A Beginner's Guide to World Travel

A Beginner's Guide to World Travel

Whether we like it not

Traveling; whether we like it or not is an unavoidable part in daily life, there are people who spent their whole life time savings on a fortnight’s trip and return satisfied. Human being in its initial stages were vagabonds who lived on hunting and gathering food wherever it was available; whatever be the distance traveled.

Stone- age; lot a happy lot!

Those stone- age fellows were a happy lot; who had nothing to worry about troublesome things called a home or a farm. That vagabond still lingers in your genes and compels you to go places leaving the comforts of home; friends and native place.

Care your purse!

Traveling is expensive and often an invitation for real trouble; the issue is to lessen the expenses and avoid troubles as far as possible. It is said that while you travel you keep your open purse inverted; it is so money consuming; how that can be plugged? Let us see.

Why travel?

Man is no frog in a deep well; traveling; whatever be the risks involved is a thrilling and fruitful exercise; human life is a short-lived phenomenon; one day of travel in an unknown land is enough to get a thousand day’s pleasure in living in one’s home. Children should be taken along as it is kids who gain more from a travel the most. Men (especially kids) are wired to see and enjoy unknown places, culture, costume, and life-style; even reading hundred books don’t get that much first hand knowledge of seeing and hearing direct.

Early planning

No passport? Go and get it first.

Collect all information available about the destination (traveling too many places in one go is sheer waste as your pleasure get spread too thin); web sites, travelogues, books and maps are inexpensive sources to get a preliminary information.

Choosing the time and season of the place of visit are important things as your long awaited trip may get drenched in rain or may caught trapped in extreme conditions without even a drop of water to drink.

Choose the travel agency after consulting your friends regarding their quality of service, rates of accommodations and reach. Compare their rates with other agencies and bargain for discounts.

Pervious reservations in lodges and travel agencies save a lot of money as well as assure seats at discounted rates.

A small booklet on the local languages will be of immense use; the author remembers a Japanese visitor knocking doors to use toilet as he was in urgency.

If reservations in rooms, transportation are assured early start getting sanction for leave from your boss and avail any leave travel funding if available.

Chick list

It can be a whole family affair to prepare a check list for what is to be taken for the trip; luggage should comply with the regulations of the airlines. Reach in a consensus regarding materials that can be avoided.

A shoulder bag that can contain the following,

1, Passport and statutory papers for the visit,

2, Receipts and brochures received from the travel agencies as well as their franchisees or branches closer to your destination,

3, Local currency as well as some dollars (most merchants prefer dollars to local tenders) in small denominations save money while making payments,

4, A telephones index diary with all the names of your friends and relatives especially those who have visited the destination before or familiar with that place, An even better idea is to find yourselves a couch.

5, Credit cards (duly charged) that is valid at the place of visit,

6, Medicines which are to be routinely taken and that may be of use in contingency like first aid kits, a torch, needle and thread, shaving set, toiletries etc,

7, Good travel guide book would be immense use; can be had from the travel agency at no cost. An index of hotels and other accomodation is a must have.

8, Political and Route maps. you could download any street map from Google Maps.

Medium sized bags,

On family trips each kid can be entrusted with a medium sized bag loaded mostly with his own things; weight to match kid’s age.

Big bag,

A bigger bag (wheeled one is better) with bed linen, bath towel, night gowns, spare foot-wears, dress, books, kids’ food, water, fruits, pocket knife, mosquito repellents, woolen jackets (for cold places) etc. Store some snacks and cookies will prove helpful where there may be places without clean hotels.

While traveling,

Reaching the place of visit,

Select full body covering dress in tropical areas as hot sun and pests can do much damages to white skin. Tourists often fall prey to touts at the tourist spots, get information from the hotel itself regarding spots and call a vehicle from their list a good driver is a better guide. Be lavish while giving him some tip if service is good. Register complaint if there is any meanness on his part.

While walking watch the touts who hang around and suddenly approach you with helps or requests; just neglect them and walk off, if any help needed ask to any friendly person for directions;

Home sweet home!

The real pleasure of the trip lies in the safe return to the home and in relaxing after a bath, one may be a bit poorer but a lot wiser.

Home is the hunter home from the hills;

And the sailor home from the seas!

Happy Travelling.