1. A place is mainly about its people.
2. You can melt the butter that comes with your airplane meal by putting it on top of your main course’s aluminium packaging while it’s still hot, so that you can butter your bread more easily.
3. A travel adaptor is not the same as a voltage converter.
4. Singapore and the Commonwealth has the best power outlets, the stupid two pin one that the US/Taiwan/Japan uses means that your adaptor might fall out of the socket if it’s too heavy, making charging your devices a bitch.
5. It’s always the white men who assume that you want them photobombing your travel photos. A lot of time is wasted waiting for them to go away before you can take a proper one again.
6. Same with bar conversations, no matter how deeply you are engrossed in conversation with a friend, they always feel like any conversation that doesnt include them is an invitation to enter.
7. Skincare while travelling is important and not a one-product-fits-all, you have to pack according to your skin type in relation to the climate of the place you are travelling to.
8. After awhile most mountains look the same.
9. You can identify another Singaporean by his/ her voice from miles and miles away.
10. Asian airlines serve the best food, followed by Middle Eastern airlines. The rest are pretty depressing.
11. If you’re a budget traveller and they complain that your luggage is too heavy at check in and want you to pay extra, open your luggage and start wearing all your clothes, because weight/size restrictions largely only apply to baggage and not human beings. 9/10 times they will sigh with frustration and wave you through check in.
12. You truly become aware of how amazing epilasik is when you travel.
13. Not all comments made about your race is racist, some are made out of genuine curiousity, and as a visitor to another country it is good to learn to discern which is which.
14. Travel is a luxury, not a necessity, despite what all these new age mantras tell you. You can become a fully formed, aware, and mature person without ever leaving your country.
15. That said, it does widen perspectives. Travel is awesome, but dont bankrupt yourself trying to do it, is what im saying.
16. One of the first questions you should ask about a new country is whether the water is potable or not.
17. Location based apps like Foursquare and Yelp will greatly enhance your travel.
18. You get more of your travel if you are willing to go out of your comfort zone and talk to new people, and staying in a hostel or Airbnb is a great way to do this.
19. That said, dont hate on people who travel luxuriously and not in the ‘local’ way you think people should. People can mainly do whatever they want with their money. Mind your own business.
20. When in doubt, identify a Japanese or Korean tourist and ask them to help you take your photos, because they know where its at.
21. Wifi eggs: makes sense economically if you have more than two people in your travel party, no need to swap out your own sim card and risk losing it, ability to still receive One Time Pins to your own mobile number while overseas without having to change your sim card back. Cons: an additional thing to charge at night, and if you lose it, it can be ridiculously expensive.
22. Hotels are not always the more expensive option: see – Amsterdam.
23. Always carry identification with you, but best if this identification is replacable, like a drivers license. For me, I carry my German ID from when I was a student there, cos it has my full name and age. If you carry your passport and lose it, getting home can be a real bitch.
24. Google Trips is one of the best inventions known to man (and the frequent traveller).
25. When in America, always check for Groupon deals.
26. Always pay in the local currency when using your credit card.
27. It’s just easier, when you have a pouch for all your electronic wires and chargers.
28. If you’re going on a long trip, factor in a laundry day. You can do laundry in a sink anywhere, so bring detergent powder in a little ziplock bag cos it’s easy to pack and less likely to leak/spill.
29. Things are likely to screw up somehow, accept that and dont let it ruin your trip.
30. Do your research on your destinations and dont assume that you can card everything – in general, Asian countries dont accept credit cards as much, as my American friends coming to Hong Kong with NO hong kong dollars were horrified to find.
31. Ditto the above, for money changers. Places like Taipei only let you change money if you have a passport on hand, and Seoul’s money changers close early.
32. All the progressive arguments in the world will not halt danger if danger wants to happen, so have common sense, dont walk in dark alleys alone or drink excessively in foreign bars, especially if youre female, and you can always go home later on and continue to make arguments about why a low cut top doesnt mean consent when you are already in a safe place.
33. Aisle seats are really more convenient, all window seats have going for them is the romanticism of the tumblr/instagram aesthetic.
34. Sunscreen should be applied liberally when flying.
35. Not all free wifi points are safe, so never book anything or make credit card transactions over free wifi.
36. A fear of flying can only diminish, it will never truly go away.
37. Always have travel insurance.
x
Jem