My Travel Tips After Traveling To 100 Countries | Johnny Africa

This weblog submit is devoted to all my journey suggestions that I’ve formulated after touring to virtually 100 nations. I’ve been everywhere in the world in all capacities so I’ve undoubtedly realized fairly just a few issues on my journeys. Whether or not it’s trekking with gorillas within the Congo, to diving with the bull sharks in Fiji, or island hopping in Greece, each journey made me a bit wiser (or no less than I hope).

From fundamental frequent sense journey tricks to journey hacking and journey insurance coverage, this submit could have all of it. My travels won’t ever cease so this listing will continually be rising with issues I come throughout!

The Fundamentals of my Journey Suggestions

Earlier than we even transfer onto the large stuff, let’s get the small “frequent sense” issues out of the way in which. These may not be frequent sense for everybody however I’d think about them to be in spite of everything my travels.

Watch your stuff

When touring to a brand new nation, it’s all the time prudent to observe your stuff and have a basic sense of your environment. Some nations are identified to have extra petty crime than others however you simply want that one opportunistic second in even the most secure of nations to lose your valuables.

I haven’t had many dangerous experiences in my a few years of travels however even I used to be suckered into avenue thief once I was touring in Lima. Whereas at dinner, somebody got here as much as me to try to promote one thing. They pulled out {a magazine} in entrance of me to dam the view of my cellphone. Once I politely refused, they left promptly however with my cellphone in hand. By the point I noticed it, they have been lengthy gone.

Know emergency contact numbers

Make sure that to jot down fundamental emergency numbers in a rustic earlier than visiting. These embrace the police, hospitals, and different fundamental requirements.

Be good to everybody

Each tradition is completely different however you is perhaps pleasantly shocked at simply how pleasant among the locals is perhaps. I discover that that is particularly the case in much less developed nations. It appears that evidently having much less doesn’t imply you might be much less blissful (as much as a minimal threshold in fact).

Reciprocate the favor.

Put a smile in your face and be as open and pleasant as you might be with the folks you meet. Everyone seems to be happier and hopefully your karma shall be excessive!

After all, you additionally have to know when to not be pleasant. That is particularly the case in the event you’re a solo feminine traveler. Preserve your wits about you and know when it’s time to present a correct F off to folks.

Keep away from leafy and unwashed meals

I’m an avid eater and half the explanation I journey is to eat superb issues. Once I bought COVID and misplaced my style, I shortly descended into the black gap of Reddit studying how some folks misplaced their style for years. I used to be tremendous depressed and questioned why life was even price residing in the event you may style? Fortunately, I solely misplaced my style for 2 days!

I’ve eaten all types of avenue meals everywhere in the world. I don’t shrink back from attempting new issues and I virtually all the time discover a brand new nation by attempting their meals. I spent a whole week in Mexico Metropolis simply consuming tacos, ate unfathomable quantities of avenue meals in Bangkok, and attempting as many pizzerias in Naples.

I’ve gotten meals poisoning just a few occasions as a result of it’s simply sure to occur. It’s one thing I simply settle for as a part of travels and seeing the world. Why many individuals grow to be divas about this, I’m simply merely not bothered. My abdomen has definitely strengthened over time and I like to consider myself to have a sturdy abdomen.

These are a listing of ever altering suggestions on the subject of consuming whereas touring:

Learn restaurant evaluations on Google Maps or TripAdvisor as a low rating would possibly imply they’ve dangerous high quality meals (or simply dangerous tasting meals and customer support). If all else fails, go for meals which can be completely cooked like open hearth cooking or deep fried. These are good methods to eliminate most bugs within the meals.I are inclined to keep away from consuming leafy greens that aren’t cooked and fruits with out pores and skin. Keep on with fruits like bananas, pinapple, dragonfruit, mango, watermelon and so forth.Know beforehand whether or not a rustic has drinkable faucet water. Usually occasions, creating nations have questionable ingesting water. This isn’t all the time the case as locations like Georgia, or South Africa. Conversely, first world nations may have non-drinkable faucet water, particularly on distant islands just like the Cycladic islands in GreeceAlways carry charcoal tablets with you simply incase you do get meals poisoning. These drugs will assist make the results extra bearable (however you’ll nonetheless endure in fact).

Don’t pack a lot

Cease packing a lot stuff into your suitcases. There’s no higher feeling than touring gentle and never having to lug round an enormous suitcase when shifting about.

If attainable, I’d attempt to journey with out checking baggage as a result of this reduces your threat of dropping baggage and doubtlessly messing up your travels. This additionally permits you to benefit from cheaper costs like skiplagging your flights which includes reserving a flight with a layover however getting off on the layover metropolis.

I discover that packing much less can also be liberating as you understand simply how few garments you want. Once I lived in Bali for a lot of months, all my garments match right into a keep on dimension backpack. It’s because Bali is scorching 12 months spherical so I largely wore shorts and tank tops. Everybody round me additionally dressed so casually that I didn’t put on pants for the whole period of the keep. I packed one good linen shirt with me for particular dinners and that was it. Throughout my keep in Bali, a few of my shirts ripped however it was really easy and low cost to only purchase one thing new regionally.

Better of all, there’s laundry and fold service for about $1 per kg so my garments have been all the time clear!

Preserve your passport at house

Depart your passports at house and do go about your day along with your passport on you. There may be zero profit to having your passport on you and also you’re solely setting your self for large disappointment in the event you lose it or get it stolen.

In case you want the passport for a particular goal, take it for that goal solely and drop it off promptly at house. This is perhaps if you could hire a scooter in some nations the place they ask for the passport as a deposit (already an enormous crimson flag). You probably have mulltiple passports, all the time carry each on you and use the passport that you simply didn’t enter the nation with.

There’s nothing worse than having to exchange a passport overseas.

Open An Account With A Good Financial institution

Having your funds so as is an absolute should when touring. Whether or not you’re touring for per week or for a 12 months, guaranteeing you will have the fitting financial institution accounts and playing cards will make your expertise far more nice.

One in every of my prerequisites on the subject of touring is a checking account that prices no charges for international withdrawals in addition to refunding all international ATM charges.

These are two separate factors as a result of there are lots of financial institution accounts world wide that may provide the previous and cost you no charges on their finish, however there are just a few financial institution accounts that I do know that may truly refund you the ATM charges you incur from a international ATM.

Within the US, banks like Charles Schwab will utterly refund you the ATM charges in addition to provide you with spot FX charges. In European nations, issues like Monzo or Revolut are nice for this. Fintechs are popping up left and proper nowadays providing nice journey companies so examine your native marketplace for what’s scorching.

By no means settle for the ATM’s conversion fee!

That is in all probability the worst rip-off you possibly can ever come throughout in your travels as a result of it’s so rampant in every single place and most of the people do not know what they’re doing.

Usually occasions, whenever you’re utilizing an ATM out of the country, you’ll be withdrawing money in a special forex. As soon as you choose your required withdrawal quantity and enter your PIN code, the ATM will give you a “conversion fee”. They may show the quantity within the international forex, in addition to the quantity in your native forex (we’ll simply use USD for this instance).

For the monetary newbies on the market, you see your native forex and also you suppose “oh sure that sounds good as a result of it’s a quantity I’m aware of”.

NEVER ACCEPT THE ATM’S EXCHANGE RATE!

Sure, by no means settle for their change fee as a result of it all the time comes with an enormous margin. I’ve seen banks cost upwards of 14% per transaction for simply these ridiculous ATM charges! Let’s say you’re in Europe and the present EUR to USD change fee is 1 to 1. Meaning, you the financial institution will now provide you with an change fee of 1 EUR to $1.14 USD! You’re simply giving 14% straight to the ATM!

What’s worse is in the event you select to say no the ATM’s change fee, it’ll present a scary message that you simply may not be getting the perfect change fee or one thing else ridiculous. In case you adopted the steps above about getting an excellent checking account, then you possibly can relaxation assured that your financial institution is all the time going to provide the greatest fee attainable.

Vaccinations

Vaccinations are vital particularly within the submit COVID world. Make sure that to analysis the vaccinations you want earlier than getting into a rustic. A COVID vaccine is in fact nice to guard you from COVID however some nations will proceed to require you be vaccinated so as to go to or apply for residence permits.

Some nations in Africa require yellow fever certificates however provided that you’ve traveled to sure nations. Different illnesses like Malaria are merely as much as you to plan for. For instance, many individuals really feel like they should take malaria medicine earlier than visiting South Africa however that is completely pointless.

Some vaccines can take weeks and even months to obtain so be sure that to analysis the vaccines you want earlier than hand so that you might be protected earlier than going in your journey.

Analysis the journey advisories and understanding of your vacation spot

Earlier than you journey to a brand new nation that you simply suspect might need some risks to it, be sure that to do ample analysis earlier than embarking in your journey. I feel one of the best ways to do that is to affix Fb teams associated to that vacation spot or just to ask a query in a spot like Each Passport Stamp on Fb.

For instance, earlier than I traveled to Lebanon in 2021, I knew that the nation was present process a extreme financial disaster and that you simply wanted to deliver laborious money and change it on the black marketplace for the perfect charges. I didn’t know easy methods to truly do that however a fast query within the Each Passport Stamp group on Fb gave me solutions straight away. I additionally requested if there was any civil unrest as a result of disaster and shortly realized that life goes on.

Don’t blindly belief every part the Authorities web sites inform you

I’d keep away from studying an excessive amount of into official Authorities journey advisory web sites just like the US Journey Advisory Listing. From my expertise, 90% of the advisories on this listing are a bit nonsense and most of it’s simply unnecessarily scaring folks. For instance, have a look at this ridiculous journey advisory for Germany, a rustic I’ve lived in for 4 years.

The US Authorities is advising folks to train elevated warning for a rustic that’s 10x safer than their very own? I’m extra anxious about getting shot within the US than at any level in Germany that’s for certain.

Get a no price Visa Credit score Card as properly

Be sure to have an excellent strong bank card that’s Visa or Mastercard. I’m an avid fan of bank cards as a result of within the US, we’ve so many playing cards that present so many advantages that vary from journey insurance coverage, to free resort stays, to only pure laborious money. I’ve written in depth about my passion of journey hacking.

Earlier than embarking on a visit, be sure to have no less than one bank card that you should utilize. This isn’t only for rewards or factors, however reasonably as a result of generally you don’t have any selection however to pay with bank card. In case you’re reserving a resort or a flight, you higher have an excellent bank card as a result of there’s nowhere so that you can pay money. As well as, in the event you hire a automotive, you’ll desire a good bank card as a result of some playing cards present free automotive rental insurance coverage. On prime of that, some corporations gained’t even hire you a automotive and not using a bank card.

Be sure to get a bank card that additionally has no FX charges. FX (International change) charges might be upwards of three% of your transaction worth which suggests in the event you pay $1,000 for one thing, you’ll pay an extra $30 in charges! There are numerous bank cards within the US that waive FX charges just like the Chase bank card suite.

No American Specific

American Specific is generally ineffective when touring overseas. Outdoors of some nations, AMEX is nearly universally not accepted. Even inside nations that settle for AMEX, usually occasions it’s the fancier eating places and inns that do. AMEX provides among the greatest rewards and advantages within the enterprise however sadly it’s simply not dependable on the subject of being a go to worldwide journey bank card.

Learn to drive guide automobiles

Unquestionably, the perfect factor I did when shifting to Europe was learn to drive a guide automotive. I had realized easy methods to drive a guide a long time in the past so the educational curve was not almost as steep as a beginner however this actually saved me some critical cash in Europe.

The most affordable and most ample rental automobiles in Europe are all the time a guide, particularly once I did journeys to locations like Piedmont, Italy or simply about wherever within the Greek Islands. Automated automobiles are in fact obtainable however they’re sometimes extra premium automobiles and hire for considerably extra. If nothing else, automotive corporations know they People and Canadians can’t drive guide in order that they purposefully jack up the costs on Automatics to benefit from this.

Studying easy methods to drive guide isn’t straightforward so this gained’t be an choice for most individuals however in the event you someway are able to be taught Guide, undoubtedly get that found out earlier than renting a automotive in Europe!

Journey hacking is your buddy

This subsequent part is primarily for American vacationers as we merely have the perfect bank cards on this planet so far as journey rewards go (we’ve numerous issues however bank card rewards isn’t considered one of them). In case you’re an avid traveler like myself and wish to ebook superb travels for affordable (or free), then you need to completely look into journey hacking and understanding easy methods to churn bank card rewards.

I’ve written about this a lot on my weblog and in a lot element so I’ll preserve this part quick. Take just a few hours to essentially perceive the facility of bank cards and the way you should utilize them to avoid wasting 1000’s of {dollars} on journey. I’ve flown enterprise class flights everywhere in the world and stayed in among the nicest inns on this planet like my journey to the Ritz Carlton Maldives all free of charge.

The secret is to open bank cards to get the signal on bonus. Bank cards within the US provide the best signal on bonuses on this planet and it’s not even shut. These signal on bonuses can generally be upwards of 100,000 factors or extra! After you get one bonus, you open one other bank card to acquire one other signal on bonus earlier than repeating the method over once more. You may earn factors extraordinarily quick; a lot quicker than merely spending cash on a bank card.

You would possibly really feel intimidated and uncertain of your self which is among the most important causes folks by no means begin journey hacking, however maybe that is the second to start out one thing new!

Purchase native sim playing cards

At the present time, it’s laborious to think about touring with out being linked. You would possibly romanticize the previous days of touring off the grid and away from all of it however that may all change the second you get ripped off on the airport since you couldn’t name an Uber.

Cellular information is important for my travels now, primarily due to Google Maps and trip hailing apps. There’s nothing extra silly than paying for roaming packages out of your cellular supplier again at house. For instance, AT&T within the US prices one thing like $10 per day for roaming which is absolute madness. In case you journey in Bali for 2 weeks, that’s $140 in roaming charges which is madness.

Merely go to the native cellular store and purchase a neighborhood Telkomsel SIM card the place you’ll be capable to get 20GB of information for ~$5. This can greater than seemingly be sufficient to your complete two week journey! You’re unlikely to wish a lot calling time as a result of let’s be actual, who will you name in Indonesia? You’ll additionally want 0 textual content messaging as a result of nobody outdoors of the USA makes use of historic SMS know-how anymore. Simply be sure that your cellphone is unlocked.

Keep away from shopping for SIM playing cards on the airport

Keep away from shopping for SIM playing cards on the airport as a result of they’ll greater than seemingly rip you off with “vacationer packages” which can be merely bundling a bunch of stuff you don’t want and charging you more cash.

Merely go to a cellular supplier of your selection when you get into city and also you’ll save a lot more cash. In case you’re confused on the place to go and didn’t do analysis earlier than hand, merely ask your resort/guesthouse/Airbnb host for the perfect cellular retailers close by.

Don’t over-plan your journey

I’m an enormous planner of my travels as a result of I need to maximize my time. Everyone seems to be a planner to a point as a result of you could maximize the way you’re going to see what you need to see within the time that you’ve. Since I retired early and have been in a position to journey so freely, I’ve realized that it’s higher to do much less.

Much less is extra.

Don’t try to pack an excessive amount of into your journey as a result of I firmly consider that high quality beats amount. Positive it would impress your folks to say you went to France, Italy, and Germany in your journey. However did you actually see something in the event you simply spent 3 days in Paris, Rome, and Munich? Positive you noticed just a few locations, however you actually simply hopped round just a few cities the place you’re kind of doing the identical factor.

As a substitute of jamming as many issues into one journey, think about staying the entire time in a spot like France the place you possibly can simply spent weeks touring via. As a substitute of flying from Paris to Rome, think about going from Paris to the Provence area the place the small villages and wineries actually spotlight what France is all about.

As well as, some issues simply can’t be booked correctly out of your pc at house. In much less developed locations, you’ll usually have to ebook issues whenever you arrive. Issues like practice tickets for sure itineraries haven’t been blessed with trendy know-how.

Once I was attempting to ebook my Kandy to Ella practice ticket in Sri Lanka, there wasn’t any straightforward strategy to do it. Seems, once I arrived in Kandy at my resort, they booked it for me on the spot. The identical goes for my Belgrade to Bar scenic practice within the Balkans. I needed to truly go to the practice station the day earlier than to ebook my ticket with money. Completely old skool however that’s simply the way it goes.

Be aware of the web sites you utilize

Be aware of the web sites you utilize to ebook and pay for sure issues. These are very true round Authorities and official processes that relate to immigration.

As know-how improves, we’re continually doing extra on-line which incorporates paying for visas. One of many best errors folks do is clicking on the mistaken supply for making use of for an e-visa, which have grow to be more and more extra standard.

For instance, Cambodia, house to the well-known Angkor Wat temple, not too long ago instituted an E-Visa which lets you prepay your visa with a bank card so that you don’t have to do it whenever you arrive on the airport. In case you seek for “Cambodia e-visa”, you’ll see the ends in Google:

As you possibly can see, the primary few outcomes are sponsored they usually direct you to numerous journey companies that declare to be the house of the Cambodian E-Visa however in actuality, they’re only a journey agent that may upcharge you a hefty price to get the identical visa you might do your self.

The crimson arrow is the official Authorities web site of Cambodia and you’ll all the time confirm this by the URL. Something that ends in .gov is a legit Authorities web site and what you need to use. For Cambodia, the URL ends in .gov.kh with the KH half being Cambodia. These are official Authorities web sites so nobody can create a random web site utilizing these URLs.

Get Journey Insurance coverage If You’re Touring Lengthy Time period

Embarking on a journey, whether or not it’s a leisurely escape or an adventurous expedition, is a plunge into the unknown. Whereas the joys of exploration is simple, it’s equally important to acknowledge the potential uncertainties that lurk beneath the floor. Journey insurance coverage is right here only for that and I’ll contact upon just a few the explanation why it’s a good suggestion to purchase some earlier than you go in your journey.

As a seasoned traveler, I’ve realized that well being emergencies can strike on the most sudden occasions and locations. From a sudden bout of sickness in a distant village to a minor accident on the ski slopes, journey insurance coverage offers a reassuring protect. It covers unexpected medical bills, guaranteeing that the pursuit of recent horizons isn’t hindered by the burden of hefty hospital payments.

Air journey, with its intricate internet of connections and schedules, is inclined to disruptions. Flight cancellations, delays, or missed connections can simply throw a wrench into the smoothest of itineraries. Journey insurance coverage acts as a buffer in such conditions, providing compensation for extra bills incurred resulting from flight disruptions and guaranteeing that your journey stays on target, even when the aviation trade takes an sudden flip.

The joy of reaching your vacation spot can shortly dissipate if you end up standing on the baggage carousel solely to appreciate your baggage has taken an unplanned detour. Journey insurance coverage steps in to alleviate the stress by offering protection for important gadgets and clothes, permitting you to deal with the journey at hand reasonably than worrying in regards to the whereabouts of your belongings.

Mom Nature, in all her glory, often throws sudden challenges our method – be it a volcanic eruption, earthquake, or tropical storm. Journey insurance coverage not solely safeguards your monetary funding by compensating for canceled plans but additionally assists in navigating the logistical challenges that come up from unexpected pure disasters, guaranteeing your security and well-being within the face of adversity.

Being in a international land might be each exhilarating and disorienting. In occasions of disaster, gaining access to a dependable help system is invaluable. Journey insurance coverage usually consists of 24/7 help companies, offering a lifeline that will help you navigate unfamiliar healthcare methods, language boundaries, or authorized issues, fostering a way of safety and help irrespective of the place you might be on the map.

Automobile Leases

We love renting automobiles when touring. It provides us the liberty to go off the crushed monitor and discover on our personal. However when renting a automotive, it’s vital to be savvy and to observe these security suggestions.

We normally ebook upfront. Reserving a automotive rental with our flight in a bundle has saved us massive time.

Automobile Insurance coverage

Buying insurance coverage is all the time a troublesome resolution. Automobile leases are normally fairly cheap, however when you add on their insurance coverage, it may add up shortly.

I exploit my Chase Sapphire Reserve for many automotive leases they usually have full insurance coverage, which suggests I by no means get extra insurance coverage. The Sapphire Reserve additionally has main automotive insurance coverage which covers harm to the automotive in addition to harm you would possibly inflict onto one other automotive whereas most different playing cards don’t provide this.

Leases – Scooters

Relating to journey security, lots of people get into bother when renting scooters. However in the event you don’t have expertise driving one, or don’t have the suitable worldwide allow or native license, rethink your selections.

For me, a scooter is a should have in locations like Bali or Thailand because it permits you to discover the nation with out having to attend in loopy site visitors on a regular basis. I wouldn’t go to Bali ever once more with out renting a scooter.

Not everyone seems to be snug with a scooter nonetheless and I wouldn’t advocate driving a scooter with out some type of coaching. Regardless that Bali required zero verifications of my scooter abilities, I rented one with none prior data and lived to inform the story. In reality, I used to be simply tremendous and bought the dangle of it inside a couple of minutes. Others should not as fortunate as you all the time hear about those who get into loopy scooter accidents.

Be taught from Your Errors

It was years of trial and error that helped us lastly be taught our lesson to have protected and wholesome travels. So hopefully it is possible for you to to journey safely proper from the beginning!

Now that I observe these journey security suggestions, I normally have a protected and wholesome journey. Or no less than we’re ready when emergencies do occur. Furthermore, I be taught one thing new on each journey that I financial institution and apply to my future travels.