5 Mistakes to Avoid Making While Travelling
Photo from Flickr by The Travelling Bum
Traveling the world can be the greatest experience of your life, meeting new people and having adventures you will remember forever. There are however a few easy pitfalls that unless avoided can put a definite dampener on your trip. Here are 5 huge mistakes that you should avoid making at all costs:
1. Making too many plans
Before you leave home it is easy to get excited and plan all the things you want to do and see. You’ve booked your Bali flights, planned your route through Asia and have it all sorted in your head. Be wise, don’t stick to any plans you have made back at home too rigidly just because you have told yourself this is what you’re doing. It often leads to missing out on something that could be way better. You meet so many people who fall in love with a place and are having a brilliant time being there but ‘have’ to leave, as they had only planned to spend so many days there so they need to move on. Why? It is far better to make the most of a place you really enjoy, don’t worry if you miss things, there is always next time. Otherwise you go to all these fantastic places to tick them off your list but don’t have any time to really appreciate or enjoy them. What’s the point? Take it easy, do what you want not what you planned.
2. Spend the whole time on Skype
Beware the day destroyer that is Skype. Due to time differences crucial Skype times normally co-inside with early afternoons, completely interrupting your day. It’s natural to miss people at home, especially boyfriends or girlfriends that haven’t made the trip with you, but you don’t need to talk to them all the time, drop them a message, tell them you are safe and leave it at that. If they are someone that loves you they will want you to make the most of your time away and not waste it sat in internet cafes, if they demand that you call them all the time then they don’t have your best interests at heart and they are best ditched anyway.
3. Worrying too much over safety
I am not advocating reckless traveling here, obviously be aware of your surroundings and look after yourself. Don’t however become one of those people who is suspicious of everyone, too afraid to step one foot out of the tourist districts and clings haplessly to their money belt at all times. Yes you are somewhere new and it is good to be weary but you need to have a balance otherwise you will have absolutely no fun.
4. Sticking to guide books
This goes somewhat hand in hand with planning too much. Sticking to what guide books tell you is easy, where to eat, sleep, visit and while this is useful, guidebooks are often a little outdated and only give you one perspective. Make the most of other peoples advice, if people tell you they stayed somewhere check it out. If locals tell you of restaurants, give them a go. It’s the only way to find those undiscovered gems.
5. Going home
Unless you really have to, just don’t do it!
