8 Tips for Avoiding an Epic Travel Fail

I have not traveled the whole world yet and in fact I have only been to a few countries so take all my tips with a grain of salt and move on if it does not apply to you. This is me, bitten by the wanderlust, hoping to share some information to you that would help you avoid an epic travel fail. But know that sh*t happens and when it does at the very least you are ready to punch sh*t in the face. 

If you are like me with a passport from a 3rd world country, you would be required to secure a visa before granted entry to another country. Make sure to make copies of your passport (personal information page, pages with stamps and visas, as well as the last page). Make copies of your birth certificate, marriage certificate, land owner's certificate, bank statements, and all the other certificates and statements that any government agency or embassy would require. Before you fly, make copies of your travel itinerary too as well as important phone numbers and the like. When in doubt, just secure a copy of any document you deem bringing with you. Make sure to not put everything in one folder/envelope. What I do is to bring at least 2 envelopes with all the copies of the document and put one envelope in my checked baggage and the other envelope stays in my carry-on. Better be safe than sorry after all. You can also make another set and leave it at home or let a family member keep it for you or if you don't trust anyone, keep it in a safety deposit box. 

Make sure to label your baggage inside and outside. Sometimes outside labels get lost and if it happens that you need to prove that the bag you are claiming is really yours the inside label will save you for sure. Put only your name and phone number outside label. You can also put a sticker with your destination airport scribbled in it so in case the sticker that the counter puts in your bag gets lost in transit you will have another saving grace. I am not sure if this will work but it would not hurt if you have a label using the language of the origin and destination airports. Might be good to try eh! 

Stash a set of clothing (socks, underwear, shirt) as well as some cash and toiletries in your carry-on luggage just in case your baggage wind up in another destination. You can also bring a travelers pillow just in case you have a very long layover and you need to get some shuteye. If you paid your travel tickets using your credit card, you will be required to present that same credit card so make sure the card is in your wallet before you troop to the airport. 

When I went to Malaysia, I was not able to bring an adapter so I could charge my phones and laptop. I had to pay the price of not bringing one. As I was in dire need of one, I just bit the bullet and paid a wad of ringgit to buy it. Make sure to bring back-up chargers - should preach that to myself too. When I went to Denmark last month, my laptop charger suddenly stopped working. It didn't die on me completely but it decided to charge only after being plugged for a couple of hours or so and if I am lucky for about an hour. It would die on me again after a couple of hours. I was such in unspeakable misery as I needed to work from home for a week. Don't make that mistake - bring a back-up for all your gadgets to keep you sane. You can also bring a power bank aside from the spare chargers and travel adapter. 

Prepare your own first aid kit (cotton balls, gauze pads, adhesive bandage, alcohol, povidone iodine, small scissors, tweezer, standard ointments especially for burns and fungal infection, bandage wraps for sprains, respiratory mask, water purification tablets among others). Get vaccinated before you fly depending on your destination. Bring copies of your prescriptions and a couple of medicines and vitamins. I usually bring Bonamine for when I feel nausea while travelling, Bioflu for when I feel my nose is itchy and my throat scratchy, Imodium for when you unfortunately have LBM, some antihistamine for unexpected allergy attack, cough drops, some aspirin and ibuprofen. I usually buy brands that have worked for me before. 

You can download the following to your phone or tablet: Weatherpro, Flighttrack, XE Currency, Packing Pro, Skyscanner, HostelWorld, Hailo, Waze, PinDrop, FoodSpotting, Museums Mobile, FourSquare, WiFi Finder, Qatar Airways or your airline app, and etc. 

Some embassies require you to purchase travel insurance before they grant you a visa. If you will not be required, it would still be good to have an insurance just in case your flight gets delayed, your luggage lands to a different destination, and other unforeseen circumstances that would ruin your dream vacation. Just go get insured. No ifs or buts. Now! 

You have done your research and everything is in order. Now all you need to do is to make sure to enjoy your vacation. You will travel best when you are most relaxed so don't sweat the small stuff. Trust that everything will be under control. Safe travels!