A novice traveler may experience emotions like hope, fear, and excitement when embarking on this adventure of traveling for the first time. If you are new to this travel adventure and need tips to help you prepare. Here are some helpful tips from an expert traveler to help you avoid some mistakes that are made at the beginning and better enjoy this wonderful travel experience. Read to the end!
What would be the advice of an expert traveler for a novice traveler?
Our expert traveler is Matthew Kepnes, creator of the “Nomadic Matt” blog. Here, the celebrated American blogger, one of the New York Times’ best-selling travel authors, shares his travel tips and advice with his large audience. From how to travel the world on $50 a day (name of his best-selling book), to how to plan your trip and save when buying airfare, Kepnes provides helpful tips that he has collected through his experience traveling around the world and are helpful for novice travelers.
Well, let’s take a look at some of his valuable tips that, according to him, he would give to a novice traveler so that they do not make the same mistakes when he started traveling.
Do not be afraid
According to “Nomadic Matt” fear is a very powerful element that can make you make wrong decisions. It is true that doing something that we have never done is scary, but according to the blogger “you will not be the first person to travel the world. You are not discovering new continents or exploring unexplored territories”.
He claims that there are many widely used travel routes, and on your way you will find many people to guide you. But you must put fear aside if you want to live this incredible adventure. Yes, you will make mistakes, but these are part of the experience. So the best advice for a new traveler is to let go of fear.
Don’t follow your guide
According to the blogger, the guides are a great way to learn the basics and get to know the cities and countries you plan to visit. But you will never find the latest attractions, places or restaurants out of the ordinary in them.
He recommends that to get the latest information, it is best to connect with locals. As well as using websites to connect directly with locals to receive tips, advice and suggestions that will allow you to make the most of your trip.
He ensures that it is also a good option to ask other travelers or your hotel staff. As well as visiting the local tourist office. There you can find a lot of information that is often overlooked.
Slow down at your travel pace
According to Kepnes, this is something most new long-term travelers learn the hard way. Probably, being a new traveler, you will want to go to many cities and do all the activities that are possible, especially if you have few days of vacation.
However, running from city to city every other day can leave you exhausted and stressed. It may be that you do many activities in a very short time of which most will be blurred in your memories, because of how quickly it happened.
The blogger points out that, “traveling is about quality, not quantity. Don’t worry about how much you see. Don’t worry about trying to impress people with the number of countries you’ve visited. Slow down and soak up your destinations. You’ll learn more, enjoy it more, and have a much more memorable experience.”
Lastly, he notes that traveling slowly helps reduce transportation costs. So it is cheaper to go slow.
pack lightly
Stop packing thinking “just in case” and think objectively about what you really need, according to where you are going. Remember, you can always buy things at your destination. Socks, shampoo, jackets, new shoes, you can find it all.
So, pack lightly. You will have less to carry, saving you the hassle and stress of lugging a huge backpack for weeks (or months).
The travel expert recommends that unless you are going to a cold place, a backpack of about 40 liters will suffice. Backpacks of this size are easier to carry, do not get too difficult to handle, and can fit on your flight as carry-on luggage only if necessary.
Get travel insurance
This is one of the most repeated tips by Kepnes. He ensures that, whether you’re a travel savvy or a novice traveler“you shouldn’t leave home without making sure you’re protected in case something goes wrong.”
Accidents happen, so it is best to make sure you are protected with travel insurance.
Bring some extra money
Traveling is not as expensive as many people think. But, according to this expert traveler, you need to create a budget that fits the needs of each traveler. For him, “the secret of long-term travel is smart money management.”
He also recommends overestimating how much you may need, because you never know what might happen down the road. Maybe you want to do some amazing activities or visit a restaurant you just discovered that weren’t in your plans. So if you carry that extra money, it will allow you to “indulge” yourself without disturbing your budget.
be adventurous
The only time we grow is when we are outside of our comfort zones. And traveling is growth. That does not mean you have to do dangerous things, but it does mean you have to push yourself beyond what you are used to.
Hiking, skydiving, eating new foods, camping, rock climbing, hitchhiking – whatever seems risky to you is 100% fine. We all have different interests and tolerance levels. It can be scary and uncomfortable at the time, but you will be glad you did later.
You are probably nervous being a novice traveler. Going out into the unknown is scary, but, calm down, it is normal. Just remember these tips from an expert traveler, and you can avoid rookie mistakes. Take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy your ride!