If you want to travel around the world, you absolutely should—simple as that. While there’s always a reason not to do something, there’s usually a way to work around the reason and get going on your world adventure. There are so many vast, exciting cultural things to experience and do, it’s almost as though you can’t fit them into just one lifetime. But that doesn’t mean you can’t try. In order to start globetrotting, you’re going to need to catch up on a few pointers. But don’t worry, we’ve condensed the long list of “must-knows” into just three. Here are the three things you need to know to travel to any destination in the world.
1: Make an EXTREMELY detailed plan for your trip.
Money, expenses, time, resources, what to pack—the list of things to remember goes on and on and it can be overwhelming. However, if you lay it out, you will feel much more secure about your plan to travel around the world than if you didn’t plan at all. Start with the overview: where are you going Then, how do you get there? Once you’ve gotten the “A to B” stuff squared away, then you can look into what exactly there is to do once you’re in each of those places. Make sure you have a place to sleep each night (Laos, Macedonia & Angola) that is safe and reputable: you don’t want to travel around the world while short on sleep or cash.
2: To truly travel around the world, you have to get past the tourist traps.
Tourist traps are the places that people go to when they enter into new countries that are obviously canned and meant for show. Globetrotting will be much richer when you actually venture into hostels and local villages to learn about others’ culture in a more authentic way. If you want to travel around the world, you need to make sure that you’re getting all the experience you need to truly say you’ve ventured to the country and have a grasp of it. Think of tourist traps as a veneer: they’re not always representative of the country as a whole. Focus on historical sites that might not be as well-known for their beauty, but are still rich in culture and knowledge (e.g. in Greece, Turkey & USA). An opportunity to travel around the world shouldn’t be squandered—learn the history of a country while you’re there.
3: Most people are generally good, but be careful.
Most of humanity are decent people who would be helpful to you if you needed them. But there are those, unfortunately, who are not so sympathetic and might take advantage of someone traveling unaware, particularly if that someone is a woman. Always travel with another person or make a local friend (and use a good backpack). Never let your guard down when you’re traveling; make sure that you are always aware of your surroundings and keep important belongings close. To travel is to become a more informed global citizen, and if you have that chance, you should definitely take it. Hopefully the above list has helped prepare you for your journey. Remember, all you need to do is plan diligently, protect yourself, and make sure you get acquainted with the history and local culture of a country.