The thrill of traveling and exploring new places and cultures can be captivating. The allure of the unknown and the prospect of new friendships and memories almost makes you want to leave right now, especially for first time backpackers.
You should, however, be aware that there are several risks involved and you should be adequately prepared to deal with them. Here are 5 essential travel tips for first-time backpackers.
1. Stay Alert
Although traveling is exhilarating and disorienting in many ways, you should always ensure you don’t get carried away with it and lose total focus. Without proper concentration, you could easily leave your luggage behind somewhere or have it stolen from right beneath your feet. By staying alert, it will also be difficult for people to take advantage of you by pretending to be friends.
2. Do Research
This is the first time you are visiting a new place and you know nothing about it. First, always make sure that you do in-depth research on the various neighborhoods in the region you’ll be visiting to know which require more vigilance and just how safe the nightlife is. Memorize this knowledge and be sure to avoid areas that are shady, no matter the circumstance.
3. Don’t Carry All Your Money in One Place
This includes not only cash but also credit and debit cards. The first step is to only carry with you the cash you need and one credit card leaving the rest of your stash back in your room. This way, even if you lose money you won’t be stranded because you’ll have a backup that will hopefully be locked away back at your place of residence.
4. Always Have a Backup Plan
Making a backup plan always seems to be boring to a lot of travellers, but it is very crucial. Take your time and consider the various places and activities you will engage in, and have a fool proof backup plan in place. That includes getting travel insurance, scanning copies of your important documents like your visa and passport, and splitting your medication between your pockets and backpack. It’s always a good idea to have a bulletproof backup plan as you never can know when you might need it.
5. Pack Your Resumé
Nobody can predict the future and there is no telling what will happen once you get there. You may fall in love with the place and decide to extend your stay or even work there. Ensure you pack your resumé in the event that you do decide to do some job hunting. You could either have it on a flash drive, email it to yourself or store it in the cloud; as long as you can access it at any time.
Nothing is more exciting than meeting and interacting with new people with different opinions, beliefs, traditions, and cultures. Backpacking can be a life changing experience that can leave you with great memories, as long as you remain safe and vigilant at all times.
