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Have you ever wished you could just skip the packing and
unpacking, packing and unpacking stage of traveling? You either end up
forgetting something back home, or taking too many things you wouldn’t even use
on the trip anyways. Annoying. But after one travel and the other, I have
learnt a few tricks here and there to minimize the hassle of preparing for a
trip, may it be just for two days or more.
1) Plan Ahead
Jot down all the places you want to see: their address, how
to get there and all other details you could think of. Take note whether it’s
best to go there to watch the sunrise, sunset or any special events. Make sure
that while preparing for an itinerary, you don’t want to fill too many
activities for a day. As much as possible, you want to explore the country
without the thought of rushing to another destination in fear of “missing out”.
The first and last days should always be the main highlight of your stay,
because these are your entry and exit points and usually, they are the ones
that can make or break your trip. Research well about the weather and the type
of clothes you should bring. List all of the things that you would want to
bring with you and then cut them down to the things that you would need to bring with you. This way, you
lessen your risk of over packing and not being able to enjoy the liberty of
bringing back souvenirs for yourself and others.
TIP: Make
sure you also research about the type of plugs they use, what kind of sockets,
and the voltage range they accept in that country. The 2-pin plugs with rounded
sockets are usually accepted in Europe, whilst for India it’s the 3-pin plug
for rounded sockets. So take note. You wouldn’t want to bring the wrong plug to
charge your electronics with.
2) Keep your friends
close, but your valuables closer
Important things such as: electronics, documents, money,
passport and keys, should always be kept in your carry-on, not checked-in
luggage. Knock on wood, but you never know what could happen if the airline
misplaces your checked-in luggage, or someone mistake it for theirs. Better be
prepared than sorry.
3) Not more than 100ml
Rules and regulations regarding the carry-on and checked-in
luggage vary from one airline to another. So be sure to check their website on
what are and what are not allowed. Be sure to only pack TSA approved products
and anything not more than 100ml in your carry-on. Otherwise, you will either
be forced to surrender it to the airport authorities, or leave it behind.
Either way, you don’t want to go through that hassle.
TIP: If
you want to bring your (make up) products with you to the aircraft, but are
more than 100ml, you could buy small containers wherein you could transfer them
to.
4) Food in your
checked-in luggage
Most countries allow you to bring in food as long as it is
in your checked-in luggage. But some countries like Lebanon don’t. So again, be
sure to check with their website or at any reliable sources on what you can and
cannot bring into their country.
5) Don’t spill!
If you are packing liquids, make sure that it is securely
fastened. If you’re in doubt, secure it with a packing tape over and over again
just so it wouldn’t spill on your clothes, or anything else that’s inside your
checked-in luggage.
6) Currency exchange
Usually when you’re traveling to another country, you
exchange your money to their currency so that it would be easier for you to buy
whatever you want. But keep in mind that the currency of the money that you’re
bringing to that country should be in USD (US Dollars), because that’s the
widely accepted currency exchange in most countries. If you don’t want to
exchange your money to their local currency, as long as it’s USD you’re safe.
Just be cautious that you don’t get bribed by giving more than you need to.
7) Roll it like a pro
Rolling your clothes save a lot more space for all the other
things you’d want to pack. But if it easily crinkles, don’t roll it
(obviously).
Until then, happy packing!!!
Paalam!