Travelling is one of the best things you can do in life, it will broaden your mind and open the door to lots of exciting adventures. Although travelling, especially long term backpacking, can be also very challenging. It can be fraught with potential issues and problems even if you plan your trip well. Here are five tips to consider when travelling:
Don’t carry travellers cheques - Unless you are going to certain parts of Africa. Other than that, I think everyone else has now stopped. In many countries it’s actually very hard to change them. Rely on safely stored credit cards and debit cards instead, you will find it much easier.
Be prepared for Illness - Sorry, but it’s true. In fact, if you don’t get something at some point then you’re clearly not trying hard enough! Travelling is so fraught with health hazards - seasickness, Delhi belly, sunburn, malarial mosquitoes, Japanese Encephalitis, altitude sickness - it’s a real wonder anyone ever leaves their sofa. Although you can try and minimise the risk by not drinking water from a tap and avoiding certain restaurants etc.
Learn some of the language - This may seem an obvious one but you will need to do this if you’re thinking of travelling to a non-English speaking country. Do whatever you can to become more familiar with the language, take a class, learn on the internet or buy yourself a book. Even if you can pick up a few words it will really help you with your travels.
Don’t visit only World Famous Attractions - Many travellers go all out to make sure they see the most famous attractions of that city or country. Although sometimes these famous attractions can leave you a bit underwhelmed, especially if there are landmarks which nearly always look more impressive in photos. Try going off the beaten track and discovering some lesser known sites instead, these are often more rewarding.
Don’t be a travel bore - At some point everyone comes across one of these. No matter how many places you’ve been to, how cheaply you’ve done it, how dangerous or unusual or interesting it was, the travel bore always has a story to trump it. Be warned it’s very easy to become one, just don’t you will start to lose friends!
For more great tips on top travel destinations visit www.globalgrasshopper.com which includes advice on the best places to visit in Thailand
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