Tips for an International Vacation

Most of you devoted readers (all 2.5 who I know of!) have considerable experience with international travel, so it's not like this is new to you, but in anticipation of our upcoming vacation (T MINUS LESS THAN THREE WEEKS), I thought I'd write about important things to consider when traveling to another country.

In late August we are going to Hong Kong and Singapore.  This trip will be unique for both of us: first time in Asia (albeit extremely Western-friendly, but still), and first time in such big cities with different cultures and laws.  {Note to self: Do not jaywalk in Singapore.}

Why these places?  Well, it's time to add the Asian continent to our list, and both cities seem so intriguing, while remaining manageable in a shorter timeframe.  Because of our work, the long Africa vacation was an anomaly; this vacation needed to be closer to one week than to two.  We can reasonably explore both cities and fit in travel time and jet lag recovery before going back to work.

Prepping for this trip is a breeze compared to Africa, but there are still many ducks to get in a row before flying out.  Just for fun, here is our list.

MUST HAVES

*antibiotics, just in case

*probiotics, to help with digestion

*Pepto Bismol tablets, ditto (every morning with breakfast like clockwork.  Trust me, it does the trick.)

*passport

*all necessary shots (and shot records!)

*face masks (yes, really.  Because of fires in that general area, we may need them in both cities.)

*camera

*battery chargers

*outlet do-hickies to convert the electricity in different countries (FYI, Asia is different from Europe; Africa is different from both.)

*band aids

*Purrell

*Painkiller (for us it's Ibuprofen)

*books & music for entertainment on plane (cannot stress this enough for long flights)

*comfy shoes

*layered clothes - always

*U.S. embassy contact information

*Alert your credit card company of the specific countries you will be in


NICE TO HAVES

*money in the local currency before you enter the country.  If possible, predict how much you will need for special tips (guides, drivers, bribes if applicable, waiters, etc.).  Have a good grasp on the exchange rate (England = sucks!, Zambia = miraculous!)

*snacks/food in case we get in a culinary bind.  (G in Africa = a culinary bind).  Travel-friendly and customs-friendly foods are the best, such as CLIF bars and packaged pretzels.  Fruit is not a good idea when crossing country lines because of agricultural restrictions.  Not even dried fruit.

*cell phone (not going to happen on this trip)

*laptop (not going to happen on this trip)


TIPS

*Pack only the minimum amount of clothes you think you will need and only fill your suitcase half full to allow room for souvenirs and unexpected purchases (hmmm I wonder why we have so much crap in our house!!!!!).  For example, G and I always take 4 suitcases and only pack a bit in each one.  They are usually more full on the return flight, and we spread out all of our goodies so in case some of our bags get lost, not all of our stuff is gone.

*Try to learn the top cultural issues in advance.  I'm not a researcher, so I leave this to G and our travel agent.  But regardless of who does it or how it happens, we make sure to learn the do's and don'ts before leaving the U.S. (Note to self: night markets in Hong Kong will so not be like night markets in Waikiki.  Be careful and be smart.)

*Stay aware of any travel warnings or U.S. State Department alerts.

*Talk to people who have visited these countries before (or bombard your travel agent with questions).  What off-the-beaten-path things do they recommend?  What typical touristy things do they say are not worth your time?  What are the safety concerns?

*Try to blend in.  Sometimes it is possible (London!) and sometimes it is not (Zimbabwe!), but do what you can so that you will not stand out or become an easy target.

*Make a list of presents you need to buy.  This is important because we are Type A and usually use our annual vacation as a way to get Christmas presents for our family/friends.  Since we can't take our phones (our usual list keepers!), and since our brains are so rattled on long trips, we make a list on paper in advance.  This way we remember our important peeps.  :)

Happy Traveling!