Travelling is oxygen for the soul. Travel enthusiasts frequently get these adrenaline rushes every time they visit a new place. For them, it’s like being reborn again. The scent of a new place, the joy of meeting new people, and the memory of a familiar place are what they crave the most. While travelling fills one with excitement, it is also one of the most daunting things to do if one is a beginner.
I want to travel the world, but where do I start? What are the travel tips for beginners? Travel tips during COVID-19? These are some of the questions that often cross one mind.
Pakistan’s 1st Online Real Estate Marketplace brings you top 5 travel tips and tricks for beginners on how to travel.
Pack Smartly
When you are going on vacation, you are most likely looking forward to taking some pictures to post on your Instagram or your scrapbook. Either way, you’d want to look your best to be presentable for the photographs. Since you’ll be visiting multiple places, you’d have to set an outfit for each day. While this approach will help with aesthetic pictures, it is not the wisest thing to do when travelling.
Pack light! – the single most important tip when it comes to travelling.
Ditch the big suitcase and get yourself a compact bag to carry your belongings. The tip is to take out a small bag, limiting the amount of stuff you can take with you on the journey. Packing light will ease your worries; less stuff means less to unpack, less to pack and less to carry. Travelling light will be a game-changer. But this does not mean that you can be fashionable. You can also get creative with the way you style your wardrobe in multiple ways.
Organize Money Withdrawals
Money is required while travelling. You’d always need a sum of money to meet your daily expenses. Ideally, you should also have some money for unforeseen circumstances and unaccounted for expenses. Then again, how much cash should you carry?
If you are travelling locally, forget cash and carry your atm. Try making the majority of your purchases through the card and carry little money for emergency purposes. However, if you are travelling internationally, make some money along with you and your card. Be mindful not to carry a lot of cash with you. Convert small amounts of money to get you through 2 to 3 days before you convert again. This way, there will be less cash to manage, and in the case of theft, you would not lose all your money.
Engage with the Locals
Travelling means different things to different people. Some people look at it as an opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life, while others think of it as an opportunity to learn about different cultures. It is often by interacting with the locals that one learns the most about the local culture, food and history. They open the pandora box of experiences that are not known to the outside world.
The best way to connect with the locals is to ditch the guided tours and simply go to a not-so-touristy place, such as Camden Cotton Mills Apartments in Charlotte, NC. There you’ll find many people willing to communicate with you. People are generally receptive and will go out of their way to make the tourist comfortable and acquaint them with their culture. Another way to go about it is to visit a university or a market with tons of natives present. You can also join groups on social media platforms to get in contact with people willing to show you around.
Prepare a Medical Kit
The golden rule of travelling is to prepare for the worst. You might be having the best time of your life, but you never know when the tables will turn. It is an excellent option to anticipate and prepare a medical kit in advance. You will have to prepare the kit – to carry more or less – depending on your history, health condition and the remoteness of the place. You do not want to be stranded in a place with a health emergency and no medical supplies. However, suppose you are travelling to a metropolitan city or a place with easy access to a medical store. In that case, it is ideal for carrying the essential medicines as an emergency response.
Gather Essential Information
Before you begin your journey, make photocopies of your essential documents like plane tickets, passports, or other necessary documents. Also, e-mail a copy in case the hard copies are lost. This way, you’ll have your essential information at all times. In case of an emergency or theft, you will be able to convey your details to the relevant authorities.
When you check-in to the hotel, ask the receptionist to give you their contact details. Pass that information to anyone back home, so tracking is easy. They will contact the hotel in case you are not able to get in touch with them.
Travelling may seem daunting with many boxes to tick when preparing for it, but with the proper guidance and experience, it can be like fish in the water – smooth and easy sailing.
