Nuggets of Wisdom

After 4 close encounters with falling coconuts, 11 flights and MILLIONS of mosquito bites, I'm finally home. Mother Nature could clearly sense I was missing travelling because England, the rainiest of places, has had glorious sunshine since my return!

Also before I start, I'd love to mention I've put together some AWESOME (if I do say so myself) travel videos for South East Asia! The link to my YouTube channel is on my home page so feel free to check them out!

This post is primarily for those off on their travels for the first time who are looking for a bit of advice. I jotted these tips down as and when they occurred to me during my most recent trip to South East Asia and I would have loved to have heard them before I set off as the inexperienced adventurer I was. I hope it comes in useful to you in some shape or form!

Practical Advice

Always be cautious of what you're eating.

Of course you'll want to try the cuisine of different countries, but check before you leave for your trip which foods you should be mindful of. I ate 2 salads whilst I was on Gili Trawangan, in Indonesia, and I became very sick with 'Bali Belly', which is common to catch from the water there- in which the salad is washed. Also, if you're suspicious of something don't eat it. Better to be safe than sorry!

Barter like your life depended on it!

Don't settle for a higher price if you can get it lowered. I saved so much money bartering for everything I bought, I even managed to get a tuk tuk journey down from 300 Thai baht to 30!

Don't tie yourself down.

It's really daunting going to a different country and not knowing where you're going to be staying, but if you book everything in advance, like I did, then you're tied down to that schedule and there's no room for change in your plan. I'd book your first hostel then you can get chatting and find out where others would recommend. You might even meet someone you decide to travel with for a while. Don't worry, you don't just walk into hostels and ask for a bed. Just use the Hostelworld app to book a few days in advance once you've decided where you're going next! I ended up cancelling all my bookings and doing everything like that.

Think about the amount of time you'll need at each place.

I booked to stay in places for longer than I actually needed because I thought I would need time to build good friendships with people I could trust. What I didn't know is you make friends SO quickly when you're travelling. I could have fit in more places in the time I had but because I had booked my first few hostels in advance (see point above) I was limited to that schedule. I stayed in Pai, Thailand, for 8 days when I could have easily seen everything in half the time, and I probably wouldn't have fallen off a motorbike... (if you're intrigued please read 'South East Asia: Thailand part 1').

Wear suncream.

If you say you don't burn you're kidding yourself (I've been there).

Elephant safety.

If you go to see elephants you must do your research to ensure you're not supporting a place that abuses them. Don't be fooled: prodding them with sticks, using hooks and riding them aren't the only ways to mistreat them. Even simply having too many people bathing them at once can be overwhelming for them. They're such gentle giants, so the least we can do is ensure they're well treated.

Traffic is MAD.

In Bangkok there was never not traffic. A journey that would take 10 minutes in England would take at least 45 minutes in Thailand, and at least 75% of your time would be spent stationary. Whilst I was in Indonesia, on the other hand, I found I was waiting for LITERALLY 10 minutes at the side of the road for a gap in the flow of motorbikes and cars. Drivers are reckless, too. Road rules and signs are virtually non-existent.

Don't be taken advantage of because you look well off.

I'm a blonde, white girl: I was clearly a tourist to the locals and for them that implied I was wealthy. This often meant that they tried to charge me more than the average price. I met a girl in Koh Tao called Emma who spelled it out like this: 'They charge us more because we're white, we're white but we're poor... we're first world poor: like I have a phone to check my bank account that has nothing in it.' (genius). I had a conversation with a young, Indonesian man who waited on me at a restaurant in Bali and he thought every person in England had a car, a big house, and didn't even have to work for money. It's true that if you can afford to travel out to Asia then you've already got more money than the majority of people who live there, but to them that means we can afford anything and everything.

Research places before you visit them.

I ended up missing out on a stay in the rainforest because I hadn't researched the clothes or equipment I needed and I was extremely unprepared. Don't make the same mistake I did.

Coffee!

I would strongly recommend avoiding the coffee in Thailand, Cambodia and some parts of Indonesia. I had some of the worst coffee I have ever tasted in South East Asia.

Just for girls!

They don't sell tampons in Asia, so if you can't stand using sanitary towels (like myself) then pack extra!

Also, I got acrylic nails done before I left so my hands would look cute in cocktail pics... they turned out to be a huge faff and ended up getting really gross. Don't do it- stay stubby.

Meaningful advice

DO EVERYTHING.

I've preached this so many times throughout my travel diary blog posts, but if you pass on great opportunities then you'll seriously regret it.

Don't be afraid to put yourself out there.

When I got to my first hostel in Thailand I sat by myself praying someone would come and talk to me because I was too shy to approach people and start conversations. I know how scary it can be! But everyone is in the same boat so swallow your pride and you'll be surprised at how easy it is to make friends.

Don't panic.

Stressing out when things go wrong never helped anyone. When you're calm you've got a clearer mind to sort through problems instead of panicking unnecessarily. SO MUCH went wrong for me, mostly regarding booking problems, but I came to realise that there's always a way out of sticky situations and I just had to chill out and not panic.

You're here for you.

One of the main reasons I went travelling was to focus on myself, that's why I went solo. I wanted to feel independent and free, and I wasn't going to let anyone stand in the way of that. Do what you want to do, it's your trip.

Home.

I met a guy called Johnathon when I was in Koh Tao, Thailand, and we were having a conversation about home. He simply and beautifully said, 'Being away is a good way to know how much you've got to go home to'.

If anyone wants any recommendations of where to go/stay/do in Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia or Indonesia (mostly Bali), please drop me a message through Facebook, email me through Instagram (both links are on my home page), or just comment on this post and I'll get back to you ASAP. Also, I can empathise with young travellers... I am one! So message me with any queries and I'll be happy to help.

Thank you so much for reading. I'll be writing again soon as my next adventure is fast approaching!

Lizzy xx