him out of his dull job, and demystifying backpacker life for someone who's never done it.
It's the same conversation I've had a hundred times in real life, usually over a beer with someone who says they'd love to travel but can't. The "can't" is almost always money, and the book takes that excuse apart piece by piece. If you've ever caught yourself making those excuses, you might recognise yourself in it — it pairs well with our own take on the solution to all your excuses.
Who it's for
This is a nudge for the person who's curious but hesitant. If you've already crossed a few borders on a shoestring, a lot of it will feel familiar — you'll be nodding along rather than learning something new. But if you've never quite dared to take the leap beyond your own country, it's a genuinely useful, encouraging read, and an easy one.
Either way, it sits nicely alongside the practical side of things — how to fund your travels and the ways we actually keep costs down — by tackling the bit that comes first: convincing yourself it's possible at all.
Where to get it
Vivir bien con 300 euros al mes is available on Amazon, and the author backs it up with a money-back guarantee — if you're not happy, you get your money back, which tells you he's fairly confident in it.
It's a readable, entertaining book, and particularly useful for anyone who's never quite dared to step beyond their own borders. Need a push to change your life? Living Well on €300 a Month might be exactly what you need.
Frequently asked questions
Can you really live in Southeast Asia on €300 a month?
For a long-stay traveller paying local prices, yes — that's the whole premise of the book, and it broadly matches what we've seen on the road. The catch is in those words long-stay and local prices: rent a room by the month rather than a hotel by the night, eat where locals eat, and travel slowly. Bounce around as a short-term tourist and the figure goes out the window.
Is the book in English or Spanish?
Vivir bien con 300 euros al mes is written in Spanish. The title translates as Living Well on €300 a Month, and that's how we refer to it here, but the book itself is in Spanish.
Is this just another "quit your job and travel" book?
It leans that way, but its strength is the first-hand detail. The author isn't selling a fantasy from a desk — he lived in a temple, rented out motorbikes and worked a permaculture farm, and the advice comes from doing it. The conversational format keeps it grounded rather than preachy.
Do I need to read this before going to Southeast Asia?
Not at all — plenty of people just go. But if money is the thing holding you back, it's a cheap, quick way to talk yourself round. Treat it as motivation; for the nuts and bolts, our own guides on paying local prices and funding your travels cover the practical side.