When it comes to traveling, preparation, and safety should be top priorities for any adventurer. Whether you’re an experienced globetrotter or a first-time explorer, having a reliable source of travel tips and information is essential. There is one source where you can not only get traveling tips but can find blogs for traveling places related to your comfort too, TheTrajet.com, a comprehensive platform that offers valuable insights and personal experiences to help make your journey smooth and enjoyable. So, before you embark on your next adventure, arm yourself with the knowledge and guidance provided by The Trajet, and let the exploration begin!
As most of you know, travel plays a huge part of my life. It’s the most important motivation that keeps me sane from all the craziness living in the big city. It allows me to escape the annoying sirens, cars, noisy neighbours and so on. Of course, capturing that perfect sunset and sunrise moment was also a big encouragement that makes me want to travel even more. I seldom join group tours unless it’s extremely necessary. Group tours are restrictive in terms of movement and time. Also, it’s probably a personal preference. The only group tour I’ve ever joined so far, was going into North Korea. Obviously, it’s because that’s the only way of getting into the country as there’s not much freedom of movement while I was there. (Click here to read more about my North Korea trip) It’s also a growing trend amongst the younger travelers to plan everything from scratch. They try their best not to join big group tours and would rather plan the entire trip themselves. This way, they can save cost and most importantly to have a better travel experience out of the normal itinerary. It feels much more fulfilling and as a photographer myself, I prefer to see things on my own time instead of a tour guide pestering me to be quick and get up onto the bus. After all, the internet can do wonders.
I have been approached by many of my friends regarding some traveling preparation tips and what to look out for. I’ve compiled some of the most important tips on my personal checklist. Some of my tips may be similar to others, but these are my personal checklist gained through my experiences during my travel passages. For instance, if you’re planning a relaxing beach getaway, I highly recommend staying at a resort in phu quoc vietnam—it’s an ideal destination for a peaceful yet luxurious vacation. I hope this can be a reference for those who would like to enjoy a safe and pleasant traveling experience.
TIP #1: Photocopy of Passport & Visa
This may seem odd, but it’s the tiptop item on my checklist. I always remind myself to bring at least one copy of my photocopy passport and keep that in a different spot from my actual passport for safe keeping. If I’m traveling with Fann, then hers too as well. When you travel to a country that requires visas, then a photocopy of the visa together with your passport or travel documents could be extremely helpful as well. Having a copy or two will benefit you greatly in times of emergency. If you lost your passport or other identifications, they will come in handy when you loadge a report at the police station and embassy. It helps you to proof yourself to the authorities without going through the trouble of communication gaps when you’re in a foreign country. That’s why keeping the passport copy in a different location is super important, preferably at the hotel safety deposit box or another secure location where you will be able to reach it easily. When traveling abroad, your identity is of utmost importance and your photocopy passport is the closest thing to your identity next to your original passport. Of course to begin with, it’s best to not lose your passport at all.
TIP #2: Embassy Research
When we travel, we often forget about mishaps. That comes naturally because we always are too excited about the trip and tend to focus on the positive things only. My next important tip is to always do some research about your country’s embassy that is situated at the city or closest to the city where you are going to. Jot down their numbers, addresses, website address, opening hours and whatever vital information that is required for you to locate them easily. If the city you are traveling to doesn’t have an embassy, then find out the nearest one (usually they are located in the country’s capital). Bear in mind, that the embassy of your country is your refuge, your saviour and your home whenever there’s an emergency or chaos. Again, if you need any help or if you have lost your passport, go to the embassy or consulate. Your country will always protect you from harm.
TIP #3: Print out all bookings, receipts, itineraries
We normally book our travel tickets and make bookings online nowadays. It doesn’t matter if they are airplane tickets, cruise tickets, hotel bookings, or tour guide bookings, etc. Please always be mindful to print out all these bookings and receipts. I know that the world of technologies is paperless, and you can have some fancy way of scanning QR codes or using a specialized app to help you board a plane. However, it’s still good to practice travel safety in a traditional fashion. If that doesn’t convince you, at least save everything to your phone or tablet for easy referencing when required. Speaking of technology, many companies are hiring flutter developers to create innovative travel apps that enhance our booking experience even further! When searching for accommodations, you can browse online for Apartment for Rent Near Me to find local options conveniently.
In order to avoid any mishaps or miscommunications, these receipts, emails or proof of purchases will help you to save time. It may be boarding a plane or taking the shuttle bus or checking into your hotel room, the list goes on. It’s essential to know all your travel details, like flight numbers, flight time, duration, accommodation addresses, length of stay, insurance policies, etc. If any problems arises, they will always come in handy when you have it in black and white. Please go through the terms and conditions as well, some hotels or airplanes require you to bring along the credit card that you have booked their services with. You wouldn’t want to miss your flight, right? Different countries has different requirements. If you have a fantastic itinerary planned, it’s great to have a printout of it as well. We may have forgotten the details of the itinerary since it has been planned a few months ago. Having it as reference, you will be able to have an overview of your entire trip and you can also make the most effective adjustments. Another good thing about these printouts is that they usually contain contacts numbers, addresses and email addresses in their footer, so that you will be able to locate things easily.
TIP #4: Emergency Contacts
This one is quite important as well. Emergency contacts of authorities vary in different countries. It’s best to find out the numbers beforehand and save them in your phone or notebook that you will carry with you. Besides knowing the authorities’ contacts, if you happen to know someone in the country that you are traveling to, it’s handy to have that contact with you at all times too. In times of emergency or in need for help, having a friend that stays in the region can give you much more useful information and would also provide better help than any strangers on the road. Besides having emergency contacts for yourself, it’s also a good practice to give your own emergency or family contacts (eg: parent’s contact, spouse’s contact, siblings’ contact, guardian’s contact, etc.) to your employers or any friend that are able to contact them in case of emergencies. Your family deserves to know the first bit of any news. So, this is not only a form of security but also plays an important role of being a good and respectful child.
TIP #5: Tell someone where you are going
At times, we feel like traveling to some place without anyone knowing. This happens to me very often but it’s still important to know and understand that there are people who still loves you and would die to know where you are, especially when something has happened to you. Well, I don’t mean to ask you to post your entire itinerary onto Facebook or Twitter. What I’m saying is that it’s good that someone knows where you are, especially when you are planning for a trip that you plan to get lost in. I usually tell my wife where I’m going but if she follows me, then my parents or siblings are the ones who will know exactly where we are traveling to. It’s good practice to also leave a copy of your travel itinerary with someone at home. You should also update them of any changes to your travel plans.
TIP #6: Activate Roaming
It may be ironic for a person like me to travel with roaming, but this is one of my important part on my checklist. I usually purchase cheap sim cards when I’m traveling abroad so that I have internet on the go, but I will still activate my personal number’s roaming at the same time. This is for safety precautions and for emergency purposes. In some countries that do not simply sell simcards to tourists (example: Japan), that’s when roaming comes in handy. But even though I have my phone roaming activated, I will still have my phone shut off and will only use it when any emergencies occur. By having roaming, you will able to make calls to emergency numbers or when you can’t find a pay phone around. If you are able to purchase sim cards for usage, then it would be more cost-saving and you may give this number to any of your loved ones for emergency contacts. I however do not like anyone to bother me with work when I travel.
TIP #7: Prepare extra cash
Doing a little budgeting before your trip is essential in order to not exceed any extra expenses. However, it’s a good practice to bring a little more extra cash with you. These extra ones should be hidden from sight, for example your secret compartment in your backpack, your handheld bag, your sock, your book, etc. Bringing a little more cash wouldn’t harm you but would in fact help you in times of emergency. I always bring along extra cash and try not to use credit cards at all because the exchange rate for cash will usually be much cheaper. If the hotel provides safety deposit boxes, there’s no harm putting some of your extra cash there. By having some extra cash around, I will guarantee that you will have a worry-less and smoother travel experience. Don’t worry if you have some extras left, you can always bring those home and who knows, maybe you will go back to that country again. If you want to ensure that you’ll always have extras, one way to do it is by knowing how to earn online with the help of blogs such as Invest Diva price.
TIP #8: Inform you credit card company
Despite the tip above regarding extra cash, I usually bring my credit card along with me. It’s not because my wife wants to go for a shopping spree but this is more of an emergency card. There are times when the unexpected happens and that’s your only source of purchasing something. In order to use your credit card abroad, it’s best to first inform your bank regarding your itinerary of your trip. Once they are informed and given the green light, you will usually have no problems using your card in that country. If not, the banks might bar off any transactions made abroad. These are the banks’ security measures to protect your card from any abusive usage by others because when you use your credit card, it knows where you are. Do also check what card is allowed usage before bringing it. For example, When I was in Japan, I was denied to use our Malaysian Mastercards. The reason was that Mastercards when transact reads the names instead of the numbers and Japanese banks aren’t able to recognise this. Fortunately, I had a Visa with me and the banks in Japan reads the numbers for Visa cards, therefore my transaction went through. Just be careful when using credit cards abroad and check your bill before signing anything. When you’re traveling and dealing with processing fees on your credit card, a card machine comparison becomes crucial for effectively monitoring and managing these charges.
TIP #9: Vaccinations
I’m sure this goes out to people who love to travel to exotic places. Most popular travel-related infections include Yellow Fever, Typhoid and Hepatitis A but do not worry. There are vaccinations available to protect you from these diseases. You can find out which vaccinations are necessary or recommended for the areas you will be visiting on these two websites: http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations.aspx & http://www.nathnac.org/ds/map_world.aspx Your health is very important. In order to not get sick and miss any of your fun outings, it’s best to keep your body from harms way. You don’t always need vaccinations to travel abroad. If you do, the type of travel jabs you need depends on which country you’re visiting and what you’re doing. If you are traveling to a country where drug use is illegal, you may need to pass a drug test at the airport or other borders. Some employers may also require employees to take a urine test before allowing them to travel for work-related activities. In such cases, it is important to ensure that any prescribed medications are declared and that drug use is avoided prior to travel.
TIP #10: Wear comfortable shoes
If you travel a lot, it’s best to invest in some good shoes made for walking. Your feet are your most important transportation you will ever have. If you get injured from walking too much, you will miss out a lot of fun times during your travel and it can be really hectic to move about especially in places that require tons of walking, like Hong Kong, Tokyo, Taipei, etc. For mountain climbers like me and my wife, we invested in great climbing shoes that not only protect us during our climb, but also provide extreme comfort when walking as well. I had an experience of inuring my left foot on the 2nd day while walking in Tokyo and it was quite a drag. I wouldn’t want this to happen ever again, so investing in some good shoes is equally essential to having your passport with you.
TIP #11: Understanding rules and ethics
Besides getting busy planning where you are going to visit during your trip, do not forget to research and read up about the culture and rules of the country that you are visiting. This is to prevent yourself from doing anything stupid and get in trouble for something you may think is right but may not be in a foreign land. For example, we all know that the extremely friendly Thai people puts their King above anything else, so please do not go around making fun of their King. I assure you that imprisonment wouldn’t be any part of your lovely itinerary. Another good example would be going to Midden Eastern countries where it’s a conservative society. Do not parade around in your skimpy bikini or go around kissing everyone you see, it is extremely disrespectful to them and their culture. Other examples like giving a Chinese a clock for their birthday is definitely an insult no matter where you go is something everyone should know too. So, please do more research on this. But understanding one’s culture doesn’t mean it’s all bad, you can also show some respect to them for example when you’re in Japan, slurping your ramen soup as loud as possible is a sign of showing how delicious it tastes and is extremely acceptable there but definitely not in China.
TIP #12: Make a checklist
Making a checklist before packing is extremely important. Especially when it involves packing essentials and photography gear. Although you may think that just throw everything you have into your bag is quite an achievement, but imagine going all the way up to Mount Bromo and forgetting your memory card. That would suck really bad. It’s important to have your checklist with you when packing so that you will not miss out any important items. Your checklist is also important when travel back from your trip. This is to ensure that you did not forget anything. It would suck even more if you left all your video camera back in the hotel once you have reached home. When packing, it’s best to pack your travel first aid kit with you. Besides that, some important medication should always be in your bag as well. For me, I must always have my allergy pill and my headache pill. Those are the most important pills in my life. So, do not forget about your safety and health when travel. Other than that, HAVE FUN and TAKE TONS OF PHOTOS!
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