5 Tips for Travelling Around the World

A round the world trip is a lifelong dream for many people. Whether you are quitting your job and hitting the road or you managed to get you boss to agree to an extra long holiday, nothing beats the freedom of the open road. You’ll see natural beauty, thriving metropolises and cultures you never new existed and you’ll eat all kinds of exotic (and potentially ambiguous) foods. But, travelling around the world doesn’t come without hiccups and obstacles. Fortunately, 99% of the time, these problems can be avoided or overcome with relative ease, provided you know what you’re doing. Check out our top tips for a stress-free journey around the world.

Lower Your Expectations

Things won’t always go to plan while you’re travelling so don’t waste your time worrying about it. Trains will be late, ATMs will be broken and your mattress might be a bit lumpy. All of this is fine – you just need to get used to it. In England, if your food takes more than 20 minutes it’s an outrage. In Peru, if your food comes within an hour you’re having a good day. Don’t expect everything to run smoothly and don’t get annoyed when it doesn’t – be patient, it could be worse. Save your energy for the things that matter.

Cash is King

If you are travelling anywhere in Africa, Asia or Latin America, you will very quickly realise the importance of having cash on you. Most of the countries found here operate on cash-based economies and your Amex isn’t going to get you very far if you want to buy a samosa from a street vendor. ATMs can be unreliable abroad so make sure you always have a back-up stash of cash at all times.

Almost Nothing is Impossible

If you really want to do something, you can almost always find a way to do it. I’ve had people tell me certain places are impossible to get to or that all the accommodation will be full only to discover that the complete opposite was true when I got there. Where there is a will there is a way, so don’t let anyone put you off doing something just because they think it can’t be done.

Be Open-Minded

When you experience a new culture you are likely to come across things that you don’t like or don’t understand. Keep an open mind and you will have a much better time on your travels. In some cultures spitting isn’t considered disgusting and burping can actually be a compliment. Try and throw all your preconceptions out of the window before you go.

Don’t Be Scared

Nowadays, the world seems like a pretty scary place but I can assure you it is not. The vast majority of people you will meet along your travels around the world will be lovely, helpful and interesting. People are not out to get you and there aren’t homicidal maniacs hiding around every corner. If you are in a poor country then yes you might be a target for theft but this is rarely violent – they just want your expensive things and can you really blame them? The world is full of goodness and the more you travel the more you will learn this.