Travelling abroad??? a check list of do's and dont's

One thing I do is keep my major cash/documents/cards and so where they can't be seen and you don't have to get them out when you buy smaller items.
I carry 'daily' money separate so, in the event of less than nice person seeing me, they only see a small amount of cash, thus making me a lesser target.
Should I need more money or a card, I take them from my belt wallet where I can't be seen.

As for documents, I keep all on an SD card, separate from the originals.

Translate the question "Do you speak English?" into the language of the country you're in, and begin every new conversation with it. If the person you're addressing can not speak English, he or she will find you someone who does - and you will have earned brownie points by not acting like an arrogant gringo, faranje or whatever by asking in English.

I have written on my blog about travelling with my girlfriend when we were very young - twelve short reports (each identified with a capital T, in the archive menu) - when the friendly receptions we received can all be credited to our use of the appropriate languages. "The German lesson" (T-8) posted on 1st May illustrates just how far you have to go sometimes!

These are all good points for those who worry lots.
I prefer to assume all will be well, and I am happier for it.
It is a fact that those who worry about getting sick will get sick more often (vaccination or not), or that people you have shown you trust them will be more honest towards you.
(For the pessimists: I have always fared well that way - and I have probably made more friends!)

Never buy anything stolen.

When I visited a new country, I had a simple bit of paper, sticky taped up to keep it in one piece.

It had all the important words translated into the local language.

Toilet and hotel were top of the list but police, doctor and hospital were on there as well.

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Saves on laundry bills.

How is it supposed to save the laundry bills?

Hericles wrote:

How is it supposed to save the laundery bills?

Both words mean "toilet".

I still don't get it.

Hericles wrote:

I still don't get it.

But you would get to the toilet, thus saving on laundry bills.

But you're not a baby anymore.

very nice article, very helpful..

And never engage in questionable activities!

Hericles wrote:

And never engage in questionable activities!

That has to be great advice. So many people get into trouble because they do daft things.
A massive mistake is messing with weed or other drugs.
You may hold the opinion they're harmless fun but many countries hold the opinion they should pop you in front of a firing squad for bringing them into a country.
Respect local law.

Hi Sakshi,

Thank-you so much for sharing this terrific list of do's and dont's with our members. I know it will be an absolute lifesaver for many of them.

A couple of little things that I would like to add from my own experience, just to complement some of the points you mention:

Driver's License - Find out from your country's Embassy or Consulate if there is a reciprocal agreement with the country you intend to visit to recognize your country's license or if you need anything further like a notarized translation. Or if you require an International Driver's Permit (IDP). Maybe the country you intend to travel to doesn't even recognize the IDP.

Emergency Contact - Make certain to register with your country's Embassy/Consulate upon arrival, most countries maintain a list of their citizens currently in the country should there be any kind of natural disaster, civil unrest or even some emergency at home.

Travel Documents - Many countries require by law that you carry identification and travel documents with you at all times. Check upon arrival, most of these will accept CERTIFIED COPIES of these documents in place of the original. If so, get them copied and certified in that country and keep the originals in a safe place. It a much lesser problem if you lose the copies than if you lose the originals.

Cheers,
William James Woodward - Brazil Animator, Expat-blog Team

"Hericles wrote: And never engage in questionable activities!"

Well, yes and no. Being TOO good, you can miss out on some fun experiences. When my girlfriend and I were backpacking (many, many years ago) we engaged in some mild illegitimacies with respect to currency exchange and visas that make for some very happy memories now. I won't take up the space to report them here, but they are reported on my blog - in a short series written for the attention of my grandchildren. They are all identified with the letter T. T1 tells of talking our way through the border of East Germany at the wrong place, T6 of doing the same kind of thing at the end of our visit to Bulgaria, T4 of entering Russia with contraband, and also of exiting Egypt with slightly forged currency-exchange slips. T11 relates how we circumvented a ban on travel to Syria.

Again, all too good NOT to have taken a bit of a chance on. Of course a) those were less suspicious times and b) we never did the drugs scene. T9 (June 2012) is titled "Getting stoned in Alexandria", but that was about getting stoned in earnest, not just - you know - "stoned".

WjW's post reminded me of something.

Don't assume what another expat or tourist tells you is correct.
I was assured my UK driving license was valid in Indonesia - they were wrong.
I was also, 100% sure, told never to visit Indonesia. Way wrong.

mas fred wrote:

Don't assume what another expat or tourist tells you is correct.
I was assured my UK driving license was valid in Indonesia - they were wrong.

It's all about common sense, Even most of the things on the internet are either untrue, obsolete or outdated.

Most times, people who advise against visiting a whole country are speaking from total ignorance. Afghanistan and Iraq, today - OK; but I wouldn't be put off going to parts of Syria, even now.

When I was about to leave Australia in 1963 (yes, I'm that old!), a friend of my father's took me aside and seriously warned me not to come home via the USA. "You can't trust the Yanks, Gordon. Remember, the bastards killed Phar Lap."

[Phar Lap was a famous Australian racehorse who was poisoned in California in the 1930s. Some memories never die, I guess.]

Gordon Barlow wrote:

When I was about to leave Australia in 1963 (yes, I'm that old!), a friend of my father's took me aside and seriously warned me not to come home via the USA. "You can't trust the Yanks, Gordon. Remember, the bastards killed Phar Lap."

[Phar Lap was a famous Australian racehorse who was poisoned in California in the 1930s. Some memories never die, I guess.]

So, you travelled via the USA anyway? Brave boy! LOL

Or was the logic, damn, I'm not a horse so I'll be fine? hahahaha

God, that reminds me how old I really am... I remember Phar Lap too.

Cheers mate,
James

Yes, it was funny, James! Gosh, what a weird prejudice, though, eh? Actually, I might have become an American if I'd had a bit more patience. This from a blog-post of mine last February titled "Almost American":
"I almost became an American myself, back in 1965. I filled in a form at the US Embassy in London, the clerk gave me a ticket, and I sat down in a crowd and waited to be called for an interview. Half an hour later, the Tannoy called for number 23; my number was 104. Huh. Time for Plan B. Around the corner at the Canadian Embassy I filled in another form, was interviewed immediately, and a month later was living in Toronto – reunited with Linda and learning all about curling and ice-hockey."

Now, I won't even let my granddaughters change planes in Miami or Newark on their way to and from Europe, because of the wretched TSA. I would rather they fly via Toronto instead. Oh, the irony!

Too funny..... God how I love Expat-blog!!!

I was assured I'd be murdered by one of the millions of terrorists who rampage all over the extremist country we know as Indonesia.
Truth is: there are nut cases here but not many and they are far from popular.
Indonesia is a wonderful country and I would love to see more people come over and find out the truth.

I'd rather consider an expat's opinion rather than a local's.

Hericles wrote:

I'd rather consider an expat's opinion rather than a local's.

Depends on the expat in question.

I know some here who drink in dodgy boozers where the 'ladies' are less than inclined to good moral behaviour if you pay them a small fee.
These expats commonly post on forums about how 'easy' Indonesian women are and how they're all ready to get horizontal for a couple of Dollars. This is true if you hang around with gold diggers and prostitutes but the other 99.9% of Indonesian ladies are usually pretty well behaved.

Expats who see work and the inside of the car while they're been driven home or to the bar are far from worth listening to.

That's probably the same everywhere.  I've heard alot from foreigners in Hong Kong about all the strip clubs in Hong Kong, but I've never seen any.  I guess it all depends what circles you run in.

HaileyinHongKong wrote:

That's probably the same everywhere.  I've heard alot from foreigners in Hong Kong about all the strip clubs in Hong Kong, but I've never seen any.  I guess it all depends what circles you run in.

It does. I rarely see the inside of a bar and I'm less than keen on the 'foreigner' clubs in Jakarta. I've seen a couple and found them either expensive or full of gold diggers/prostitutes or both.
Not my cup of tea.
Personally, if I go out, I prefer a nice restaurant with good company.

I usually stick to the cheap restaurants.  Not a lot of gold diggers there, but then I don't think they're looking for me.

HaileyinHongKong wrote:

I usually stick to the cheap restaurants.  Not a lot of gold diggers there, but then I don't think they're looking for me.

Girls are always after me.
I assume they think I have a very big



















































wallet.