Kaleidoscopic Wandering

It’s never enough to just travel. Every time we hit the road, we consider what we learned from past trials and tribulations in order to make this trip a bit easier than the one before. In my travels, I’ve picked up a number of tidbits, and countless other travelers have done the same. Frequently changing travel tips will be featured on the front page of Kaleidoscopic Wandering and then archived below.

Leave your favorite travel tip in the comment area, and I’ll select the best to post here with your name and a link to your website or travel blog.

Health

• Ingest only purified or boiled water. Do not brush your teeth with tap water.
• If you will be traveling to a country where malaria is a health issue, plan ahead by getting preventative medication and begin taking it before you leave for your trip as prescribed by your doctor. Continue to take the medication for four weeks once you’ve arrived back home.

Language

• If you are traveling to a country where the primary language spoken isn’t your own, carry an index card with translated emergency phrases on it. Keep the card with you and accessible at all times. Key phrases include: help, stop, I need the police, I need a doctor, I need someone who speaks (your language here), and any other phrases relevant to particular your travel situation.

Location and Localization

• Bargain where appropriate but beware that in many cultures, if you reach an agreed price on an item, there is an expectation that you will purchase it.
• Stop by the local supermarket and browse the aisles for an insiders’ look into the local culture.
• Walk even a few blocks away from the touristy areas of a town for a more authentic local experience. This is where you’ll find locals dining and shopping, kids playing soccer, choirs practicing in churches and neighborhood-sized events.
• Evenings in the desert can be cool even in the summer. If you are planning a trip to a desert area, pack a sweatshirt or jacket and be prepared for chilly temperatures once the sun goes down.
• Search for food beyond your guidebook. The key to finding great local cuisine for half the price is asking locals where they like to eat.

Packing

• Pack tight and light so you can carry luggage on board your airplane instead of spending time checking and retrieving it.
• Roll your clothes instead of folding them for tighter packing. Stuff shoes with socks, underwear, bandanas and similar items.
• Always travel with Zip-loc bags. They come in handy for maximizing packing space, separating wet from dry items, separating liquid-filled tubes and bottles from clothing items, and keeping track of small items such as batteries and safety pins.
• It’s definitely okay to unplug and escape your job while you travel, but always carry a few business cards with you. You never know who you might meet on the road.
• Pack a pillowcase. It can be used to cover less-than-desirable pillows in hostels and to separate clean clothes from dirty in your bag. Once stuffed with your clothes, it can also be used as a makeshift pillow if necessary.
• Pack light by using a dominant color scheme. If something you are thinking about packing doesn’t match that color scheme, don’t pack it. (Tip courtesy of Chris Gray Faust.)
• In most cases, if you can’t afford to part with something, then don’t take it with you when you travel. Now is not the time to pack the jewelry you inherited from your grandmother or the designer shoes you were finally able to afford.

Preparation

• Build a travel library and immerse yourself in the local culture before you arrive by reading fiction that takes place in or near your travel destination.
• The same plane ticket prices are not found on every airfare website. To find the best prices, visit multiple online airfare agencies such as Orbitz and Travelocity as well as multi-site search engines like Kayak and the websites for individual airlines.
• Cut back on your at-home indulgences to save money so that you can experience the real thing when you travel. Save a few bucks a week on Starbucks so that you can enjoy a cappuccino in an Italian cafe, or skip that bottle of wine at home and indulge in the real thing on a tour of Napa Valley.
• Reuse old gift cards by turning them into luggage tags. Cover one side with duct tape and write your contact information on it. Leave the colorful side of the gift card untaped. Your luggage tag will stand out from others in a crowd and provide continued life to a product that would otherwise be thrown away.

Road Trips

• Get extra reading done by listening to audio books during long car rides.

Safety and Security

• Know the lay of the land before going out to explore. If you need to pull out a map, do it discreetly and out of crowded areas.
• Negotiate the price of a taxi ride before getting in the vehicle. Once you’ve arrived at your destination, keep a door to the vehicle open while you gather your belongings from the trunk so the driver can’t leave. Check the back seat one last time before closing the door.

Solutions

• Be creative with dental floss. Use it for sewing; cutting fruit, cheese and bread; and quieting a dripping faucet. It can also be used as a clothes line and as a temporary suitcase lock. (Tip courtesy of Jamie Rhein on Gadling.)
• If you misplace your U.S. passport while in the United States, call the U.S. Department of State at 877.487.2778 to report it lost or stolen.
• Get through the airport security line faster by following business travelers. These travelers are familiar with the procedures and generally travel light. Families, on the other hand, have significantly more baggage and take a long time to travel through security. (Tip courtesy of Nomadic Matt.)

Sustainability

• Save money and help the planet by traveling with a refillable water bottle.
• Be an eco-minded traveler and do not buy souvenirs made from endangered plants or animals, such as ivory or tortoise shells.

Travel Style

• You don’t have to be rich to travel. You may have to adjust your expectations, but you can still afford to travel.
• Relax. If something seems to go wrong, you many find that it is the best thing that happens on your trip.
• There is no better place than on the road to try something new. Dress like the locals, immerse yourself in traditional activities and eat something you can’t order at home. When and where else will you have this opportunity?