Things I’d Tell A New Traveler
By NomadicMatt | Published: June 13, 2008
Hope. Fear. Excitement. Traveling for the first time provides us with a wave of conflicting emotions. When I left for the road, I knew nothing. I read some bulletin boards but I was green as they come. I followed my guidebook and wet my feet with tours. You could spot me a mile away with my guidebook and my backpack. A big sign hung over my head that said “SCAM ME.” I was young and I was inexperienced. I made rookie travel mistakes.
If I could go back and tell my rookie self anything, I’d tell him this:
Don’t be scared. Despite what they say on CNN and Fox news, the whole world is not out to get you and it’s not a scary place. People are just like you- they have hopes, fears, want the best for their children, hate their jobs, and are just trying to make it through the day. 99.99% of people don’t care where you are from. They aren’t out to get you so don’t shy away from the locals- that’s why you went in the first place. If you’re semi-street smart, you’ll avoid the .01% who do care.
You don’t need a lot of stuff. When I went on my first trip, I brought a big bag filled with tons of stuff, hiking boots, hiking pants, a fleece, and more toiletries than CVS. But I didn’t even use half of the stuff. When I went away again, I took even less and still didn’t use it all. The lesson: Pack light. It’s less to carry and less to hold you down.
Stay connected. You meet a lot of people on the road and they’re all going different ways but you may find your paths will cross again. Well, it’s hard to plan events around e-mail. Did they get it? Will they be there? I don’t know! Invest in a cheap phone and you’ll be meeting up with people in no time.
The more you plan, the worse it is. Want to stay longer? Leave Sooner? Change hotels? If you pre-planned your trip, that’s something you can’t easily do. When everyday is planned out, when there are time tables to follow, you get stressed. Any kink in your plan and you don’t know what to do. There’s no room to experience the happy accidents of travel. Travel brings a lot of unexpected events that can cause you to change your mind about a lot of things. Put some flexibility into your schedule and go with the flow. It’ll make for a more enjoyable and less stressful experience.
Take more than you think. I could do Asia on 15 dollars a day or Europe on 80 but I take a lot more than that because you never know. There are a lot of unexpected costs on the road and, no matter how well you budget, you can never plan for them. I never expected to buy a new camera in Italy. I never expected to change my plans and live in Amsterdam. Maybe you decide that you are going to learn to scuba dive after all. Or you want to fly to Fiji suddenly. No matter what happens, something will always come up and eat into your budget. Take more than you need so you have more flexibility.
Throw away the guidebook. Guidebooks are good for an overview and maps but you’ll never find the best stuff in there. Even if it’s there, it’s dated information. The locals aren’t hanging out at that bar and if they were, once the tourists come in, they leave. How many locals do you see at the tourist traps in your home? For the best stuff, hook up with the locals and ask them. Talk to them. People are your best resource for information. The best places I’ve been are never in guidebooks. You’ll never find that underground hot spot in a Lonely Planet.
Go Slow!! I know it can be tempting to try to see it all. Who knows when you’ll get another chance? But DON’T! With limited vacation time, we are always trying to squeeze in everything- rushing through twenty cities in twenty days, a 100 countries on our RTW, etc. In the end, all we have to show for it are photos, stress, and a whirlwind of experiences but no real deep knowledge of the places we went too. When you travel, less is more. It allows you time to drink deep from each culture and soak it up. Get to know the place- where the locals go, where they eat. Make time to spend a relaxing day in the park. Go slow and you’ll experience more.
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Great post Matt, one of my favorites so far!
Love the new design, looks great!
I love this advice! Good work Matt!
Good advice – love the new site!
The “Don’t be scared” advice is so important, I think, and now more than ever.
Welcome to the really real world of grown-up blogging!
The site looks fantastic, Matt. Great job! I’ll change my links.
this `post rings so true for me. When you travel alone you end up meeting folks that have no agenda as well and when you click, you want to continue to travel with them… planning ahead is a waist of money and quality time.
ps to your ps… porters are not required to cary your personal belongings. if you do not get a personal porter you have to carry your mat and sleeping bag. they carry the tent, food etc.
Good sound advice Matt…
R(etc… )
@Julie: This one you hear the most in the states. Everyone always asks “is it safe?” as if the world is dangerous but walking in NYC is easy. Speaking of NYC, are you there next weekend?
@steve: I know! Thanks for the push!!
@domina: TRUE!! I chaned my plans a lot because of people I met up with.
@everyone else: Thanks for the kind words!
Hey Matt,
Happy Birthday and congratulations on a wonderful post! You’ve been so kind to me…dropping by and commenting…it’s really appreciated.
Have to agree with the “ditch the guidebook” advice given here…I actually think guidebooks are pretty handy…but see so many people with their noses buried in ‘em that I can’t help but think that they’re missing out on so much by trying to see it all….meh…I guess I’m preachin’ to the choir here.
anyhow, the gist of what I wanted to say is great friggin’ post!
Hi, nice blog…
I want exchange link with your blog, my travel blog is about my historical hometown, Malacca. Please leave me a message if you wanna exchange link with me, thank you.
My travel blog: Travel In Malacca
http://travel-malacca.blogspot.com
Your new site looks awesome!
I agree with all of the above, especially go slow and throw away the guidebook. LP just directs everyone to the same places.
I like the new site
Great picture and some of the words were so true..Ive learnt a few myself though Im not a prolific traveller like u
Lakshmi
Hey Matt,
the redesign looks great!
Some great tips, thank you for sharing.:)
great advice! and the new site looks great – you’re work has definitely paid off! hope to see you soon!
hi matt, great site you have here! i definitely like this new layout. i think your writing is amazing and inspirational. i am currently planning my trip for after graduation, and i’ll be in asia and hopefully back to new zealand, too! when were you planning to be in those places?
@everyone: Thanks for all the great comments about the new site and this article! it means a lot!!!
@trang: I will be in southeast asia as of September.
Trés bien on the site!
Hey Matt!
I have an addition to your list: “Know Yourself.”
While it’s great to push yourself and to stay open to happy accidents, some travellers will definitely need a bit more stability and structure. Before you go on the road for a BIG trip, you need to anticipate what kind of traveller you will be. I once heard of a woman who went off her anti-anxiety meds just before a trip around the world!
I think it’s important to acknowledge that every traveller is different.
My favourite tip on your list is to Go Slow. I have had really rich experiences when I spent a week in a place and not just a whirlwind 49 hours.
@Monna: That is a great tip! It connects well to the tour or not tour blog from a few days ago. It’s important to know what kind of traveler you are. If you aren’t a throw it to the wind person, a more structured environment could be a lot better:
http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/2008/06/10/good-group-travel/
good advice. many people get caught up with lists that they have created by reading the guidebooks.. Just talk to the locals and find out what places are truly great! As an added bonus, you get to tell everyone about this cool new place you found… instead of saying “yeah, we went to the place on page 13, then the one on page 49…”
Thanks for this post Matt. I am leaving in 18 days and I was rushing it all too much, but with the advice of well-seasoned travelers and other blogs I am cutting out a couple of countries and saving them for another time. Again, great post, and thanks
Hey Matt, I read this before I sent you a message.
this is helpful. although I need more. hit this old ass up when you get a chance.
thanks
Virginia
Wow, great tips, really thanks for posting!
Great article, Matt. Even veteran travellers can learn from it. Reminds me of a comment I read once that said something like, “Lay out everything you think you’ll need on your trip. Then, remove half the clothing and add twice as much money.”
Good advice, Matt. I have to agree with Monna–some of us might actually be more stressed if we didn’t have at least the essential structure of the trip planned out ahead of time (what days in what cities, how we get there, where we’re staying). I do agree that leaving some time open in your schedule each day for “happy accidents” is very important, though–as well as “slowing down”. It took me awhile to learn those 2 lessons, but I find I’m a much happier traveler now and less exhausted when I get home.
These are great tips, I totally agree! My first 2.5 week trip overseas alone I packed so much more than I needed. I did much better for my 2 months abroad after college. I had one relatively big backpack, with everything I needed. I bought a beach towel when I was at the beach, since i hadn’t packed one. That’s now one of my favorite souvenirs!
Being flexible is by far the best tip. Don’t plan too much in advance. On my 2 month trip I changed my plans and ended up staying in the Cinque Terre in Italy for 1.5 weeks instead of the 2 days I was planning. The freedom to do what you want is the best part of travel!
I think the hardest thing for me is the ‘You don’t need a lot of stuff’ limiting my life to one bag will take some work but I’m on a mission already to remove the clutter.
What about “there’s no wrong way to travel”? Folks will get bogged down in doing in “right” but the way that works for the one that’s doing the traveling is the best way.
That’s a good one to add too!
Great post. All too true. Especially the one about budgeting, unfortunately! As well as unexpected extra expenses (such as burst tyres on hire cars – groan…), some of the experiences that really make a trip are so worth splashing out on so it’s a good idea to have another kitty of spare cash just for these. I’m thinking hang gliding over Rio de Janeiro, whale watching in Baja, or trekking to Colombia’s Lost City. All these things cost a lot more than my daily budget but they are the things I remember most.
I’m a travel planner. I LOVE to plan. It’s part of the fun for me. I find that it’s the best way of saving money. When I travel in high season, booking accommodations in advance helps me get the cheaper places to stay. I can always cancel them but at least I have something set up!
Awesome tips for beginners! I also recommend to take lots and lots of photos. I always end up wishing that I had taken more photos. My fave line in your post is this, “Or you want to fly to Fiji suddenly.” Haha, I totally did that when I was in Oz and I’m so grateful that I had brought extra $ for it.
I did that in New Zealand!