Travelling is one of the most exciting things a person can do with their life. Whether it’s a weeklong break to a tropical island or a hardcore, yearlong trek through South America, immersing yourself in a different culture is good for the human soul
Travelling is one of the most exciting things a person can do with their life. Whether it’s a weeklong break to a tropical island or a hardcore, yearlong trek through South America, immersing yourself in a different culture is good for the human soul. As a traveller, you’re faced with a lot of decisions that challenge and test you, and the way you handle these is often directly related to the kind of experience you have. There are some people that have an innate wisdom about travelling and other cultures—they’re the people who always seem to be able to find the cheap travel insurance policies, avoid the dangerous places and turn up in a town just before a rare festival that only takes place every five years. For the rest of us, travel wisdom has to be earned by lots of trial and error—and of course, help and advice from others. For this reason, we’ve put together a list of tips and tricks for wise travellers. We hope they help!
Read
The more information you discover about a place, the more fully prepared you are to experience it. Like sniffing a fine wine and allowing it to oxygenate before taking that much anticipated first sip, researching a destination before arriving whets your appetite and lets you know what to expect. The more you read, the more you will know, and the more you know, the more able you will be to have a truly incredible travel experience.
Be Cautious, But Calm
Of course the wise traveller is aware that there is a higher risk of things going wrong on the road—it’s natural that in unfamiliar territory we are more prone to threats. The thing is, however, that excessive caution can be detrimental in two ways. Firstly, if you are paranoid that people in a small Brazilian town are going to be threatening or violent or try to mug you, you’ll emit an air of vulnerability that will attract exactly the kind of people you were hoping to avoid. If, on the other hand, you remain aware of the threats posed in different areas and use common sense to prevent those threats from eventuating (but don’t let paranoia or fear consume you) you’re much more likely to have a pleasant experience.
Prepare
A wise traveller prepares for the worst but expects the best. There’s no point dampening your holiday with fears of ‘what if’, when you can take practical measures to make sure that if the ‘what if’ eventuates, you’ll be protected. A good travel insurance policy, a detailed itinerary left with family or friends at home and a first aid kit in case of emergencies are all things the wise traveller has. In addition to this the wise traveller knows that the best way to move smoothly through your travels is to respect and appreciate the local cultures, so a wise traveller prepares in terms of learning about cultural dos and don’ts, and shows an interest in getting a feel for the people of a place, not just the landmarks.
