The Wild Voyage
Travel blog: from weekend getaways to local and international trips
1. Planning your trip
Is nice to have a one way ticket, so this is not about being a controller and not going with the flow, this is more about avoiding unpleasant moments. There are unexpected things that are pleasant and unexpected things that are extremely distressing. For instance, if you miss your boat inter-island because you didn't know the schedule and all the hotels in that little place are booked, plus your surroundings don't look exactly like Lake Como, you are probably going to wish to know the schedule changes in advance. Information is power. Being thoughtful is always welcome! Doing the proper research is always beneficial, you can check events that are going on in that city when you want to visit, special holidays, transport schedule, routes and fares, alternatives. In order to do that in the best way possible, checking the local websites is the most convenient method. Just look for the city, province, or town and check their own website. That's how you get legit information.
2.Location
Have physical maps in case your phone goes off or in case you want to be disconnected of your devices and to be more connected to nature. Also, there are digital maps that don't work with internet in case you travel abroad and you don't have data, service, wifi. There are many apps but the one that really works for me is Maps.Me. You can type a location and follow the route exactly like google or apple maps, even check for transportation. Is nice to have a one way ticket, so this is not about being a controller and not going with the flow, this is more about avoiding unpleasant moments. There are unexpected things that are pleasant and unexpected things that are extremely distressing. For instance, if you miss your boat inter-island because you didn't know the schedule and al the hotels in that little place are booked, plus your surroundings don't look exactly like Lake Como, you are probably going to wish to know the schedule changes in advance. Information is power. Being thoughtful is always welcome! Doing the proper research is always beneficial, you can check events that are going on in that city when you want to visit, special holidays, transport schedule, routes and fares, alternatives. In order to do that in the best way possible, checking the local websites is the most convenient method. Just look for the city, province, or town and check their own website. That's how you get legit information.
3.Packing
Even if you check the weather ahead, unpredictable things can happen. Whether you are going to a cold or warm destination, always pack a light raincoat, yoga pants/joggers for hiking, outlet adapter if traveling abroad and a pair of comfortable sneakers. How many times you packed so many items you didn't even wore? or you planned an outfit for each day and you ended up wearing the same two days in a row. There is a fact: Is easier to pack for warm destinations because summer clothes are lighter and thiner, but also if you are traveling to the very cold... How many different colors of long wear that no one will ever see do you need? and how many winter/snow jackets you could possibly have? You will end up wearing the same and that is perfectly okay. They lighter the luggage the easier to move around. If you decide to check your bag because you have items that can't go in the cabin, make sure that you have important papers and items as medication with you!
3.Travel size containers
If you are staying in a hostel, or Couchsurfing (what is that? keep reading) or other type of lodging, you are going to need personal items; shampoo, lotion, sunscreen, conditioner, etc. Just have a pack of 4 or 5 travel size containers filled to the top, and ready to be refilled at a friend's place or anywhere else if you are traveling for too long. Even if you are planning on staying in that country for one or two months, once you are on traveling mode you have to be ready to cross borders in case you want to explore other countries, and you are going to need a friendly size (up to 100 ml) if you do it by plane.
4.Where to stay
There are so many factors influencing this decision. First, are you going to an almost inhabited/nor very developed island/region and you need to be close to the public transportation because you didn't rent a car? Renting a car or not has an impact in your lodging. To find something that is in your budget, I strongly recommend to do it in advance, if not, there are still ways to get something that is pocket friendly. There are the well known websites such as Booking.com or Expedia.com I don't recommend using Hotels.com because they are not flexible with canceling, and for any changes they ask you to contact the hotel, but when you call the hotel they will ask you to contact the website you used to hire the lodging. Another way to do it is to go on the maps of the town, and explore the hotels in that area. Note that not all the hotels are on Expedia, or booking or any other website, they have their own, or they are suggested on the local website of that town/city.
Another very controversial way to stay somewhere, and this is completely free and popular amongs nomads, is using Couchsurfing or Hospitality Club. Simply creating a profile on the website you are in, read the reviews on the profiles of the hosts and make sure is safe. When you place a request, let them know why you are interested in staying with them, some of them get hundreds of requests per month! Some places are really gorgeous and you will have yur own bedroom and bathroom. You can choose if you want to host someone or if you want to stay with a host, filter by location and other features.
5.Spending
Try to get some small cash in the airport or bus terminal just to live the first day until you locate the ATM or legit cash stores with a better currency exchange rate. Always choose the local currency when paying with credit card. Keep all the reciepts and be organizez, it has happened to me that I had a duplicated spend and had to contact the store with the receipt or dispute the transaction with my bank.
6.Driving abroad
All the countries have different laws, indications, rules. Visit the website and check if you need an international license to drive there, or any special permit. Some places only let you drive when you are 26+ if you are an outsider, others when you are 21+ or even 18+. If you need an international license and you go to pick up the car you booked with your local license they won't allow you to drive and might not refund the money. Car rentals aren't in charge of telling you the rules that apply to every foreigner, you need to do your research before.
7.Safety/Communication
If you are traveling solo, always tell someone where you are going, your plans, share your location with someone trustworthy. For phone service you can either get a temporary SIM card in that country or try to catch wifi in hotel/public transport/coffee shops/mall but If traveling alone better to contact your company and upgrade to an international plan for safety. Always have a copy of your routes on paper. What if you drop your phone by accident and breaks? Don't rely on your phone. Always carry a portable charger just in case. Do not walk alone very late at night in a lonely road for too long. If you are a risky adventurer and you are aware that your destination is well known for being extremely unsafe, carry a pepper spray with you! Study the situation, especially if you are the kind of adventurer who likes to do hitchhiking. If it's sketchy don't do it, if is not a safe area don't do it, if it turns sketchy ask to stop, try to have an excuse to get out, and if you believe yourself to be in imminent danger call 911 as soon as you can. There are popular areas where families with kids in the car pick you up and where hitchhiking is well known, and areas where you shouldn't do this at all. Patagonia is very famous for hitchhikers, for instance. Always have your embassy address on paper in your wallet!
8.The unexpected
What to do if something unexpected happens? Even when you have all the aforesaid tips in mind, the unexpected can happen. Panic is a natural first reaction. Allow yourself five minutes of thinking, and enjoy no matter what. Maybe you rented a car and you got a flat tire, or even scratched the car a little bit, or you lost your passport, or your ID, or your wallet!! Everything has a solution, in the moment it seems that there is no way out, but everything is going to be okay. Think that you are not the first person going through this, and that in that exact moment there are probably hundreds if not thousands of people going through the same. It is fixable, don't let a setback ruin your beautiful trip!
