30 Mar 2017

There are myriad ways to blow money in life, but travelling the world is probably the best that I know of. You learn so much, meet so many interesting people and see things you’ve never seen before and may never get a chance to see again. Travelling, however, can be kind of nerve-racking and uncertain. You’ve got to be brave and accept that you can’t control everything. Having said that, there are definitely some ways to make your travels easier – for you and everyone around you. Here’s what I know about travel so far.

1. Language is the most powerful tool

“Thank you”, “hello” and “cheers” are necessities that every visitor should learn in the local dialect. People are generally hugely appreciative when foreigners attempt to speak their language, no matter how pathetically you pronounce it. The gesture alone can serve to make you friends, save you money and get you out of trouble.

2. Hustling good deals

Whether you’re researching the best flight deals online, finding the cheapest happy hour in town or haggling face to face with a street vendor, hustling a good deal is an essential skill. You’ve got to pick your battles, but a bright smile and some charm never goes astray. If you can cultivate a skill for wheelin’ and dealin’, it will come in handy time and time again.

3. Cultural relativism = adapting to your surroundings

It’s important to remember that what constitutes being “rude” differs from culture to culture. In Mexico people can be heard to openly refer to one another as “fat” (gordo) or “short” (pequeno) – and this isn’t considered rude. In Vietnam it’s common to hold a bowl of noodles up to your chin and noisily slurp them up. In Australia the c-bomb is used much more liberally than say, in North America. If you go to another country and measure a person’s decency by the cultural expectations of your country, then you are the rude one, not the other way around. Quite often when people seem rude they’re not actually intending to be, it’s just that they abide by a different set of social codes.

4. Your word is everything

A lot of travel is based on verbal agreements. Whether you’re booking a bus journey, buying a second-hand surfboard or simply organising to meet someone for a beer, your word the best tool you have for navigating the world. So when you make a deal, you’ve got to mean it and honour it. In many parts of the world a handshake is akin to a legal contract. And wouldn’t it be nice if that kind of integrity were universal?

5. Trust your instincts

It’s fairly obvious, pretty vague and totally cliché, but trust your instincts. If a person seems untrustworthy or a situation feels wrong, get out of it. Choose very carefully which hands you shake and which hospitality you receive and return. There are plenty of people in the world who are just out for your money but I believe they are outnumbered by compassionate, honest types. Save your time for the latter – there’s plenty of them.