5 Tips You Can’t Travel Without In Central America
April 21, 2010 by Marina K. Villatoro
Filed under Travel Tips
Is a purse necessary? I’ve noticed most of you women travelers have a hard time parting with your purses. So why not take a good hard look through your purse, I’m sure you will discover it is not necessary. I understand that when you go out at night to a restaurant or a bar, you will need a few vanity objects, and that’s perfectly fine. But when it comes to sightseeing or going on tours while on a trip you have to ask yourself:
What do you really need?
Money
Credit Cards
Camera
Sunglasses
All of these can easily fit in comfortable clothes with pockets, which I guess you will be wearing. So why not use them? So leave your purse at home you’ll find it to be such a stress reliever!
Wear comfortable shoes: Perhaps this seems obvious and it should, but sometimes shoes that may have been comfortable at home are not comfortable for traveling. A good idea is to use the shoes you plan on taking on vacation for a long walk before you leave in order to see if they can handle the wear they will get, if you like to get as much sight-seeing as possible in one day.
Research: This is another tip that may seem like an obvious one, but this way you will avoid being stressed on vacation, it can also happen if you plan too many things. But at the same time it sucks being bored on a vacation with nothing to do so believe me: Putting in a bit of extra work before leaving to figure out what it is you want will make your trip a lot more enjoyable. I suggest mapping out a specific itinerary in advance.
Blend with the Crowd: In other words, leave the Hawaiian shirt, crop top and fanny pack at home. If not just to avoid becoming a target for scams and theft, but to show respect in certain places where exposing too much skin can be offensive. I understand that not everyone is a fan of modesty, but if you don’t want to be robbed, you will have to.
Always Have a Copy: This may be paranoia speaking, but I feel safer knowing I have copies of my passport, identification, and contacts in different bags and back at the hotel. If you think about it what would you do to go back home if you lose your passport. I have heard some horror stories, so this extra step gives me peace.
Marina K. Villatoro, the Travel Experta, has been living in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for the past decade. Traveling with her family to all parts of Costa Rica and Guatemala, she now loves organizing vacations for people and offers first hand experience. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!