During my first international travel, I came across several predicaments that introduced some frustration, sometimes. Well, it might not be frustration; instead, particular thinking: “If I had these things, my trip would have been better.”
Then, I decided to write a post on my realization so that I could keep a note for my learning motivation. At the same time, my readers would benefit if they could get a chance to understand what it feels like before making their first travel.
If you’re already a traveler, then I have nothing to teach you. Instead, I can learn valuable lessons from you. Write your tips in the comment section so that I can be more enlightened.
Enough of the intro. Now jump into my diary.
Language – multiple languages could be more helpful
Although I’m not a native, I can speak English very well. I thought it was enough to have the ability to speak only in English as it’s considered an international language with a community of 1.5 billion (20% of the world’s population).
Think what?
I have been proved wrong. Fatally wrong. In Thailand, first of all, I faced a big-time challenge communicating as Thai people aren’t accustomed to English. Furthermore, I met people from different parts of the world who gave me a bland look when I tried to start a conversation in English.
Therefore, I got my first lesson: add a few languages to your horde. In European countries, every territory holds a particular language, and they don’t love to talk in English. Should I start learning every language of them – Portuguese, Dutch, Italian, Russian?
Not actually. What I should do (in my view) is to start learning a few. It might be French, German, Spanish, or whatever easy and fun to learn. What do I want to do with this skill? I mean, what’s my goal here?
It’s simple. It will open more opportunities for me. An opportunity to connect with more people than none. Let’s just say; I’ve met five different who come from different countries with their own mother tongue. Chances are now I can talk to one or two of them in their native language (if I know a couple of languages except English.)
I haven’t decided yet which languages to learn. I will do my search and figure out what to get started with. Hmmm…I’ll share my experience later with you. Okay?
Bike riding (easy to learn, easier to go places)
In many countries, you can rent a bike or scooter for as many days as you want. To do that you need to have two things:
1. You must have an international driving license
2. You need to know how to ride a bike.
For riding a motorbike, it’s a prerequisite that you know how to run that properly. But for scooters, it’s easy. If you know how to ride a bicycle, running a scooter won’t be a hard task.
Gear (small things you need to keep with you)
When I was going into a swimming pool, I felt like taking some photos under the water. Then I realized I had no protection for my phone. Gracefully, my friend brought a plastic cover that is super protective. So, here is another lesson: don’t forget your gear while you’re out there wandering.
GoPro (the hypnotic invention for modern photography)
This is something magical, I must say. A small device with so much hidden strength. You can’t imagine how vivid the images are until you’ve seen them. The image quality is just WOW! How widely the surroundings are being covered, you will be amazed after seeing the final output.
For adventure travel like hiking or swimming, a GoPro can make your trip even more notable. Not to say that the wide-angle photo capturing capability will give you the perfect landscape you’ve been cherishing for.
Thinking about how messy it could be to set up everything on that tiny screen? GoPro has a mobile app that allows you to configure your settings from there via Bluetooth connection.
So, yes. Buy a GoPro now. I suggest this tool, especially for solo travelers & YouTubers. Notably, the size of a GoPro is perfect for light backpacking.
DSLR (is it obsolete? NO.)
This is not recommended for solo wanderers. But if you can manage to keep a DSLR with you, it will help you to keep your memories in a beautiful manner.
For image quality, perfect light consumption, shutter speed, better control, and changing lenses based on the environment – the utility of a DSLR camera is always above every other photo shooting option.
Tripod – the best friend for solo (Instagram) travel photos
A tripod can be your good friend when you’re on solo travel. There are lightweight tripods to carry with you, and you know what? It could be a great savior for taking photos when there’s none around you. Or, you can take pictures with your favorite poses. That seems amazing!!! Ha?
With the combination of a tripod and self-timer, you could easily create some memories to show the world, and everybody will be asking you, “Who took the photo?”
Selfie Stick (be your own photographer)
A must-have tool for Instagrammers. With a simple selfie stick, you can take amazing photos without asking anyone’s help. My experience is like I was on the top of Tiger Cave Temple (370 meters high) I had to ask Mary, an Australian girl, to capture a photo of mine, thanks Mary.
Not only there, but I also had to ask other people to help me take a snap in different places. You see, if I had a selfie stick, I wouldn’t have to ask anybody. By the way, for your favorite poses, sometimes you have to seek help from others, and that’s normal.
A selfie stick with a GoPro will give you more freedom than you could think of because the outcome will be something delicate and super brilliant.
These are some gears that came into my mind for now. I may write a detailed post on this later.
Kayaking (learn while you can)
In many countries, kayaking is a common thing, I guess. If you have a chance, don’t miss to learn it. In Thailand and other places where there are islands, you can take self-trips to wherever you want to go. The regular boat trip is costly. Not only can you save money by kayaking, but you’ll get more freedom to go to places you like – no boundaries.
Fitness (could be the best investment.)
Fitness is something you can call an asset or superpower. Yeah, seriously. When you’re traveling, you have to move from place to place. Sometimes you might not have a chance to sleep all night, and you have to wake up in the early morning. You might not get your favorite food everywhere you go. On top of these casual things, there are other physical activities: hiking, kayaking, swimming, and more.
I have an IBS condition & I’m not energetic. That’s why I couldn’t enjoy all my trips perfectly. I get tired quickly. So I decided to take care of my health with more caution.
Local language
This is obviously a tough thing, for sure. I mean, there are thousands of languages, and how many of can you learn? And, it’s not worth your effort unless you are supposed to be in that place for a long time, like for a job or something.
And by the local language, I didn’t mean the dialect or regional speaking; just the primary language of a country (French, Hindi, Portuguese, etc.) If you learn the popular languages be it Arabic or Spanish, or others that are being used by a large population, you will understand how helpful it is while you’re out there in the wide-open world. In the case of other languages, what I suggest instead is learning a few phrases. Say, you’re going to Thailand for two weeks. It’s not worth it to become a pro in that language.
Wherever you go, get some phrases by heart to make a workable communication. Here are some ideas for you:
Hello
Thank you
Pardon/sorry
What’s your name?
I’m_________________(your name)
How much
Food (rice, noodles, tea, etc.)
Where’s the hospital/restaurant?
What’s this?
Number (it’s crucial)
Goodbye
Where is the restroom (I can’t tell you how critical it is. LOL)
Even knowing a few words, you can realize how easy it is when people don’t understand a single English word.
English