Traveling Tips

By Razeile Joyce P. Aban

There are many who are planning to travel. Some travel close to their area and some travel far away from their area. What many people have in common is what to pack for vacation? Many people have a hard time deciding what to pack up and what to wear. So, here are some basic tips about what to pack and tips for traveling!

1. Necessities for hygiene.

Many people when traveling forget to pack up necessities for hygiene like toothbrushes, deodorant, wipes, tissues, sanitizers, skin care, hair care, etc. It is important to pack necessities for hygiene because nobody wants to be near someone who stinks. Having healthy hygiene will help stop spreading any potential sickness/diseases and help you have healthy health. To pack up necessities I recommend a pouch to put in everything you need and whenever you need it, you wouldn’t have to worry about going to a store to buy it. 

2. Know where you are going and the weather.

Knowing where you are going will help you prepare for your trip. If you know where you are going, like for example, somewhere like San Francisco, you would know where to go to like what stores are popular, foods to try, festivals, events, etc. Gathering information will help you better understand the do’s and not to do’s when traveling to a place. Watching videos about a place that you are visiting will help you understand from another person’s point of view who has been there. On top of that, you would also know what the weather is typically like. Knowing where you are going will help you plan out your trip and knowing the weather will help advance your trip to see what activities fit on which days. 

3. Clothes.

When traveling, do some research on how the weather is typically like and how the people dress culturally. Knowing how the weather is typically like will help you plan on what to wear. For example, if it’s always raining, it is better to wear something comfy for the weather, long sleeves, rain coats, and have some water resistant materials like an umbrella. Knowing how people dress culturally will also help you bring clothes that are appropriate for people’s culture. It shows respect and understanding to the people and its customs, some places will be easier to access like cultural events, and most importantly, it will help you blend in and avoid getting targeted with scams and locals who hate foreign people for some reason.

4. How much clothes you need to pack.

It really depends on how many days you are staying and the activities but one rule I follow is to pick clothes I know that I can reuse and pair with different clothes and styles. For example, some clothes I can reuse and pair are t-shirts, jackets, jeans, accessories, shoes, pants, skirts, and dresses if it isn’t dirty. What I usually pack for a week is about 5 t-shirts to go out on and 2 for extra and for days I’m not going out, 3 pants and 1 shorts with 1 extra,  underwear and socks with 2 extras for each, and as many accessories that I prefer. It is also important to bring a plastic bag for your dirty clothes. 

5. Safely when traveling.

When traveling, you would need to know what happens around the area you are traveling to. Knowing what the location is like and the people will help build up the expectation when traveling. For example, looking into the crime rate will help you avoid the time of day and areas that may be dangerous. Another thing to know for safety is to let at least one person or more where you are going and at what time. Having someone know what time you are going and where will help them find you if an emergency occurs. If you are traveling to an area you don’t know well, using apps like Google Maps is a big help for navigating and it shows you places that you may miss and what to go to. Two more things about traveling, it is best to travel with someone that you trust than alone for many safety reasons and having something to help defend yourself like pepper spray, pocket weapons, a sharp object like pencil, pens, etc. It is also important to know about scams and people who pick pockets; make sure to pay close attention to the people around you and your belongings. 

6. Languages.

For the people traveling outside of your area and into a place that is different from your language, I believe that at least learning the basics of a language of a place will help you better understand the culture and help navigate the area. If learning a language is too hard for you, downloading apps that help translate languages will be a big help. 

7. Visas/E-Visa. 

Not all countries need Visas or E-Visa to be able to travel but it is important to look into the Visa/E-Visa requirements if the country you are visiting needs a Visa or E-Visa before traveling. 

8. Money.

Vacation finances are very important. Traveling costs are expensive with transportation, where to stay, spending on food, clothes, souvenirs, etc. Before you travel somewhere, make sure that you save up enough money to travel and go back home while having a good time at the same time. Plus, some stores, restaurants may be cash only. Limit yourself with money so that at the end of your trip, you will still have enough money left after the trip. Also, when traveling abroad, make sure you call your bank to tell them where you are going, when, and for how long because if you don’t, they will assume that your bank account got stolen and will close your account. 

9. Basic materials.

It is important to bring basic materials like a water bottle, necessary toiletries/hygiene, a backpack/purse that is fitable to bring, your wallet, traveling tags, a portable charger, hairbrushes, a travel pillow, and things that you know that will benefit you and your travel, but make sure that you won’t forget the things you brought and just bring the things you know it is a must bring. 

10. Getting shots.

When you are traveling to places abroad, tell your doctors if you need a vaccine. Many insects and animals carry diseases and flus that may be fatal. For example, one common insect that carries diseases is Mosquito. Mosquitoes carry diseases like Chikungunya, Dengue, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), Malaria, St. Louis Encephalitis (SLE), West Nile, Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE), and Zika according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Also, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, it is important to get vaccinated at least 4 to 6 weeks so that the vaccines will have time to settle in your body and it will also give you time to get other vaccinations. Getting vaccinated is important because if you get sick, it wouldn’t be as bad and it lessens the chances of spreading the illness.