“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” — Andre Gide
No matter how many times you visit a place or region, travel always brings a hint of nervousness along with a whole lot of excitement. Enthusiasm to see a new place, the quick dip into a different culture or to simply experience unique weather. But one cannot fully immerse themselves in the beauty of travel without taking certain risks or fulfilling the spark that adventure brings. While we see you set off on this beautiful journey, here are some useful travel tips to assist you along the way:
Packing Hacks:
Wherever you intend to travel, try and pack light for the journey. Very often, hotels and boutique hotels across the globe lack elevators and other luggage services, resulting in you carrying your own bags through flights of stairs, etc. Another old but effective tip is carrying your own towel. This can be helpful in more ways than you’d imagine. Whether visiting the beach or having a picnic in a park, packing your personal towel can help a multitude of situations. Also, towels are unbelievably light so you’re good on that front too! Bringing a conventional lock and key when you travel can be helpful in case of any luggage mishaps or to double lock absolutely anything you see fit. A combination lock also works well so as to eliminate the possibility of losing the keys!
Local Exchange:
Using a local map can be very effective in spotting things that would not be mentioned in international versions, thereby enhancing one’s overall experience of the city or region. Further on, conversing with locals, asking for directions or appearing touristy, generally works in most countries, so go ahead and chatter away! Practising some basic phrases in the local language of the place you’re visiting is always helpful when going to a country where English is not the primary spoken language. Locals often feel respected and tend to help travellers more willingly, owing to the instant bond they feel. Lastly, remember to take pictures of markets, interesting local corners and things that depict the culture of the place. Try and capture (with prior consent) photos, of people and with people you meet on your trip as these images always make for the best memories after a couple of years.
Personal Favourites:
Always ensure that you make multiple copies of your passport, visa, hotel reservations, flight tickets, train pass or any other important document that you may be required to produce (especially for international travel). Incase you’re ever stuck, most international bookstores, coffee shops (Starbucks, etc) offer complimentary WiFi to their visitors. Feel free to ask the team to guide you through it. Whether checking-in at an airport or a hotel, never hesitate to politely ask for a complimentary upgrade. You never know when you may get lucky! Taking photos of your luggage and other articles is an absolute essential travel tip for any loss or theft to prove ownership and identify your belongings with ease. Lastly, but most importantly for a foodie like myself, I try and eat at expensive restaurants for lunch. Most places offer the same menu for a lower price point during the day, helping you save a whole lot of money while still enjoying them to the fullest.
That wraps up some of our travel tips that will hopefully help you plan and cherish your next voyage!
If you have any tips, tricks or advise that you swear by, please leave them for us in the comments below and help our travels too!
Written By Taryn Rodrigues
Week 19, May ’19
