Travel Tips

Morocco may be in everyone’s wish list to travel to as this country has all the irresistible tourist attractions. But, you need to read this Morocco travel tips below to make your trip a perfect one.

1. The vaccines is not mandatory

The vaccine in Morocco is not a mandatory; it’s more of a personal choice. If you prefer on the safe side, you can get inoculated against some diseases, including rabies, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B. However, many people who go there without vaccines just come home healthy as they can be.

2. Dirham is the local currency

The currency in Morocco is Dirham, which is now worth almost USD 10. Compared to other currencies, dirham is quite steady and stable. If you take money from ATM, most certainly you will get dirham. Mind about the 3 percent for foreign transaction fee and remember to allocate certain money for that in yout budget. To make sure that your debit or credit card will work in Morocco, don’t forget to call your bank before leaving.

3. Moroccans speak Arabic plus other languages

The languages used by Moroccans are Arabic, Berber, English, and French. However, maybe you will hear Arabic at most parts, and some signs are probably also in Arabic. Besides Arabic, French can be your choice, though in fact many Moroccans understand English.

4. Follow some rules

You should not do anything that is socially important with your left hands, including eating and shaking hands. Moroccans are mostly Muslims and they assume that left hands are unclean. Also, in Moroccan culture, women must dress modestly. Avoid wearing hotpants and tanktops. It also depends to the places you visit. The countryside tends to be more conservative than the big cities.

5. Visa is not needed for almost all English-speaking countries

Except South Africa, all English-speaking countries can enter Morocco and cam stay up to 90 days without visa. What you need to pay more attention is your passport. If you’re a citizen of US, your expiration date must be after the day you return, and if you’re a citizen of England, your passport must be valid for 6 months after your departure date.
Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

When you hear Mongolia, what comes first in your mind? The desert and the camels, or the mountains? No matter what, Mongolia has plenty places to explore. But, if you really want to travel here, you must read carefully these Mongolia travel tips below.

1. Trust on how your driver navigates you

Where you are in a vehicle with a driver, what you need to do is sit down and enjoy the scenery and view along the way, without needing to worry about how and where he will bring you to. Most drivers in Mongolia are greatly skilled at navigating, so it’s better if you just put down your maps, GPS, or anything. You just sit there and enjoy the journey. However, if they drive too fast, you can ask them to slow down.

2. Beware of the relaxed time

In Mongolia, time is relaxed. They don’t pay much attention to time. If you need to be on time on certain occasion, for example, if you catch a flight, be sure to emphasize it to them. If not, the time can be some minutes or hours more than what you expected.

3. Spend some time with the local kids

Yes, they are cute and friendly. But it’s better to ask permission from the parents and family if you want to take picture.

4. Be prepared for long car rides

The rides in Mongolia are mostly loooong. The vans are mostly equipped with stereo systems that can play cassettes. Remember, it’s cassettes, not CDs or DVDs. So, if you plan to travel here, it is good if you bring your old cassettes along. Meds are also recommended for those who get easily car-sick.

5. Make friends

Many people from many countries (which are far away) have been in Mongolia for a long time. You can make a bound of a good friendship with them.

6. Make a visit to a nomadic family

It is very possible that you meet the nomadic family on your rides. If so, make sure you stop and talk to them. Mongolians are happy to share view minutes with visitors. You will be offered a seat and some milk tea. Take a sip at minimum, at least, to show your appreciation. And if you intend to visit them, make sure you bring small gifts they don’t have as it is customary. You can bring anything like candies, toys, or anything.

7. Bring quality camera

A decent camera is a must to capture the greatness of this country. Yes, because this city is epic and you must capture it epically too.

8. Be prepared to skip shower

It is so hard to shower regularly when you have Mongolia travel trip, so bring a kind of dry shampoo if you are a bit fussy. Or, well, deodorant maybe?

Besides Mongolia, maybe you also want to visit some other places in Asia.

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

What people know about Bali is that it is one of the best places to visit in South East Asia and one of the most tourist-friendly. However, to avoid any money problems and hassles during your travel in Bali, here is the guide that you must follow thoroughly:

1. Have $35 cash for Visa on Arrival

The Visa on Arrival is a 30-day visa which used to cost $25. Now it is $35 for those coming from Canada, US, Australia, and most of the European countries. Preparing cash at the exact amount and good condition will keep you from hassles.

2. Prepare Rp 200,000 for Departure Tax

If most international airports include the departure tax in the ticket price, Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport doesn’t have the same rule. The tax has risen from Rp 150,000 to Rp 200,000. After you change the money for the first time, it’s better if you set aside the money for the departure tax.

3. Exchange rupiahs when you arrive in Bali

Changing rupiahs outside Bali or Indonesia seems to be a bad idea. There seems to be a huge difference between the selling and buying rates for IDR outside Indonesia. It is recommended that you exchange your money when you arrive in Bali or you use your ATM to withdraw cash in local currency in the island.

4. Dollars for much more IDR

If you come from other places like Thailand, for example, it’s better if you exchange the Thai Bath you have into dollars while you’re in Thailand and after that exchange them into IDR. This way will give you more IDR than if you directly exchange the Thai Bath in Indonesia.

5. Remove three zeros from prices to avoid confusion

The exchange rate for 1 dollar is about 12,000. Exchanging $100 will make you feel like a millionaire. To avoid confusion while seeing merchandize or menu prices is by removing the three zeros. It’s quite funny but it works.

6. Pay close attention while exchanging money

Money changers in Bali can be a bit fraudulent by reducing the amount of dollars that should you get using their sleight of hand tactics. Don’t take your eyes off the bill while exchanging the money and dnt let them leave your hands until after you double-check your money.
Source: siamandbeyond.com

Malaysia consists of people with different ethnics, cultures, and religions. Though the Malayness Muslims are the dominant, there are also citizens Indian and Chinese origins with different religions. The multicultural aspects can be seen from the buildings and the surrounding neighborhood which has also influence from Arab, Persian, European, and British Empire.

When you visit this country, remember that the rules and taboos are different with yours. Here is the guide of what you can do and cannot do when visiting Malaysia.

The Dos When You Visit Malaysia

1. Shaking hands of the men you meet, but never on women unless they offer it first to you. The traditional (Islamic) handshake uses both hands without any grasp. The Malaysian greet visitors by placing their right hand on your left chest to show that they greet you from the heart.

2. When you enter a house, don’t ever forget to take off your shoes. It is a tradition. You also need to do this when visiting religious buildings, like a temple or a mosque.

3. You will need to use your right hand to give or receive things. Eating also must be done using the right hand. You will be considered discourteous if doing all this stuff with left hands.

4. Things like pens, watches, cameras, portable radio-cassette players, lighters, perfumes, and cosmetics are duty-free in Malaysia. You will be required for temporary importation of dutiable goods which will be refundable on departure.

5. There is a limitation of ringgit you can bring in and out of Malaysia. So, if you need ringgit in large amount, you must convert the currency in Malaysia.

The Don’ts When You Visit Malaysia

1. The head is considered a sacred body part. So, don’t ever touch one’s hand unless you want them to consider you a rude person.

2. When pointing, Malaysian uses the thumb of the right hand with four fingers folded, and not use the forefinger.

3. Never point your feet toward people or sacred images.

4. If you are female, don’t ever wear your hot pants and vests at mainland beach. Never think of having topless sunbathing. In Malay, women swim with their full dress and often with their headscarf too.

5. Never kiss in public because it is considered rude. Also, refrain yourself from having public display of affection, which include embracing or kissing in public.

6. If you are a woman, do not touch or hand something to a monk. Even accidentally brushing their robes will require you to fast and perform religious cleansing ritual.

7. Muslim women will probably refuse to shake your hand because they only do that with the same sex. Don’t get offended.

8. Do not be embarrassed by burping or belching during because it is acceptable in Malaysia.

9. Do not drink alcohol because the Muslim dominating population do not drink it.

Besides Malaysia, you also want to go to Japan? Click here to know the best places to visit in Japan.

Source: www.traveltaboo.com

Backpacking in Europe is what everyone in the world wants. It’s like you are adult when you’ve been backpacking there. However, here are some of the tips you should read before starting your Europe backpacking journey.

Choose the Right Backpack

Choosing a good backpack is like an investment, no matter how long you will go. You should find a backpack which has strong internal frame (external frame can make the backpack looks bulky). You also need to consider the straps which are well-padded to help transfer the weight from the back/shoulder to the hip.

A front loading backpack which allows you to access the inside without needing to dig is better than the top loading. You have to choose backpack based on your body weight, shape, and height. Many people tend to choose bigger backpack but in fact it can cause pain and injury if it does not suit your body.

A backpack which is attached with smaller backpack is also a nice choice because it can make it easier for you to move from one place to another. If there are locks to secure your stuff, that will a plus point.

What to Pack

You need to bring clothes to wear under one week because during the traveling, you can laundry every one or two weeks. There are some ways to pack and you can choose based on your preferences. Remember the season of the place you visit. Is Europe winter or summer now? If you stay for a long period, you can send home some stuff that you no longer need.

Because you will stay in hostels, you must bring your pillow case, bed sheet, flip flop, cooking utensils and pot, toiletries, and detergent. Rather than umbrella, you can also bring a light windbreak or rain jacket with a hood. Pack your copy of travel documents (and send via email the scans of them). Since Europe is big, bring with you a guidebook for the references of places to go.

Are You Backpacking Alone or with Friends?

1. Backpacking Alone:

– Pros: independent, tend to meet more new people, have a chance to find “yourself’
– Cons: you have to bring everything you need by yourself because you have no one to share with

2. Backpacking with friends:

– Pros: you have someone to share the needs and someone to laugh or have fun with
– Cons: it will need a lot of patience because everyone has their own wants and needs (tips: before going discuss some important things, including the travel goals, budget, destination, and pace.

Budgeting

Budgeting will include the accommodation, where to go, and when to go, and all. Read 6 Budget Travel Tips to Europe for more information.

Source: www.divinecaroline.com

Many people, when in Amsterdam, like to wear Amsterdam hats or carry gift boxes from Heineken Experience or Van Gogh Museum. There are a lot of recommended things to do while you’re in Amsterdam. However, you should skip doing these things below if you don’t want be a stereotypical tourist in Amsterdam.

1. Take a picture in front of the sign of “I amsterdam”

It’s apparent that the Amsterdam government effort by spending a lot of money to build a half-meter red and white sign saying “I amsterdam” is not in vain. This sign has now become the magnet for tourists. There are a lot of tourists taking photograph here with the same pictures, which in the end annoy the locals because they can’t enjoy the cycle lanes as they are blocked by the tourists.

2. Have a day trip to Valendom

If in the past Valendom is famous for its beautiful canal houses with great views of the lake, now what is left are tourist shops, tours and traps, such as locals who are dressed up in traditional clothes while trying to sell overpriced fish. Durgerdam is a better option for those looking for the same experience with fewer tourists.

3. Rent a MacBike

Rental bikes are usually colored to make them easy to spot. Unfortunately, this also makes you easily spotted as a typical tourist. To avoid this, you can rent a black bike and start cycling like a local. But, if you think that bike safety is the best, you can stick to choose MacBike.

4. Night visit the Red Light Districts

Red Light Districts is a collection of window prostitutes, sports bars, erotic shops and peep shows teeming with tourists. It doesn’t sound interesting to visit this place at night but actually, if you go to this place by the day (around 3 pm) you can find some enjoyable views of Old Town, with its canals, canal houses, and churches.

5. Consume weed at coffee shop

In Nederland, weed is legal. However, locals never smoke it in coffee shop. Instead, they will do it in places with fewer people, like park or their home. So, if you find people smoking weed, they most likely are tourists who do not know where else to smoke their weed.

Source: www.likealocalguide.com

Do you plan to go to Europe? This place is quite expensive. But, that doesn’t mean that we can plan a budget travel to Europe. With some tips and tricks, we can go to Europe with less money.

Where to Go in Europe

Travel expenses are mostly made up of airfares and travel tickets. You can select some destinations instead of going to all places in Europe. The more places you visit means that you will need more money for accommodations. You have to adjust all with your budget. Don’t push yourself too hard because traveling must be fun not depressing.
For two-week travel, you are suggested to go to one country or some countries in one region (such as Andalusia, Burgundy, Tuscany, Provence). Similarities and differences can be explored through neighboring regions or countries. For instance, The British Isles and Ireland is one such cultural region, as are Scandinavia, Central Europe, or the Iberian Peninsula

When to Go to Europe

Traveling in low or mid season will enable you to save money and give you more authentic experience of traveling. High season is everywhere in Europe during July through mid-September. Holiday seasons, like Christmas, Easter week, and New Year’s Eve are also high season.

How to Go Around in Europe

The budget is mostly taken up by transportation. Airfares to Europe are always expensive. Travel expenses can be reduced by visiting fewer countries (or maybe only one country). Eurail passes are available for a single country or multiple countries which make it possible for you to visit several neighboring countries. If you travel with one or more other people, renting a car is highly recommended.

Where to Stay in Europe

The largest portion of the budget is of course the accommodations. If you can, you must avoid traveling alone because single rooms tend to be more expensive than a double room. If you come in low or mid season, it is highly recommended that you find hotel on arrival because it gives you chance to explore several options for budget accommodations locally. Staying longer in one country will be good if you spend money on lodgings.

How to Explore Europe

Exploring a city based on budget can be done by walking around, drinking coffee at an outdoor café, sitting at a park, and doing some other free activities, instead of visiting museums and major sites which have high entrance fees. Instead of taking a bus, you can choose to walk. There are also many museum which offer discounts on certain days of the week or at night, or access may even be free on certain days.

Source: www.transitionsabroad.com

Do you fear high prices in plane fare tickets? Don’t worry. There are still some strategies you can do. If you don’t mind losing some of conveniences, last minute flight deals might be the best for you. Sounds interesting? Here are the steps you need to follow.

1. Be flexible with the dates of your flights

The cheap flight requires you to deal with flexibility on departures dates. You are also often required to wait on standby at the airport for an open seat. Spontaneity is highly needed by last minute fliers.

2. Use internet travel search sites

To find flights departing from a range of local airports, you can use internet travel search sites. Hundreds of dollars per ticket can be saved by dealing with some flexibility in distance. Here is the example. If you want to fly from Newwark, New Jersey, you can look up departures from the NYC metro area. This way, you can see prices for Newark, JFK, LaGuardia and other area airports. If you are willing to drive an extra half-hour, you can save many dollars for a ticket.

3. Fly at nights or early mornings

The cheapest flights tend to be in the early mornings or late at night. Since these flights often have a high number of absentee, or standby, seats, it is possible to get cheap tickets at these times.

4. Shop the last-minute ticket at sites specializing in a particular region of the world

There are some sites that specialize only to particular regions. The example is Airtech which offers tickets to Hawaii or Europe. You can often find tickets from smaller carriers. However, if your destination is a certain city at a certain time, Airtech won’t help.

5. Travel alone

Finding one cheap ticket is a lot simpler than find for two, five, or more. If you plan on traveling in group, coordinate to meet a certain point in the destination and allow a freedom in time for arrivals.

Source: traveltips.usatoday.com

Many people book flight tickets from travel agency, but in most cases, it is a lot more expensive than what we want. If you fly on budget, it’d better that you do it by yourself. Moreover, there are some other tips you can do to have the cheap flights.

1. Check the 24-hour rule

After booking a ticket, you can check the price the next morning. If the price is lower, you can cancel your flight and often it is without penalty.

2. Take the last-minute flight

When airplanes seats aren’t full for an upcoming weekend trip, the prices are usually lower. You can absolutely make use of this condition.

3. You can search flight based on fare

If you search flight based on fare, not destination, you will most likely get the best price. You can use some apps which give you the list of flights based on a set budget.

4. Fly on Wednesday

It is the cheapest day of airplane schedules, especially for domestic travel. In this day, seats are mostly empty that the prices are discounted. As long as it is not the peak holiday season, this rule will probably apply.

5. Check Social Media

Some airplanes share fare information on social media, like Facebook and Twitter. Since some deal can be gone within hours, you have to be really fast. Some airlines also announce special sales to Facebook fans.

6. Become a frequent flier

If you’re an elite member of frequent-flier program of certain airplanes, you will be offered rewards. Check if the rewards can be redeemed for miles or travel gift cards.

7. Choose the first flight

The first flight in the morning in most cases is the cheapest. If you can’t wake up early, maybe you can choose other cheap time: during or after lunch or around dinner.

8. Search for deals in the morning

The most deals can be found in the morning although some airlines release discount for the whole day.

9. Choose the red-eye

Red-eye flight are usually on limited routes, thus it is the cheapest flight ever.

10. Search multiple sites

It is stupid if you just depend on one site to get low-cost tickets. You can search the biggest online ticket-sellers, and after that you need to also check the little online ticket-sellers too.

Source: www.businessinsider.com

Are you planning on having air travel? Many hours of flying can be boring. The legs are cramped on the smaller seats. The charge for everything like snacks and luggage make the flying feel even longer. Here are some ways you can do to have a good flight.

1. Bring your sleep kit

The basic sleep kits include u-shaped pillow and an eye mask for blocking the sunbeams. Earplugs are also helpful in blocking every single noise. For a more expensive but better choice, you can bring noise-cancelling headphones to negate outside noise either you’re playing them or not. To complete your kits, you can bring a large shawl or a small blanket.

2. Bring Small and Light Carry-On

Every luggage is checked regardless weight by most airlines. Cramping everything into your carry-on or small-backpack or even purse to be put into the cabin is not a good idea because the flight attendants will notice that. What you need to do is just following the guidelines. Choose carry-on which is small and light. One additional purse or laptop bag is allowed because they can be put under the seat in front of you and it will give enough space for your feet.

3. Check Recent Regulations before Leaving

There are some changes in the regulations in some airlines. Sometimes bringing shampoo is fine, but other time it can be confiscated. And now laptop cannot be placed anymore in the seatback pocket, but in the overhead bin when not in use or under the seat. Always keep yourself updated about these changes to avoid any possible problem.

4. Drink Water

Drinking as much water in the airport gate area can keep you hydrated during the flight, which will prevent you from papery skin, chapped lips, or dried nasal passages. But you have to drink the water as much as you can hold until you have allowed time to go to the airplane restroom. Avoid alcohol and caffeine because they can make you dehydrated.

5. Bring Hand-Sanitizer

In the air, you can wash your hand by going to the bathroom because there are soap and water there. But in some situations you just can’t go to the bathroom. What should you do? In this case, a little alcohol-based hand sanitizer will help. The hand sanitizer can keep the germ away which will make you stay healthy while traveling.
Source: adventure.howstuffworks.com