{"id":12910,"date":"2020-07-16T11:39:07","date_gmt":"2020-07-16T11:39:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordsandimages.battleface.com\/?p=12910"},"modified":"2022-02-15T13:16:21","modified_gmt":"2022-02-15T13:16:21","slug":"dont-be-like-me-the-pitfalls-every-traveller-needs-to-avoid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/dont-be-like-me-the-pitfalls-every-traveller-needs-to-avoid\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t be like me: the pitfalls every traveller needs to avoid"},"content":{"rendered":"Approx read: <\/span> 3<\/span> mins<\/span><\/span>

When you\u2019re in a foreign country – alone, on a budget and with little support network – basic gaffes can seriously hit your wallet. Or, even worse, your health.<\/h3>\n

Who hasn\u2019t poured orange juice on their cereal? Or realised they\u2019d left their keys in the flat as the door slams behind them?<\/p>\n

Mistakes are a part of life. It\u2019s how you deal with them that counts.<\/p>\n

Fear not, because in my nine years on the road, I\u2019ve managed to make almost every mistake in the book. And I\u2019m here to tell you how to avoid them.<\/p>\n

From falling prey to shark-like taxi drivers to getting injured with no insurance, these are some of the most common pitfalls faced by travellers.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Deciding to stay up all night to catch that early morning flight<\/span><\/h4>\n

This always sounds like a great idea at the time. Why waste time sleeping when I can hit the town and then grab a taxi to the airport at 5am?<\/p>\n

And it is a good idea, until you get past check in and realise you\u2019re going to have to wait in the security queue for two hours feeling like an extra from The Walking Dead.<\/p>\n

A full night\u2019s sleep is better than a few hours. But a solitary hour is better than none. Get your rest while you can.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Waiting for Arrivals to arrange transportation<\/span><\/h4>\n

Airport taxi drivers can be a cut-throat bunch. And if you\u2019re fresh off the plane, still acclimatising to the heat and unsure of the local geography, you\u2019re in for a rough ride.<\/p>\n

Arranging transport beforehand is one option. So is doing some rudimentary research on how much you should expect to pay. Either way, arrive prepared.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Choosing \u2018posh\u2019 restaurants to avoid food poisoning<\/span><\/h4>\n

In developing countries you often have two options: eat like a local on the street or eat like a tourist in a swanky restaurant. But which one increases the risk of food poisoning?<\/a><\/p>\n

Surprisingly, it\u2019s not that obvious. Street food stalls often have a high-turnover of hungry diners meaning the food is pretty fresh. An \u2018upmarket\u2019 restaurant, meanwhile, may be hiding truly abominable food hygiene practices behind its swanky facade.<\/p>\n

Read reviews online and, if in doubt, eat where the locals do.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Getting sick before thinking of healthcare options<\/span><\/h4>\n

I\u2019ve (fortunately) only been stricken by relatively minor ailments during my time on the road. But both times I\u2019ve found myself traipsing the streets trying to find a pharmacy or a walk-in clinic in 35-degree heat. And feeling rather sorry for myself about it.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t gamble with your health. Get appropriate cover – ideally, with an insurer that can recommend hospitals, clinics and pharmacies nearby – to ensure injury or illness is dealt with quickly and professionally.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Forgetting your passport at the hotel<\/span><\/h4>\n

You had a bit of a heavy night but you rose early, packed your bags and hopped on a bus to the airport. Anything you\u2019re forgetting? Nah.<\/p>\n

Oh yes, your passport: the sole piece of documentation which will allow you to actually go home today. And where is it exactly? Behind reception at your hotel – an hour\u2019s drive across town. Looks like another night in Bangkok then.<\/p>\n

Or maybe this one\u2019s just me?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When you\u2019re in a foreign country – alone, on a budget and with little support network – basic gaffes can seriously hit your wallet. Or, even worse, your health. Who hasn\u2019t poured orange juice on their cereal? Or realised they\u2019d left their keys in the flat as the door slams behind them? Mistakes are a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":12920,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1064,298],"tags":[567,520,145,1212,1293,864],"class_list":["post-12910","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-solo-travel","category-travel-tips","tag-medical-expenses","tag-solo-travel","tag-travel-insurance","tag-travel-safety-tips","tag-travel-tips","tag-world-travellers"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12910","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12910"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12910\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12968,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12910\/revisions\/12968"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12920"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12910"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12910"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12910"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}