Tips for Traveling During a Rainy Season

While traveling during the rainy season often presents a series of complexities to some people, others find it to be one of the most thrilling experiences. Also called the monsoon season, the rains should not be a reason for you not to travel. With a few tips, you could experience incredible adventures during the rainy season. The following are useful tips for traveling during a rainy season. 

Research about Your Travel Destination 

Rains usually come with a series of other weather elements including floods, thunderstorms, and lighting among others. The occurrences vary from one area to another. Therefore, it is important that you first do proper research about the destination to know what to expect. That could save you from surprises that might ruin the entire trip. 

Pack Waterproof Items 

There is no doubt that you will get wet when traveling during the rainy season. To prevent significant damage to your travel items, it is advisable to use waterproof bags or a suitcase. Besides, you should also pack a lightweight waterproof jacket to wear in case the rain starts along the way. For cell phones and other gadgets, you should use waterproof cases. 

Book Rainy Season Tour Packages 

Most tourists often shy away from traveling during the monsoon seasons. As such, many hotels, airlines and even attraction sites usually offer lower rates during such times. Do a little research to find cheaper rainy season tour packages that will deliver the desired experience at cheaper rates. 

Expect Delays 

When traveling during the rainy season, you should expect delays on flight schedules due to the bad weather. Before traveling, check with your insurance provider if the plan covers you for trip interruptions. 

Although traveling during the rainy season comes with certain challenges, you can still experience the best adventures with better preparation and flexibility. The above tips and an open mind will help you pull off the most incredible trip during a rainy season. 

How to Book the Cheapest Flights

I recently booked my flights online to save a lot of money doing it myself, especially since I’m getting some dental work done over seas at Dental Coto which is one of the top recommended dentists for costa rica dental tourism. The price of flight tickets is an issue that many travelers deal with from time to time. That is because airfares usually account for a significant percentage of travel costs. To save money, many travelers are constantly on the lookout for the cheapest flights when planning trips. The following tips can offer you great help when it comes to booking the cheapest flights. 

Use Flight Search Engines 

Although the internet is the best place to search for the cheapest flight deals, you should know where to look. Most of the common search engines will provide information but, they usually hike the prices of airfares to also get a cut from those airlines. Dedicated flight search engines will provide adequate information with the lowest rates to choose from. Examples of such sites include Skyscanner, Cheapoair, AirFare Watchdog and Momondo. 

Buy Flight Tickets with Points 

Whenever you sign up for travel rewards credit cards and use them every time you travel, you will be able to accumulate points for flights. The more you use the credit cards, the higher points you will garner. Those points can be redeemed to cater for part of your flight costs. Accumulating more points could also earn you incredible bonuses to even travel free. 

Book Budget Airlines 

As the name suggests, budget airlines provide lucrative deals for the cheapest flights that you cannot find on full-service operators. Today, several budget carriers are serving both short and long routes that you can book to enjoy the cheapest flights. However, budget airlines come with certain compromises that you should know about before booking. 

Finding the cheapest flights may not be the easiest task for travelers. The above tips can help you save time and effort in searching for the cheapest flights. Master and apply them when planning your next trip to avoid inflated travel costs. 

Tips on How to Keep Your Valuables Safe when Traveling

When planned properly, travel gives a wonderful experience that creates happy memories. But, after Manny Kidney posted his tips on his blog over at www.physiquesa.com and explains that there are times when things fail to go the way travelers plan. For instance, flight cancellations and delays as well as having valuables stolen or lost can ruin a travel experience. Here are tips on how to keep valuables safe when you travel.

Don’t Carry Unnecessary Valuables

You may be tempted to carry all your valuables just in case you need them. But, you actually don’t have to carry your expensive jewelry, watches, and pricey electronics when traveling. Only carry valuables that you will need for the trip.

Get a Combination Lock

A combination lock provides a great way of keeping valuables safe. You can easily use it to lock checked bags when you travel. Consider investing in a TSA-approved lock to avoid trouble when having your bags loaded into the airplane. Generally, having a combination lock enables you to lock your bags anytime you are not around them.

Don’t Carry a Wallet

Carrying a wallet will make you look attractive to thieves. Therefore, instead of carrying valuables in a wallet, use a money clip. For instance, carry a clip that has a single debit card or credit card or carry money in the pockets.

Carry a Money Belt

Carrying a money belt enables you to keep valuables inconspicuous and close. Nevertheless, avoid packing too many valuables in the money belt because it will be easy for thieves to notice.

Don’t Use Hotel Safes

Hotel safes provide a sense of security and comfort. However, they are not safe. That’s because they are easy to access using an override. They are also easy to open even without knowing the combination.

Generally, it’s always advisable to carry valuables that you can survive the rest of the trip with if you lose them. Additionally, keep valuables where thieves can’t detect or access them with ease.

Useful Sober Travel Tips

Many people associate travel with getting drunk and abusing drugs. However, it’s possible to maintain sobriety while traveling. Being sober while traveling is very important especially when trying to recover from addiction. Here are tips on how to maintain sobriety while traveling.

Travel with Family

When you focus on making traveling a great experience for every family member, you will avoid the temptation to drink alcohol or abuse drug. You will focus on enjoying a happy, healthy, sober trip. What’s more, you will be too busy with family to have time for drinking or abusing drugs. If tempted to drink during the trip, engage in activities that every family member will love.

Travel in Sober Groups

This is particularly important when recovering from addiction. Sober travel is a large industry. Finding a sober travel group is now easy because there are many people that are focusing on recovering from addiction. Many sober travel groups focus on activities like acupuncture, yoga, fitness, raw-organic, and weight loss during trips. Thus, they are different from traditional travel groups that focus on activities like spending time on the beach.

Get Help when Overwhelmed

When you travel alone, you can easily be tempted to drink alcohol or abuse drugs when you get bored. However, you can avoid this by seeking help when you get bored. For instance, you can contact members of your support system. These may include friends, sponsors, or family members.

Most people find maintaining sobriety while traveling challenging. However, sober travel is very important especially when recovering from addiction. Generally, recovering from addiction is not easy. In fact, it’s extremely hard when you spend time alone. When trying to relax alone during the trip, you may find yourself tempted to drink or abuse the addictive substance. Nevertheless, you can have sober travel if you follow these tips.

Useful Tips for Travelers with a Mental Illness

Mental illness is a public health concern that is under recognized in most places. Most travelers with mental illness are mostly unable to access the psychiatric care they need when traveling. That’s because they get away from their support systems and physicians.

What’s more, travelers with mental illness have to deal with negative attitudes, stigmas and the bad behaviors that other people exhibit towards their condition. If you have a mental illness and you intend to travel, here are useful tips that will make your trip successful.

Understand the Effect of Travel on Your Mental Health

Your physical and mental health before the trip should determine whether you can travel or not. Bear in mind the fact that travel will affect your mental health. Therefore, consider factors like your sleep levels, your reason to travel, life events, culture shock and duration of the trip and their effect on your mental health. Each traveler is different. The effect of travel on mental health is also different. Therefore, consider this factor before you travel.

Fitness Level

Most people with mental illnesses can travel and fly without difficulties. However, it’s important to have your fitness level assessed by experts. Talk to your doctor or healthcare provider about your trip. They may decide to change your medication or provide a one-time prescription that will make the travel experience better for you.

Carry Everything You Will Need for the Trip

You need to be stable throughout the trip. Therefore, carry everything that will make the trip comfortable for you. This includes medication as well as documentations that will enable you to get the assistance that you may need at your travel destination.

Know Your Triggers and Risks

Changes in weather patterns and environments can affect the effectiveness of medications. Time zones changes and reduced sleep can affect your awareness level negatively and even make you confused when it comes to taking medications. It’s therefore important to conduct some research and prepare to deal with triggers and risks at your travel destination. Also know where and how to get help when traveling.

Follow these tips for travelers with a mental illness to make appropriate arrangements and enjoy a seamless experience during the trip.

Rental Car Safety Tips

Most experienced travellers get to their destination, and due to the tiring journey, they find a car rental office, sign the required papers, and off they go without counter checking the condition of their car. They get caught up in traffic and end up breaking all the rules because they do not know the right button to touch. You should always remember that you are not familiar with the car, and this can cause you to have an accident after a few minutes of renting it. Always check to follow these tips:

Before you reserve a rental car

It is crucial that when you are booking a rental car, you try and negotiate, to get a good deal and have a plan of how you can insure it. You should:

  • Check with your travel protection credit card and your travel insurance provider to find out how much is covered by your rental car coverage.
  •  If you require supplementing your current car rental coverage, include it in your plan of travel insurance when you purchase it.
  • Carry a small flashlight in your little bag; you will need it to check out the rental car if you pick the car at night.

At the rental desk

You should ensure that you get the car at the price you agreed on and you get contacts of whom to call if the vehicle breaks down and you need some help.

  •  Ask the last date the car had maintenance and if the representative cannot answer the question, you have a reason to be suspicious.
  • Ask whom should you contact if you need any assistance with the car. Save the number in your mobile phone or write it down on the agreement sheet.
  •  Get some paper towels from their washrooms; you will need them as you progress.

Before you drive off

When you get the car, you will need to check it up to ensure that you will not be held liable for mistakes committed by another person. Check the vehicle to ensure that it is well maintained and it is safe to use it.

  • Snap pictures of the panels and if you find any damage, note it on the car rental agreement. The photos will be your evidence if the company tries to hold you liable for them.

Check all the tyres and ensure that they are well fitted and inflated. Ensure they do not have any irregular tread wear that indicate the car is not safe to use.

  • Check its odometer, and if it exceeds twenty-five thousand miles, it means the car is old, and you have a reason to be suspicious.
  • Check the car trunk to ensure that a spare wheel is available and well inflated. Ensure that there is a lug wrench and a jack to use when changing the wheel.
  • Open up the hood to check the levels of fluids; this is the point where you will use the paper towels you carried and the flashlight if it is already dark. If you do not know how to check the antifreeze, oil and washer fluid, a physical inspection is the only thing you can carry out.
  • Turn the car on and put on the heat buttons to warm it up a bit check the reading on the gas gauge and should always read full. You can adjust the controls of the temperature to your comfort.

Conclusion

Do not ignore any of the above tips if you are going to use a rental car when you are on vacation. The tips will save you any agony that can be caused by any accidents.