Your Trip Guru

Travelling abroad has become easier, more affordable and more enjoyable in the recent times with the development of the tourism industry. A lot more people have started to visit foreign nations for sight-seeing or business relations. In this article, I will mostly consider people who are going out for vacation trips although most of the content holds for business travellers as well.

1. The first thing you would like to look at, obviously, is which country you are going to and the general information about the country like weather, expenses, language, tourist places, culture, people special attractions like festivals etc.

2. Once you have decided where to go, which is mostly based on expenses and attractions, you must know how to tackle the language problem. If you are going to an English speaking country and you can read this article with ease, then you need not worry about it. But, if you are going to France, Spain or especially China, then you better carry a handbook or look for a local guide. You should ensure that a local translator is available to avoid getting into trouble. And seriously, if you are stuck in a foreign land with no one around you who can understand your language, at best you would want to cry.

3. Another very important factor is food. Its no harm trying out their food but if it just doesn’t suit you, consider carrying some food stuff with you to make you survive for the duration of the trip. More importantly, if you are a vegetarian, make sure you know some of the vegetarian restaurants around before you go to that place. It helps a lot.

4. Make a list of the travel destinations you would like to visit and figure out how many days you would need to cover them. This can be done by any travel agent or travel planner. All the information is available on the internet.

5. Carry all essentials which you would need daily, ample clothing according to weather conditions and very importantly essential medicines for emergency use. Also, carrying a swiss knife is very handy. Do not stuff your luggage bags to full capacity so that you have some space to bring back whatever you have shopped. Take care of the luggage weight limitations while packing.

6. Try to find out some vulnerable factors about the culture of the country which might get you into trouble for example in China never say anything against the government. The French respect their language a lot.

And..
Have a nice flight!!

• To beat jetlag, book an overnight flight or one that arrives in the evening when travelling east so you can either catch your sleep on the flight or as soon as you get in to your destination.

• To prevent the swelling of feet as is wont to happen on long flights, walk in the aisle at intervals and try not to take off your shoes.

• Refrain from OD-ing on the free booze when on a flight, as too much alcohol causes dehydration. Tank up instead on aqua-pura.

• When making flight reservation, remember to request for special meals if you have any food restrictions.

• After September 11, airlines follow very strict security procedures. So make sure you reach the airport for check in well before departure time. Its best to check with the airline regarding how much in advance you should be at the airport.

• If your baggage does not arrive on the same flight as you, fill out a Property Irregularity Report (PIR), with a description of the baggage, a list of contents and address to which it should be forwarded. If your baggage does not arrive at all, place a claim with the airline within 21 days.

• Overbooking is a fact of life in the airline industry. If you are not in a particular hurry to get to your destination then volunteer to give your seat up and take the next flight. The airline will provide you a hotel room and other frills, so you can end up having an extended vacation at the airlines expense!

• Do not accept any package from a stranger.

• For a smooth ride on a plane, choose the seats located near the wings as if the plane hits an air pocket, this is where you will get the least amount of bumps.

• If you are planning to watch the in flight movie, choose the fourth or fifth row from the screen to avoid getting a neck cramp.

• If you are prone to motion sickness, take an anti sickness pill before the flight. The pill won’t help much, if you have it after you have started feeling sick!

• Abide by the list of items prohibited on board and carry most items like skis/cues/walking canes/sticks/Swiss knives in checked in baggage - this smoothens the check-in process plus avoids the risk of confiscation and unnecessary delays.

• Last and this is equally important - report any unattended items in the airport or aircraft to the nearest airport or airline personnel.
  

• Keep track of the weather at your destination and be prepared, especially if you are going to a hurricane prone area.

• Make your hotel reservations in advance, especially if you are visiting a place in peak season. You don’t want to be caught without a roof over your head!

• Negotiating room tariffs over the phone? Call the hotel twice to confirm the rates. Note down the name of the person you have talked to and request a written/faxed confirmation. This way you can be sure that you will not be wrongly billed by the hotel.

• Don’t depend solely on the hotel’s alarm service. Carry your own little alarm clock to catch an early morning flight or that pre-dawn sightseeing trip.

• When you check into your hotel, ask the reception to give you a card with the hotel’s name address and telephone number. This will come in handy if you get lost or forget the name of your hotel.

• Check whether your hotel has a hair-dryer, iron, coffee percolator, etc, to avoid carrying these gadgets and also making it easy to skip the 110/220 conversion problem when travelling to foreign countries.

• Most hotels frown on guests doing their own laundry in the bathrooms, but if you do need to wash some smalls, carry a length of nylon twine to improvise a clothesline.

You would want to travel to the Philippines? If you have it is top to take these traveling tips with you to make your knowledge have fewer irritate. Remembering these tips will actually get better your chances of enjoying the Philippines.

General information

Filipinos are somewhat open. They would be thankful for it if you were polite and soft during your discussion. Also stay away from criticizing them in public because just like in any culture, self-esteem is valued. Filipinos love talking about their families.

Clothing

The Philippine’s climate is quite hot and moist. Be prepared tow age clothes that are geared for the summer. You would seem pretty unintelligent and charred to dress too hot for a very hot day; if not of course you really want to perspire to lose weight.

Transportation ways

(1). Taxis – you would have to pay the basic P25 flag down rate and P2 for every 200 meters. Taxis can be found almost anywhere and you can even ask the hotel to get you a cab. Be sure that the meter is turned on when you ride a cab. There are lots of taxi drivers out to fool foreigners so be aware. Try to give a 10% tip for the drivers.

(2).Buses – if you want to have a ride that is like in the movie “Speed 1”, try riding the Philippine Buses. The drivers are a bit risky. The regular and air-conditioned buses travel in all major routes in Metro Manila, except Roxas Boulevard. The fare for air-conditioned buses is P10.00 and will have an additional P2 for every kilometer. A regular bus rate on the other hand is P9 and has additional P1 for very kilometer. Tell the conductor where you will be going and the conductor will tell you how much to pay. Keep the receipt because it is your proof that you have paid.

(3). Jeep neys –the Jeepneys are the transportation to use for secondary roads and some travel the major roads as well. A tourist should try to ride this because it’s considered to be the Philippines National vehicle. The fee is P4.00 for a minimum of 4 kilometers. You would then need to pay 50 cents for the succeeding 500 meters. When you are ready to go down just shout “Pa-ra” and lift off.

(4). LRT – it is a fast and cheap way of transportation. Aside from the LRT there is also an MRT station that has the same concept. They are a pretty good ride; they only have lots of people especially on rush hours.