Faye's Top Ten Travel Tips - Part I

I have been back from South America for exactly 1 month now but my brain is still on the road. I miss the feeling of wondering what is next around the corner when I wake up the morning, when I step out of a tax,i or when I turn at the next the corner.  The joy of travel is the anticipation of the unknown.  But the unknown sometimes can bring unnecessary headaches.  Over the years, traveling based on certain amount of unknown has been a routine for me and I thought I would share some of my travel tips.

Starting with before the trip begans:

1. Pack zip lock bags.  A friend of mine packs everything in zip lock bags when she travels.  She said this way she can pack a lot more in, not to mention keeps everything dry.  I will never have the discipline to keep everything organized in bags through the entire trip. However, I made sure I kept all my documents and dirty clothes (so it doesn't contaminate the clean clothes) in zip lock bags.  My friend also recommends to put fabric softener sheets in the dirty cloth bags.  The zip lock bag even saved my iPhone.  I spilled water on it and the hotel kitchen gave me a handful of rice which I put them in the bag with my phone to "suck" out the moisture.

There are other essential items I pack before my travel.

• Compact power bar - so my iPad, camera and phone can be charged all at the same time.
• Wet wipes - for those times you can't find a bathroom to wash your hands
• Tide to go sticks - I no longer fear packing white shirts!

Compact Power Bar

Actually, I keep most of these items in a big bag and store them where I can gain easy access to. When it is time to pack for my trips, I just take the bag out and dump them in my luggage.

2. Research taxi details. Not a lot of people think about this before hand.  This is an important one especially when traveling to a developing country. Taxi services are not always regulated.  In a lot of cases, it is just a guy with a unmetered car and slapped on a "TAXI" sign.  Many tourism related crimes are committed involving a cab. From not negotiating before getting in and ending up with an astronomical fare to more serious crimes of being robbed by the driver are sure ways to ruin a trip.  When you just got off a long flight and all you want to do is get in a cab to get to your hotel you are not going to want to research cab details in between.  Therefore, it is best to do research before your trip. I really like this website called "I Hate Taxis" which lists general rate information, common taxi crimes, and another other major transportation information to get you from and to an airport and major interest points.

3. US Dollars $$$. As a Canadian who loves everything Canadian, I still travel with US dollars. I think this is not shocking information to anyone that the US dollar is the easiest to exchange worldwide (except for Cuba).  However, different country have their own quirks on what type of bills they will accept.  As a rule of thumb, make sure the US bills are in perfect conditions. Most, if not all, countries will not accept US bills with dirt, rips (even a tiny one), or are defaced.  The date on the bills matters too.  Some countries will not accept bills before 2000 even if they are in perfect condition.  While traveling through South America, bills with serial number begins with CB are routinely refused.  I am still not sure why.

When receiving currencies whether it is from a bank, exchange bureau or even getting change from a vendor, I always make sure to check the bills too.  Don't accept any damaged or old bills and always ask for different denomination of bills (small bills for tips).
   

4. Leave room for souvenirs.  When packing for a trip, I always make sure I don't pack my bags to the rim because I always seem to come back with more stuff than I came with.  For my South America trip, I had to pack summer and winter clothes and my bags were stuffed so I packed a couple of foldable grocery bags which I used to carry souvenirs onto the plane home.

5. Photocopy documents. This one is simple, but an important one to stress. Make colour photocopies of all important document such as passport, driver's license and marriage license.  I also take the time to scan an electronic copy and email them to myself and my emergency contact (spouse or parents). 

To Be Continued...