BootsnAll Travel Community

Hitting the road once will change your life forever. Fact. You will become more adaptable and thinking on your feet will become second nature. Confidence and self belief will blossom as you overcome the trials and tribulations engendered by life on the road, and you will evolve. Interaction with others, from all walks of life, will become a daily event. The people you meet and the situations you encounter, both good and bad, will slowly begin to define you. Some days may be magical, others may be tough - but each day will leave its mark, and the cumulative effect is life changing.

Whether you travel for a month, a year, or ten years, you will be in for an experience like no other. But pause for a moment and ask yourself: - could it be even better?

Here are five ways to enhance your travel experience.

Embrace the Weird and Wonderful - Don’t pass up a chance to try something a little out of the ordinary, be it new food, local customs, children’s games, or anything else. Chew betelnut (torrents of red saliva, anyone?) with little old ladies in Borneo, play Trompo (simple spinning tops) with kids in El Salvador, and cough and choke on samples of savage tobacco from Javanese street vendors. Get into the swing of it and make someone’s day.

Learn the Lingo – Even just the basics will lay the foundation for a better experience. A little goes a long way, it demonstrates that you are willing to make the effort and convey respect toward the people you meet. If nothing else it will raise a smile or two, and that’s always a bonus. Still need encouragement to reach for the phrasebook? A little of the local lingo may even secure a better price for transport, accommodation, or the little knick-knacks that you simply can’t pass up.

Go Slow – It’s human nature to not want to ‘miss out’ on anything, but by racing though too many countries in a given time you may miss out on so much more. Not only will you learn less about the places you’ve longed to visit, but one or two nights in each place also spells out buses, trains or boats at least ever other day, and packing/unpacking will almost become a daily event. Tiring? I should say so.

Be a One Bag Wonder – Travel light, travel happy. Less really is more. Less weight to lug between transport and accommodation, less size to be swinging around within the confines of a densely populated bus, and less stress as the smaller your luggage is, the less likely you are to be forcibly separated from it during a journey. In addition, it’s more likely you will be let on an already packed out bus if you have less baggage. This doesn’t ring true in Guatemala however, as you can always fit more people on the bus, no matter how full it is. And that’s it, more or less.

Keep a Journal – If writing isn’t your thing, then rest easy. A journal means many different things to different people. It could be a full scale daily diary or simply a child’s notebook from the market in which you put labels from local beer bottles (possibly with drunken scribblings below) – the choice is yours. For the geeks among us (me included) there is the option to travel blog, and for the lazy geeks among us (again, me included) it’s even easier to cut and paste excerpts from emails to friends and family and keep those as your e-journal.
Whatever form your personal creation may take, the end result is the same. Long after your memory has faded there will be this well thumbed Opus, this testimony of your travels, waiting to take you once more through this wonderful chapter of your life.

The full 10 tips for a better travel experience and the full post can be found here.

Very well said. I couldn't agree more .

You know Nath I agree with what you said and would a tip number six.

DON'T OVERPLAN- You can so overplan a trip that you will lose all sense of fun. Some would say don't underplan but there is no such thing if you have your ticket you have a plan. Overplanning can make you irratable, missout on some great spur of the moment invites and leave you very unfufilled.

Your last point is very true, Bush Trekker. It turns a journey of discovery into a something akin to a military operation.
I'm a great believer in one way plane tickets (wherever visas allow them) - you can just hop off the plane and go wherever takes our fancy then. you only find out the nitty gritty that you need to know after your feet are firmly planted on new soil - information that almost always influences your travels.
definitely stay flexible. good one BT!

Screw the journal...who wants to read the inane stuff later (and 99% of the 'travel writers' I've met never followed up on that 'vocation' once they were home). You most likely have photographs...that's all you need to remember.
Screw traveling light. I usually carry somewhere between 19 - 22 kilos. And it never hindered me from doing the most improvised things. As a matter of fact, usually about 4 kilos are a decent tent and sleeping bag. That 'enables' you...it doesn't hold you back. And if worst comes to worst...what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. If you have to carry the 20 kgs for 50 kms...so be it.

I second 'Do not overplan'. I would add: avoid tourist getthos like the pest, always smile, accept invitations, take risks...and never think that you know more than a local. Choose destinations nobody goes to. Never, ever go on a tour. Never, ever take the 'direct/tourist' bus, if there's a local bus.

It's not gonna be easier this way...but 'better' (you didn't define it!).

a.

quote:

Originally posted by elAdi:
Screw the journal...who wants to read the inane stuff later (and 99% of the 'travel writers' I've met never followed up on that 'vocation' once they were home). You most likely have photographs...that's all you need to remember.

Personally I would rather not take a camera then not take a journal. Photos are great for showing other people where you've been, but for myself a journal will draw back the memories better, plus if you're travelling solo, you have to express your feelings to someone and it beats talking to yourself out loud

quote:

Originally posted by elAdi:
Screw the journal...who wants to read the inane stuff later (and 99% of the 'travel writers' I've met never followed up on that 'vocation' once they were home).

Screw traveling light. If you have to carry the 20 kgs for 50 kms...so be it.

Never, ever go on a tour.
a.

I appreciate your feedback El Adi, although I must admit I am slightly baffled by it.
Screw the journal? As mentioned in the earlier post, it doesnt mean you have to write loads of stuff in a book - but fair play to you, its not everyones cup of tea to do it that way and thats completely understandable, however i feel you haven't quite grasped the point to that part of the post - we all have different methods of storing those memories, but the essence of that paragraph was about recording it somehow - be it for you or others.
Even in keeping a travel blog, it could be argued that you are keeping a form of journal. And, even if some folk don't care to read over their own writings post trip, then others - such as family and friends - will still surely appreciate it, at least during your trip if not after.
Is that not the reason that the majority of people keep travel blogs or other such records?
Not everyone whom travels and keeps a journal is necessarily a 'travel writer' and it would be unfair to pidgeon hole them as such.

Screw travelling light? your choice dude, all power to you.

Never go on a tour? surely by flatly refusing this option you will close some doors, possibly missing out on something pretty cool. I agree that they are not always the best option for a fulfilling travel experience, but i would never completely dismiss it as an option. Rather than harp on about that, I have an article that you may be interested to read where I kept that option open in El Salvador and afterwards felt extremely fortunate to have done so. http://www.ubertramp.com/tourismogui.htm
anyway, enough from me. Thanks for all your comments so far
Good luck n Happy traveling ElAdi

ps. btw. nice website ElAdi - i'll return to read more later
cheers

I always try and bring a notebook and start out with the idea of making a journal. So far it hasn't worked out but I do have odd email addresses and some cryptic scribblings that I may still figure out yet. Sometime that odd note or scribbled name is actually enough to kind of bring me back and for me that is enough.

My journals are my favorite left overs from all of my trips. I read them from time to time and I love the memories. It's wonderful when they remind me of something that I had forgotten. When I look them over I always end up shocked at how I did it all.

I carry ajounal with me but mostly because thats where I put down the info on places I am travelling to, Not for journalling my trip. I use my PDA for that.

Great list, Nath, thanks. I agree with them all and try to practice them as much as I can. I never travel without both my camera AND my journal. On my journal, I have written important info about the place I'm going to, and then while there I write things I would like to remember later. So it's not in diary form but more of a bullet list of stuff which I usually transform into a post in my blog.

Haha, I guess, I was in a bit of a provoking mood.

I do have some principles that are rather puristic, when it comes to traveling: no tours is one of them. Do you close doors? Sure: the door of seeing exactly the same thing in the same order with the same story as hundreds of others. I'll pass that gladly and go in search for something strange and genuine.

As for traveling light: I find that highly over-valued. Unless you are tramping around and camp and go on hikes in full traveling gear - it doesn't make a difference whether your pack is 10 or 15 or 20 kilos.
I quite often travel routes that will lead me through differing climates (like summer in Russia and fall in Pakistan). Therefore I often carry a pack that is on the rather heavy side (I'd say somewhere between 18 - 22 kilos - including tent and -10 degree sleeping bag). At the same time, I'm somebody who'll go to places where walking is a must. And even so - I've never cursed my pack so far. You'll get stronger quickly and haul your 20 kg pack as easily as you would your 10 kg pack.

As for the journal. I have a few traveling friends who wrote journals on the road. And all but one have never even glanced at it ever since (and for some it's over 10 years of traveling). It's all in your head! Traveling has the tendency to sharpen our perception. We tend to see more, feel more, think more and reflect more. That alone will make you remember.
My travel diary on the website? It's not for me. I've never even read one of the entries again. I'm terrible with staying in contact while I'm on the road. On occasions, my mom actually called my friends to get some news about me - because I hadn't called in 4 or 5 months. That was the main reason why I started the website: so that I could write one 'email' and all my family and friend would know what's going on with me. Obviously, by now I take pleasure in maintaining it - mainly because it has inspired some people and I get emails from people who chose to go to a particular place, because they've read something about it on my site. That's great. But, the 'blog' is definitely not for me...

Sorry, didn't mean to offend. It's just my purist take on what I love.

Adrian

The only piece of advice I have is don't assume what another person enjoys traveling will necessarily work for you. Keep an open mind; don't listen to the travel prescriptivists (you know, the ones who argue desperately that they are "travelers" and not "tourists"). Keep an open mind, leave a small footprint, figure out what interests you.

I always have a journal on me when I travel! People write messages, tips, contact info in it. I have 4 books filled with great info. Who needs guidebooks? I have locals tell me "party an Auntie Annies in Belfast" or the "best pierogies in Poland are Pieroojarmi u Wincente in the old Jewish quarter" or "Szegedi paprika is best" or "go to Jaizquibel" or "try bonnat chocolate voiron-its the best chocolate in the world" etc. Stuff you dont get in guidebooks. I write the meals I eat, what I drink, who I meet, what I see. People draw pictures and love to write in my journal. I treasure my journals!

Thanks for all the replies so far, folks. Its great to get veveryone elses take on this.
keep 'em comin'!!

Heres my two cents:
Take off your ipod and talk to the person the next seat over. I know it sounds silly and there are plenty of times where a good soundtrack helps the experience. But there are plenty of times i think we use these devices to sheild us from situations or from having to talk. I know for me; if I hadnt of made conversation on a simple bus ride my life would be completely different right now.
Also remember that having a good sense of humor is a must. I have mimed most of my way through my travels and doing it with a smile can often lead to invites to their homes or to join in a meal at a cafe. In other words; dont be afraid to make a fool of yourself.

Also i gotta say that packing light is the best thing that ever happened to me...or that I decided to do; whatever. I understand when you will be camping or way off the beaten trail and you need certain things handy...but if your simply hosteling it around Europe, one bag is really all you need. Even then, Ive been to Central America, Southeast Asia and N. Africa with just one bag as well, but Im not a fan of tents or sleeping bags so maybe thats why.

I definitely agree with Prisa's point about taking the ipod out and talking to the person next to you. Its an invaluable source of info, it certainly passes the time on long (sometimes uncomfortable!) journey, and it can even help you pick up the local lingo.
nice one!

Tip #6 (?): Shoes can make or break almost any trip. If you're going to be doing a lot of walking / sightseeing (which I assume most people like to do when traveling), it's absolutely essential you have comfortable shoes to get the most out of your trip. This might seem like common sense, but I can imagine it being overlooked in paying attention to what seem like more important / less mundane considerations. I've learned this hard way.

quote:

Originally posted by Jacob G. Norlund:
Tip #6 (?): Shoes can make or break almost any trip. If you're going to be doing a lot of walking / sightseeing (which I assume most people like to do when traveling), it's absolutely essential you have comfortable shoes to get the most out of your trip. This might seem like common sense, but I can imagine it being overlooked in paying attention to what seem like more important / less mundane considerations. I've learned this hard way.

Good point, jacob. If you screw your feet up then it can screw your plans up also. Nice one!