1 DO talk to the locals. Not just to the people who look like you. Get out of your comfort zone. It's the best way to get to know the culture you have likely gone halfway across the world to visit. Don't limit yourself to the waiter or the hotel receptionist, but chat up the tuk tuk drivers, homeless kids and hookers too. You'll learn so much more.
2 DO try the street food. You probably won't get diarrhea and some of the most delicious and inexpensive food is found on the street. Of course you don’t want to
spend the majority of your vacation on the toilet, but you have to be a little
adventurous. Of course, in some places, you might want to
be a bit more selective about what goes
into your mouth. Just make sure you have some anti-diarrhea medicine on hand to fight unwelcome anal discharge.
3 DON’T wear the local t-shirt. At least not until you get back to your own
country or a neighboring country. Wearing a Tiger beer shirt in Vietnam, a Same Same But Different
shirt in Thailand, I
♥ Cambodia in Cambodia or a Bintang shirt in Bali
is akin to saying I didn't do my laundry or I think I'm cool because my shirt is unique, but it's really not because everyone else has one too.
4 DO carry
some dental floss in your day bag. You’ll thank me for this tip later. In
SE Asia, you are bound to eat some mango or grilled corn or sticky rice that will find its way into the upper reaches
of your teeth and won’t be reachable even
with the long fingernail that’s usually reserved for picking your nose. Rather
than let it irritate you or potentially turn away that hot local girl you meet
in the supermarket, buy some floss and put it in your bag. It will come in handy.
5 DO buy
a local sim card. This of course assumes you are carrying a mobile phone
with an interchangeable sim. The cards are cheap and usually quite easy to
obtain, the cost per call or text is also relatively cheap and you never know
when you need to make a local call to book a hotel or contact the girl you met
in the club the night before.
6 DON’T wear a money belt or any other variation. First, it’s
obvious that you are wearing one and second, it gets annoying rubbing against
your abdomen or hanging from your neck. And it’s not that easy making a
transaction on the street or in the market. Just wear shorts with deep pockets
and pay attention. You blend in
better with the local populace and you
feel more comfortable. But of course, if you don’t feel comfortable looking
normal, by all means wear the money belt and look like that guy.
7 DO try and learn the local language. I’m
not saying take lessons before your departure, but once in a new country it
goes a long way to try and learn a few simple words or phrases. For example hello, thank you, how much and more if
you intend to stay a long time. I’m not saying reading an entire sentence directly
out of your phrasebook to the waiter who probably speaks
English anyway. That is annoying. Only do
that if you’re drunk or trying to embarrass your children.
8 DON’T over-bargain. You don’t always need to pay the local price. I
often like to find out the real price, but once I get it or think I get it, I
often walk away feeling like a dick. The 25 cents you save probably goes a lot
farther to the seller than to the buyer, in this case, you. So, go as low as you can, as that is the nature of bargaining,
but play nice. It’s always a nicer experience when both parties go away with
smiles on their faces.
9 DO
carry a small towel in your back pocket. This is SE Asia and you will sweat
and feel uncomfortable if you spend any time outside. A towel doesn't leave
residue on your face like a napkin. A small towel or handkerchief will save you
from looking stupid and keep you looking relatively clean even when you’re not.
It also comes in handy after washing your hands in public restrooms. They usually
do not have paper towels, hand dryers or towels and the towel will save you from drying your
hands in your hair or on your shorts.
10 DO carry
some hand sanitizer or wet-wipes in your day bag. You will get your hands
and your face dirty. You never know when you’ll sit down for a meal after using
a public restroom that didn't have soap or when you wish you could wash your sticky hands after a bagful of mango. Easy solution. Whip out the sanitizer or the wipes
and you’ll look like the seasoned traveler you aren't.
* Most of the images found in this post were stolen from the
Internet. Thank you Google.
Awesome! Great photo choices. Hope this saved you at least 500 calories, you deserve it.
ReplyDeletehahaha thanks! i wish i could claim more than just 1 of those pics. and i wish i could also say this stopped me from poking into the pantry.
ReplyDelete