Travel is all about new experiences! Get smart as you make the most of your escapade by getting down with some of our tips on how to keep yourself safe and extra competent.

Keep Things Cozy With A Zipper Storage Bag

A zipper storage bag such as the ones by Ziploc for example is a great choice for storing valuable and moisture sensitive items such as mobile phones, passports, and other important documents. Even when you’re moving about the town, it’s a good idea to keep your goods in a zipper storage bag, protecting it from accidental spills, rain and even excessive body sweat that may seep through some bags.

Keep Track Of Things Using Your Mobile Camera

While you may want to use that awesome camera for all your spectacular travel sights, use your mobile phone camera to help you remember things, especially now that you’re in a strange new place. Use to snap a photo of where you parked the car, a picture of your hotel, or even the name of a place you can’t pronounce. It’s also a good idea to snap a photo of your items, especially if you have several small luggage bags.

Wet Wipes Are A Godsend

These small disposable sheets cloth are more than just silky smooth baby bottoms. Portable and practical, wet wipes can be a real lifesaver at times for various reasons beyond hygiene, such as removing stains and blemishes. They’re treated with a cleansing agent and works great against dirt and grease. Not that it’s a substitute for proper soap and water but it’s definitely a traveler’s best friend.

Tango With The Local Lingo

You know that English is not practiced everywhere and be hard pressed to find, so doing a little research can be of tremendous help. Memorise, or simply jot down some basic local words to help you get around. Basic words like “hotel”, “toilet”, “taxi” and the like would come in very handy. But be prepared and find out the local phrase for “Excuse me. I need some assistance please”. That’ll open up quite a few doors for you.

Filter Your Items Of Non Essentials

Travel smart and travel light as you navigate your way through your new destinations. Filter the things you bring around. Once done, filter it again. You don’t need half the gear you think you do to travel anywhere.

Sync Night To Day Activities

Different destinations offer a myriad of different types of excitement in different parts of the day. For this reason, plan ahead and figure out what you want to do without burning yourself out. Got a long day of heavy adventures to do during the day and planning to hit the clubs at night? Make sure you get some proper sleep in before continuing your escapade the following day. Having to wake up early, exhausted, hungover and totally unfocused would obviously throw your entire day out of whack.

Segregate Your Sources Of Money

Practice vigilance and common sense and you’ll be fine. However misfortune can happen anytime to anyone without warning, and when that happens, you’ll want to minimize the damage and make sure you (and the people you’re with) are okay, ready to journey on or go home if necessary. Don’t keep all your eggs in one basket. Split some of your cash into different banks and/or different mediums and even your cards in different places so that even if you lose your wallet, you can still get access to some cash. You don’t want to be stuck somewhere with no moolah.

Make It A Habit To Glance Back Often

Travel is exciting business. and it’s a very distracting one too. Make it a practice to look back when you leave somewhere, assuming that you might’ve forgotten something, all the time. You’re carrying different things now that you’re travelling, so be mindful that you haven’t left behind a jacket, a camera, ticket, and Oh-I-Hope-Never, a passport.

Always Have A Pen Handy

Yes you’ve got a sleek mobile phone with the latest features, but custom forms still need a pen and most other documents too. From the airport, to the hotel, to the many different places and back again. This way you won’t have to wait your turn, use a substandard pen or borrow from someone.

Charge Up Anywhere With Power Banks

They’re simply a portable external battery pack to recharge your device. Don’t get stranded with no way to call for help when you need it the most, just because you’re out of juice. If you’re going to be out of the hotel the entire day, be prepared with some back up. It comes in all shapes and sizes, and you don’t necessarily need it to give yourself a full charge, just enough to make sure you’re sorted.

Bonus Tip! Use Local ATM’s To Get Local Currency

Most money converters at the airport come with their own fees and the exchange rates can get a little unreasonable at times. Plus there’s always the occasional que to deal with. Check with your bank if they operate in the country of destination; If yes, make your withdrawal easily upon arrival since ATMs always dispense local currency.

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