Quick Travel Tips

DON’T FORGET TO HAVE FUN.
Do and see what you want, not what your friends, other travellers or your guidebook say you should.
Don’t avoid somewhere just because it’s ‘touristy’ – Venice is touristy, and New York, Paris, London, etc.
Keep your schedule as flexible as you can – you won’t know till you get there how long you want to stay.
Don’t make budgeting an obsession.
Take a Swiss Army knife or similar (if only for the corkscrew and bottle opener), but…
Don’t leave it in your hand luggage when you fly.
Buy a headlamp.
Take duct tape, superglue and a needle and thread.
Don’t buy a first aid kit: buy a plastic container and make your own.
Rooms which need mosquito nets tend to have them already.
Leave the sleeping bag at home, unless you’re camping.
You don’t have to tell a tuk-tuk driver where you’re going… unless you are hiring him.
Don’t leave laptops/cameras/wallets on your bed in dorm rooms (lots do).
Be vigilant but not paranoid.
Don’t get your map out in the middle of a city street – go into a shop or hotel reception to look at it.
Wash clothes in the sink/shower.
Hostels and guest houses don’t usually provide towels. Take a quick-drying travel towel.
Hardly anywhere has plugs in the sink. Buy a universal plug.
Don’t take any clothes which you mind getting ruined.
Keep a spare credit/debit card separate to your main card, and not on you.
Use safety deposit boxes, but remember than dishonest members of staff can (and do) access them.
Use public transport. You might meet genuine locals.
Scan important documents and email them to yourself.
Respect local customs.
Keep it in perspective when you get scammed/overcharged.
Haggle for sure, but keep in mind that a dollar means a lot more to them than to you.
Don’t focus on negatives. Remember that your country isn’t perfect, either.
Try doing things the local way. You might find you like it.
Remember it’s their country, not yours.