Check List Before Going to a New Country

Check list before going into a new country.

Money - Find out the exchange rate because 1) it helps to know how much you’re spending and 2) this way you don’t accidentally pull out too much from the ATM.

Tipping - Find out what is customary for tipping.

Study the basic phrases - i.e. Please, Thank you, good morning/evening (even if they speak English its always good idea to try the language).

Do’s and Don’ts - Make sure you know a bit about the countries customs before going. For example, In Thailand, you should not touch peoples heads. The head is sacred and considered the cleanest part of the human body. Something a lot of people do in one place could be very offensive in another country. It is always better to be informed.  

Research - What do you want to see? My suggestion is to pick a couple of things. You don’t have to see everything. Enjoy a couple of sights instead of rushing around. 

Book the first night - I like to book the first night to get an idea of the city and to have security.

Map. me - Download the area because you never know what could happen. The one time I didn't download the area my bank card stopped working and I couldn't pay to get into the city. I ended up hitchhiking to where I thought the center was but in reality, was 15 km away. Always have maps! 

Tourist traps - The big scams are important to know about just to be aware of. For example, in some countries, it is a good idea to be very cautious when renting a car. This is because the laws are different. In some Asian countries, it is believed to be your fault if there is an accident because it wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t there. So what happens 1) you pay everything 2) people try to hit you because it is automatically your fault and they want their car fixed. 

This isn’t supposed to scare you from traveling but just to remind you to always be informed.