While I am not expert at this I can certainly help the first-timer with my two-cents.
Now, if you’re looking for some transformational article - Abracadabra... stop reading now.
If not, go on.
Well... Alright! Here we begin.
Get up. Pack up. Go! There is a world waiting for your arrival. Good luck!
Now, if you’re looking for some transformational article - Abracadabra... stop reading now.
If not, go on.
Well... Alright! Here we begin.
- Don’t let excitement blind you -
Quite likely that the excitement would overwhelm you. Relax. Give that emotion a little time and play along. Once that’s done, begin preparing. I’m not asking you to begin packing weeks ahead. Preparation begins with visualization. Visualize your journey. This will give a direction to your planning process. Preparing for a journey is a project. Any well-executed project is a result of good planning. - Keep the first travel brief -
It’s always a good idea to keep your first solo travel brief – will help figure out what works for you and what doesn’t. Remember swimming classes with those tubes around your waist or cycling with those side-wheels? Pretty much the same. - Research. Research. Research. -
Read up as much as you can. Read up about the place. Read up about the local culture. Read up about the place’s history if you wish to give yourself better context. Read all that you can. This is the most important step. The internet has a world of information. You and I are not the first people doing this. Some hard-core travel enthusiasts have made lives incredibly simple. Spend time on their sites. I usually begin with Google and Tripadvisor and go on to blogs there after. - Make your essentials list -
Now that you have a vague idea of the weather, culture and destination, make a list of essentials. I have been around only in India and South East Asia. So my essentials looks something like this – Spare spectacles, power banks, batteries, torch-lights, mosquito-repellents, a multi-purpose piece of cloth that can act as a dupatta, a sun-protection bandana and sometimes even a bed-sheet, a raincoat/umbrella, basic toiletries, some women hygiene stuff and the like. Your essential list could be very different from mine. Take your time and make that list. - Travel light -
Clothes can wait. You don’t need 4 pairs of footwear for a week long journey. Pack less. Pack clothes and gears that you’re most comfortable in. Comfort is the most underrated style statement ever. If your trip is longer, carry clothes that dry soon and carry a few travel-friendly packets of detergents. The most hard-core backpackers that I’ve seen carry not more than 4 sets of regular wear. - Store cash in multiple places -
Quite self-explanatory. If at all something wrong happens, you are not broke. Keep debit-cards or forex cards in the most atypical places in your baggage. And remember that place! - Keep copies of important documents -
Should the worst happen, no hero is coming to help you. Keeping copies of important documents may be useful. Keep copies in multiple places – one or two in your hand-bag, one in your actual bag or backpack (I said bag not bags, consciously). Carry a few passport size photographs – sometimes you may need one even for a local sim card. - Rule of three-fourths -
Rule of three-fourths is a self-created rule for packing which is to try and pack only three-fourth the capacity of the bag. This is definitely not a universal recommendation. Works for me because I almost always end up buying souvenirs for folks in the family. Also, sometimes tossing stuff into the bag without caring to arrange will occupy more volume. Bear in mind what you might add along the way of your journey and factor-in some space. - Secure your electronics -
If travelling in monsoon or if you have the slightest suspicion that rain gods will welcome you, secure your electronics, even if your bag or camera-case is water-proof. I use transparent zip-locks. If you can’t find zip-locks use transparent plastic covers and secure them with rubber-bands. - Keep a real phone-book -
Late in the evening. New city. Phone conked off. Power bank was trying to give my phone a CPR. No charging points in the vicinity. Uncle Murphy was at his best. What saved me was that brainwave to scribble down the address and phone numbers on a piece of paper, moments before the phone died. - Maintain a journal -
No romanticizing here. I don’t mean cute notebooks and all that jazz. A simple document on your phone or a small real notebook. You might want to offload the key nuggets of your research on this journal – like which is the place you ought to visit, which train station to get off at and the like. - Trust your instincts and go with the flow -
Once you’re on the move, switch to the chill-soak-in-and-travel-mode. Don’t worry. You’ve done enough homework to keep yourself safe. Go with the flow. Take detours. Your plan is 'your' plan after all. Trust your instincts. Be aware of the worst that can happen and ensure that you’ve a risk mitigation strategy in place to handle, just in case.
Get up. Pack up. Go! There is a world waiting for your arrival. Good luck!
