Ten Travel Tips

Here are ten travel tips based on my experience:

1)      Travel all by yourself.

If  you want to be shepherded from point A to point B and then point C and so on and be fed with same breakfast, lunch and dinner that you usually eat at home, by all means sign up for a package from Saffron or Purple Tours, or of some other hue. Charting your own itinerary is half the fun of travelling. So choose how you want to travel, where you want to stay and eat, what you want to see etc. With so much information available on the Internet, planning your travel should not be arduous task. When it comes to travelling, a la carte is so much better than a fixed thali. I would even recommend that you travel all alone. The joys of solitary travel cannot be imagined unless experienced first hand. Many of what follows below will be more practical for a solitary traveler.

2)      Focus on quality than quantity.

Accept that it is not possible to see everything in the limited time that you have. So make it a point to see everything of something than a little of everything. It will be so much more enjoyable. So if you are a museum buff, pore over every exhibit and read all the notes without worrying about time. And if you love architecture, please indulge yourself by admiring the view from every conceivable angle and perspective. Visit again at another time of the day, if you like, for better light to photograph. The more you slow down, the more rewarding it would get.

3)      Walk about.

The best way to see any new place is on foot. Don’t let heat, dust, humidity, cold, rain or snow deter you from walking around. Walking about is the perfect way to soak in the sights of a new place. Use the local bus to get around, if walking is not always practical. Check if there are conducted walks and don’t ever miss them.

4)      Don’t fear the unknown and the uncertain.

The uncertainty of an unknown place is a cause for big stress. Don’t let this overwhelm and intimidate you. On the contrary learn to channelize the adrenaline rush productively. Live everyday as if it is your last day.

5)      Talk to people.

Talk to the chaiwala at the nukkad. Talk to the security guard at the museum or palace. Talk to the priest at the temple. Talk to ask directions while walking around. Ask for directions from more than one person. There may be few rude persons, but more often than not you will come across people happy to converse with a stranger. Shed your inhibitions and talk.

6)      Eat local food.

If you plan to have idli-sambhar for breakfast in Jaipur, you shouldn’t be travelling in the first place. One of the greatest delights of travelling is the opportunity to eat authentic local food and it will be a crime to miss this chance. It is always not easy to like the local food, but make a genuine effort to sample it without any bias. Acquaint yourself with local dishes and the best place to eat them.  Be careful about the water though.

7)      Dress appropriately.

Remember that if you are comfortably dressed in shorts or skirts, you can be refused admission in certain places of religious worship. Dress comfortably, yet inconspicuously. You have come to see and not be seen.

8)      Don’t over plan.

Keep enough cushions in your itinerary to absorb the unexpected. Planning to the last detail will prevent serendipity from coming your way. Be flexible to bend with the wind and go with the flow.

9)      Do your homework.

A little knowledge about the history of a new place and its local customs will take you far. It will help you strike up conversations with the local people. Also do your homework about what to see, what to eat etc.

10)   Tip generously.

Show your appreciation for the services rendered by tipping generously. Remember one of the objectives of tourism is redistribution of wealth.