11 tips for beginner travellers

So hi! This is the first post on my blog! Before diving deep into the actual adventures I've had so far in my life, I would like to introduce you, my dearest reader, and myself, to the world of travelling. I'm not an expert, of course, I'm quite clueless really, but I've learnt a few things here and there that might be useful in the future - so here are my 11 tips for travellers (most of these apply for long journeys or foreign places):

1. Research your destination

This first tip might sound like a pretty obvious one - of course you'll research your destination before travelling; after all you chose it, you booked the hotels, you made all the plans, right? Well, not necessarily - if you're NOT the one organizing the trip, you might not know a lot of these stuff; maybe it was a friend, or a parent, or a teacher, or whatever, who decided everything for you. The point is that, even if you did all the things mentioned before, it is always good to be aware of the circumstances - what is the weather going to be like? What food do people eat there? What are some awesome stuff to see? What route are you taking? How long is it going to take? Maybe even research the history of the country you're going to, just so you know some stuff - it'll make you experience a lot better, I promise. Plus it is always nice to look at pictures of you hotel, of the main square of the city, of some beautiful and relevant places there; looking at pretty photos is always fun, but it also hypes you up and makes you excitement grow even larger. It is best to research and look at pics a few days before the big trip - it is fun and educational and useful.

2. Make lots of photos

This also might not be a new idea for most of you - lots of people take photos anyways, especially ones of themselves (selfies). But in other cases we just kind of live in the moment and forget to take out our phone/camera. And this doesn't sound too bad - you get to experience everything right now, without worrying about capturing everything. But remember that soon the moment will be over and then you'll have nothing to remind you of it - except your memory, and memories aren't that reliable sometimes. Besides, in time you'll likely completely forget about the trip without any photos. You can also take the time to make really goofy ones and enjoy them later. If you're like me and you don't like having your photo taken, at least capture the awesomeness around you - I'm sure it'll be beautiful!

Here's a goofy photo of me, and although I hate having my picture taken, I really like watching it and laughing sometimes:

3. Travel with friends

I like travelling with friends and family, but not everyone does. And that's OK. But here's the thing - even if you think that you're kind of a loner, or that you hunt alone or whatever else thing you might be thinking... that's probably not completely true. It is always nice to have someone along your side, especially when going on a very long trip, or out of the country. You might get homesick if you're away for a few months. You can help each other out, and it is a fact that surviving in another country is not easy sometimes. I agree that travelling alone also has some benefits, and it is nice to do it at least a few times in your life - then the trip is all about you, finding who you are and what you love, getting a break from other people. It is very, very nice, but don't overdo it. Generally speaking, travelling in a group, or with you family, or even with just one or two close friends, is always better, safer, and way more fun. That way you can create awesome memories together and get a fuller experience.

4. Learn 1-10, 'Please', 'Thank you', 'Where is this place' and 'I don't speak...' in the language of the country you're going to.

This one is pretty self-explanatory - if you know these phrases, your journey will be much easier, plus you'll now know a few more words in another language - how cool is that? Just try and get them right; people are usually impressed when a person, who's clearly not native, can ask them a few questions it their own language, but if you mess up, you're bound to be laughed at. Descent human beings won't laugh at you, of course, but you never know how things will turn out. So learn a few phrases, don't mess up, and don't worry - the worst that can happen is you having a really cool party story some day

5. Bring your own water

I don't know if you have the same problem as me when it comes to water from other countries, but sometimes I come to despise the beverages of foreign places - they taste so nasty to me. Of course, after a while, you get used to them. But if you're travelling to a close destination and not for a long time, just bring a few bottles of water with you - it is likely waay cheaper, and waay more tasty. *photo taken from the Internet

6. See what's the deal with food

This advice kind of falls into the "Research your destination" tip, but I thought I'd make another point just for it - so, see what's the deal with food in the places you're going to go to - it is sometimes really important, and a lot of countries have traditional meals they're really proud of. But you may not like these dishes, or you might have something else in mind, or maybe you don't like how the food tastes there at all. All I'm saying is, make sure you know what you're signing up for - for example, if you go to Italy, definitely check out the ice-cream, pizza, pasta, and so on. If you're coming to Bulgaria, however, you should try stuff like tarator, musaka, shopska salad, anything with meat in it; we're good at that kind of stuff. If you're going to England, try some fish'n'chips, or some other traditional dishes. You get the point - research, talk to people, see what is your best shot and if you'd like anything there at all

7. Make sure you're all set financially

What I mean by 'Make sure you're all set financially' is the simple idea that you have to know your stuff in advance. It is better to exchange your currency while you're still at home - that way you know what is the best, easiest, and most convenient option for you. Imagine if you go to, say, Mongolia, and now you're out of cash, you can't find a place to exchange any more of your home money, and there are no ATMs around. Or if you end up in a lonely village in the middle of nowhere. A sticky situation, isn't it. Imagine how much easier it would be if you had enough cash and if you have had researched your options earlier. Just be safe and smart about this, because it is quite an important topic.

8. Bring a towel

Pretty self-explanatory if you get the reference. If you don't - get someone to explain it to you

9. Don't stay only in the capital city

I know it's tempting to go to the biggest, most famous city in the whole country and stay there for the rest of your vacation. But don't be fooled - these places are most likely fairly commercialized and are what people sometimes call "tourist trap". Don't fall in one of hose traps with the intention of staying there for too long. Yes, the capital city is sometimes pretty, interesting, exciting. But they are essentially just a normal, and frankly, sometimes pretty boring part of the country. They're trying to take your money with worthless stuff, and besides, there's nothing THAT interesting that is worth spending you whole vacation on - unless you just like big malls, way too expensive restaurants, and big, noisy streets full of dirty air. All I'm saying is, go to the countryside, see some nature, spend a day or two sleeping out in the open, in a tent, watching the stars and dreaming. It may sound too unnecessarily romantic to some of you, but there are other things to seek as well. For example, a lonely beach, away form all the crowds, or a small, adorable village, or a hidden place, like a 'forbidden' garden or a beautiful mountain. Don't waste all your time in one place, especially in the capital city.

Explore a bit, look around, take all the detail in - I promise it'll make your trip better.

10. Bring entertainment.

I don't know about you, but I looove playing games with my friends and family when I'm on a trip - singing songs, playing with dice, or cards, or maybe a Rubik's cube, or a simple plane notebook with a few colorful pens - it's, in my opinion, one of the best parts of the whole vacation. It is time to bond, to get to know each other, to pass the time. If you get bored during the ride - road trip games are always an option, and a pretty good one, too. Also bring an interesting book and some of your favorite music, and maybe even a speaker so everyone can enjoy it. It is an awesome advice, I think, and a lot of people don't think to bring any entertainments when going on a long adventure, and that is pretty sad, because they're surely missing out. Of course, your phone is always there for you, but the games on it can rob you of the social aspect of the whole idea of road trip games. Here's my collection of games and I'll put up a list of my favorite books to read and music to listen to on the blog on a later post:

11. Get maps of the places you're going to

Get a few maps beforehand form your home town so you can look up your route and make your orientation a hell of a lot easier. Don't go looking for maps when you're already there - it is pretty much pointless then. Getting stuff like this from home is surely cheaper and better for you. Look, you can even start your own collection, like I did

12. Start a travel journal - bonus advice

So this is a bonus advice - start you own journal! Having one can be good for you in so many ways - for example, other people can read it later if they need help with picking a travel destination; it will surely help your writing abilities; it'll help you better reflect on your trip; you can read it in a few months, even years, and indulge in the past - we all love doing that sort of thing; you can use it for a school project later (hint, hint); this can help if you have an inconsistency problem - and most importantly - it's FUN! You can make it yourself, or you can buy it pre-made - it doesn't matter, but please, please, try it out, even for one single trip, and you'll see how great making a journal can be.

Here, see what mine looks like:

So I'll wrap it up for now, folks. I hope you enjoyed reading, and I hope my advice helped at least a few people. Write me something in the comments and let me know some of your favorite tips! Thanks for reading, and I hope to put up the next post soon!

The End