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Beginner’s Guide to Travelling

Travel documents: When travelling abroad, one of the first and most important things you will need to do is make sure that your travel documents are in order. Passports are usually valid for 10 years, so if you already have one, make sure that it is still good-to-go.  If you do not have one, check out this guide on how to apply for it. The process takes some time, so make sure you plan accordingly. You may also need a Visa to enter your country of choice, but each destination has a different policy, so best you do your research.

Your Itinerary: Finalising your travel itinerary is one of the more exciting parts of your planning. Now that you know where you’re going and what you’ll be seeing, print out a copy and leave it at home. Should something happen whilst you’re away, someone will at least have an idea of your whereabouts and how to contact you.

Insurance: While planning your trip, remember to chat to your insurance company. Find out if your policy applies in foreign ground and if not, make sure you get it amended.

Vaccines:  The most important thing you need to do, regardless of where you are, is look after your health. Depending on where you’re travelling to, you might or might not need vaccinations and/or do a full medical.  Chat to your doctor or visit a travel clinic well in advance to find out if you’ll need anything done prior to your trip and if so, how you should go about it. Do NOT forget to do this.

Stranger danger:  Never agree to carry a package or bag for a stranger. You might be trying to help but at the end of the day you might be the one having to deal with boarder control. Never leave luggage unattended, we cannot stress this enough. Apart from theft, it is so easy for someone to slip something into your bag if it’s left on its own.

Your diet:  You’ve touched down and everything is amazing. Keep it that way by maintaining a balanced diet and stick to what you know. Some foreign food may not agree with you, so first find out what you are eating and remember to drink lots of water, bearing in mind that bottled is often best, as not all places in the world are lucky enough as us to have drinkable tap water.

Laws & Traditions: You know the old saying “As long as you’re under my roof…” The same applies for countries. Yes, you’re there to let your hair down but that doesn’t mean that all the rules fly out the window. While you are in their boarders, you are subject to their laws. So, familiarise yourself with them. And also respect their culture and traditions. If you’re in a country where women are expected to dress modestly, don’t show up in a mini and hooker heels.

Leave it all behind:  Forget everything that you love and know about your country. Just for these few days or weeks, do not expect things to operate the way they do back home. You’ll only end up spoiling your vacation. Just ‘drink-in’ the new sights and enjoy it.

Have we left out any travel tips? Share them with us.
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