Frequently Asked Travel Questions
Although they might not all relate to bucket lists, here are some of my most asked travel questions!
It depends on the type of trip, but here are my travel tech essentials: phone/tablet, laptop, smart watch, headphones, charging cables, camera and gear, solar portable charger, portable gaming system, wifi hotspot box (if you don’t want to get a new sim or pay foreign cellular fees).
Absolutely! But there are different risks depending on each country and common sense needs to be used at all times. My advice would be to research common safety issues depending on your destination and create a plan before hand on how you can minimize those risks. If you are still uneasy, pick a country that is more travel friendly to start out with.
This is personal opinion, but here are some ideas to get you started based on how much of a challenge you want while traveling.
Easy; UK, US, Australia, generally anywhere in Western Europe, New Zealand, Canada, Japan
Intermediate: Costa Rica, most islands in the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, China, Vietnam, Nepal
Difficult: India, most countries in Africa, Brazil, Peru, Cambodia
***More difficult does NOT mean bad or to be avoided! It just means that language, transportation, and safety might be more of an issue.
Making friends in a foreign country can be difficult. To make friends with locals, I would suggest going to local bars, joining local facebook groups, or taking a language course. Please be safe!
For a more safe and sure option, take a group tour around the area. Most likely, your friends won’t be locals, but I have met some very close friends from all over the world by going on organized tours!
Yes, yes, YES! I did my entire degree in Cambridge, UK and med school in Budapest, Hungary. Needless to say, my entire perspective changed, I made lifelong friends, I saw incredible places, and I would not trade it for anything in the world!
If you have the opportunity to spend any amount of time living in a new location, it may be overwhelming but it is 100% worth it. If you do decide studing abroad is right for you, I would also encourage you to branch out–learn the language, hang out with locals, and absorb as much of it as you possibly can!
I’ve always used Expedia and had good experiences with them. I have used Kayak and Booking.com, but I preferred other ones better. When I was flying back home from England for years, I would use Opodo for the cheapest tickets frequently.
As for activities, I trust Viator all the way. I’ve done a lot of their tours and each one has been great!
My two favorites are Sky Scanner and Hopper!
I’m gonna be totally honest. I didn’t even buy travel insurance until my massive backpacking trip. And news flash: I did need it multiple times.
My favs were United Healthcare and Cigna, however, there area a lot of great options! When choosing, I would more focus on what you get and make sure the following are included: air lifting, an appropriate deductible, and maybe even access to a chat with doctors for advice (this was a life saver in Vietnam!)
Drink lots of water! This will help you stay hydrated and decrease jet lag. Try and get on the destinations time zone a few days before you leave. Aka go to bed a few hours earlier or later to reduce fatigue and jet lag. Be prepared if the entertainment system fails. Most long-haul flights have built-in entertainment systems, but if something goes wrong, you don’t want to be board for 8+ hours. Always have some movies, games, books or whatever loaded onto your tablet of choice. Bring some extra snacks. Yes, they may provide meals, but it is nice to not be hungry and spend a fortune on a bag of chips. Bring a travel pillow! This makes a difference to have a good supportive pillow to sleep with! I prefer ones that tie in the front to give extra support and can be used in any seat.
Stay in a hostel instead of a hotel. If you feel safe and comfortable, hostels can be stayed in for next to nothing! Cook your own food. Most of the time, hostels will come with a shared kitchen that you can use. Eating out adds up and leftovers can be eaten for multiple meals if you make it yourself. Take public transport instead of taxis. In most locations, taxi prices are absolutely absurd!
A good budget hack to traveling is approaching it as if you were a local, not a tourist. This might save you some money and keep you from falling into expensive tourist traps.
If you have anymore questions about travel or bucket lists, I will try to answer them to the best of my ability.