10-point Checklist You Must Follow Before Travelling Abroad
Know your destination well
Do not make the mistake of arriving at your destination with zero research about what you are going to do and which places you are going to visit at the destination. It is quite common for first time tourists to arrive at a foreign destination and then find themselves completely lost in their mobile phones trying to figure out what they should be doing next! Don't make the same a sake of being clueless as a foreign destination. Instead, take your time and find out everything you need to know about the popular hotspots and make your itinerary accordingly before arriving at the destination. That way you can make the best use of your time and money and have a lot of great memories to carry back home.
Travel and health insurance is a must
Insuring your luggage and health are two very important things that you need to do before setting out on a foreign trip. It is quite common for airlines to misplace luggage and even if you are travelling by road on a motorcycle border patrol may want to check your luggage and while doing that things might get misplaced or lost. When you have your valuables covered with an insurance, it becomes less of a hassle to replace them later when you get reimbursement from the insurance company. Health insurance can come in really handy if unfortunately, you find yourself in a hospital at the foreign destination. While buying international health and travel insurance, make sure to check what things are covered and what are not, and understand all the terms and conditions before purchasing it.
Be wary of touts, travel scammers and pickpockets
Money is your only best friend when you are at a strange place with strangers to depend upon for help. Unless you have anything to give in return, no one is going to help you out of the goodness of their heart! Well, to be honest, there are exceptions and there are good people everywhere around the world but you might not be lucky to find them when you need them at the twelfth-hour. That is why you need to be very careful about protecting your money from touts, scammers and pickpockets that are plenty in foreign destinations especially in tourist hotspots. In India, travel scammers may be easy to identify because of their shady behavior but in developed nations the ways of scamming people have also become quite developed! You might not be able to identify a genuine travel agent from a scammer and that is why you need to be on your guard and approach people with the right recommendations and credentials.
Be prepared for culture shocks
When you are travelling to a foreign destination, always keep your mind open and be prepared for very different ways of life and showing affection. In the middle east men hug and kiss each other on the cheeks while they are not very open to the idea of making physical contact with a female or seeing them without a head cover. These encounters are a cultural shock for both parties, you and the locals, so make sure that you first learn about the culture of the definition you are visiting and find out how you can blend in with the locals and not do anything to offend their religious or cultural sensitivities. If you are travelling from the Middle East or from Southeast Asia to a European country be prepared to see a lot of public display of affection which is very normal there. Do not react to it very strongly because you might end up offending the locals. Just keep an open mind and take it as a learning experience on the diversity of cultures across the world. Being critical of the culture or comparing it with your own culture can get you into a negative mindset, which is the last thing you want when you are on a vacation.
Get vaccinated and carry your medicines
Always consider getting yourself vaccinated before travelling to a foreign destination especially the tropics are the african countries. Even if you are travelling from the tropics to an alpine country it is a good idea to find out the common diseases of that location and have yourself inoculated just so you don't find yourself afflicted with some unknown disease! Common medicines for stomach ache headache and acidity should be in your bags at all time including medicines for diarrhea and fever if you are traveling to a tropical nation. In case you are under certain prescription medicine make sure to have them with you along with the prescription so that you can refill your medicines at your destination if need be.
Get your documents in order
Put together all your important documentation such as passport and permits in one place and have time photo copied to create a set of duplicates which is very important for applying a new set of documents in case you happen to lose them. Another good idea is to digitize all of your important documents and show them on your mobile screen to authorities whenever they ask so that you don't have to pull out the documents at every stop which reduces the risk of the documents getting damaged or misplaced in a hurry. In the rare case that the authorities ask for the real documents you can always furnish them. However, one thing to keep in mind is to understand the psychology of the officer who might suspect you of not having the authentic/real documents when you show them a screen grab on your mobile phone. This might get you into trouble if they become suspicious and check everything with more granularity. Another way of protecting your important documents is to place them close to your body in a waterproof pouch or bag which prevents the risk of theft and damage and also keeps it really handy to show it to whoever needs to see it!
Know a few key phrases in the local language
Have you ever wondered why foreigners who come to india insist on saying namaste whenever possible? It's because when you do that you immediately form a bond of trust with the local people and that can go a long way in making your life so much easier in a foreign destination. Nowadays, there are mobile applications which will help you quickly translate small phrases and sentences into the local language which might come in very handy especially if you are in a rural area where people do not speak english or the language that you know. Familiarize yourself with such mobile phone applications and do a few trial runs before heading out.
You are responsible for your own safety
Whether you are traveling by a motorcycle or a car or taking the conventional air route your safety is in your own hands. For road travelers travelling by car or motorcycle, it is extremely important to find out about the rules and regulations that are being followed in your destination country and also do a thorough research about the risks other riders have reported before you. Invest in a high-quality branded motorcycle helmet along with other riding safety gear to keep yourself safe on the road. Keep your motorcycle luggage bags and vehicle under lock and key whenever you are settling down for the night and make sure to keep it within eyesight whenever you are stopping during the day for meals or tea breaks.
What’s your emergency exit plan?
Never leave on a foreign trip without an exit strategy. It is always a good idea to have someone back at home aware about your whereabouts and progress throughout the journey so that he or she can help you get out of the country in case there is a pandemic or a similar problem that might create the challenges for you to overcome on your own. It is important to be optimistic, but there have been cases when people have lost all their money and documents and found themselves stuck in a foreign destination with no one to help. Always have an emergency stash of money online that you can withdraw and use it to find your way home. Whenever possible keep updating your family members about the last location and send them photographs of the locality which might come in handy later on if they have to find you. Try to get landmarks and names of places in the background when you take selfies to send home.
Pack things you can afford to lose!
A trip is not is not the place to flaunt your grandma pearls and other valuable jewelry because that will not only attract miscreants but also make you the target of doubts and scammers in general. In the worst-case scenario you might end up losing those valuables and come back home with a sour experience. When it comes to electronics and other costly things that you might need during the trip, make sure to have them insured and whenever possible do not lose sight of them and prefer to carry them with you inside the flight or on your person if you are riding a motorcycle.
