Things you wish you knew when traveling

Every now and then something unexpected happening when you are traveling. This list of great travel insights is meant to keep you safe and helps you to recognise the risks before hand so you don’t need spend time nor money on all the little annoyances.

Published on: 31.05.2017

Travel tips and insights you wish you knew. These tips are more relevant if you travel a long time and want to save some money in a long run.

– There is always a cheap local bus from airport to the central.

– Who gets least pissed off when something goes wrong wins in the long run.

– You will pay more than locals. Accept it. Don’t get mad and ruin everyones day.

– Get travel insurance and use it whenever possible.

– Use only credit cards when traveling. If they get skimmed, you’ll always get your money back.

– For long term traveling get credit card with no extra fees on foreign bank withdrawals.

– Don’t arrive into a new city in middle of night without guaranteed place to stay.

– Other travellers will act like selfish arrogant assholes. Get over it.

– There are no free tours…. except in Japan.

– If someone hops into a local bus and gives you candy, don’t eat it. He will collect it back.

– Wear long pants and print airline tickets and hotel reservation ready when visiting embassies.

– Double check that taxi takes you to the right airport.

– If local officials don’t know how to do their job and make you work extra, don’t get offended.

– Wash yourself after sweating even if it costs extra.

– Shadow doesn’t keep you from burning.

– Use Aloe Vera for sunburns.

– Have a hat.

– Money belts are for pussies.

– Earbuds are mandatory for dormitories and sleeping in busses in developing countries.

– You’ll never get the best seats in local minibusses. Accept it.

– Always scrape scrape cards with coin, not with nails.

– If one side of the bus is crowded with locals, sit on that side.

– Keep hydrated.

– Always keep flashlight in backpack. Phone isn’t flashlight.

– Always have one extra candybar or nuts for urgent energy loss.

– If something unexpected happens, try to get the locals to help you. Don’t blame them for what happened.

– Don’t overpack but be prepared.

– Washing clothes by hand is the key for light traveling.

– Don’t buy bulky souvenirs.

– Find universal sink plug from home.

– Small compass is always handy.

– Watch out for roadside buffees.

– You can’t control everything.

– Photograph cars and scooters throughout before renting.

– Don’t drive motorbike with flip-flops.

– If you reserve something and need to pay beforehand, ask for a receipt.

– Negotiate price before entering a taxi.

– Count and check money at money changer. On site.

– Always buy local SIM with enough data, ask locals for the best one.

– Keep your residence country SIM safe. You will need it for bank transactions.

– Having a big towel is overrated.

– Duct-tape can fix almost everything. Roll some around short IKEA pencil.

– Backup your photos. WD Passport external hard drives are good, Lacie Ruggeds are the best.

– Double check if tap water is drinkable, and if not don’t wash you teeth nor rinse with it.

– Aircon makes you sick but when sick use aircon.

– Do not update spotify while traveling. All your downloaded music might disappear.

– Turn all auto updates off from all devices.

– Store all important data with Keep Safe app.

– Scan and print your passport, show the real one only when crossing borders.

– Google translate app in offline is amazing.

– Use Maps.me for offline maps. Better than Google maps.

– Water purifying tablets work with 1 liter bottles.

– Quick drying thin hoodie is a lifesaver in scorching sun.

– Stuff newspaper to shoes for quick drying.

– Bring own flashlight to caves.

– Always test mask before going snorkeling.

– Remember to lock trekking poles properly.

– Good earbud headphones are worth gold.

– Having a hammock is good for tropical islands and long term spacing out, not for active moving and traveling.

– Get to city at least one day before your flight departures.

– It’s ok to be scared and confused but people are nice and will help if you just ask.

– Fried food is safe, avoid fresh salads in shady places.

– Use airplane mode and battery saving mode in you cellphone.

– Avoid tours if they are not necessary.

– Time is more valuable than money.

– Learn Spanish for South America. People really can’t speak English.

– Busses will always take longer than they should.


I will update this list in the future as unexpected things happen. Stay tuned.