Getting Started

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Ok, so you are thinking about going travelling. That's the first step over with and believe me, you won't regret it. Travel is the only thing that you spend money on that makes you richer.

The next step is deciding where to go. Perhaps you know where you want to go or perhaps you are weighing up your options. A very good option is to go around the world visiting several continents and countries. STA travel has good flight plans so give them a call.

If you want to focus on one part of the world but you don't know where, I recommend factoring in your interests, goals and budget. For example, would you feel more comfortable in a region that speaks your language? Or perhaps you would like to learn a language as you go? Do you like history, culture and nature or beaches, festivals and nightlife. The beauty, and difficulty, is almost every continent has a bit of everything. And what about money? Countries such as USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are more expensive to travel. Whereas Latin America, Asia and Africa are a bit more accessible.

Once you have pinpointed where you want to go, next you should read blogs, like this one, and buy a giant wall map. The blogs will help you work out costs, logistics and other off the beaten track information from travellers who have been there and the wall map will help you plan your journey and put distances into perspective. I bought a giant map for my South America trip which helped me no end and waking up every morning with it above my head made my dream a reality plus when I get home I can pin exactly where I have been.

Next, plan when you want to go, think about the weather, particular festivals or, sporting events or events which you might want to see. Again, blogs and guide books can help you with this.

And....think about how you will get there. Planes, trains and automobiles. A great way to save money is to take overnight buses, as this will not only get you to your next destination but you also save on a nights accommodation as you will sleep on the bus! Most long distance buses have reclining seats, some include pillows and blankets - a bit like an aeroplane but they can be freeeezing cold so take extra clothes with you. Most will have toilets onboard and either provide food or will stop along the way or travellers to buy stuff - BUT don't take this as gospel and ALWAYS have a back up plan i.e. snacks and drinks with you. I have been caught out a few times!!! If you do find yourself hungry and thirsty people selling food usually hop on and off at the different bus stations. Choose wisely and if you think something will make you sick, its generally best to go hungry. I usually try and stick to drinking water on long distance buses as you may struggle to brush your teeth before sleeping and all that sugar will only harm your teeth. Plus as a girl, its much healthier for our systems to stick to just water. (and on that subject, ladies if you do find yourself with that dreaded burning, you can pick up antibiotics over the counter at pharmacies in most of the South American countries - not Brazil though). I would highly recommended travelling by bus as you see the country, the people, the culture. Its a much more richer way to travel. But if you prefer to fly, domestic flights are quite reasonable.

So that's the planning and a bit of logistics covered (I will cover travel around South America in more detail in separate blogs). Next, you need to look into accommodation. When in the towns and cities stay in hostels - most have dorms which are usually mixed or female only dorms (a room you will share with only female travellers) or private rooms. The better hostels include lockers to keep your luggage safe, plug sockets and personal lights by your bed so you can read at night without disturbing others. Bathrooms and showers are usually shared but will always be split female and male - dont forget to wear your flip flops. Every traveller stays in a hostel at one time or another because they are cheap and social. They almost all include kitchens so you can prepare your own food which saves on eating out all the time - going to a new restaurant every night might sound fun but it gets very boring and costly doing it every day and for every meal. Cooking and eating is a great way to meet fellow travellers - split your pasta or share your wine - everybody's gotta eat, right? When at a hostel be brave and don't be afraid to talk to people. Don't shut yourself away in your bedroom on your phone. Use the internet in the communal areas and find people to cook with. Soooo many people travel alone and 99.9% are open to talk to anyone. The people that aren't, it's likely to be because they can't speak the language or are just shy. Staying in homestays is becoming more common, including couch surfing (but be cautions if you are a solo traveller), it will give you a very local experience. And if you are more in to your nature there is always good ol´ camping!! This next bit is going to sound massive boring and you'll probably decide to stop reading this blog after this, but try avoid getting caught in the partying every night cycle. It's expensive and hangovers aren't fun in a hostel. It's rarely silent and there isn't anyone to cook you your favourite hangover cure meal! Expense and hangover jokes aside, drinking can be dangerous and frowned upon, depending on where you are. You could face serious legal consequences so always check on rules and laws before behaving as if you are still at home. Annnnd drinking yourself into oblivion in a new area can be extremely dangerous. You don't know who is watching you, which taxi you might get into, you may struggle to find a taxi to get you home safely or even forget where you are staying. Of course have fun but please take precautions!!!!!

I hope the above helps you plan your first or next adventure. Thanks for reading and please pop back soon to check out my other blogs

Nikki

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