You Literally Know Nothing About?
There are a lot of breathtaking, majestic places in the world. You will never be able to say ‘I have seen them all’. Who doesn’t dream of exploring Plitvice Lakes in Croatia, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, or Blue Lagoon in Island?
When planning your next vacation, consider going to the furthest places in the world. Going somewhere far away can help you experience life from a fresh perspective. Yes, you might not speak the language or know a little thing about local culture, political system, and traditions. However, these obstacles should not stop you on your way.
Once you finally take a few weeks off, you will have a chance to immerse yourself in a foreign culture. Here you can find a list of things you should do when planning a trip to a place you literally know nothing about:
Make a plan
First of all, you need to answer one important question: ‘Do I have time for making a detailed plan?’. Planning a trip to an exotic place requires a lot of research. If you don’t have time to look for the tickets, accommodation, and local attractions, consider going to a travel agency. There are also a lot of local public services such as Kandoo, that can help you organise your trip.
If you want to plan your trip on your own, it’s better to start right now. Booking tickets and accommodation in advance can be cheaper. Also, there are amazing last-minute travel deals, but you should not rely on them too much.
Besides buying a plane or train tickets, also check how you can move around the city. Needless to say, taking a cab at the airport might cost you an arm and a leg. Consider renting a bike once you reach your destination. It’s cheap, healthy, and ecologically-friendly. However, make sure to ask a rental bike company about the local rules. In some countries, riding a bicycle on an empty road in the evening can be dangerous.
Find accommodation
If you’re embarking on a life-changing journey alone, consider looking for shared accommodation. For instance, you can stay in a hostel, shared flat, or find a host on Couchsurfing. In this way, you will be able to meet a lot of new people and learn plenty of new things.
If you are planning to stay with locals from Couchsurfing platform, make a list of a few hotels anyway. You shouldn’t fully trust someone you have never seen before.
Communication
If you don’t speak the language of the country you are travelling to, install an offline dictionary. Also, make sure to establish communication with the locals before travelling to a foreign country. Go online, there are different forums and Facebook groups where you can ask locals to show you around. To meet new people, you can also use these apps: Couchsurfing, Travel Pal, Meetup, and Nearify.
Bring a few souvenirs from your country that you can give to people you meet during your trip.
Another important thing is to leave your family some contact details. Let them know that you will not always be able to pick up your phone or answer their messages. So, telling them the address of your hotel is the least you can do for them.
Take the basics
Check the forecast before you travel and pack responsibly. Ideally, you should leave some space in your suitcase (you are going to buy souvenirs, remember?). Also, make sure to take some over-the-counter medications. For instance, you might need an antidiarrheal, mild laxative, mild pain reliever, common-cold remedies, and hydrocortisone cream (especially if you are travelling to a tropical country).
If you don’t have a hidden pocket in your jacket, consider buying a money belt that you can wear under your shirt.
Check your documents
Make sure that you have all the necessary documents such as passport, visa, and travel insurance. That’s right, you have to buy travel insurance in advance and ask how you can reach the company in case something happens to you abroad. You never know what might happen, so it’s better to be prepared.
Also, you might need money in cash. First of all, you will not be able to pay with your card everywhere in the world. Secondly, border police might also ask you to show money in order to prove that you have sufficient funds to cover your travel.
The bottom line
Travelling to a new exotic place is very exciting. To make sure you will not get into trouble, make a plan for your trip in advance. You should buy your tickets and find the right accommodation a few months before and explore the paradise on earth. If you don’t know what to expect, consider using social media and different mobile apps in order to ask the locals to show you around. Pack your suitcase, your adventure is about to start!
