Travel Tips

Here are a few helpful tips when you're traveling:

• Travel light. It is a pain in the butt to lug your gear around. You shouldn't have to bring more than a backpack or a suitcase unless you have to bring some specialized equipment with you.
  
• Avoid the US. Unless you're traveling to or from the United States. Try your best to change your flight in any other country. It is a lot of hassle for international travellers with the current security procedure in place. If you cannot avoid it, give yourself at least two hours, or you'll likely miss your connecting flight. Fortunately, if you miss your connecting flight due to the lineup at the re-checkin gate, most airlines will allow you to change your flight to a later time.
  
• Bring US dollar. US dollar is still the most widely accepted currency of the world. Although Euro is gaining popularity, it is still completely useless in quite a few developing countries.
  
• Be cautious on your first day of arrival. The chance of you meeting a really friendly local who invites you home on your day of arrival into a major city is remote. You're taking a huge risk by accepting the invitation.
  
• Take overnight buses. An easy way to save money is to take long distance overnight buses. If you have to travel for eight to twelve hours anyway, why not take an overnight bus to save on accommodation cost.
  
• If a hotel has its own website or email address, you can usually make a reservation with no deposit directly with them. Otherwise if you are using a booking website like hotel.com, you will have to pay a deposit, which is actually just the commission to the website, in advance.
  
• If you want to stay in a hostel, you would usually have the choice to stay in a Hosteling International (HI) or an independent hostel. HI hostels are usually the most expensive hostels you will find in town. The only good things about them are that they are clean and email reservations are not forgotten.
  
• If you are staying in a hostel, bring a sleeping bag. Some hostels charge their guests for the use of bed linens.

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