Before you go

Fear
Don’t be scared of travel, it might feel scary when you’re at home starting to plan it … but as soon as you get going, you won’t remember why you felt that way!

Passports
It’s important to check that your passport will be valid for at least 6 months after you return home.

It’s useful to scan your tickets/passport onto your computer and e-mail them to your own, portable, email address along with other important information, such as your insurance details etc. Serial numbers of items, photos of anything valuable you are taking and so on. This portable record of documentation will make it that much easier to replace anything abroad should it get stolen or lost. You can also scan/photocopy your passport and then laminate it. This can pass as basic ID in countries where you need some, but don't want to carry your passport with you at all times.

Guidebooks
Once you’ve decided where you are going, most people find it helpful to buy a guidebook. The most popular are the Lonely Planet and The Rough Guide (otherwise know as traveller’s bibles). I’ve found that for certain countries one is better than the other, it just depends. They provide you with invaluable information about your chosen destination from places to stay, to places to go and a brief history of the country. Plus any particular scam or safety advice you need to be aware of in the tourist hot spots. It is also worth checking what the climate of the country will be like when you will visit.

Once you have decided on a country it’s a good idea to check the foreign office’s website for relevant up-to-date advice. Many countries have turbulence that is unreported by the British National Press. www.fco.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo or call 0870 6060290.

Gap Year Companies
If you are going to travel with a Gap Year Company, make sure you are clear on what services you are paying for and what you expect to receive. Bear in mind that most projects do not cost as much as you are being charged. What you are actually paying for is the 'local knowledge', connection to a project' that allows you to volunteer abroad (not always easy to achieve independently) and 'support' both before you go and when you are abroad. Some companies also include insurance and flight etc. I would recommend asking to get in touch with someone who has already used their company; most gap year companies don’t mind this and it will present you with an honest opinion. From experience of getting very ill and not getting the local support I expected, these questions are important, not just for you, but also to reassure your loved one's back home.

Doctors
It is important to go to the doctors at least two to three months in advance of your departure date to allow for you to receive all the injections/advice you need. Be aware that many injections will need to be paid for, and that they can be quite expensive. There will be a travel nurse or advisor at the surgery who will know the set time scale of the injections. This is very important, the earlier you go the better protected you will be. It is the single biggest mistake Gap Year travelers make with their health! Once you get the list, it is worth shopping around for prescriptions for injections and malaria tablets as the cost can vary significantly from pharmacy to pharmacy.

Remember to reconfirm your flights a few days before departure and check the baggage allowance. Trust me, you will want to bring back more than you take out so it’s a good idea to try and depart as lightweight as possible! Entry rules and regulations change between countries, and it is a miserable experience after a long flight to be stopped from entering a country due to having something forbidden in your bag. This can be fruit, flowers, gifts and so on and in some places can carry a hefty fine.

Visa
Make sure you know whether you need a visa for the country you are entering or whether you can get this on arrival. If you can get one on arrival, you may need to have a couple of passport photos with you. Sometimes you may need a working visa rather than a visitor visa. Make sure you know which one you need and how much it should be, so you don't get ripped off.

Keeping in touch
If you don’t already have one, it’s a good idea to set up an email account (such as hotmail or yahoo) that you can access from anywhere in the world. This makes keeping in touch with friends and family much easier. Certain internet cafe's will have MSN cameras for live chat and facilities to burn CD's of your pictures and so on. Always do 2 copies and send one home for back up. Flicker accounts and free blogs are now a very popular way of telling the world about your trip as it happens.

Budget
Before you go it will be important to consider your budget. Whilst there are many ways to raise the money for your trip (from fundraising to employment), it is important to consider how much you will have to spend per week. The currency and the cost of living will vary from country to country and depend on how much luxury you want in your life. For example I spent the same amount in four months in Cambodia and Thailand as I did during just one month in Australia.

Remember to make allowances not just for food and accommodation, but also for travel and excursions. There is no point in going to an amazing destination if you can’t afford to do the things you want to do when you are out there.

How you manage your finances is also an important part of your trip. In some countries it is best to take travellers cheques (make sure you keep a list of their numbers, again I would recommend e-mailing them to yourself). Whilst in other countries, such as France, it makes more sense to take your bank card (be aware you will get charged per transaction so its worth taking money out in lump sums).

A useful system for managing your money if you are going away for a while utilises Internet banking. It requires two accounts with the same branch. One is a saving account with the bulk of your money in it, (the card for this account needs to remain at home). The other is a current account (and you take the card for this account with you). This allows you to transfer money between the two accounts online so that you always have access to your money and can just transfer what you need. It also means that should your card get stolen, you will only loose a relatively small amount of money.

Insurance
Make sure your insurance policy covers you for; medical, legal, passport loss, ticket loss, cash loss, luggage, cancellation, missed flights, working abroad, hazardous sports, medical conditions, and ask if they provide a 24 hour health line and if there are any exceptions. If you do have to claim on your policy after your trip, you will need to have kept any receipts and documentation e.g. police reports that you received abroad. If you make friends to travel with, make sure they understand where your emergency number and policy code is in your stuff and likewise, you for them.

Be flexible!
Above all be flexible, even the best-laid plans will change … but that’s part of the fun!

What to take
Whilst what to take travelling varies depending on where you are going, when you are going and what you will be doing, there are some basic requirements for every trip.

Clothing
The clothes you will choose to take depend upon both the countries you will visit and the activities you will be doing. It is also worth bearing in mind that even on a placement in one country, you will need clothes for lots of different occasions. For example, in one month in Cambodia I went to a Cambodian wedding, taught English, swimming and sport at a school, was eating out at restaurants, drinking in bars, and spending weekends both on the beach and in the jungle. I would therefore recommend a basic set of clothes that are both versatile and lightweight; clothes that dry fast and don’t crease easily are a bonus!

Remember that the countries you are going to will sell clothes too, (probably at a better quality you find at home for less money) so it makes more sense to take a set of basic smart clothes and add to it, rather than having to carry around your entire wardrobe for months … less is definitely more when you have to carry it on your back!

Colour wise, as nice as white looks, bear in mind that it gets dirty easily (especially in hot, dusty countries). It’s also worth bearing in mind that dark colours attract mosquitoes. However, whilst I would advocate practical clothes, it’s also worth taking a few colourful, pretty items too, because wearing the same few things can get surprisingly boring.

It’s also a good idea to take local cultural and religious attitudes to clothing into consideration. For example, in Cambodia only prostitutes wear short skirts and show their midriff. It is therefore understandable that a western girl dressed like that will receive unwanted and unnecessary hassle. It’s a simple matter of respect and being aware of what kind of attention you attract.

This is a basic list of clothing to act as a starting point:

Underwear
Vest tops/t-shirts
Long sleeved tops/jumpers
Knee length skirts/trousers/3/4 length trousers
Bikini/trunks/swimming costume
Sarong (very useful, acts as a scarf, towel, sheet… you can pick one up locally)
Footwear (sandals/flip flops/trainers/boots)
Pyjamas
Coat/waterproof jacket - Lightweight and compact
Hats/cap/gloves - A Buff or two will cover the warmer climes

Rucksack/Bags
You need to consider the size of your rucksack. Don’t fill it up at home cause you will inevitably buy more and then have nowhere to put it! Your bag needs to be comfortable to carry because there will be times when you will have to carry it around.

20kg is the norm on International Flights and this usually equates to a 65lt rucksack filled to the brim. If you pack smart and light, you will only fill half of that and still manage to have a small day sack as an in-flight/general day pack.

Which means as you travel you have space to add and update your wardrobe, without paying extra weigh penalties, at some small airport in the middle of nowhere.

It’s also worth considering either buying a rucksack that has a lockable zip or buying a lock that you can put round the rucksack. Although, the rucksacks you see wrapped in a metal mesh at various destinations seem to have 'I've got something valuable inside me' written all over them!

Hygiene
This is a basic list to act as a starting point:

Shampoo/conditioner
Any personal medication (clearly label it or keep it in the original packaging to avoid any confusion at customs)
Soap/shower gel (Biodegradable soaps are ideal. Small light and can be used for you, clothing or washing food)
Pumice stone for your feet (essential for travellers, cracked infected heels can ruin a trip)
Flannel (Another use for a Buff if you get stuck)
Towel (I would recommend the super light pack towels, they dry fast and take up very little space)
Condoms (local brands might not be very reliable)
Suntan cream (ideally one with anti-mozzie solution)
Mosquito spray (two choices; those with DEET, which can melt fabrics or SkitoStop which is just as effective but natural. New products come as sun cream and after sun which is excellent)
Tampons/female hygiene products (some countries still don’t stock tampons, this information is usually included in the Rough Guide/Lonely Planet)

Stuff!
Photographs of friends and family are invaluable partly for homesickness and partly to show locals and new friends. If you’re working on a project, it might be worth taking some photos of your home/college/where you work etc as intitial talking points.

Travel wash: whilst in many places, such as South East Asia, you can get your washing done very cheaply for you, it’s always worth being able to hand wash a few things should you need to. To hand wash clothing simply pour a bit of the washing liquid on the item and scrub or knead the fabric in warm water before squeezing, rinsing in clean water and rinsing again.

I would recommend taking with you one set of passport photos. They don’t take up much room and can prove invaluable, as they are required for all sorts of things from visas to passes at selected tourist destinations.

This is a basic list of stuff to take that you can expand upon:

Sunglasses/sun hat - (don't skimp of getting decent glasses)
Camera
Guidebooks
Travel diary
Travel adapter plug
Washing line (useful for hand washing, drying towels, swimming costumes etc)
Small Padlock (combination locks are best because don’t have to worry about loosing keys)
Torch (solar powered and wind up torches are invaluable. Many times you will pack at night so think about a head torch)
Money belt and small day wallet with old useless cards in it
Books to read (you can often swap with other travellers)
Mosquito net (depends on where and when you travel)
Sleeping sheet and or sleeping bag. (in hot countries you will only need a sleeping sheet. Silk is the best, light, very small and washes easily. This is a good idea for places where the cleanliness of the sheets is somewhat dubious. A sleeping bag is obviously required for colder countries and you should base your choice both on country and climate)
CD/MP3 player (be aware that displaying these, especially i-pods, makes you an easy, obvious target for theft)
First aid kit (must contain dioralite, re-hydration salts, plasters, antiseptic, paracetamol/aspirin etc)
Pack of cards (essential for travellers!)
Toliet roll
A bottle of disinfectant hand gel (invaluable!)
Wet wipes
Pen knife (useful for cutting fruit etc. Keep it small though)
A spork and flat folding plate (instant picnic when waiting for a bus, train or boat)

When you first arrive

Hotel and Airport Collection
There will always be people (taxi drivers, hotel owners) waiting at the airport, desperate to prey on weary travellers after a long flight. There is also always the distinct possibility that they will not have your best interests at heart. Lots of airports such as Bangkok, have an official taxi rank that you should stick to. I would strongly recommend pre-booking somewhere to stay and pre-arranging to be collected from the airport, particularly for your first few nights. After a long flight, the last thing you will feel like doing is trying to find a decent place to stay. It’s just so much easier to pre-arrange it. Check out your 'bible' for more infomation.

Relax
I’ve found it’s a good idea just to chill out in the first few days of a trip abroad, recover from jet lag, adjust to the climate and tune in. Every place has a different vibe and pace. A couple of days drinking coffee, window shopping and people watching soon gets you into the routine of those around you. Taking a few days to relax, speak to other travellers and catch up on your jet lag can be invaluable in the long run as it means you adjust to local ways of doing things, become more aware of the actual price of stuff and are less likely to get scammed.

Language
Try and learn a few words of the language, just hello, please, thank you and no thanks, can go a long way. It shows the locals you want to make an effort and in turn affords you more respect (and less hassle).

Confidence
One of the best ways to avoid unnecessary hassle from locals is to appear confident (even when you’re really not!) Who would you pick on? The traveller who looks like they know where they are going, or the one holding a guidebook and a map going around in circles?

Attention
Be polite to locals, in some countries you will receive attention and be stared at. Whilst this can be interpreted as aggressive, it is often just curiosity and is more appropriate to smile and ignore it than react angrily (which can create unnecessarily trouble). Remember you are the one out of place and in many Asian countries 'losing face' is important. Therefore losing your temper, raising your voice and creating a scene will not gain you respect or assistance.

Don’t automatically trust the police. In many countries they are corrupt and it’s not unheard of to have to pay/bribe police in order to get the police report required to claim on an insurance policy if you have stuff stolen. See above. Be calm, polite and show respect. They can make your life very awkward very easily, so think before you make a scene.

Changing Money
Make sure that whenever you change money, or visit the ATM you do it very carefully and are aware of who has seen you do it. It is the first place scam artists will visit and so you could be a prime target for theft if people know you are walking around with large sums of money on you. Split the money up on your person.

Whilst security is an essential part of your trip, it doesn’t mean you’re travels should be fraught with worry. Instead, a few simple things can make a big difference.

Security is about preventing theft/trouble by making yourself potentially hard to harm. For example, don’t wear a small day sack with easy zips on your back in a busy market, it is asking for people to pickpocket it. Instead wear it across your chest, with your hand over the zip.

That said if you ever get in a situation where someone points a knife/gun at you and asks for your stuff; give it to them without hesitation. Throw them the dummy wallet with old cards in it and perhaps some small change and run. The only thing that is not replaceable is you.

Always let people know where you are, just an email home detailing where you plan on visiting in the next few days will do. This is as much to stop your friends/family at home worrying as it is to provide them with a place to start looking for you should anything happen. Also they might need to reach you with important news from home.

It is always easier to avoid putting yourself in dangerous situations than dealing with the repercussions of them. For example don’t wander off on your own down dark alleys or get horribly drunk with people you don’t know. The only person you can rely on is you, so if you’re passed out somewhere, then you’re not much use to anyone and you will be an easy target.

Wear a money belt (normally under a t-shirt or around your hips), but be aware that pickpockets will know what a money belt is and where it is worn: they can be quite conspicuous. A tip my local GP swears by is to take an old leather belt, slit part of the top, fold some money in and then stitch it up. This works so well because unlike the money belt, thieves won’t be looking for it. You can buy these belts now, and I always had enough for some food, a taxi and a room for the night in mine. Things are easier to sort in daylight!

It’s also a good idea to separate money as much as possible, put a few small notes in different pockets when you go out, (enough to pay for a taxi back to your hotel) so that if anything does happen, you can get back to the hotel ok. Again small wallets are good for this. A small day bag which can use the padlock can be locked and put in the night safe at your hotel.

A laminated photocopy of your passport can act as ID in an emergency, keeping your passport safe at the hotel.

It is important to be aware that the threat of theft does not just come from locals, other travellers are not always trustworthy. So trust your instincts and if someone seems suspect, then there is a chance that they are. I was once on an overnight bus in Thailand when after a 14-hour journey, a girl realised that money had been stolen from her money belt. She had been wearing the money belt beneath her t-shirt and had been robbed when she was asleep, sat next to her friend whilst on a bus surrounded by other travellers. You will hear of numerous stories of travelers who trusted their 'new' European companions too soon, only to find their shared room empty of their valuables in the morning!

Health/First Aid
Just be sensible. Always drink lots of water in the heat. The new water filter/purifiers are fantastic for this. It takes away all the hassle and worry about the water and you can not only drink from them, but wash food and any wounds with impunity. Only drink (and brush your teeth) in bottled water in countries where tap water has a dubious reputation. It can take a few days to get used to the food in a new country, so just ease yourself in gently. In many cases it’s not a good idea to eat meat from markets. Similarly, in many countries the cut fruit they sell on the street is kept looking so delicious by covering it with tap water, which isn’t always clean. The same goes for salads. A general rule of thumb is that if a place is popular with the locals, or the food is cooked right in front of you, then it should be ok.

Wear high suntan cream with a high SPF factor and stay out of the sun between 11-3. Some these new gels are fantastic and don't wash off when doing water sports. Treat any cuts with antiseptic cream immediately so that they don’t get infected. It’s also worth being particularly careful around coral because as a living organism it can badly infect you if you scratch yourself on it. A tip with coral cuts is to have some Gaffer Tape (or strong sticky tape) in your first aid kit and to place it over the cut. Pulling it off immediately pulls out the hard-to-see shards of coral. An infected coral cut can take months to heal!

I feel it’s important to respect the environment that you visit e.g. by not littering even if others do! At the end of the day your are an ambassador for your country and travelers following in your footsteps will be received following the impression you have made. Tread lightly and minimize your effect on the environment. Have a great trip, take only photographs and leave only footprints!