While it’s true that traveling can be stressful, it doesn’t have to be. What’s important is that you take the time to plan ahead for your adventures and keep the excess weight off your luggage by leaving the kitchen sink at home.
After over a decade of travel, I’ve got a few tips and resources to share my best travel tips.
There are actions you can take that will help you have a better time traveling around and exploring new places. Travel can be fun and enjoyable if you prepare in advance. Here’s a few of my most important travel tips to ensure you have a better overall experience.
Choose the Right Destination
Do your homework and start to narrow down your options for where to travel. Cross check every blog you read, because it may not be up to date and the first pandemic caused a lot of businesses to close –hotels, resorts, retail locations, and auxilliary services.
In some places, tourism never really came back and it’s important to ensure things aren’t falling apart or in disrepair before you arrive.
If you are going solo or with friends then you may not want to go to family-friendly spots, for example. Refer to your bucket list and begin to figure out what may be the best option for you. You should also create a budget for how much you want to spend. This will help you figure out places that may be most feasible for you to visit.
Consider whether you’re someone who likes to relax and lay on the beach or if you prefer more adventurous activities and destinations. I’ve often relied on Klook for adventure-related activities.
Do Not Pack for Eventualities
If you’re traveling with friends, split up one-off items like luggage weight scales, hair dryers, sleeping tents, hammocks, solar chargers, and so on. Do not pack for eventualities –if you’re only going to use an item once or twice on your trip, consider making friends and borrowing what you need on the road, ask your acommodation if they have what you need to borrow in their lost and found, or pick it up at your local 7-11 (Thailand has the best 7-11’s globally, bar none).
Pack for 5 days, try to avoid checking luggage at all –you could travel light with a week’s worth of clothing, underwear, et al. I shed clothing and posessions at every destination I visited in my first year to streamline and I don’t regret it. Wash clothes and underwear in the sink daily and you’ll find that back strain and achy muscles will be minimised if you stick to a carry-on.
The only eventuality you need be ready for is a health emergency –check out this side-by-side comparison of Safetywing vs World Nomads travel insurance.
If you want to see my master packing list, click here.
Determine Your Transportation Options
You’re going to want to research your transportation options for how you will get around while on your trip far in advance.
There are likely different choices depending on where you are going. You may be someone who likes to walk a lot but this may not always be an option –never underestimate how hot and humid it might be where you’re going.
If you want to travel in style to ramp up your socials, consider contacting a luxury car rental so you have a vehicle to use on your vacation. There may be public transportation options such as taking a bus, rickshaw tricycle, subway, or a train as well.
Be Picky About Where You Stay
Another travel tip for a better overall experience is to determine where the best place to sleep each night will be. Be picky about where you stay so that you are happy with your final decision.
Dig deep into photos of your acommodations; how many plugs are in your room? If you have kids, how far apart are the spokes in your balcony railing?
Keep in mind that you don’t always have to stay at a hotel –house sitting and Airbnb alternatives are excellent options.
There are other choices such as renting out a big house that has a kitchen you can use to cook meals. If you’re someone who likes to sleep outside under the stars then you may want to look into available campsites.
I’ve even rented a treehouse on Airbnb.
Take Good Care of Yourself
Although you are away from home it doesn’t mean you should stop practicing self-care.
Bring health supplements and medications designed for pupose; Goldenseal is a great natural antibiotic for food poisoning and while staying in less than sanitary conditions. Garlic supplements make your blood less attractive to mosquitos. NAC is my mainstay for overall health as it is a precursor to glutathione –one of the body’s strongest antioxidants. And a good old fashioned multivitamin could keep your minerals up while taking up less space in your luggage.
And of course, there’s probiotics –bag scanners kill expensive probiotic supplements, so always keep an eye out for fermented foods along your journey such as kimchi, saurkraut, kefir, kombucha, and the like.
It’s in your best interest to focus on taking good care of yourself while you’re on your trip. This means getting plenty of exercise, eating nutritious meals with enough protein in them to avoid sore muscles, and getting plenty of good sleep each night.
Follow my advice and you’ll come home feeling refreshed instead of like you need another vacation.
Read Reviews from Other Travelers
You don’t want to just wing it and hope for the best when traveling. Instead, take the time to read reviews from other travelers.
This will give you a better idea of what will be worth your time to see and do on your trip. There are a lot of people who are willing to share their experiences online. All you have to do is take time to read what other travelers have to say.
As previously mentioned; always ensure the information you’re reading is up-to-date. Check time stamps, post dates, don’t hesitate to reach out to your friendly neighborhood blogger for on-the-ground experience (as long as you have precise questions, blue sky emails are often ignored –how long is a piece of string?).