Travel Tips

Advice for tourists

What we have advice for other travelers? Basically, make everything as easy as possible for yourself. For securities that I write tips that follow.

Prepare before you go go

Before leaving home on a long journey, checking the validity of the passport, driving license and all your bank and credit card. Apart from these things what else should you do? Not much.

Some inventories at everything more or less before they leave the trip, because if there are no shops once they leave their home countries! Even you could buy almost everything as you go, the one that really all you need is your passport and access to your money.

Items such as travel guides, clothing, toothpaste, plane tickets, malaria pills, etc. have not brought and bought. Buy these items when you need it, you bring this to avoid unnecessary goods and reduce the risk of losing. In addition, these items may be cheaper places to your destination.

For example, much cheaper to buy tickets in Bangkok than in Europe, so why buy more from you (return-) ticket to Bangkok? The same is valid for travel guides, an endless supply of the former are sold everywhere backpackers gather.

Do not buy new clothes before the trip, the clothes are more expensive in Europe than elsewhere in the world (partly because of high import taxes). Retrieve old stuff to you that you could dump or give away to make space when you buy something new.

Get rid of unnecessary items

Try to remove things you do not need. For example, sell, exchange or give the books you have read. Send goods house that you do not need for the rest of the trip but want to stay too. Less baggage to carry really makes life easier on the road.

Are your digital photos put on CD. Make another copy and send home a copy (or upload them all to a server on the Internet, if you have enough space). Photos in my opinion something that you did not want to lose, so play it safe.

What to bring

Or rather what did not take together. Here is a brief list of things that we have with us (besides clothes):

  • Alarm clock (as small as possible)
  • A very small calculators to help with prices and exchange rates.
  • A small torch, powercuts can happen.
  • Digital camera.
  • Some parts passport photos. You are often asked to use some when applying for a visa at the border.
  • Swiss Army knife. Can be very practical.

What not to take:

  • Watch, do not use one for years.
  • Mobile phone (you’re on vacation!)
  • Laptop or handheld device, too much weight and the risk of theft, other Internet cafes everywhere and they are usually cheaper.
  • Internet Use

I am sure I need not tell you that the Internet can be a wonderful tool. You can save copies of important documents online, use online banking from anywhere in the world, read the travel of others and stay in touch with friends and family. This is a tool for research purposes next, read about what other travelers, where they lived and how they got there.

It unfortunately took some of the travel distance, because you just e-mail away from the people most you know even if you’re on the other side of the world.

Disturbance

Avoid those engaged in tourism business or somehow prey on tourists. They can be very annoying. Touts for example can be pushy and always will increase the price of whatever you buy. Try to meet locals who are not involved in the tourism industry. They are usually a friendly and helpful and will give a good insight into their culture and way of life.
Taxi drivers and money changers

Except for the few places on Earth, the two categories of people should not be trusted. Check and control everything before the agreement and thereafter. Has a healthy paranoia that they might try to rip you off.

With taxi drivers always agree a price in advance or make sure there is a taxi meter can be trusted. If the driver refused one of two options come out soon. But besides cheating on fare, taxi drivers often try to direct you to hotels that pay commissions. Always decide where to live before entering the cab and was always saying that you already have a reservation even if you do not. Each commission will always be added to hotel bills.

When changing money, observe similar rules, the exchange rate of the previous request (in writing if you do not speak the same language). money you have to stay on the table for a deal that happened. Counting all the cash you again AFTER the money changer has been handed to you. If he even touch the money again, count again.

With the exchange of money if the amount is correct, they may try to deceive you, consider to terminate the transaction immediately. First time can be a mistake, but if it happens again, you must stop transaction. Do not like the reward of your business, take it to someone more worthy of your business.

The point is, do not reward theft and betrayal, honesty is rewarded.

Bargain

Try to make your presence in other countries a positive thing for the people who live there. As an individual traveler, you definitely can not reduce all the poverty that you might see. But you can do your bit. Spend your money wisely, buying local products and services. Local prizes do their best work hard to build their own lives.

Who didn’t survive, as a foreigner, you may end up being “ripped off” so to speak, just because you are strangers and are considered rich.

Bargaining is part of the process and you’ll be able to bargain on almost everything, but only accept that you’ll not get the lowest price, instead try to think what something is worth to you and would love it if you get it for much lower prices. Also consider if the person you are buying from a commercial medium, or whether the people who actually make products or services? How many foreigners who bought the place, if you were strangers in a week from someone who bought the carving in the middle of nowhere, let him have a nice little windfall. After all what’s a few dollars or euros to you, and how many to them.

Likewise with the tip, not normal to leave a € 5 tip in restaurants in Europe, so why not leave a dollar tip if the food is delicious and the staff were friendly even when the overall food cost only 2 or 3 dollars?

Health on the street

A word of caution, I am not a doctor nor a health education background, opinions expressed in this section are purely mine (in other words that a non-expert) based on my own experience and my own interpretation of my doctor’s advice. Ignoring the advice of your physician at your own risk!
Vaccinations and Malaria Profilaxe

Never hurts to take some precautions such as vaccinations. Start steeling onself for this vaccination at least seven months in advance, because this is how much time you need to complete the hepatitis A + B vaccination. But if you start the vaccination is much closer to your departure date, you can set the image booster while on tour or completing treatment when you come home. For other vaccinations seven weeks before departure should be enough.

But it is my opinion that malaria profilaxe prescription for the area west of minimal risk is a complete exaggeration. In areas to avoid bites is the best policy, mosquito nets, coils, repellents, screened windows and air-conditioned room helping all to avoid being bitten. You should do this anyway because there was no drug prevention against other mosquito borne diseases like dengue fever.

higher risk of certain areas rather than others, so before you take a pill to make sure that the risk is real. For minimal risk regions, by telling the story of the doctor’s comment you will: “to be on the safe side.” But I prefer not to bring anything as a side effect of pills may exceed the benefits. Also if you do not take profilaxe malaria, you will be more careful bitten.

You can then buy a lot (but not necessarily all) of anti-malarial drugs in the countries of your destination, are usually much cheaper than at home.

Dentist

Visit your dentist before you go and after you return. If you need to visit your dentist on the way to do it in the area thrive. Or go to the dentist who treats expat community.

Water

Drinking plenty of water in the tropics, just be careful that you are drinking clean water. You can obtain safe drinking water containers are more or less anywhere. It is always good to take a bottle with you when walking around or visit something. A bottle carrier can be practical.

Carpe Diem

Do not let the potential disruption and the risk of negative impacts on your journey. Remember why you’re traveling, so relax, have fun, open, meet people, make new friends, learn new things, experience life.

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