Travelling is a wonderful experience and has the potential to create some of the greatest memories of a lifetime, which everybody should be able experience at some point. So here are a few words of wisdom about what to and what not to take when travelling in future, and just a few other handy tips. Enjoy!
1. Take care over choosing your travelling partner. You will no doubt experience some stressful situations, have to cope with intense heat and travel in terrible transport for long hours, so it’s imperative that you travel with someone who is like minded to yourself, you can converse with for long hours and who doesn’t have any overly annoying habits or personality traits….loud breathing on a 15 hour bus… no thanks!
2. Pack light. It’s common sense but when I was packing I still put in 3 pairs of shoes, ‘just in case’. That extra weight will turn out to be the bane of your life, when you have to lug it all around on your back! Once you get out there, you will find you can buy everything you need. Plus, you will have more room to fit in any cool souvenirs you come across on your way.
3. Don’t plan too much in advance. Once you arrive at a place, or meet people you may hear about cool things you want to do, that aren’t on your pre-planned itinerary. Being trapped by your own organisation because you have to be at a hotel or a place by a certain time can taint your trip. Plan a few things in advance, but it’s easy to book cheap hostels on the Internet once you’re out there.
4. Be open to new things. Be ready to embrace new cultures, food and drinks but at the same time have some common sense. Getting ill when travelling is never ideal so be wary of food which may have been washed in the local water, and of ice cubes.
5. Write a diary! It may sound a bit Adrian Mole-esque but jotting down a few words about where you have been and stayed, and what you have spent will really prove beneficial once you arrive home and others want advice about the same place. Or when you are pining for your travelling adventure, your diary will help you to recreate and remember the magic for years to come.
Article by Lauren Probert
