With spring just around the corner, travel plans are being made to enjoy places with beautiful weather! But don’t make these common mistakes.
But be careful, there are several mistakes people make when planning to travel during a different season that can definitely catch you off guard.
After planning a trip to South Africa and Sydney during the “summer” and realizing when I got there that the seasons are opposite, I became well aware of these travel mistakes, and how not to make them in the future. Here are some travel mistakes I made, that you should try to avoid!
1. Not Considering the Hemisphere During Seasons
As mentioned above, I thought I was going to get warm sunny weather in South Africa and Sydney since I was going in August…I ended up freezing and getting rained on. Always look up the weather averages and current weather wherever you’re going!
2. Not Bringing Your Own Skincare Items
I assumed I’d be able to just buy sun block and face lotion while I was traveling in Thailand once. I ended up with an awful sunburn and finding out that most sun block and skincare products have bleach in them because the Thai women prefer pale faces to tan ones. Bring your own stuff.
3. Not Researching What to Wear
This isn’t just to help you not look like a tourist, it’s also to help you not offend people and get yourself into trouble. Look up fashion magazines where you’re going to see what people are wearing, and check clothing etiquette for certain attractions like temples and cathedrals.
4. Not Looking Up Current Affairs
Always check the current affairs of where you want to travel to before you book anything in advance. Not only should you know what’s going on for safety purposes, but also because it could limit the activities you’re able to do.
5. Not Knowing How to Interact With Locals
Before I travel anywhere, I always look up how to say “hi”, “how are you”, “please”, and “thank you”. Not only is it respectful, but it can also help get you around, or even find some bargains!
6. Drinking So Much You Don’t Remember What You Saw
There are a lot of people who will be traveling for Spring Break and warm weather destinations, which usually both involve lots of booze. Have fun, but try not to get so drunk that you don’t even remember the experience.
7. Spending Too Much Time on Social Media
We all want to make sure everyone sees every single one of our travel photos, but try to save it for when you get back to the hotel, or home. Every time you look down at your phone, you’re wasting time that you could have spent looking at sites.
8. Not Bringing Multiple Forms of Money
Bringing cash, debit, and credit cards are a good idea when traveling, unless your wallet gets stolen with all of them in it. Hide an emergency credit card in your suitcase, and consider bringing traveler’s checks just in case. If all else fails, look up nearby Western Unions and wire yourself money.
9. Not Bringing Multiple Adaptors
Adaptors are very easy to forget. But even if you do remember to bring one, chances are you have a lot more than one thing you’ll want to plug in. Bring in multiple adaptors, or get crafty with a surge-protector strip.
10. Not Having Common Sense About Safety
There’s potential danger everywhere, it’s how you handle yourself that depends if mistakes actually happens. Have common sense – don’t wear flashy clothing or jewelry, don’t walk around with your iPhone out, don’t walk places by yourself at night, don’t get drunk and obnoxious, and definitely don’t tell any strangers where you’re staying.
