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50. Take extreme care with keeping your personal documentation and possessions safe and under-eye.
Avoid endless headaches, red tape, delays and costly replacement and administration fees. Not to mention traveling to the nearest police station, long distance telephone calls home and to embassies and dignitaries to advise them of the situation is it is lost or stolen! Never leave money, valuables, or your passport unattended. This is a strict rule, no exception - Not even to go to the beach! Secure them at all times.
51. Be brave and daring if you have or are traveling with someone with special needs. It should not be a factor that makes you hesitant to travel at all. Most, if not all holiday service providers, airlines, hotels, campgrounds and attractions are usually very well equipped and prepared to accommodate unique requirements that could make your travel endeavor extremely memorable and pleasant.
Very seldom are there additional or hefty surcharges for special cabs and personalized service, assistance and specific needs and requirements you might have or face. Just ensure that all details have been taken care of in advance and that all providers have been notified at the time of booking, confirmation and re-confirmed just prior to arrival. Find allies and friends in the front desk staff and managers that they can give you the specialized customer attention you need and deserve at anytime you might require or request it.
52. Local cuisine is a special treat. Ensure to budget for a couple of meals and outings where this is a priority! If you budget for it specifically, you will not feel cheated into eating fast food or salads, for fear of over-spending or running out of travel dollars. Hotel restaurants are convenient, but more expensive typically.
53. Personal freedom and safety also deserves a word to the travel wise. If traveling in a group, you can venture out on your own. If you chose to do so, just always ensure that everyone knows where you are going, when you plan to return and do not miss-scheduled group-activities. Even if you are traveling by yourself, take steps to ensure your own personal safety and check that the areas and attractions you have chosen are safe and tourist-friendly, easily accessible and affordable and tell at least one other person where you are staying, where you are headed and what your plans are.
54. A good way to rehearse for your trip is to look at your own area or hometown as a destination as opposed to where you live and work. Ask yourself where you would go, what you would do and see. Also think about how you would get around ... all on a budget of course! This will not only not cost you money, but also get you into cost cutting and travel mode fairly quickly. There truly is nothing like lessons learnt and experience.
55. Start the day off right. One travel site advises that you might want to consider packing a "wake up kit". They typically can contain items like a travel mug, spoon, instant coffee or tea, sweetener, dry creamer, and a plug-in immersion heater. It is a great way to start the day and you will save on the morning cupper or evening tea. Very important detail if every penny and travel dollar counts.
56. Be resourceful and curious. Know as much as you can about your destination and prepare as well as you can, even for the unexpected. Read any and all literature you can find on what you should know before departing, such as facts, warnings, advisories, entry requirements, crime statistics, demographics, local economy, attractions and special events for your dream destination.
Again, it is worth mentioning, that investing time, effort and yes, even money, if that is what it takes to get quality information that will save you money in the long run, will pay off! It is like a guaranteed investment in you and your travel dollar, pocketbook and budget.
57. Medications and prescriptions. If you have to travel with medicine, it is wise to carry it in the bottle the prescription came in to avoid any confusion during custom inspections. Even a note from your doctor to state what it is and what condition it is used for could be helpful. A copy of your prescription and or even a refill prescription could be of value to you - especially on an extended trip.
58. Multi-media and technology are travel essentials these days. Recordings before, during and after can all be captured and enjoyed over and over. An added benefit is that they weight less and take up “no additional room”.
It helps you assemble memories, so buying and budgeting for extra rechargeable batteries, charger-kits, adapter plugs, cables, carry-bags, memory cards and/or recordable media might very well be the best investment you make on and for your trip. For the return on investment is HUGE! Upon your return, it is always exciting to re-live key and precious, shared moments.
You could hear and view a tour guide, entertainers, or musicians enjoyed during your journey. Avoid buying and taking heavy travel guides with you (make copies of pages of interest). At your destination, there will always also be myriads of local sources at your disposal that offers a unique perspective, current pricing and information that might be outdated in even the most recent travel guides or magazines.
59. When budgeting for any type of travel, package deal, or even your family vacation, find out about all costs associated with your trip. Confirm with the agent, location or provider you have chosen or listed on the flashy brochure or website you just visited. Read the fine print and avoid any surprises. Ask about alternatives, package deals, discounts, coupons and special offers - if you do not ask, you will never know. And also, no one is going to necessarily “advertise” a cheaper price or offer you the lowest, cheapest fare right away. There is always room for negotiation and or innovative ways to cut costs and still have a memorable trip to an exotic destination.
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