You work day in and out just so that someday you can kick your feet up that hammock and relax. Vacations are what you yearn for, all year long. You earn and save so that you won’t have to worry about the stay or the food. You indulge in exotic locations you only dreamt of as a child.
The tenure of your stay is immaterial. What matters is how well are you prepared for your stay in a location unknown to you. And though you might be an adventure freak, safety is always important. Being in touch with the people who care about you is necessary. Though your intention may be to be off the grid, being minimally connected is a good thing to do.
What steps can be taken to drive a hassle-free travel experience?
Quite often, people end up forgetting important things that single-handedly ruin their trip for worse. This makes the trip memorable though; however, for all the wrong reasons.
To prevent this downward spiral from happening, we have made a list of must-haves that ensure you have a smooth and comfortable vacation time, irrespective of where you go.
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Keep your papers handy and updated
It could be visas, your passport, tickets or even your photo identity proof. You have to make sure that you have them all on you, and that they are well within expiration dates.
The consequence of carrying outdated documents in a foreign country would not end very well for you. This is the most important step of packing for your travel and hence you have to double check it before you make a move to the airport.
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Daypack
Common rules of flying allow only a certain amount of carrying luggage. If you keep this too heavy, you may end up rummaging through your entire handy luggage for just a pair of earphones or a novel to read while flying.
To save yourself from this embarrassment, carry a small daypack. In this, you can keep your toothbrushes, pastes, earphones, tabs, etc,
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Universal adapter plug
Having this electrical device is a mandate. Without this, you will experience a hard time with all your electronic devices, including your phone. What good is a phone or a portable charger if you are unable to juice it back up?
Also, ensure that your adapter is compatible with the power sockets (outlets) used in the country you are traveling to as power plugs, sockets, electric voltage, and frequency differs from country to country.
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Chargers
Carrying an adapter and not your charger would not get your devices any juice whatsoever. Carry your chargers no matter what, so that you do not miss out on your vacation the way you want it to be.
For those who cannot live without their music or their ebooks should carry their phone and kindle chargers respectively. If you are a smoking addict then it’s better to get yourself an e-cigarette kit instead of the traditional cigarette. As e-cig gives you a good amount of puffs with just one charge so that you don’t miss your puff whenever you feel the urge to smoke. Also, vaping is a less harmful alternative to smoking and can give you a good start in quitting tobacco smoking.
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Travel money
To get anything done in the foreign land, you need to get your money sorted out. Without it, you just cannot get from point A to B with ease. Figure out the currency that works abroad, wherever it is you are planning to spend your vacation. You can also find out its most commonly used denomination.
This is because when there is an emergency, you would not want to pay extra because you did not have the change, nor would you want to run around for the change. Stay ahead of that and arrange for change beforehand.
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Take care of your Health
If you are traveling to an exotic destination you need to keep your health in check and remember all the precautions. Some countries have diseases you might not be immune to, and others have local foods that you are not used to. At all costs avoid suspicious-looking water sources and only drink purified or bottled water. Some water-borne diseases like Cholera can easily ruin your vacation. To completely avoid this make sure you are vaccinated before the trip. Vaxchora is an orally administered cholera vaccine only available with a prescription for adults and children above 6 years of age. The good thing is it’s taken orally so anyone who is afraid of syringes doesn’t have to worry.
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Arrange Pet Care
When you leave your pets behind, you have to make sure that they are taken care of. Leaving them unattended would be one of the worst things you could do to them.
There are several places these days that take quality care of your pets for as many days as you wish to stay out. You also get timely updates about your pet’s health.
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Carry Extras
You might be visiting the equatorial belt, for all we know. But carrying extra layers of clothing has never killed anybody. Transit has a tendency to get chilly and that is why carrying extra layers of clothes is never a bad idea. A hoodie or two would not eat up that much space but the comfort it would provide you in transit is impeccable.
A bit of attention is all that it takes
From chargers to woolens to papers and pets; you need to get everything in order before you bid adieu to your hometown and sit down some exotic beach sipping mojitos as carelessly as you please. Vacationing is only as good as you make it.
