Travel Archives

Handy Travel Packing Checklist

by Robert Domanko | May 7, 2021 | Outdoor, Travel | 0 comments

Handy Vacation Travel Packing Checklist

Traveling is really great fun. To help you to enjoy the trip, travel light. It is tough to do! This Travel Packing Checklist is something that we know it will be useful. From experience, it is a must to increase your enjoyment of the trip. There are many reasons such as;

Ease of carrying luggage to and from hotels, train stations, airports, bus;
Easily fit in a boot of a car, taxi, luggage compartment;
Helps to reduce security checks;
Cheaper porter costs
Avoidance of excess baggage charges by airlines Increased mobility and flexibility
Decreases stress as it is less hassle to pack
More room for your treasurers you collect during the trip

It is more prudent to pack less and take a little bit more money in case of emergencies, and you can easily purchase additional clothes.

This travel checklist is the maximum amount of items you should ever need on a long trip. It is compiled for the worst-case scenario. It will be rare for you to need all items specified on the checklist. With careful selection, you should be able to fit all this in one carry-on bag.

One important thing, don’t forget to label your luggage and make sure it is lockable. When packing your main luggage or your carry-on luggage, make sure that it is neatly packed.

We’ve put together a travel checklist to help prepare for your trip and avoid items left behind when repacking!

Click here to download your copy of the Travel Packing CheckList

Travel Packing Checklist for your vacation

Travel Bag

lockable bag with wheels

Clothes

Dressy jacket
2–4 shirts/T-shirts/blouses/tops ( 1 should be a smart casual/dressy) 2 pairs trousers/skirts ( 1 should be a smart casual dressy)
2 pairs of shorts/Skirts
1 Sleeping clothes Swimsuit
2 Dark cardigan/ sweater/ jumper
Rainwear, poncho (avoid umbrella as it is too large)
Parka, coat, or equivalent
3+ pairs socks
3+ pairs undergarments
Long T-shirt or sarong [cover-up] necktie, scarf, hair band, bandanna
Gloves/mittens Sun hat / knitted cap, hat clip
Belt
Laundry bag
Beach towel
Footwear
1 pair of smart casual/ dressy shoes
1 pair walking shoes/boots
flip-flops or sandals

First Aid – Medication

Analgesic of choice
Diarrhea treatment of choice
Infection treatment of choice
Malaria tablets
Tweezers
Basic First Aid Kit – bandages, moleskin (other first aid?)
menstrual, contraceptive, and/or prophylactic supplies
Necessary medications

Stay Healthy Products

Vitamins,
(collapsible) plastic water bottle & cup
Sure Aqua products and or Sure Aqua Bottle (a non-chemical or non-mechanical) water purifier
Sun Block out/ Sun Screen (preferable with moisturizer),
Insect repellent

Toiletries

Toothbrush, Tooth cleaner/paste, Dental floss Razor blades
Shaving oil/cream
Aftershave Perfume Moisturiser Comb and/or hairbrush
Shampoo & Conditioner Bar soap & container
Deodorant
Nail clippers
[unbreakable] mirror
Viscose towel (washcloth?)
Universal (flat) sink stopper
Detergent, spot remover
Makeup
Toilet paper
Antibacterial wipes
Lip balm
Hairbands

Add-on Specialty Items:

Camera (lenses, flash, tripod, extra cards & batteries, charger, laptop connection table)
Camera film
Additional memory card for Camera Additional battery for Camera
Mobile (Cellular) telephone charger
Laptop computer (flash drive, Power cord/adapters, network cables,)
Overseas power converter plugs and/or power converter (check with destination power)
Safe Sex

Miscellaneous Items

Sunglasses, retainer, case
Lens cleaning cloth/supplies,
Maps, guidebooks,
Phrasebooks Luggage lock(s) (cable?)
Flashlight plus extra batteries
A multipurpose tool, scissors (never carry them in Day Pack)
Hostel sheet bag (sleeping bag, bivouac sack, blanket)
Sewing Repair kit (safety pins, rubber bands, cord sewing kit, including large needle
Sealable plastic bags, garbage bags duct/gaffer’s tape (packing tape?)

Travel Documentation

Photocopy of Passport
Photocopy of Tickets
Medical Papers
Insurance Document
Address Book
Visa documentation
Copy of International drivers license
Copy of Visa Card, Credit Cards, Cash Card, etc
Copy of prescription (spare glasses?)
Copy of membership cards, business/calling cards, telephone access numbers
Copy of Medical card

Note: All paperwork should be kept in a waterproof plastic bag within the luggage

What Not to pack

Anything fragile unless in very strong and reliable packaging
Food Drinks or Alcohol
Expensive or sentimental Jewellery

Wallet/Purse

Drivers Licence and or ID
One Cash Card or Credit Card
A small amount of cash
Accommodation details

Carry-on Luggage

(Backpack or the like)
Passport
Visas
Travel Tickets
Copy of Tour tickets
Copy of accommodation details
Photos
Vaccination certificates
Reading Glasses
Sunglasses
Inflatable travel pillow
Cell Phone (Mobile phone)
Toothbrush Small very toothpaste
Laptop
Watch (to be worn)
Whistle (for personal security)
Lightweight digital camera
Notebook & Pen Diary (to remember your trip)
Toilet paper-small roll and place in a plastic bag
Earplugs (eye mask) [to ease sleep]
Reading material (something you don’t mind leaving behind)
Something to tie the bag to you if you are sitting down for coffee.
Note: All paperwork should be kept in a waterproof plastic bag within the Travel Day pack

Security Pouch

Note: the security pouch is to be worn under clothes. Suggest should be cotton to avoid sweating against skin and place all paperwork in a sealable plastic bag.

Charge & ATM cards Cash (no coins)
International Drivers license
Second passport (if dual citizenship)
Charge & ATM cards, cash, 2 personal cheques
Traveler’s cheques
Membership cards
Calling cards
Medical Card Copy of Passport Copy of travel tickets
Tour tickets

Note: All paperwork should be kept in a waterproof plastic bag within the Body pouch

Traveling with Kids

Headphones with MP3 Player or the like
Light snacks. (if unused you may need to dispose before leaving the aircraft)
Favorite sleeping toy
Medicines for unexpected health emergencies like dizziness, stomach aches, headaches, and other travel sicknesses.
Portable DVD player and children’s movies.
Make sure to have multiple headsets
Activity books

How to choose the right Travel Insurance for the Next Vacation

by Robert Domanko | May 6, 2021 | Travel, Water | 0 comments

Travel Insurance a necessary cost when going on Vacation

When choosing the right travel insurance for yourself, there are many questions that you need to ask, and these questions will change depending on the location and the purpose of the trip, time away, etc.

For example, a policy that is suitable for domestic travel within Australia (when you are an Australian citizen) is covered by Medicare. The travel insurance will not be the same policy that you need for overseas travel for business when taking your laptop and other expensive electronic items. You need to be aware of these differences and read all the fine print, particularly when buying your policy online and not through your travel agent or directly from the Insurer.

What do most Vacation Travel policies?

You would expect most policies will cover you for;

Late cancellation of your hotel and airfare – if an immediate family member is suddenly ill.
Your medical expenses while away – though there may be limits
Lost luggage and personal effects. – not all – for experience- they wanted the receipts for everything.
Legal costs if you are involved in an accident

Don’t ASSUME! Insurance companies often have lots of get-out jail clauses for none-payment. They cannot be trusted.

READ THE FINE PRINT

Not all of these clauses are standard, and you must always read the fine print to ensure that you are purchasing the right policy for you.

What should I consider in Travel Insurance?

Some critical questions to ask;

Do you qualify for cancellation coverage, hotels, and airfares?
Do you qualify for medical expenses that suit your personal conditions, or family history, and recent medical history at the time of travel?
Will you receive full compensation for lost/stolen luggage? – What’s in your luggage that might need to be itemized and provide receipts (electronics, sporting equipment, jewelry, etc.)
Are you covered for legal costs if you become involved in an incident/accident that may result in the injury of another party?
What holiday activities will be not covered, like hot-air ballooning, downhill skiing, or biking
How much travel will you be doing in the calendar year? Would it be more cost-effective to purchase a policy covering you for multiple trips?
The policy for my needs overall – for example, there are policies available for Backpacking over general travel, with family, international, long-term travel are some examples.
How easy is it to process a claim and recoup your out-of-pocket expenses?
What documentation do I need for a claim, what receipts/reporting (medical) are needed? These are always easier to get at the time – not when you’re back home!!

Always read the entire policy and then reread it.

I hope that you find this helpful.

10 Tips to Avoid Falling Victim to Contaminated Water while Traveling

by Robert Domanko | May 5, 2021 | Travel, Water | 0 comments

Access to Safe Water While Traveling to Avoid Contaminated Water

If you don’t ensure you have access to safe water while you’re traveling, it can have much more serious consequences than a case of diarrhea by contaminated water.

“Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink” – Barney Scott

It could cost you your life. Serious travelers’ viruses like typhoid, polio, hepatitis A and cholera can all be caught by drinking contaminated water or food. It is as easy as vegetables being washed with contaminated water. Viruses like Schistosomiasis and Leptospirosis are transmitted by swimming or bathing in contaminated water.

Travel Tips to avoid getting ill

However, these diseases are rare and can be easily avoided with a little caution. If you’re unsure about an area’s access to safe water, make sure you do the following travel tips:

Be aware of what you eat: It’s more important to worry about what you’re eating, not where. Many travelers will assume restaurants won’t use contaminated water, and street sellers will. Unfortunately, it is never that simple.
Street food is often the best food around. It’s cheap, delicious, and authentic. Street sellers and restaurants alike will have access to the same water system. Instead of avoiding particular places to eat, be careful to avoid any food with uncooked vegetables that could have been washed in contaminated water.
Do your research: Find out what waterborne diseases are present in the area you are planning to travel to, and look up particular ways to avoid those diseases. Once you arrive, ask a local about waterborne diseases as well.
Bring your own drugs. Legal, of course: Bring some medication with you for common diseases or illnesses in the area you’re traveling to.
Unfortunately, diarrhea is inevitable in some countries. Diarrhea drugs can be either electrolyte, bulking agents, absorbents or anti-inflammatories. Do your research to know which will be more appropriate for the area you’re traveling to.
Don’t make friends with salad: Avoid salads or unpeeled fruits. They may have been washed with contaminated water. If you really must, rinse your food yourself with safe, purified water.
Keep your hands clean: Wash your hands thoroughly with hot water and soap before and after eating, going to the toilet or changing nappies. Keep a little bottle of hand sanitizer with you for those times when you don’t have access to hot water and soap.
Don’t swim before you ask a local: No matter how good that water looks, always ask a local if the water is safe before swimming or bathing in rivers, creeks, lagoons, or lakes.
Get insured: Make sure your travel insurance includes basic hospital cover, as a minimum.
Invest in a good water purification system. Bottled water is never the best option. A device like the Sure Aqua Bottle

When you are traveling in a country without access to safe water, in danger to your health. You can help you to re-appreciate how lucky you are to have access to safe water in your own country.

How to be Smart and Keep Healthy on Indian Vacation

by Robert Domanko | May 5, 2021 | Travel, Water | 0 comments

“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.” – Jack Kerouac

I/dropcap]n many ways, India is the ultimate travelers’ destination. The culture is rich, the food is delicious, and the polluted streets bustle with life. It is one of the most diverse, spiritual, and historical countries on Earth. Here some travel tips to use on tour Indian vacation

How to keep healthy on your Indian Vacation

The key to having a positive experience is making sure you have what you need to keep healthy in India. To avoid coming down with the notorious Delhi Belly, make sure you have a reliable method of water purification with you. Don’t rely on bottled water because India has severe problems with pollution, and bottled water can be challenging to ascertain in many areas. Most bottled water is not what you think it is!. It’s also imperative to make sure everything you eat is well-cooked, as dirty residue water can make you seriously ill.

Almost 60% of first-time visitors get some kind of illness when traveling through India.

The sewage system is sub-par, to say the least, so to keep healthy on your Indian vacation, aim to make it to a restaurant or hotel when you really need to go. Coming into contact with untreated sewage can cause severe illness and transmit diseases.

This is all well and good while you’re there, but before you head off on your India holiday, make sure you’ve got the following things sorted to make sure you can keep healthy in India:

Be Emotionally Prepared for your Indian Holiday

Even though India is a fantastic vacation destination, there are several aspects that can be very disturbing. These include:

The abject poverty, extremely poor, with shanty towns everywhere,
The number of beggars in the street
The piles of rubbish scattered in the streets, rivers,
The sick looking dogs roaming the streets
The sewage on the streets,

Indian Vacation Preparation

Insurance. If your India holiday goes pear-shaped and you need to flee to get medical assistance because of a family emergency or for some other reason, at least it won’t be out of your pocket.

Bring your meds. Don’t rely on being able to pick up more prescription medication in India. Have enough with you to last until you reach the following Western country. Oh, and of course, if you have any aspirations whatsoever to keep healthy in India, bring a first-aid kit.

Get your lady bits sorted. Pads and tampons can be very hard to come by and the absence of them could definitely dampen your India holiday. Birth control is legal and accessible in India, but make sure you have a sufficient amount if you a reliant on a particular brand.

Bring at least two rolls of toilet paper with you. Unless, of course, you want to do as many locals do and use your hand.

If you’re going to go to India, be mentally prepared to deal with poverty, corruption, and pollution on an unimaginable scale. For the unseasoned traveler, the hardest thing about an Indian holiday is dealing with immense poverty. Every day in many parts of India, you will see children, families, the elderly, and the disabled living on the streets begging for food or money in order to survive.

How to manage beggers?

Even for the seasoned traveler, the most challenging thing about an Indian vacation is seeing how much more vast the poverty is in India compared to other places you may have been. Don’t be afraid to give to beggars, but set a budget for how much to give per day. To avoid being chased or robbed by an entire gaggle of people, never give too much to any one person. However, bear in mind that it can be enormously satisfying to know that you’re giving to the people during your India holiday and gaining a stronger connection with the country.

Be Prepared for Indian Vacation

While some places are better to travel to others on an India holiday, be prepared to be somewhat flexible on your itinerary so you can make the most of your India holiday. Make adjustments to your plans when you make great connections with people or places.

Travel Tip -Travel Advice Vietnam

by Robert Domanko | May 5, 2021 | Outdoor, Travel, Water | 0 comments

Amazing place to Visit?

Vietnam is a diverse and colorful country. The noisy streets are lined with makeshift stalls selling everything from food and cigarettes to electronics. Cars and motorbikes whizz around corners in the buzzing, polluted cities, while pristine mountains tower all around. For less than US$30 a day, you can live like royalty, and the tourist road is so well worn in that getting around is relatively easy. However, if you’re lucky enough to be heading to Vietnam soon, it pays to do your research. Like any overseas vacation, here is some valuable Travel Advice Vietnam.

Minimize Dealing with Bureaucracy in Vietnam and Maximise Your Fun

The most vital piece of travel advice for Vietnam is to get a visa. Almost everyone requires a visa to enter Vietnam, so without a visa, you’re unlikely even to be able to board the plane. Even if you’re going to be traveling to other countries before Vietnam, it’s a good idea to arrange your visa at least three weeks before you plan to arrive at the minimum. Ideally, arrange it before departing your home country. Like anywhere, bureaucracy in Vietnam can work against you. If you’re going to enter Vietnam by plane, a visa on arrival is often the best way to avoid too much tricky bureaucracy in Vietnam.

How easy is it to fall ill on a Vietnam Vacation?

The essential piece of travel advice for Vietnam is to stay healthy. Once you arrive in Vietnam, you’re almost guaranteed to have a good time unless you fall ill. Unfortunately, dengue fever and malaria are common in Vietnam. Protect yourself from infected mosquitoes by wearing loose clothing that covers your arms and legs. Use mosquito repellent regularly and keep away from creeks and rivers where mosquitoes are likely to breed.

How good is the water from taps?

The most helpful piece of travel advice for Vietnam is to avoid drinking tap water. Although the water quality has improved over the last few years, it is still extremely poor and far from potable. Waterborne diseases are common in Vietnam, and although not all of them are dangerous, they could definitely ruin what would have been a great holiday.

Many hospitals in Vietnam are below Western standards, and although they will help to get you in a stable condition, it can become expensive, and you will spend your time dealing with bureaucracy in Vietnam. So the best piece of travel advice for Vietnam really is not to drink the water. Not only will it make you sick, but it could also have you filling in insurance papers rather than exploring temples. Booooor-ing.

What you should look out for to avoid illness

To avoid getting diarrhea, cholera, or something even worse, make sure you have access to safe drinking water. Avoid raw foods that may have been washed in contaminated water. As well avoid drinks with ice cubes and any unpasteurized dairy products. And don’t leave home without a failsafe, sustainable method of water purification like the Sure Aqua Bottle.

Another piece of important travel advice for Vietnam is to be aware of your security. Vietnam is a developing country, and tourists make for easy targets. Ditch your vanity and wear your backpack. That way, it is much more difficult for pickpockets to do their work.

Also, place money in a minimum of two different places. Just in case you get robbed, there is a backup. It can be either cash or credit cards. Also, make photocopies of your passport and other vital documents and store them somewhere safe, away from the originals. That way, if you end up having to deal with bureaucracy in Vietnam, you can at least prove who you are.

As long as you are prepared and cautious, you will have a wonderful time in the amazing.

Bali Travel Advice and Caring for your Health

by Robert Domanko | May 4, 2021 | Travel, Water | 1 comment

Why should we be prepared for a Bali Travel trip?

Although Bali is well worn in the tourist road, there’s a bit of travel advice for Bali you should know before you go to get the most out of your holiday.

Bali is one of the most sought-after island holiday destinations in the world. Nestled amongst the scattered islands of Indonesia, Bali is home to both towering rugged mountains and pristine beaches. Whether you’re a thrifty backpacker or a wealthy CEO, Bali has such a well-established tourism industry that you’re bound to find your niche.

Amazing Culture

If culture is your aim, this tiny island won’t disappoint. Known as “The Island of the Gods”, Bali travel is steeped in rich culture, and there are many historical and cultural places to visit. However, if you’re just doing some Bali travel to chill out in as close as you can get to paradise, then you’re headed for the right place.

When you’re doing your Bali travel, you’ll be likely to relax and let everything go a little. A little piece of travel advice for Bali is to be careful to exercise caution with your possessions and with what you choose to eat and drink. Theft and corruption are common, and so you should be aware of the exchange rates and keep a close eye on all your possessions.

Travel Advice – Bali Travel

It’s good to travel advice for Bali (and most other places) that it’s a good idea to wear your backpack, handbag, or satchel in front of your body, resting on your navel when walking through the streets.

Another vital piece of travel advice for Bali is if you plan to use taxis, be very assertive about where you want to go. Make sure you negotiate a rough price before you get into the vehicle as many taxi drivers have deals with specific hotels and shopping centers. They can earn a commission by taking tourists there.

Bali Water Quality

The water quality in Bali isn’t the worst in the world, but it would be unwise to drink it. Bring a portable water filter with you so you can refill from the taps, save money and avoid getting sick. Bali has problems with pollution, so in order to do Bali travel sustainably and responsibly, don’t buy bottled water while you’re there.

As you would in any foreign country, be wary of uncooked vegetables which could’ve been washed in dirty water, and avoid drinking anything with ice cubes.

In recent years, Bali has not always been the safest place to travel. Of course, there were the infamous Bali bombings of 2002, just a year after the 9/11 attack in the United States. In more recent years, there have been several terrorist threats in Bali and surrounding islands.

It’s a good idea to check your government’s current travel advice for Bali for up-to-date information on Bali. If your government’s current travel advice for Bali recommends not traveling, it can affect your ability to claim insurance if you choose to go ahead with your travel plans. However, for the most part, the Balinese are peaceful people, and unless something is going really very wrong, you will be relatively safe.