Travel Tips

Make the most of your experience! Here are some tips that may help you do just that.

1. Recognize the power of the Lonely Planet. Love it or hate it, it's omnipresent among travelers. For a restaurant or hostel, getting into the Lonely Planet is a bit like making it to the pros for basketball players. Many get complacent and lazy, relying on their referrals and reputation while subsequently lowering their standards drastically. This isn't the case for all, but make sure to ask around. Another point is that hostels often get defined by how the Lonely Planet defines them. So when the Lonely Planet labels as place as fun, young, and lively, people looking for fun times will tend to congregate there.
2. Pay close attention to seasons. After being in Fiji for the rainy season and Thailand for the hot season, I learned my lesson. It rained for part of every day in Fiji and was debilitatingly hot in Thailand from 7am to 7pm. Going in the off-season can save you money and give you a more personal experience (without as many crowds) but you definitely should know what you are getting into ahead of time. For example, some swear by winters in Europe because tourists are gone and June in Jordan was perfect for me with its fewer crowds and hot-but-dry-enough-to-stand-it climate. Some places are even more fun with more tourists, often because of the great party scene that comes as a result; the Thailand's Southern islands comes to mind. The main point is do the research to find out what you are getting into, seasons do matter.
3. Pack really, really light. Trust me, you don't want to haul around a 70 pound bag your whole trip when you might have to walk considerable distances. See Packing Tips for more tips.
4. Don't feel obligated to see anything. If you don't want to see something, or you have heard anything good about, don't bother. This may seem obvious, but there will always be the person who tells you that some sight is the coolest thing in a city. It might be, but it might not, it's your trip, do what you want.
5. Word of mouth reigns in the travel kingdom. Always, the best place for up-to-date recommendations on hostels, restaurants, sights, deals, and pretty much everything else is other travelers! Keeping in mind tip #4, who you are talking to, and how many times you've heard a name come up, you will be more likely to enjoy your experience. Plus, it makes for a great conversation starter.
6. Don't expect that traveling will change who you are. You'll likely become more open-minded and more willing to try new things as a result of traveling, but don't expect that you'll end up a totally different person unless you find a few new hard drug addictions. Travel because you want to see something of the world and have a great life experience, not because your unhappy with your life or see yourself becoming a new person upon return; traveling probably won't help you in this.
7. Don't expect epiphenies and life-changing experiences to constantly shake you. This goes along with #6 and when it comes down to it, most of traveling is day-to-day existence. You'll eat great food and terrible food, sleep at great hostels and sleep at terrible hostels. You'll meet great people and a few bad ones. But at the same time, you'll see people, landscapes, and cultures different from everything to which you are accustomed. Unless you are easily influenced, the effect of your experiences will be more subtle.
8. Keep a few squares of toilet paper on you at all times if outside of "the West". This is a lifesaver sometimes, trust me.
9. NEVER travel for more than 24 hours at a time. Along with many others, I've done intense periods of travel and survived it just fine. But it takes its toll and often in ways that aren't readily apparent. Perhaps you'll feel fine, but your body will be loaded with stress hormones and you'll likely be coming off a night with little sleep. And if you are traveling with someone, it can add an unnecessary strain in your interactions with that person as moods turn sour. Plus, you can travel for 24 hours anywhere in the world and try to tell me that there isn't a single place in between that isn't worth seeing. Do a little research and at the halfway point or along every third, you'll find something great.
10. Keep your choice of peanut butter or nutella in your pack for some flavor with your free breakfast. Though if you really like jam, this isn't usually an issue. Free breakfast in many places means toast with butter. Since this isn't my idea of breakfast, I like to spice it up a bit with one of those two great spreads listed above. Definitely not a necessity, but if you're try to do it on the cheap, this is a good way to go.
11. Sleep with your stuff by your head. While you're sleeping is a time when theives love to prey. While generally people in hostels are good, there is always the chance of getting robbed. On trains, the danger gets really high. Since I had no desire to bequeath my camera, wallet, and iPod to anyone, I rolled up my shorts or pants before getting into bed and set them next to my pillow. Just be careful you roll them up so nothing falls out of the pockets and you put it in a place so that it won't fall off the bed.
12. Photograph your guidebooks and keep them on your camera or iPod instead of carrying it around. Guidebooks, for many reasons, are a double-edged sword. One of the worst parts about them though, is carrying them. Since it's a good idea to have them around for backup, just take a picture of them and use the playback and zoom in to read it. You won't even look lost, just a tourist checking out the rad picture he just took. I uploaded the pictures onto my iPod touch, using a program called Quicksheet (there is also one called Files that is just as good) so the iPod photo application wouldn't decrease the quality so much the writing couldn't be read.
13. If you get somewhere with a great atmosphere or a great view, sit down and have a rest while you soak it up. You'll always remember a place better for it. Generally speaking, the slower you go, the more stays with you. It's easy to get caught up in seeing it all, but I promise, you won't regret just enjoying a particular view or piece of art for a few extra minutes (unless you have a train to catch...).