Travellers Tips

By Author: Mathew Sabri
Total Articles: 33
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So you've packed, but are you ready to go? Do you have everything you'll possibly need for a few months backpacking around the world? Here are a few things you'd be stupid to forget.

Before you leave home, in fact when you are in the planning stages of your trip you should get comprehensive backpacker-specific insurance. Many of the countries you will visit think health and safety is optional so you the responsibility of dealing with any accidents, illness or losses will fall heavily on your shoulders, so make sure you are prepared.

You may only ever need plasters and painkillers, but you should still keep a first aid kit in your hand luggage, in case you are hit by something more damaging. You're likely to suffer from ‘Delhi-belly' whilst you're away and not just in India either. Toilets and sanitation are likely to be unsanitary so keep re-hydration sachets and Imodium tablets to hand.

No doubt you'll take a vast number of photos of your adventures and exploits and dealing with these whilst you're on the road is to big a task to contemplate. So instead of cropping and deleting on the move, periodically ...
... download them on to memory sticks and keep copies for yourself and send copies back.

This way you won't risk losing your image library and you won't have to spend costly hours in Internet cafes painstakingly choosing which ones to save and which to discard.

Your passport is arguably the most valuable item you will take with you on your travels so guard it with your life. However, just in case something does happen to it, keep a photocopy in your hand luggage, stored separately from the original. It's also worth keeping details of your flight connections and numbers to call if you lose or have you bankcards stolen.

A head torch is unnecessary and it's most definitely a ticket to loserville, right? Wrong. This small, inexpensive item can come in handy in a variety of situations. From reading on a dark night bus to finding a safe route to the toilet on the campsite, a head torch will soon prove its worth.

Walking long distances, hiking through rainforest, and climbing mountains are common to most backpackers so a rucksack is far more practical than a handbag or shoulder bag. Carrying it on your front whilst still carrying your main bag on your back may look geeky but is by far the safest place to keep your passport and money.

You should always take out travel insurance cover before going abroad. etravelinsurance.co.uk have a wide range of packages to suit travelers, such backpacker insurance or gap year travel insurance< if you are looking to go for a longer period of time.