~ Top Travel Tips ~

TAKE A PADLOCK WITH YOU

IF TRAVELLING ON A BUDGET YOU WILL MOST LIKELY BE STAYING IN SHARED HOSTEL ROOMS, SO YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR PRIVACY. MOST HOSTELS WILL SUPPLY A LOCKER FOR EACH BED SO YOU CAN PUT YOUR VALUABLES IN THEM. HOWEVER, YOU HAVE TO SUPPLY YOUR OWN PADLOCK, AS THEY DON'T SUPPLY THEM FOR YOU. YOU DON'T WANT IT TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL AS EACH PLACE WILL HAVE DIFFERENT LOCKERS. MAYBE EVEN GETTING A FLEXIBLE WIRE ONE, I HAD A NORMAL ONE BUT SOMETIMES IT WOULD ONLY JUST ABOUT FIT. I ALSO RECOMMEND GETTING A COMBINATION PADLOCK BECAUSE IF YOU LOSE THE KEY YOU'VE REALLY FUCKED YOURSELF OVER.

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE LOCAL CULTURE

, TO EATING THEIR FOOD, LEARNING THEIR LANGUAGE, THEIR RELIGION, THEIR BELIEFS, VOLUNTEERING AT LOCAL CHARITIES AND ASKING THE LOCALS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS (HOW YOU FIND THE HIDDEN BEAUTIES), THIS IS WHAT WILL REALLY HELP YOU LEARN ABOUT A PLACE.

TO ME THIS IS WHAT TRAVELLING IS REALLY ABOUT. LEARNING DIFFERENT CULTURES AND DIFFERENT WAYS OF LIVING LIFE IS SOME OF THE BEST EDUCATION YOU CAN GET, BETTER THAN ANY SCHOOL YOU'LL EVER GO TO.

DON'T TAKE A FUCKING SUITCASE

NOW ID LIKE TO THINK THIS IS AN OBVOUS ONE CONSIDERING MOST PEOPLE WHO GO TRAVELLING CALL IT "BACKPACKING" BUT YOU'D BE SURPRISED WITH THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE I SAW STRUGGLING WITH A SUITCASE.. TRUST ME THERE WASN'T MANY WHO DIDN'T REGRET IT.

YOU'RE MORE MOBILE WITH A BACKPACK PLUS WHEN YOUR TRAVELLING, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE MOMENT DON'T KNOW EVERYWHERE THEY ARE GUNNA GO AND WHAT THEY'LL END UP DOING, YOU'LL ALWAYS BE MOVING AROUND A LOT (OTHERWISE THATS CLASSED AS A HOLIDAY NOT TRAVELLING) AND YOU MAY EVEN DO A FEW DAYS TREK IN THE RAINFOREST AND HAVING A SUITCASE FOR THAT WOULD NOT BE FUN.

NOW DON'T GET ME WRONG IF YOU GET THE WRONG SUITCASE THEN YOU ALSO WONT BE LOVING IT, DO YOUR RESEARCH AND FIND THE SYLE YOU LIKE BEST I HAD ONE THAT OPENED AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM AND SIDE BUT IT STILL WASNT EASY TO GET INTO IF I'D ALREADY PACKED SO ID HAVE TO EMPTY THE WHOLE THING TO FIND SOMETHING. I RECOMMEND GETTING ONE THAT ZIPS THE WHOLE WAY ROUND. IVE LINKED THE BEST ONES ON THE TRAVEL SHOP PAGE.

DON'T BE AFRAID

OF COURSE ITS AS SCARY AS IT IS EXCITING ESPECIALLY WHEN ITS YOUR FIRST TIME AND ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU GOING SOLO. FOR ME THIS WAS MY FIRST BIT OF FREEDOM, LIVING AWAY FROM MY PARENTS AS I DIDN'T GO TO UNI I STAYED LIVING AT HOME AND WORKING FULL TIME SO I COULD SAVE MORE MONEY.

I LOVE MY ALONE TIME SO I WAS SO EXCITED AND MY PARENTS ALWAYS BROUGHT ME UP TO HELP AROUND THE HOUSE SO I WASN'T WORRIED THAT I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO THE EVERYDAY LIFE NECESSITIES.

ANYWAYS BEING AFRAID MAY MEAN YOU MISS OUT ON SOME EXPERIENCES, YOU NEED TO FACE YOUR FEARS, AND PUSH YOURSELF OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. THIS WILL OPEN YOUR EYES TO THE DAY TO DAY PRIVILEGES WE TAKE FOR GRANTED (DEPENDING ON IF YOU'RE VISITING A WESTERNISED COUNTRY OR NOT). ITS A NEW WAY OF LIVING, OR EVEN OLD, BUT ITS NEW TO YOU IF YOUR VISITING FOR THE FIRST TIME, PERSONALLY I THINK ITS EVEN MORE EDUCATIONAL THAN SCHOOL, THIS IS LIFE LESSONS.

MICROFIBRE TOWELS

GUARANTEED YOU WILL NEED A TOWEL, AND TOWELS TAKE UP A LOT OF SPACE AND A LONG TIME TO DRY. NOT SO GOOD WHEN YOU ONLY HAVE A BACKPACK WITH YOUR WHOLE LIFE IN FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS. A MICROFIBRE TOWEL WILL SAVE YOU FROM THESE PROBLEMS, ITS LIGHTWEIGHT, DOESN'T TAKE UP TOO MUCH ROOM AND DRIES SUPER FAST, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT A DAMP TOWEL IN YOUR BAG WHEN YOU'RE MOVING TO THE NEXT DESTINATION. DO YOUR RESEARCH THO THE ONE I GOT WAS SUPER THIN AND DIDN'T DRY ME THAT WELL. I DIDN'T TEST HOW GOOD IT WAS BEFORE I LEFT AND HAD A REALLY SHITTY TOWEL, IN THE END I ENDED UP USING MY BEACH TOWEL AS A BODY TOWEL AND THE MICROFIBRE ONE FOR MY HAIR.

THATS ANOTHER THING IF YOUR A GIRL I RECOMMEND BUYING TWO TOWELS TO TAKE.

BOOK YOUR FLIGHTS CAREFULLY

THERES A COUPLE OF BOOKING FLIGHT TIPS. ONE BEING THE DAY YOU BOOK YOUR FLIGHT OBVIOUSLY THIS MAY CHANGE SO DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH BUT MOST OF THE TIME FOR THE UK THE CHEAPEST DAYS TO BOOK FLIGHTS IS MONDAY- WEDNESDAY, FOR SOME REASON THOSE DAYS SEEM TO HAVE BETTER DEALS.

ANOTHER THING IS A VPN (I USED TO HAVE SURF SHARK, THEY USUALLY HAVE GOOD DEALS ON BLACK FRIDAY AND ONCE YOU HAVE AN ACCOUNT IF YOU RENEW BEFORE YOU LET IT RUN OUT IT USUALLY WORKS OUT CHEAPER. ANYWAYS USING A VPN MASKS WHERE YOU ACTUALLY ARE AND YOU CAN TRICK THE INTERNET INTO THINKING YOU ARE IN A DIFFERENT COUNTRY AND OF COURSE IF YOUR SOMEWHERE LIKE INDIA THAT SAME FLIGHT IS MOST LIKELY GONG TO BE A LOT CHEAPER.

BUDGET YOUR TRIP

THIS IS SO FUCKING IMPORTANT THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I DIDN'T DO AND I SPENT MY MONEY SO MUCH QUICKER THAN I SHOULD'VE.

ITS IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT YOU SHOULDN'T BE TOO STRICT ON IT. IF THERES SOMETHING YOU REALLY WANT TO DO THEN DO IT IF YOU DON'T YOU'LL ONLY END UP REGRETTING IT. I THINK ONE OF THE JOYS OF TRAVELLING IS THAT YOU REALLY GET TO GRAB LIFE BY THE BALLS AND LEARN TO LIVE IN THE MOMENT, TAKE UP ANY OPPORTUNITY YOU REALLY WANT TO.

BUT DO YOU'RE RESEARCH FOR EACH PLACE YOU GO TO FOR AN AVERAGE SPEND A DAY BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IT DEPENDS WHAT COUNTRY YOU'RE IN. CAN ALSO DEPEND ON EACH TOWN, ISLAND OR CITY YOU GO TO AND WETHER ITS HGH OR LOW SEASON. I WENT AT THE END OF LOW SEASON AND PERSONALLY SAW THEM SWAP OUT ALL THE MENUS TO ONES WITH HIGHER PRICES AT THE BEGINNING OF HIGH SEASON. SO YOU HAVE A LOT TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION.

OKAY SO I WAS PRETTY SMART WITH THIS AS I KNOW WHAT IM LIKE WITH WITH BANK CARDS AND I KNOW IT WOULD'VE BEEN A RIGHT PAIN IN THE ASS IF LOST IT WHILST TRAVELLING. I LITERALLY LOST MY MAIN BANK CARD JUST BEFORE I LEFT AND WAS STRESSING IF MY NEW ONE WOULD ARRIVE IN TME, LUCKILY IT DID.

ANYWAYS I OPENED A FEW DIFFERENT ONLINE BANKS I HAD MY MAIN BARCLAYS WHICH IVE ALWAYS HAD AND MY MONZO THEN I OPENED A STARLING, REVOULT AND A CHASE.

ITS GOOD TO HAVE A FEW DIFFERENT BANK CARDS WITH YOU FOR MULTIPLE REASONS. I MET SO MANY PEOPLE WHO HAD THEIR CARD EATEN BY A MACHINE, THEY LOST IT OR BROKE IT. TRUST ME, THE PROCESS TO GET MONEY OUT AFTER THAT IS SO LONG OR YOU HAVE TO FIND SOMEONE WHO WILL TAKE MONEY OUT FOR YOU AND THERES A LIMIT THAT YOU CAN TAKE OUT AND YOU GET CHARGED TO DO THAT SO FOR MYSELF I WOULD TAKE OUT THE MAXIMUM SO I WASN'T CHARGED SO MUCH SO YOU MIGHT NOT FIND SO MANY PEOPLE WHO WOULD WANNA DO THAT FOR YOU.

ANOTHER REASON WHY ITS GOOD TO HAVE DIFFERENT BANKS IS BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENT EXCHANGE RATES, WHILST I WAS OUT THERE THE BEST ONE WAS EITHER STARLING OR REVOULT.

I ALSO SEPARATED MY MONEY NTO ALL OF THEM JUST INCASE ANYTHING HAPPENED THIS DID PROVE TO BE A PROBLEM WHEN I BROKE MY PHONE COULDN'T ACCESS MY MONEY BECAUSE I DIDN'T REMEMBER MY PINS AND COULDN'T TRANSFER IT INTO EITHER MY BARCLAYS OR MONZO WHICH WERE THE PINS A DID REMEMBER. THERE ARE DEFINITELY PROS AND CONS.

BANK CARDS

TAKE A PILLOW CASE

OKAY, THIS ISN'T A NECESSITY THIS JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT KIND OF PERSON YOU ARE REALLY. SO I MET A FEW PEOPLE WHO HAD TAKEN THEIR OWN PILLOW CASER THEIR MAIN REASON BEING BECAUSE THEY ARE STAYING IN HOSTELS AND ITS MORE OF A HYGIENE THING.

YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN AND YOU COULD BE JUST BOOK A HOSTEL THAT SEEMS OKAY THEN YOU GO AND ITS ABSOLUTE SHIT. IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO ME WHEN I WENT TO HO CHI MIN, I WAS ONLY THERE FOR ONE NIGHT BEFORE GETTING MY BUS WHEN I BOOKED A HOSTEL THERE WAS ONLY LIKE 3 AVAILABLE SO I WENT WITH THE ONE WITH THE BEST REVIEW. I WAS TRYING TO FIND IT ON MAPS AND IT WAS TAKING MY DOWN THIS REALLY DODGEY DARK ALLEY AND I'D ALREADY HAD MULTIPLE POEPLE ON THE WAY TELL ME TO BE CAREFUL ON MY OWN COS ITS NOT THE SAFEST CITY AND IT WAS HONESTLY THE FIRST TIME I HAD FELT UNCOMFORTABLE WHILST TRAVELLING. I COULDN'T FIND THE HOSTEL AND STOPPED AT THIS DIFFERENT ONE I EVEN HAD A GUY TEXT THE HOSTEL GROUP CHAT SAYING HE JUST ARRIVED AND THERE WAS RATS RUNNING EVERYWHERE. THE WOMAN AT THIS OTHER HOSTEL I HAD STOPPED AT GAVE ME A SMOKE AND RANG HER MANAGER TO SEE IF I COULD JUST STAY IN THE COMMON ROOM AS THEY HAD NO MORE ROOMS AVAILABLE. SO THATS WHERE I ENDED UP SLEEPING LOL.

ANYWAYS TAKING A PILLOW CASE MEANS IT CAN ALSO DOUBLE AS A TRAVEL PILLOW IF YOU JUST FILL IT UP WITH CLOTHES WHICH IS ALSO PRETTY GOOD IF YOU RUN OUT OF SPACE I YOUR BAG AS YOU'VE BOUGHT SO MUCH WHILST TRAVELLING

DO YOUR RESEARCH

AS MENTIONED IN THE BUDGETING YOUR TRIP, YOU HAVE TO DO YOUR RESEARCH. EACH PLACE YOU WILL HAVE A DIFFERENT SPEND.

DOING YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE CAN HELP YOU DECIDE IF YOU ACTUALLY DO WANT TO VISIT OR NOT (LIKE ME NOT GOING TO PHUKET, THATS NOT ONE THAT MANY PEOPLE MISS OUT BUT I DONE MY RESEARCH AND HEARD FROM ENOUGH PEOPLE THAT IT WAS JUST A QUITE COMMERCIAL PLACE AND THEY WEREN'T REALLY THE PLACES I WANTED TO BE SPENDING MY TIME IN).

ALSO HELPS YOU DECIDE HOW MANY DAYS YOU WOULD NEED TO STAY IN A PLACE TO DO ALL THE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO KINDA BETTER TO KNOW THIS IN ADVANCE EVEN THO IT IS USUALLY OKAY LEAVING IT TO THE LAST MIN. BOOKING HOSTELS IN ADVANCE DOES SOMETIMES MEAN YOU'LL GET BETTER DEALS ON IT.