Traveling is one of life’s greatest treasures. During the past 6 years I’ve been able to visit over 40 countries and spent months away from home. I get many readers who are nervous about their first trip overseas, so I decided to make a list of 5 travel essentials you need before you go.
1. Travel Insurance
I absolutely never travel without travel insurance. The truth is, I’ve had a few mishaps along the way that thankfully travel insurance has covered. The worst was when I needed urgent flights from India to New Zealand to be with family after the loss of a family member. I can’t imagine how expensive those flights would have been last minute, but because I had travel insurance they were all covered for me, allowing me to get home when I needed most to be there. 35% of travel insurance claims are for costly medical bills and you never want to find yourself in a country with expensive medical bills while not knowing how you’ll cover them; I can’t imagine anything worse.
2. An International Adapter
I have electronics from New Zealand and the United States, which means no matter where I go I need an international adapter. Personally I prefer a higher quality version that includes surge protection. When I was in Burma with a friend we both had our laptops plugged in during a storm. Mine was with a surge protector adapter and hers was with a cheap one she found locally. In the storm, her Macbook cord was fried, while mine remained fine. Definitely worth the investment to know your electronics will be safe.
3. A Rain Jacket
No one wants to imagine rain on their holiday, but chances are it’s going to hit you at least once. I would go as far as to suggest taking an umbrella, but at a pinch a rain jacket is a good place to start. Choose one that’s light weight and rolls up small so you can keep it in your day bag just in case.
4. Lonely Planet Guides
I love taking Lonely Planet Guides with me wherever I go and trying out the restaurants and activities suggested. I like how the accommodation is arranged into different price points so you can find something within the scope of your budget. Honestly, I wouldn’t travel without one. If you’re hitting up a few countries on your next trip I suggest getting a regional guide so you can save space in your luggage.
5. A Sense of Adventure
Things are likely to go wrong, you’ll probably have communication break downs if you’re traveling somewhere with different languages and you may even find yourself homesick. Try to go with the flow and to be as flexible as possible so when things are stressful, you can still smile. Traveling is such a great way to see more of the world and also to see more of yourself, so treasure these moments as they will surely pass way too fast!
