Travel Advice

Howdy! well since I'm now blessed by having wifi in my home, I thought I'd catch up on all of those random thoughts that went thru my head recently, specifically during my first trip overseas in October to Thailand. Eventually I will do a Thailand blog, about my experiences, etc, but for now, I wanted to pass on random travel advice, in the hopes that it might possibly make someone's international trip easier. Or maybe so I won't forget and make the same mistakes twice! Either way ;)

1. Bring enough climate appropriate clothes to last the entire trip.
I can't tell you what a difference this would have made to me- I thought I was being really smart by bringing only a few items of clothing, telling myself I could buy more once I was actually there. I hadn't, however, taken into account that I was headed into a country where bargaining is the primary means of shopping, and I HATE haggling over prices! So for the first couple weeks of my trip I wore the same clothes over and over, washing them constantly, but getting throughly sick of them in the process. Plus, for some reason I was trying to be extra modest and brought jeans to a hot and humid country, and no shorts! silly.

2. Traveler's cheques are a thing of the past.
Another way I thought I was being smart was by spreading out my money into various theft-proof forms, such as traveler's cheques and travel credit cards. While it was indeed a safe way of carrying money and would have been great if I'd stayed in nice hotels and shopped in department stores, it was just inconvenient for the small backpacker hostels and market stalls I shopped at, all of which only accepted cash. Next time, I will take only my debit card and one backup credit card, and do what I ended up eventually doing after I liquidated my cheques, which is just withdraw a moderate amount of cash to last thru each week. If necessary, you can always find an ATM and get more money, but I usually had more than enough with budgeting.

3. Relax and enjoy the trip!
I invested so much time and energy being paranoid and worrying about my belongings, and dragging around a big bag of stuff with me wherever I went. Then I met Emma, a savvy Irish girl who was at the end of a year long world trip. She would leave her room for the day with nothing more than her wallet and some water, and laughed when I asked her if she felt nervous leaving her things in her room. (I had read numerous stories, you see.) Now that I look back, I don't blame her for laughing- we were on a quiet and idyllic beach at the tail end of tourist season, right before the monsoon rains. She and I were the only tourists at our hotel, and had only met a handful more along the beach. Really, who would care about our tired clothes and toiletries enough to break into our huts? I should have saved myself the sore shoulders and left my heavy bag in my room, only carrying money and my passport with me.

4. Don't push too hard.
This goes along with relaxing- at first in my trip, I tried to bounce out of bed early to beat the heat and try and see as much as possible before the baking sun forced me back inside. I returned around midday exhausted, panting, and would quickly shed off all my street clothes and lie in front of the cooler for the next couple of hours, only to force myself out again as soon as I physically could- I HAD to see and cram as much as possible into my vacation! After a few days of this I realized I wasn't even enjoying myself, and felt cooped up when I tried to stay inside for one full day on Sunday to rest. It wasn't until I went to the more relaxed pace of a northern city that I began to relax, enjoy eating breakfast and talking to other guests, before sometimes setting out on sightseeing, and sometimes just lying in a hammock and reading on the porch. Plus I gave up the cooler and got a room with a fan, thus giving my body a chance to acclimate. That's when I truly began to enjoy my trip- I may have had less pictures to bring home, but at least I was actually liking the country and truly having a vacation!

5. Bring a friend.
Yes, I was brave and went to a foreign country on my own. It definitely forced me out of my comfort level, and taught me not to take companionship for granted. I saw so many beautiful and wondrous things, and would have loved to have someone to share and enjoy it with. Even more, I would have given almost anything to have a friendly face with me when I was lost and out of my element in a strange civilization. My happiest times in my whole trip were the two times I was in a group, when I could really relax and not constantly be on my guard as a single American woman traveling alone- when I joined a trekking group for a day in Chiang Mai, and when I met Emma later on in the islands, and we made our own small group for a few days. Having someone else there to talk to and share with made all of the difference.