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Travel is a great way to broaden your mind by experiencing new sights and sounds. However, understanding the do’s and don’ts of your desired destinations is a must. Whether it is saving money, being safe or finding the hidden secrets only locals know about, you should always swot up before you start your adventure!
Travel Safety
While experiencing the wealth of street food in Asia is a must, you must still be vigilant. If you are unfamiliar with the cuisine, then an upset stomach is likely to come your way. Hopefully, it comes and goes but to protect yourself you should make sure you purchase health insurance before your trip as well as researching the necessary vaccinations for the area you’re travelling in.
In Asia, be prepared to be approached by strangers. This is often not malicious and expect a few compliments to come your way from the locals. Unfortunately, sometimes it may be underhanded. EscapeHere puts the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi at number 9 in the worst cities in the world for pickpocketing, so when you are going about your travels in Asia, it is crucial that you remain vigilant. You should only take essentials out of the hotel and keep these valuables close when outside.
Making A Booking
Before you explore the vibrant delights of Asia, you must get there. When you get there, you need somewhere to sleep. Booking flights and accommodation can be a real hassle, but there are plenty of tools out there to make it easier.
There are tonnes of price comparison sites out there so make sure to use them. While sometimes booking directly with an airline or hotel can be cheaper, you should always put it up against quotes from a comparison website just to make sure.
You should never leave booking to the last minute either. This is when companies may take advantage of your desperation and hike up the price. Booking early should get you a low-cost price as well as give you more options when it comes to meeting your travel and accommodation preferences.
Spending Your Money
Haggle. Haggle. Haggle. Almost everything is negotiable in Asia, and it’s up to you to reap the benefits. Discounts can commonly range from 20% off all the way up to 50% in Asian countries. There’s no need to be nervous; the vendors are used to the practice. So, don’t take the first price you are offered, but also know when to accept a deal. This will save you a tonne!
You are going to need cash to purchase items in Asia as credit cards are not accepted directly by many shop owners. Thankfully, the continent has almost completely embraced ATMs now. Be sure to let your bank know you’ll be spending abroad, so the activity doesn’t appear as suspicious, and you should also track down the ATMs that don’t charge for a transaction as the amount can differ greatly. Taking out small amounts is a sensible method as well, as it will mean you are not carrying around significant quantities of cash.
Staying in Contact
When travelling abroad, especially if taking a long trip across a continent, you not going to want to lose contact with family and friends back home. However, you don’t want to spend a fortune on it either. A way to solve this is to get cheap international calls with Planet Numbers. You can create an international calling account, giving you calls to UK landlines and mobiles for only 1p per minute. Whether you are on a once in a lifetime trip or are a frequent traveller, using this service is a great way to save you a significant amount of money.
Finding hidden treasures
There are many ways to end up off the beaten path so you can create your own unique journey away from tourist hubs.
A simple way is local newspapers and magazines. These give you a way of seeing the goings-on that the locals enjoy and not just your typical guidebook outings. This is successful because if it’s the local culture that you’re after then what better source than the locals themselves. This is also why you should endeavour to embrace the locals themselves. Frequent their popular spots and strike up a conversation where possible. The culture really is the people themselves.
Local Travel
If you are going to be scouring the local neighbourhoods for hidden delights, then you really need to know how to get around.
There are plenty of organised tours, and you can get a great deal, but if you are going for an authentic Asian experience, then local transport is the route to take. However, if you are on more of a tight schedule, then organised tours may better suit you.
Local transport in Asia is a treat and gives you another opportunity to socialise with locals. Trains and buses tend to run on time and prices are more than reasonable. Moreover, you can get a great deal using the nightly transport to travel from country to country in Asia. Just make sure you have the right paperwork and a healthy helping of patience.
All travellers have different needs and expectations, so there is no perfect system for having the best Asian experience. However, these tips provide a template for you to follow to make sure you make the most of your time, money and can call home for an inexpensive catch-up!
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Source: pommietravels.com