LPA BLOG

Simple Travel Tips And Tricks

We all have a particular way we like to plan our trip and pack our bags when going on holiday.  And other preferences too, like that preferred route and favourite pit stop along the way. Likewise, we all have our own travel tricks and tips up our sleeves when we’re going to our favourite resort. But, we figure, even the most seasoned traveller could benefit from other travellers tried-and-tested ideas, so we thought we’d share what may be a few new tips or tricks that others have adopted over the years.

Some of these tricks you might already be aware of, but they are all very handy when it comes to adventuring about.

So without further ado, here are our favourite travel tips and tricks….

P.S. If you have any unique tips of your own, we would love to hear from you! Let us know on Facebook!

1) Unpack as Little as Possible

A holiday is about slowing down and making the most of every moment. When it comes to packing your suitcase, it should not be a difficult task. You are anyway going to unpack your bags and settle-in when you get there, so why make packing complicated?

The important tip here is: Do not get to the point where you need to roll your clothes to make space in your bag. When you get to this point, it is important to stop and to rethink how you pack your luggage. The first step is creating a list of all the vital -, good-to-have – and then the not important items. A list will help you to make a better decision regarding what to pack and what not to pack. We also recommend you leave some spare room in your bag for souvenirs. The second step is to leave the unnecessary item, decide how many you need of each item and to pack correctly from the get-go.

Let’s make packing duty-free, avoid wrinkled clothes and live in the moment.

With the rest of your luggage, you should try to unpack as little as possible. The best way to make this process effortlessly is with packing cubes! You can place each clothing item into the relevant cube. When you need something you can easily just pull it from the cube. The dirty laundry you can just transfer into the main washing bag in the bathroom. Then just zip the packing cubes up again and place it back into your travel bag.

Travelling this way does not only make it less likely to lose something, but it also makes packing everything up super quick. You will also save a lot of time instead of searching through the chalet trying to make sure you have everything packed.

2) Get a Mobile Energy Bank

As a regular traveller, you are also most likely a photo enthusiast. When visiting a beautiful location don’t you just detest it when your Cell phone battery shows low battery?

If you want to make extra sure you don’t miss out on those remarkable sunsets:  then always keep a fully-charged mobile energy bank (or two) with you to charge your Cell phone battery on the spot.

Let’s make sure you don’t miss out on that perfect shot next time you go on a trip.

3) Travel First Aid Kit

Have you ever been on the road to your favourite resort and then suddenly get an allergic reaction or have the worse headache with no pharmacy in sight? When travelling, we always travel with a small first aid kit that contains bandages, headache tablets, cold meds and tummy meds.

4) Visit UNESCO Sites

As a regular traveller, you should be aware of this amazing website. If you like visiting the best places in the world then the UNESCO website will help you find it. The places listed on this site don’t just make it on there, but they should have certain natural and cultural significance to be protected for the future of humankind.

The places listed in South Africa on the website are:

• Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa
• iSimangaliso Wetland Park
• Robben Island
• Maloti-Drakensberg Park*
• Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape
• Cape Floral Region Protected Areas
• Vredefort Dome
• Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape
• Khomani Cultural Landscape
• Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains

When you plan your next trip, don’t forget to check UNESCO beforehand and see if there are any special spots worth visiting along the way!

5) App-Up

Get your Smartphone travel-ready before you go on your next trip with the latest application. Modern phones can save you a lot of space and time when you have the right apps to guide you along the way and replace old gadgets from yesteryear.

Here are a few suggestions to get you going:

• Google Maps for offline mapping.
• Dropbox to store important documentation and photos.
• Zomato to find great places to eat and drink
• Uber if you are flying to your holiday destination and don’t have a car.
• TripAdvisor so that you can leave real-time reviews.

6) Join The Local Facebook Group

Before you take off and go on your next trip, do some searching on Facebook for local groups of that area. The best way to get insight into what to do around your favourite resort is to ask the locals. Just type the name of the place you’re travelling to into the Facebook search box, click on the ‘groups’ tab and see what you find. Look out for group names like We Love {insert the areas name here} or we are {insert the areas name here}. You will find a lot of local markets, events, specials and more happening in that area.

7) Do The Free Stuff

Sometimes the simplest moments in life, such as watching the sunset over the horizon can give you absolute joy. When you travel, you do not always have to do the most expensive things to have the best experience. One of our best budget travel tips is to seek out all the free things to do. This can include:

• Take a walk or a bike ride
• Visit a market
• Climb a mountain
• Swim at the beach or lake
• Attend a street fair

8) Always Bring a Sarong

This one is for the ladies, but gents you can also listen up! The versatile Sarong is an amazing clothing item to pack in on your next trip. You can use it as a towel, a piece of clothing, something to wrap yourself in when you’re cold or even as a curtain. So if you want to save some space in your traveller’s bag, just pack a Sarong on your next expedition.

9) Get Up Early

We are not saying you should do this every day, as we do understand that you’re on holiday and want to relax, but you need to keep in mind that if you want to see the best of a place, then get up early!

There are so many advantages to waking with the rising sun:

• The light’s better for photos.
• There are fewer tourists around.
• There is far less traffic.
• If you’ve only got a couple of days, it extends your time.
• In summer you can avoid the main heat of the day

10) Make use of Local Guides

It is a good idea to get some local insight when you visit a different destination in South Africa. It will not just help you to quickly learn more about the destination, but will also give you a better understanding of how locals live their everyday life in that part of South Africa. They will make your experience unique and share interesting facts on the site, which you would never have known existed if you went alone, plus, you will have the opportunity to ask all of those burning questions.

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11) Beware of Free Public WIFI

When you go on holiday, you are probably less on your guard for any criminal activities. This tip might sound like quite an unusual tip, but in reality, it’s best you take note! When visiting a coffee shop, airport or other places that offer Free Public Wi-Fi that is not password protected, try to avoid connecting and if you do, certainly avoid logging into your bank account or even just entering any password on your device. Online hacking is a reality across the world and as a regular traveller, you should be informed and equipped to avoid any potential security breaches.

What are a few of your favourite travelling tips? Share them with us below in the comment section. If you need some helpful tips and tricks for a fun-filled road trip with the kids, read our previous blog here: https://www.leisureportfolio.co.za/blog/7-helpful-tips-tricks-fun-filled-road-trip-kids/