Pre-Travel Planning
Victim of ‘if only’ syndrome? Forgotten your toothbrush one too many times? Fear not. i-to-i is here to help to tell you how to cope with pre-travel planning.
They say that home is where the heart is. That’s fine, as long home isn’t where your passport, luggage and mosquito repellent is too! Nobody can remember everything when they travel but you can get a little bit closer by following our quick guide to those little things you wish you’d thought of before you went.
Get fit
It’s never a good idea to hike the Inca trail if you’re out of breath walking to the corner-shop. Everyone in the Far East knows Kung-Fu so why not join in with the locals and start a martial art? Or at least you could start jogging and give yourself a bit of energy to run for that last tuk-tuk home!
Research destinations
Thought Monsoon was just a high-street stop? Visa was just a word written on that credit card you use too often?
It’s be no use bringing those dodgy white trousers that the rain turns see-through if you heading abroad during the rainy season! Help yourself to cut down on such holiday horrors by checking on the web or a good guidebook before you go.
Cash in
It’s impossible to guess how much you might spend on your trip abroad but usually it’s worth proving a little spare cash. Unless you’re a budding salesman, not many people want to end up selling the contents of their suitcases on the beach and keeping most of your cash in traveller’s cheques, a secure safe or a credit card is probably the best way to keep your money safer for longer. In any case, make sure you have access to some funds in case of emergencies and you never know, maybe you’ll fall for the leader of an African tribe and need to money to set up home!
Decide what you’ll be doing when you get home
It’s a great adventure walking the Great Wall of China but it’s a lot less fun walking home from Gatwick airport if you forget to arrange your transport home! Make sure you organize your arrival home just as well as your itinerary abroad. Then you’ll be able to look forward to sharing your stories, rather than look worried when you remember that you forgot to pay your bills!
Learn the language
You probably won’t have the time to be fluent in Spanish before you go abroad. Knowing a few key phrases, not only allows you to be the envy of other tourists, but makes life easier, helps you meet new people and avoids the inevitable over-pronunciation syndrome. Everybody knows that ‘he who speaks more slowly can be understood world-over’, right? Hmmm…better get stuck into those phrase books.
Throw a party
Going away for a while? Birthdays only happen once a year, so why not throw a leaving bash for yourself and raise some money well you’re at it. If your planning on doing voluntary work, what better time to organise a raffle or a pay-on-the-door disco for the local community. And you never know, you might even enjoy it!
