Travel Travails
There’s nothing worse than things going wrong when you are on vacation. After months of planning, budgeting and scheduling, the last thing you want is to watch it all fall apart. The disappointment goes beyond the waste of time and money. So if you want to ensure a smooth, memorable trip, you will need to take certain precautions:
- Confirm all bookings and other travel arrangements well in advance. Double check if necessary. Get all tickets, etc endorsed.
- Double check your visas and other travel permits.
- Make copies of all relevant documents and keep them separate from the originals.
- Secure your plane tickets and printouts of hotel accommodation if any.
- If you are carrying a large amount of cash, break it up into smaller amounts and keep them in different places like wallet, money belt, etc.
- Don’t carry your credit cards and travelers cheques with the cash.
- Carry sufficient amounts of medication for fever, pain, stomach infections, allergies and so on. Keep a small card listing any allergies you may have, along with details of any chronic ailments you may be suffering from.
- Carry a card with names and addresses of people to be contacted in case of an emergency.
- Carry the contact details of your local embassy at your destination.
- Identify friends and acquaintances who may have local contacts at the places you plan to visit. Try to carry letters of introduction in case of emergencies.
- Try to learn about local customs, traditions and taboos prevalent in the areas you will be traveling to.
- Carry a torch with extra batteries.
- Carry insect repellant if necessary, especially if you are planning to travel through open countryside.