Traveling is fun, but what makes it even more fun is when you get to reduce the hassles associated with it. It’s not particularly hard, you just have to be resourceful and know clever tips and tricks around obstacles. Let’s take a look at some of them.
Travel During the Off-Season
It’s almost a no-brainer to want to go to a vacation spot during summer but why not try to go there when the least number of people are there? That’s the secret of frequent travelers that you need to use during your travels. Far too often, we fall into the marketing ploy of “discounts” during peak season when they’re normally at full price. Not to mention, it’s harder to book during popular vacation seasons too.
Talk to your office to see if you can schedule a holiday right before the vacation season starts. There are fewer people, the staff of most resorts and hotels are far more amicable because there’s less stress, and it’s generally a better pleasant experience having to tussle with fewer obstacles.
Learn the Country’s Condiments
The secret to a country’s cuisine is not just with the main ingredients, but with the spices and condiments that they use. When you’re traveling, take the opportunity to familiarize yourself with their spices and condiments. It’s the best souvenir you’ll ever bring home: the understanding that bringing their flavor to your home isn’t just through cooking their cuisine but utilizing their ingredients.
You might find the Filipino patis a better fit for your seafood, or you might enjoy the different types of spiciness that wasabi can give. The idea is that you’re learning what works for their cuisine that you can use with yours. Not to mention that you’ll most likely be able to find culture-specific condiments in the foreign section in your grocery. Only this time, you’ll know how to make the most out of it.
Always Book While in “Private Mode”
Here’s a technical secret you might not know about: when using a browser to make bookings, use the private mode or incognito mode. Many travel sites track what you’re checking when you come to their site. With your cookies in your browser, these booking sites can prevent you from searching for lower prices.
That’s why it’s smarter to look for deals while on private mode as it resets your cookies every time you use it. Try this tip the next time you’re booking either a flight or a hotel and you might save a significant amount of money.
Use Smartphones to their Full Extent
We all have smartphones, and we bring them along everywhere. Especially during travels, your smartphone can be your best companion. From taking videos of amazing moments to taking pictures with newfound friends, your smartphone has a lot of uses that you need to take advantage of. But when it comes to practicality (especially during times when you might be needing serious assistance), smartphones can save you in a pinch too! Here’s what you can do with them.
Real-Time Translation of Written Language. Many of us are already aware that Google has a somewhat reliable translation tool that you can use to communicate with people of different nationalities. However, what you might not know is that you can now take pictures of a different language and have them translated into one that you understand. No need to worry when traveling to countries like Japan or Thailand, where they use different characters for their language!
There are Offline Maps. Another thing that’s common knowledge is maps. Our smartphones can use the internet to access a map anywhere in the world- but you can download those maps. Downloading maps help you in moments where you don’t have internet access, which will often happen if you travel enough.
Keep Pictures of Important Paperwork on Your Phone. Forgetting important paperwork like passports and other IDs happens frequently when you’re traveling constantly. While it’s still best to keep them inside your bag at all times, a good way to have another proof of them is to take a picture of them and always keep it in your phone.
Use Military-Grade Phone Cases. The last thing you want is to accidentally drop your phone and see that the screen is smashed and you have no way to contact friends and family. That’s why it’s important to use military-grade phone cases. If you don’t like constantly carrying around a bulky phone, at least consider it when you’re traveling overseas.
