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It’s often said that travel expands one’s horizons, and while this saying and others of its ilk have somewhat fallen into the realm of cliche, the fact is that when you choose to leave your comfort zone and travel to new and exotic locations, you usually gain a far deeper appreciation of what’s happening and the world around you. Although those Planet Earth documentaries narrated by the dulcet tones of Sir David Attenborough are unquestionably a brilliant way to get the juices flowing and the desire to travel ramped up, they can simply never match the true experience. The sights, the smells, the chaos, and the culture of our little place in the universe are so magnificent that only genuine experience will ever do it justice. But all of this sounds great when you’re reading from the comfort of your home, and for most of us who might not count themselves as particularly well-traveled, the next question after choosing to make the leap of faith into the bog beautiful world, is…how? 

Staying Connected While Traveling

Plenty of us might envision a travel experience bereft of phones and mobile devices that have a bad habit of taking us out of the moment and sucking our attention right back into the digital world. The reality is, though, that this is a pipe dream at best since we use our phones for pretty much all aspects of life. This might be from booking tickets to using a map app to help direct us to the nearest museum (or local hardcore EDM club if that’s your bag). Outside of the obvious reasons we all have for being glued to these devices, it’s always nice to keep in touch with those you love, as it is for them to hear about your wonderful experiences in far-flung locales. 

Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your perspective), almost all nations outside of North Korea have serviceable 4 to 5G SIM cards that you can often purchase when getting off the plane. One of the six practical tips in this post also makes a note that regardless of how prepared you are in terms of data plans and devices, etc, you ought to always have at least one backup plan ready and waiting for those times when fate chooses to conspire against you and cause you to drop your phone in a river when tispy (for example…) Esseantilly, making some preparetaions in advance, like simply knowing wher you might be able to invest in a local SIM or eSIM card will go a long way in esnureing that these sorts of details are seamlessly dealt with so you can enjoy the tripitself.

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Packing Smart: Less is More

Now, just to be clear, we know that some folks love to pack everything, including the kitchen sink, and if that’s the way you feel most comfortable traveling, then have at it. However, it can really pay dividends in terms of overall enjoyment if you take a little time to pack carefully and reduce the contents of your bag as much as possible. Packing light doesn’t have to be about packing one change of underwear and a spare st of socks, and when done correctly, can mean that you might only require carry-on rather than having to check in baggage. It also means that in locations where public transportation and pedestrian infrastructure aren’t quite up to snuff, you won’t be dragging along an overweight suitcase along an intensely cobbled street, seeing the wheels disintegrate as you progress, or annoy the locals as you haul several heavy, large suitcases onto a bus that better resembles a human sardine transporter! The most effective way to reduce the number of items you bring is to use the following processes:

1. Pack as you would usually do.
2. Look at what you can do without and remove at least 50%.
3. Go over it again, and if you can remove another 50%, do so.
4. You should be left with an easy-to-carry set of bags that only contain what you know you will need, sans the usual stuff that would never see the light of day anyway.

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Budgeting For The Best Experience

The word “budget” doesn’t often have positive connotations, but believe us, when it comes to traveling, the better you’re able to budget, the less you will worry about running out of money. It’s ultimately up to you regarding how much you have to spend and what on, but to gain the most from any trip to interesting destinations, you really ought to have enough to cover:

• Meals: Aim to eat local food, but set aside a budget for comfort food similar to your own. Local food tends to be more affordable, but there will be times when you crave something from your home country (or “Western” food) that will undoubtedly cost more.
• Transportation: You have two options here…price or comfort. The more comfort you require to get from A to B, the more it will cost. The best policy is to mix things up whenever possible. 
• Experiences: This is a bit of an ambiguous option as it covers everything from pad excursions to hiring a local tour guide or paying for a grandma to cook you some local cuisine in some off-the-beaten-path homestay. 

The amount you choose to spend will vary based on your circumstances, but whatever you choose, always make sure that you have enough to cover everything you can think of, and a contingency in case you happen to have a little too much fun participating in the local tiple. And, while most of us will strive to travel cash-free, using cards and online accounts when possible, try to have at least 5% of the local currency in cash hidden somewhere decent in case your card is declined or a local establishment won’t accept digital payments or if you’re unable to connect to a local payment option (for instance if it’s only available to local people with local ID and so on).

Traveling can be a nerve-wracking experience, but armed with the right tips and tricks, you can focus on the best parts without worrying about the boring details. There are plenty more tips you should research by yourself, but those in this post should give you a head start and fire you up enough to book time off and buy a ticket to the most random places on the planet!