5. Hotel Hell
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| The unfortunate Colombian lodgings of impromptu world circumnavigator Michael Hodson |
Putting plenty of research and thought into your accommodation is always a must, even on the tightest of budgets. Whether it's noisy neighbors, shabby showers or a bed full of bugs, having low quality lodgings can always put a real downer on your holiday buzz.
Don't forget that atrocious accommodation is a worldwide phenomenon; from Paris to Peru, you could end up staying somewhere horrible almost anywhere.
Checking the joint out firsthand is always advisable, but whatever you do, make sure the feedback online is good few notches nicer from this catastrophic review:
4. Conspicuous Cuisine
By all means, head out and try all of the delicious foreign grub your delicate stomach can possibly bear; an open mind to new types of food is always welcome. Just don't go for anything 'roadside' without taking into consideration the warm, rancid oil your meal may just well have been prepared in.
I have learned this the hard way, after having almost fallen off the summit of a mountain whilst violently reproducing the contents of a suspicious dessert purchased earlier on. Another family member was quarantined at home by the NHS after the same meal caused a rare form of dysentery. Nice.
Moral of the story? It is indeed advisable to be careful about food. Water washed salads and ice in drinks should be avoided in areas where tap water is not safe to drink.
3. Train Sleeping
If you do plan on sleeping on a night train, make sure you set an alarm or have someone trustworthy to wake you up, and ensure your possessions are attached to you in order to keep the penny pinchers at bay.
2. Poorly Made Package Deals
Aiming to spend your holiday surrounded by the very types of people, activities and even food that you were specifically trying to avoid? A run of the mill package holiday would be perfect for you.
Yes, they are easier to book around a busy lifestyle, and a select few may allow you to customise them to suit your needs. However , when put together poorly, these packages can suck some of the adventure, thrill and sense of possibility out of a holiday. So don't fall for any package deal which has a complete set list of things to do/ places to go, and no say in where you stay!
1. Passport Peril
As trivial as this may sound, don't leave yours at home! In doing so, you would not only be denied entry to even the most lenient of destinations, but would also be opening up an endless chasm of social tension between yourself and any companions who mustered up the effort to come all the way to the airport with you and endure a good couple of hours of queuing. You will never live it down, and if they decide to go ahead with the holiday regardless of your disastrous mishap, you may find yourself ostracized for the remainder of the trip.
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As a tragic personal footnote, never forget to buy a visa for a country that requires one.
Double check if your next travel destination requires a visa here
My family inflicted this atrocity upon me in a colossal blunder which left us threatened with a fifteen hour flight back to London from Ho Chi Minh. I was only eleven. After considerable bribing and a night in a police-controlled hotel, we were kindly handed a visa and allowed to continue our trip, but I am convinced that other nations would not be so forgiving.
