Thanks to Kriss Saunders from Arc Adventures for yet another fabulous mini guest blog.
Check out these top tips
Tip #1- Always pack a towel
You will not believe the number of times I have been in a situation thinking ‘why didn’t pack a towel’. Whether there has just been a spontaneous torrential downpour in Thailand or I have capsized in a raft in Croatia or simply taken an unplanned swim in the sea, if I had a towel with me each time, this would have made it so much more pleasant!
Tip #2- Take an extra bank card with you
Some of the places I have travelled to have been remote and the cash point could have been in a tiny village in the middle of nowhere for some reason, it doesn’t like my bank card and it chews it up like a fresh steak! Or the bank despite calling them before I left the UK thought it would be a great idea to block my card leaving me in a mini panic. The important thing is to always have more than one option when you travel so you don’t end up in an unexpected pickle!
Tip #3- Take a solo trip once in your life
The trip I reflect on most in my life is the one I took to Mexico all by myself. Strictly speaking, I went there for a purpose and this was marine conservation I was going to be on a secluded beach with 25 strangers for 3 months, so I had my trip planned, but I was going to meet a lot of new people. Long story short, the people I met on this trip are some of my best friends all around the world!
Tip #4- Always learn at least the basics of the local language
Personally, I have a good basis of Spanish and try and practise whenever I can in the UK and I have found it useful many times when speaking with locals who don’t have a grasp of English! Travelling to Germany however, I could say Hello in a very local accent then come completely unstuck as shamefully I didn’t know a word beyond counting to ten and how are you. It would have made my time a little more comfortable if I learnt just a phrase or two which could lead to having a conversation in English!
Tip #5- Make extra copies of your passport
some places require a lot of presenting your passport and this can lead to the possibility of losing your passport. Email a copy of it to yourself to ensure you have at least a copy of your passport just to help out in an unfortunate situation in that you lose your passport. We always hope this doesn’t happen, but if you prepare for it, it will make that situation a lot calmer to deal with!
See you next week.
ARC Adventures