Travel

If you look like your passport photo, you're too ill to travel.

-- Will Kommen

Tips for Travellers

Nothing too fancy or earth shattering ... But here are a few things that I have found useful to keep in mind when travelling:

Know where you are! Sounds obvious doesn't it? But it definitely pays to keep a map handy and to know where you are regardless of whether you are deep in the Australian Outback or wandering around the streets of Tokyo.
Learn at least some basic phrases in the local language. Most people are actually quite nice about helping you and trying to understand you if you make at least some effort.
Have enough time to "wander". Strictly following the guidebook is usually not the best approach to take. Make sure that you have enough time to wander around a bit and maybe find someone or someplace that is unique or interesting.
Pack only what you need or things that are extremely difficult to buy while travelling. The nice thing is that you can usually buy whatever you might want anywhere in the world now. For example, you can get a nice cold bottle of Coca Cola even while hiking the Inca Trail in Perú (but the fact that the locals have to use horses and donkeys to cart them in as well as carting out the garbage is a little troubling).
Have some idea of where the public washrooms are located. When you really have to go, remember that most shopping centers, western-style restaurants, hospitals, universities, libraries, bus stations, train stations, and airports typically have public washrooms. But don't try to run past the checkpoint of a military base or some government building just because you need to use the washrooms!
On a related note, make sure that you have enough drinking water on hand. In many places, drinkable water is still a precious commodity and you can quickly get into some serious trouble if you don't have enough water to drink or if you drink contaminated water.

Last Update: October 28, 2012.