Travelling is something that people think is easy. That’s because there’s nothing easier than existing in a space that’s a bit further away from the space you were previously existing in a few moments or minutes or hours ago. There’s nothing intrinsically difficult about just ‘being’ somewhere new. But in the same way that catwalk models have to learn to walk, there’s a knack to travelling well. Today, we’re going to cover how to get the most out of your travel experience, because it’s not as if we get the chance to travel every day, so, where it’s possible that we are about to go and see and do new things, it might benefit us to know what to do.
Beware, however, that different laws apply in different places. If a scenario were to develop under less than favourable circumstances, perhaps involving an altercation, you could find yourself being caught out with a lack of knowledge on what to do next. If you are not certain of your options, make sure you know where to turn when asking things like just what is a battery charge? Now, let’s continue with how to make the most of your travel.
Your sleeping pattern might actually work for you
If your jet lag results in an early waking time, you can use this to your advantage in terms of ‘getting in first’ to see the sites before the tourist crowds begin to gather, making mess and noise and blocking out the sunlight, let alone obscuring all of the decent views. Try to visit the sites you most want to visit before 10 AM to ensure that crowds are kept to a minimum.
Speak to the hotel staff, the restaurant staff, etc.
If you really want to get a sense of the place, you need to speak to the people who live there. Short of walking up to a person walking their dog and saying “Hello, tell me random things about this place, please”, you’re going to need a bit of a plan. Hospitality and retail staff are particularly inclined to speak to you, so they are an easy place to start. Keep a couple of openers in your back pocket and don’t feel too flourish about whipping them out verbatim on successive unsuspecting locals.
Try things like “Lovely town you have here, what’s your favourite part?” and “Thanks for your help, but just before I leave, have you got any suggestions for the nightlife around here?”.
Take photos and keep some form of diary
Your memory is terrible. Everybody has the same issue. I bet you can’t even remember glancing over my mention at the start of this blog of how to earn free money by just clicking on an app. OK, there was no such mention, but it made you think. Travel goes by in the blink of an eye, and if you don’t have photos and a travel diary of what you did each day, you’re going to forget it all faster than you think.
