You don’t need a huge budget — or a perfect plan — to have an incredible travel experience.
I’m here to help you experience the best of a place without overspending, and sacrificing comfort or culture.
Hi! I’m Tess Kazenoff, I’m a travel journalist who lives in Long Beach, California. And on Tess the Traveler, I share culture-packed travel guides, affordable US and Latin America travel guides. You’ll especially find a ton of content on my two favorite places — Brazil, where I’ve been traveling for years, and California, where I’ve lived for the past 8+.
Whether you’re planning a short trip with limited time off or a longer adventure, my goal is to help you experience places more meaningfully — without breaking the bank.
How it Started
I was always a little obsessed with the idea of traveling and exploring different places. But I didn’t actually make it happen until life began to guide me a little off course.
In the New Jersey town I grew up in, the culture was pretty much to spend all your energy getting into the “best” possible college, go for four years, graduate, then get a “good” job. Anything outside of the traditional image of success just wasn’t part of the equation.
The truth was, that just wasn’t the path for me.
After just one semester of college, I dropped out, moved out on my own, and started working full-time as a waitress. While not particularly glamorous, it gave me something I hadn’t had before: time, freedom, and just enough money to start traveling.
That year, I took my first international trip to Costa Rica. It was only 10 days — but something shifted, and I felt like I’d finally found the direction I’d been looking for.
Backpacking, Budgeting, and Brazil
Later that year, my best friend and I backpacked through Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, and Indonesia.
Think $5-a-night hostel rooms with lizards crawling up and down the walls, sketchy buses breaking down in the middle of nowhere, falling for classic tourist scams left and right, and just all around chaos. I even tragically had my wallet stolen minutes before midnight on New Year’s Eve.
We had no idea what we were doing, but I was in love with every second of it (except the getting my wallet stolen part. I definitely could’ve gone without that).
While I eventually went back to school and completed my degree in journalism, in between semesters, I visited Peru, then solo traveled to Chile, Argentina, and then Brazil, where I met my now-husband. Since then, I’ve returned to Brazil many times, and I cover it a ton here because, well … I love it.
My husband and I have also traveled through Mexico, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, and around California, where we’re now based. Latin America 100% has my heart, and you’ll see that reflected here on Tess the Traveler.
What You’ll Find on Tess the Traveler
I’ve made just about every travel mistake you can think of — missed flights, forgotten visas, tourist traps, you name it.
But luckily over the years, I’ve become a much savvier traveler, and now I share everything I’ve learned so you can avoid the same mistakes.
If you’re new to travel, or just want to get more out of your adventures, I’m here for you!
My goal is to help you experience what really makes a destination unique, and walk away feeling like you’ve fallen in love with the culture and beauty of a place.
To me, really experiencing a place to its fullest takes learning about the history and culture, trying local foods, spending time in nature, and sometimes, just wandering without a plan.
I’ll almost always recommend a locally-loved restaurant that’s been around for decades over the trendy spot you’ve seen all over social media. And you won’t find jam-packed, checklist-style itineraries here.
But you will find thoughtfully planned trips based entirely on my experiences and research, that are enriching and realistic — plus all the practical tips you need to make them happen on a budget.
Travel has changed me in a million ways, and I want that for you too.
If you’re dreaming of a trip that’s affordable, meaningful, and full of culture — I’m so excited that you’re here.
Find me on
Instagram: @tessthetraveler
Pinterest: tessthetraveler
Email: tess[at]tessthetraveler.com
Featured in
VoyageLA | Islands | Bold Journey | CanvasRebel
