Some of the travel ideas below may help you prepare for your next trip, especially if you plan to
visit Asia or Latin America.
Deciding Where to Go:
Most of us already have in our minds certain countries we might enjoy visiting but wonder where it
would be best to travel next. Explore the possibilities by reading books as well as magazine and
newspaper articles, and searching the web for additional information. Friends who have been to
areas in which you are interested can also help you with their comments and suggestions.
After deciding which country (or countries) you plan to visit next use travel guidebooks such as
Lonely Planet and Footprints for those areas to create a list of places which interest you most. You
may also find it helpful to log onto the websites of tour companies to note their itineraries for the
area you plan to visit.
Develop your rough preliminary itinerary, allowing at least two or three nights for each city and
create a plan in how to travel between them. Consider which cities you would skip if you run short of
time, also what places you could add if near the end of your trip extra time remains. Try to keep
your itinerary flexible by making as few advance reservations as possible. Estimate the cost of your
proposed journey.
Deciding When to Go:
Examine your obligations and determine when you have time available for travel. Investigate the
expected weather in the area you plan to visit; for that see www.weatherbase.com , which gives the
average monthly weather data for practically every major city in the world. You also check
guidebooks for special events scheduled for around the time and locations of your planned visit. Also
think about whether you prefer to go at the height of the tourist season, or when there are less
visitors and prices are lower.
Early Preparations:
Start checking flights and fares to your destination, using search sites such as www.kayak.com . Also
view the websites of some of the airlines serving your flight route. When you have found as good a
deal as you believe you can get, buy your ticket.
To be sure what documents you need log onto the website of the nearest consulate of the country you
plan to visit, and/or phoning that consulate. A frequent requirement is a visa which you can obtain in
person or by mail directly from the consulate; for an additional fee through a documentary service
firm such as www.traveldocs.com .
Arrange to be away from home. Make that sure bills falling due during your absence get paid
promptly and that you have enough funds in your bank account to cover your ATM withdrawals. Do
whatever is needed to keep your home safe during your absence.
Luggage:
For our travels we each use an expandable carry-on-sized (about 22" x 14" x 9") wheeled suitcase
lockable with a small combination lock. We usually band those bags with bright webbed belts for
easy identification and added security. In hotels and guest houses we keep our luggage locked
whenever we are out of the room.
In addition we each generally carry a small lightweight pack containing whatever we expect to need
that day, such as maps, guidebooks, camera, etc. Sometimes also a sweater, water-resistant jacket,
or small folding umbrella. While on planes, trains and buses those small packs are at our seats or
bunks, containing also items we want to be sure not to lose.
Money:
Virginia and I each of us takes a different credit card; also different ATM cards with which we can
get local currency drawn from our hometown bank accounts. The credit cards are typically used to
pay for major items such as hotel bills and airline tickets. We use ATM cards to get local cash
every few days for almost all other expenses. As a backup we also carry some U.S. dollars.
Security:
We have never been threatened or attacked, and with one minor exception have never had anything
stolen. We wear modest clothing and take no unnecessary valuables. Cameras are best kept hidden
in a bag except while being used. If out at night we try to be where others are.
For carrying cash a belt similar to the "all terrain money belt" from www.eaglecreek.com does a
good job of hiding several bills. Another good Eagle Creek product is their "hidden pocket" which is
worn hung from your belt, concealed within your trousers; excellent for safely carrying passports,
tickets, and other essential documents, as well as credit/ATM cards and extra cash. Your wallet
should contain only the cash and cards you expect to use that day.
When you go out and leave your wheeled suitcase in the room keep the bag locked to discourage
pilferage of small items.
In an outside pocket of my wheeled bag I usually have a bicycle-cable with an attached combination
lock. We often use the cable to link our wheeled bags when stored or while traveling on an
overnight train or bus.
Hotels & Guest Houses:
We usually stay in small hotels and guest houses costing US$20 to US$40 per night. For that we
expect a clean room with a window to the outside (preferably with a view), a convenient location, an
attached bath with hot water, a western toilet, a shower (preferably within a shower-stall or
shower-curtain). We check for towels, toilet paper, two sheets on each bed, and blankets if needed.
Generally we make no advance reservations unless we expect to arrive in the evening (which we try to
avoid). If making phone reservations we sometimes try to avoid language problems by asking staff at
our old hotel to make the call for us.
Typically we arrive in town at a rail or bus station with a list of the names and addresses of our top
three or four hotel choices selected from guidebooks or personal recommendations. We take a taxi
(often a three-wheeled motorbike) and agree on a fare to the first hotel on our list. When we get to
that hotel Virginia stays in the vehicle with the driver and our bags while I run into the hotel to
speak with the desk clerk and have a look at the room. If a room is available and satisfactory I go
back to the taxi to get Virginia and our bags, and to pay the driver. If the first hotel has no
vacancy or the room is unsatisfactory we continue by taxi to the next hotel on our list and repeat
the procedure. If we stop at more than one hotel we pay the taxi more.
We always try to develop a friendly relationship with the hotel staff. They can be very helpful with
information, suggestions, phone calls, baggage storage, and other special services.
Electricity:
The United States uses plugs with two flat blades, sometimes with an additional round grounding
blade; most of the rest of the world uses about five other popular types of plugs, sometimes two or
more types within the same country. If you take with you electrical gadgets, for around US$10 to
US$15 buy a set of electric adapters at stores such as Walmart or K-Mart, or any shop specializing
in travel items.
Most of the USA uses 110-volt 60-cycle electricity while most of the rest of the world uses
240-volt 50-cycle. Most (but not all) electronics sold in the USA are designed to use both voltages,
but check the labels to be sure. As far as we know, the cycles make no difference except that
motors designed for 60 cycles will on 50 cycles operate at only 5/6 of their normal speed.
If you are buying a battery powered device for your trip, consider it a plus if it is designed for
standard-size batteries (AAA, AA, D, 9-volt) available almost anywhere in the world.
What Else to Take:
As little as possible. Anything additional makes your luggage harder to manage. and harder to find an
item you took with you. Nearly anything you might need abroad can be bought at your destination.
.
That said, here are some things we believe worth taking: copy of your passport's main page and of
the page in which the visa (if any) appears; copies of both sides of your credit and ATM cards; email
addresses of people you wish to email during your trip; phone numbers of persons you might need to
phone; a list of websites you may wish to access, including user names and passwords; at least one
practical guidebook (Lonely Planet, Moon, Footprints, or similar); your proposed itinerary including
hotel choices and probable transportation between towns; a few granola bars and some hard candy
for use as emergency rations; a digital camera with sufficient memory (and batteries or charger), a
travel alarm clock; electric adapters and a short extension cord, a few extra pens and pencils, a
pocket-sized notebook, a few tea bags and/or instant coffee; a small metal or heat-resistant plastic
container in which to put an immersion heater (best bought abroad) to heat/boil water; for each
person a plastic cup, knife, fork, and spoon; essential toiletries; a few passport-size ID photos; an
extra 2 or 3 small combination locks; a flat rubber sink stopper; several wire clothes hangars; string
to serve as an indoor clothesline; a currency exchange table. Small items are best packed together
in transparent plastic bags with zip-lock slider closure. Air security regulations generally limit
carry-on liquids or creams to three liquid ounces each, all together in a quart-sized transparent
plastic bag ready for security inspection.
If you are taking anything new on the trip, use it at least once before leaving home to make sure the
new item works as expected.
Clothing to Take:
In addition to what I wear during departure I usually take two or three light-weight long-sleeved
shirts (preferably with two deep flap-top pockets), one pair of dirt-colored pants, three pairs
socks, three sets of underwear, a bathing suit, a sweater, a baseball cap, and a lightweight
water-shedding windbreaker. For quick-drying and wrinkle-resistance we like outerwear containing
blends of synthetic fibers and cotton. My shirts, pants and sweater I usually keep in an
www.eaglecreek.com "Pack It Folder 20" which while in transit is the top item in my wheeled
suitcase; as soon as I get to a hotel I remove that folder, making other items in the suitcase more
accessible. Virginia generally takes on trips a feminine version of the clothing mentioned above.
Laundry:
The first evening in a new hotel we often lightly wash our dirty clothes in the bathroom sink and
hang them to dry overnight, hung from the shower-curtain bar and/or from a line strung elsewhere in
the bathroom, The line is taken down in the morning and if any items are still damp we hang them
elsewhere to dry completely. By each of us taking a few minutes to quickly do our laundry we avoid
worry about getting our clothes back before we leave.
Getting from Town to Town:
Almost always we go by public transportation. In the poorer countries few people have cars, so
trains and buses have frequent departures and are cheap.
Most often we go by train --- relatively safe, fast, convenient, We welcome the opportunity to meet
some fellow passengers, interesting local people and foreign fellow-travelers. We especially like
overnight sleeper trains which leave in the evening and arrive early the next morning, costing about
the same as we would pay for a hotel room while giving us a full day in the new town.
Most train schedules can be seen on the internet, and tickets can be bought over the web. A good
source of train information almost anywhere is www.seat61.com , as well as the website of the
national railway of the country you plan to visit. The guidebooks we use generally give long-distance
bus information, or we get it locally.
Price Negotiations:
In most poor countries it is often customary to negotiate prices, especially with street vendors, small
shop owners, and taxi operators. Before buying shop around to get an idea of the market price.
Think of bargaining as a friendly game played with someone less fortunate than you.
Occasional Taxi Problems:
Taking a taxi from the airport (especially in India} the driver may tell you that the hotel you
selected is overbooked, closed or cannot be found, but offering to take you to a "better" hotel.
Insist on being taken to the hotel you selected. It also is not unusual for a taxi driver to try
detouring you to shops paying him a commission.
Travel With a Tour Group, or Independently?
Taking a group tour is easier. About the only thing you have to decide is which tour to take. The
tour operator generally decides where you go, how you get from place to place, what you see, at
which hotels you stay, where and when you dine, etc. During the group tour most of what you see of
the country will be through the tour bus window, exposing you to little contact with the locals. The
only locals with whom you are likely to be involved even slightly are the clerks behind the hotel
desks and the guides in the tour buses. However, for the duration of the tour you will enjoy the
company of fellow tourists from your own country.
Traveling independently requires more planning, more preparation, more decisions to be made, and a
willingness to assume more risks and endure some trouble. Independent travel give you a greater
sense of freedom and being in control of your trip, more of a feeling of adventure, more flexibility,
a greater opportunity to experience your new surroundings, and a more chances for serendipitous
experiences --- all combining to give you a better understanding of the country you are visiting.
Language:
If you can read this you know English, the most widely spoken language in the world. Consider
yourself fortunate. Almost everyone everywhere dealing with international travelers knows enough
English to communicate and understand the essentials. Even among people who do not usually deal
with foreigners you usually will find at least one person with whom you can communicate, especially if
you seem friendly, smile, and speak English slowly, clearly, and use a basic vocabulary; that can be
supplemented by your showing a sheet of paper on which you have clearly written essential numbers,
words, (and addresses, if any).
Food:
We enjoy meals at small restaurants and street stands offering local freshly cooked foods. The
absence of an understandable menu is overcome by simply pointing to the plate of another customer
whose dish looks interesting. However, we try to have in our suitcases a small quantity of emergency
rations (bread, jam, peanut butter, fruit, hard candy, etc.) to have whenever it is inconvenient to go
out to eat. And we always have bottled water.