In 2012, I flew so many times that I used to joke that I was so permanently jetlagged, I no longer felt it! (That year I flew 300 000km (200 000mi) to 15 countries on five continents with 22 airlines). That experience of flying so much for work required me to use my jet lag lessons! Jet lag is the fatigue and sleepless caused by raidly travelling across different time zones, usually by aeroplane. There is no cure but as mentioned, there are things I do to try and minimise it: Try and fly westwards.…
Travel Tips (Monday)
Category Archives for Travel Tips (Monday).
Don’t be pound foolish
This old English saying comes from the early 17th Century. It describes a person who is thrifty (or miserly) with small amounts of their money, but wasteful with larger amounts. Travelling I see plenty of people guilty of this! I used to work with a very wise man called Tom. He taught me the value of valuing my time and money. He noted that his predecessor used to drive across town two hours and back to save the $10 delivery fee on a particular supply. Tom noted it was costing the company $35 to save that $10. Tom noted…
Don’t eat near a tourist site!
I have three rules for eating when travelling: 1. Never eat in a tourist zone. They always have a higher price tag and lower quality than they should or could! Up a tall building, opposite a touristy square, next to a landmark, then expect to hand over the moolah! 2. I use yelp and/or tripadvisor to find nice places that the locals hang out in 3. Check if the restaurant actually has some locals eating there! I am amazed how often I have found amazing food in places just metres away from the tourists! At a third…
US Tornado App
The American Red Cross has a free tornado app which may be useful for people living in or visiting a US tornado area: Southern states’ tornado season is typically from March to May In the Southern Plains, it is May and early June On the Gulf Coast, tornadoes occur most often during the spring. Northern Plains, Northern states and upper Midwest, peak season is June or July Tornado Alley which covers the northern region of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, the eastern edge of Colorado, southwest tip of South Dakota and the southern edge of Minnesota have tornadoes…
Don’t be an introvert
As we waited for the shuttle to depart from the airport, I said “hello” to the person sitting next to me. He said to me “I don’t speak English” and turned his back on me. My biggest disappointment are the people who do not try to connect with others, especially overseas. One of the benefits of travel is connecting with new people from different backgrounds. Moving out of your comfort zone can be extremely enlightening. Other travellers can give advice, tips or help. This guy may have been surprised to learn I spoke his language and I could…
Don’t Be a Tourist Target!
The gentleman strolled past me, as I entered the Sky Train Siam station in Bangkok, Thailand. In his left hand he clutched a detailed city map, a free overview city map and the transit system map. In his right, was the Bangkok Lonely Planet guidebook. His face was an expression of panic. Nothing screamed louder than lost tourist! I have a problem with looking so obvious! There are some advantages! You may meet interesting and well travelled locals who understand and sympathise. Others will pretend they cannot see you, fearing a long complicated interaction over obscure…
Don’t be an A### hole
Spent a couple of weeks on the road, perturbed at the behaviours of some of my fellow travellers. If you want to be a jerk, stay home. Seriously, it should not be that hard to be respectful: of the country you are visiting- yes the coffee may be better back home, or the showers are hotter or the internet is faster but telling people ad nauseum will not earn you a welcome. I was in a store in Sydney, Australia, when a tourist wandered in, pointed to a camera and said “how much“. when told, he…
Just don’t do it!
With my travel tips I generally work on the dos of travel. For the next six weeks, however, I will be focussing on some don’ts. My first one will be “Don’t be an A### hole” and will be published next week: 13th April, 2015. I am happy to take suggestions on other Don’t tips! Related Posts 93 Free Travel Tips Don’t let the Bedbugs bite Travel Tip: Don’t Check in baggage
Learn these Seven Words- always
Learn these seven basic phrases of the native language(s) of the place(s) you are going to: Hello (eg Bonjour, Hola, Guten Tag, Salaam, Namaste, Sawadee Krub- (French, Spanish, German, Arabic, Hindi, Thai) Thank you Merci (FR), Gracias(SP), Danke (GM), Shukrun (AR), Dhanyavaad (HI), Krob Khun Krub (TH) Good bye Au revoir (FR), Adios (SP), Auf Wiedersehen (GM), Ma’a as-salāmah (AR), Namaste (HI), Byebye (TH) Restroom Les toilettes(FR), Baño(SP), Toilette,Toilet or Privy, Alhammam, Hong Nam (TH) Help Au secours (FR), Socorro, Hilfe (GM), ilHaʿni, Maḍaḍ, Chûay dûay (TH) Yes Oui (FR), Si (SP), Ja, Iewa, Haji, Shy (TH) No Non(FR), No (SP), Nein (GM), la, Nahin, My (TH) It…
Left & right: 7 tips for Safe Road Crossing
I measure how successful a pedestrian you are by your ability to handle crossing roads in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam! Faced with multiple lanes filled with cars, bikes, motorbikes, buses and scooters, weaving in and out of lanes, I have seen people freeze with fear. I have escorted people across these roads while they quietly whimper with fear! In many cities, pedestrian crossings and traffic signals mean nothing when pedestrians are involved! It is a serious issue for travellers, however. A UK study found that one fifth of UK road deaths involved pedestrians. 61 per…
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