There are surely enough travel blogs out there, but given how much travel I do and my recent hiccups getting home from Benin (eg., 5 day total delay), I thought I’d throw together some of the things that keep me sane and somewhat prepared when I’m on the road…. I normally travel to Africa and Latin America, so these ideas may not be useful to people traveling to other places. I have geared them towards women, though they might be useful to men also…. Ladies, add your tips to the comments section!
Breasts, shoulders, thighs, knees and ankles. Do a little internet research before you leave. Observe what local women where you will go are wearing in pictures or on other people’s blogs. Especially notice the attitude towards breasts, shoulders, thighs, knees and ankles. In many places, for example, breasts are not a big deal, but thighs are. Keep that in mind when you pack and in your behavior when you arrive. Don’t wear tank tops/spaghetti straps if you don’t see local women wearing them. Same goes for shorts and capris or tight clothing. This may be different if you are a teenager and traveling with a group, but I still recommend against a lot of thigh action if you want to be taken seriously and to be respected. There may be different dress codes depending on urban and rural, so observe that and be respectful, be smart. And if you are not, don’t be surprised if you get unwanted attention. Maybe not the most feminist thing to say here, just being realistic. People will often cut you some slack knowing that you are foreign, but when I travel, I tend to go for respecting local customs over my right to self-expression in my attire.
Sweat – Not a nice topic for many of us, but if you are someone who sweats (I always envy those people who don’t) it’s a fact of life when traveling somewhere hot. You’ll often be advised to wear clothing made out of lightweight fabric, however this kind of fabric shows every drop of sweat. Skimpy underwear does not absorb sweat and that fact will express itself on your clothing, especially when you are forced to sit in a hot car, meeting or community for several hours. Not attractive. Cotton boy shorts are a good alternative to the sexier variety of under things, as is clothing made out of thicker fabrics.
And speaking of undergarments – I get really annoyed when I see young women who, in the name of modesty or fitting in with local culture or just being hippy backpackers wear long flowing skirts without realizing that they are completely see through when walking in the sun! Do us all a favor and invest in a slip.
Tattoos. You may get stared at for having visible tattoos. You’ll want to decide how you feel about that. I normally keep mine covered until people get to know me a bit so that any judgment comes later in the relationship. Since a lot of Americans have them these days, it’s also kind of fun to explain that tattoos are part of our coming of age ritual.
Packing – If you’re a frequent traveler, keep a second set of travel stuff right in your suitcase. I keep a plastic Ziploc bag with less than 3 oz. quantities toiletries in it and just refill them before I leave and stash them on the top of my carry on for easy removal at security check points. I keep all my favorite warm weather travel clothes in my suitcase. I have a checklist that I run through before I go to add anything that’s missing. Makes for much easier packing.
Luggage – Put some identifying marks on your luggage so you can spot it when you arrive. Assume it might be delayed by a day or so, and be prepared in case it is. I do this by always packing any equipment, a change of clothes, and any essentials in my carry on. This includes a small quantity of any printed materials I need if I am presenting at a workshop, just so that I won’t be left hanging. I always take my laptop.
Travel socks – They are dorky but they keep your ankles from swelling and you from looking like you have tree trunks for calves upon arrival. They also help prevent a potentially fatal condition (deep vein thrombosis) where blood clots form due to long flights.
Shoes – If the climate is hot your feet may swell and your shoes will be tight, especially if you are walking or standing a lot. This is most pronounced in the evenings. Bring shoes that are a bit loose to be more comfortable.
Flip Flops – I wear them whenever I can get away with it, but sometimes they are seen as a sign of disrespect. If you’re on any kind of trip where you need to do business or represent at any kind of function, or train a group, bring some sandals that don’t look like flip flops, at least for the first couple days. Do bring the flip flops for sketchy showers.
Sarong – Pick one up somewhere next time you see one. They double as a scarf for freezing plane trips, and a skirt for when your luggage gets lost, you want to visit a pool or beach, or you need a cover up in a pinch, like if you have dinner in your room and want to throw something on to cover your shorts/your thighs when your meal or beer arrives.
Coffee press – If you are a coffee addict and are traveling to a country that produces wonderful coffee, rest assured that you will be served none of it. You will get Nescafe. I bring my own travel coffee press (pick one up for cheap at REI) and some ground coffee. You can almost always get boiled/hot water.
Food – If you are vegetarian, pack granola bars, a jar of peanut butter, some chocolate, and some of those little cheese hunks wrapped in red wax… they last up to a week or 2 without refrigeration (if you’re not squeamish), and taste really good after a few days of full-on starch meals (eg., vegetarians often get a plate of bread, rice, pasta, potatoes and green plantains for lunch and dinner and some more bread for breakfast). Try to make friends with your hotel or workshop venue cook and ask if they could make you some beans or cooked vegetables. Make sure you don’t refer to yourself as a vegetarian without giving some suggestions of what you do eat, or you may get raw vegetables and salad which often lead to amoebas and giardia. Buy some fruit when you see it. Bring a knife from home to cut it up and be sure to wash and dry it well before digging in. Fancy hotels will often have no idea how to feed you so look forward to a lot of French fries and omelets. Local hotels or hosts will usually make an effort using what they have available. Don’t assume that your fancy hotel food is safer than other food. Different bacteria is different bacteria and your system just may need to adjust.
Bottle opener – Light, easy to pack, and a life saver when you have to buy your beer in advance or want to drink it in your room on a hot evening.
Ziploc baggies –Freezer size zip lock baggies seem to always come in handy for something.
Flashlight. A small flashlight is useful for frequent power cuts. Especially for visiting bathrooms outside your sleeping area at night.
Towel – Often small hotels will not provide towels, or will give you a non-absorbent hand towel. If this is a problem for you, bring your own towel.
Mosquito net – You can never count on a mosquito net. Do yourself a favor and purchase your own. I bought my own self-standing mosquito net (a “travel tent”) which has been a life saver. Light weight and convenient, it sets up on any single bed or even on the floor. It means you get sleep without being woken up by mosquitoes buzzing in your ears, and you can avoid taking malaria pills (well, unless you’re working for an organization that makes them mandatory….)
Laundry soap/clothesline – I usually pack a clothes line to string up in my hotel room, and a baggie of powdered laundry soap. You can also get these when you arrive. You can pack lighter if you wash things out in the evening. If you’re in a hot climate they will dry in less than 24 hours. When Air France lost my bag in Togo, I made it through 9 days by washing in the evening and re-wearing in the morning.
Water – If you see a bucket in your room, it is a sign that the water goes off. Keep it filled or you may be in for an unpleasant surprise when you go to take a shower. There’s quite a talent in toilet flushing with buckets. Experiment and soon you will learn how to economize on water use and keep the bathroom area clean as well. I got through each day in rural Rwanda on one jerry can by being smart about re-using my bathing water for the toilet, etc. Get a plastic cup at the market to make it all easier.
Candles – Same as a bucket – candle in your hotel room means that the power goes off fairly often – be prepared. Charge up all your stuff whenever there is available electricity.
Electricity adaptors – Often your room will have only 1 or 2 outlets, (if at all when you’re out somewhere really rural). A 3-plug + an adaptor are handy for charging up 3 things at a time instead of juggling them one after the other. Google “electricity converter” or “electricity adaptor” something like that before you leave and get some plug adaptors of your own. It gets annoying when people are always asking to borrow yours, and your hotel will not have them unless you’re traveling in high style.
Check in – Check in on-line if you can. If not, get there early enough to get a window seat on long flights. Don’t expect any special attention unless you are wearing a fancy suit and a big watch.
Airport pick up – Assume that no one will be there to pick you up from the airport. Maybe this is just an issue with my organization, but it happens quite often. Before you leave, be sure that you write down the address and phone numbers of your office, any contact persons, and your hotel. (I once arrived in India without this information…. not wise). This is also helpful to keep handy when filling out paperwork at the airport upon arrival.
Flight delays and ticketing – Be aware that once you purchase your ticket, Orbitz and the like won’t help you much as they transfer the ticket over to the airline systems. I found out last week when stuck in Benin for 4 extra days that your ticket will not have a phone number on it, or it will be an 800 number, which only works in the US. Try to get a non 800 number before you leave in case of anything. When in a real pinch, send out pleas for help on Twitter and the community will get you the phone numbers you need.
Cash – Some places only change $20 bills or less. Other places give a better rate for $100 bills. Do some research. Change money in the airport when you arrive if the agencies are still open. Assume you may not have access to an ATM when you arrive. Assume your hotel may not have cash to change money for you when you need it. Assume you will wait for 2 or 3 hours at a bank to change money, and will need ID to do it. Know that every time you ask your organization’s driver to do these types of things for you, you are probably ensuring that his day is that much longer. (Drivers in my experience have the worst rap, always having to arrive before everyone and leave after everyone’s all taken care of, and they don’t get any recognition for their work).
Communications – Get an unlocked cheap phone and buy a local SIM card and some airtime on arrival. Check before you go which network has 3G or Edge if you plan to use it for internet. Download the software to connect your phone to 3G internet before leaving. If you travel often, it can be worth the money to invest in a phone that connects to internet. If you are a Twitter or Facebook freak, install Snaptu for Twitter/Facebook on your phone. Outlook doesn’t work on all phones, so I do an out-of-office reply giving people my phone number for emergencies. I create a rule to auto-forward my work email to my gmail. If you use an i-phone and want to get some extra mileage out of it on the plane/before you jump into local phone/local SIM mode, Duracell makes a $17 charger that gives you an extra 3 hours.
Medications – I don’t like taking medicine. I do however have a prescription for Ambien for sleeping on flights. That means I can sleep all night on a plane, get some coffee when I arrive, and get straight to work, and I can avoid arriving a day or so early to acclimate. Never take a sleeping pill before your flight is in the air in case you have to deplane! Get a prescription for Cipro before you go. Take it if you have a bad stomach w/fever for a couple days. Then eat lots and lots of yogurt when you get back home as Cipro depletes your good stomach bacteria. (*Note – I’m not a doctor and am not giving medical advice here, just telling it like I do it!).
Malaria – I never take malaria pills. They make me tired and nauseous which means I can’t work, so what’s the point? And the pills prescribed by your doctor at home may not be effective for the zone or area that you are traveling to because of how the disease evolves. Decide for yourself, but if you are careful, you can get by without them. (Again – I’m not taking responsibility for this if you follow my advice and you do get sick). I prefer using my mosquito net, wearing long pants/long sleeve shirts in the evenings, and using hard core bug spray on exposed skin. Beware that many bug sprays will eat through nail polish. My toenails normally look like there is chewed up gum residue on them by the time I get home. Dark clothing attracts mosquitoes so be aware of that. Don’t be surprised if sometimes there is a cloud of them swarming over your head if you have dark hair….. Never take Lariam. I know of a couple cases where the side effects caused permanent psychological damage to colleagues. I don’t really know why it’s still prescribed actually.
Marriage proposals and unwanted attention – I could write a whole book on this, but in an effort to be succinct…. Ladies, if you are under, say, 30, don’t be surprised if you get your fair share of suitors. If you are over 30 and divorced or single, expect some attention from 20-something young men who imagine you to be desperate and lonely. If you’re interested, by all means, go for it, but protect yourself just like you would when you’re at home. Don’t take any excuses. Condoms are readily available just about anywhere, or better yet, always travel with some. If you are American, you will likely have a reputation for being loose (thank you Hollywood and MTv) [note: adding “and all the ‘Western’ women who have helped confirm that stereotype“). If you are divorced, people may pity you. If you are married or in a relationship, some men will still try to pick up on you. (In El Salvador when I’d say I was married, men would often say “It’s ok, I’m not jealous”). If you are not interested and the attention you are getting is not overly offensive, take it in stride. Don’t be rude, but do be firm. Deflect lightly when possible and move on, it’s OK to say no. Sometimes you may want to keep your phone out of sight so that you can pretend you don’t have one if you keep getting asked for your number. If the attention is scary and threatening though, do whatever is necessary. As anyplace, be safe.
I’m sure I’ve forgotten something…. Add your comments below.
Update: Here’s a great post by Scarlett Lion: What to bring and not bring when traveling to Africa.
Related post on Wait… What?
Meowtree I feel like I am an amateur in what relates to travel as compared to you. In some sense your post is extremely helpful. (In another sense, it fills me with dread because I am notoriously a bad packer.) Most of your advice is excellent and very sensible. But in what relates to “stuff” I don’t follow probably 60% of it and I get by ok. You can nearly always the fundamentals for survival and hygiene locally.
Thanks for posting this, it really got me thinking.
My main tips are:
– Breasts, shoulders, thighs, knees and ankles. Thighs? Who the hell is showing thighs? Wear trousers and big skirts. And please, no ass cracks. Buy trousers that have high waists and when in doubt, use a belt. Long shirts and tunics help with this problem too.
– Contact lens fluid – most important thing you will bring. Keep it near. Keep your glasses with you at all times.
– Sarong and flipflops. Crucial. I would add very light, large scarf.
– Security – Do as I say here and not as I do. But for inward-opening crap hotel doors, it’s worth taking a thick rubber doorstop. Vary your schedule. Walking is fine in some situations, but do not walk the same path and on the same schedule. And never walk towards the end of the afternoon without knowing the exact time of sundown to plan accordingly.
– Communications – Totally agree on local SIM – unfortunately I don’t have a good phone. And I usually manage. Keep a book of SIM cards for a rainy day, you never know when you might go back and in some countries it’s really hard to get one.
– Cash – unless it’s a country like zimbabwe where you will need a wheelbarrow for the local currency, change it all over at once in the safest place. Sometimes this is the airport, sometimes this is in a shopping center. Avoid banks on the street.
– Malaria – agreed on anti-malarials. Lariam = believe what people say. But I am under pressure from work to be taking one, and I have no side effects from Malarone. That said, a tried and true technique is having a good net, or, alternatively a sewed-up sheet that you can spray with something strong and then the nightly bathing of your face and hands with something strong. This tends to work. And mozzy coils. Recommend.
– Unwanted male attention – Uh, sorry Meowtree, but it’s not just Hollywood and porn than have made things so hard for American women. So, American ladies, I hate to be the Taliban here, but stop making my life hell.
And give fake numbers, fake name. Important part, get up and leave. Tried and true technique.
I’ll add a category here:
– Dealing with anger/frustration at feeling confined by threat of groping and/or worse – One of the techniques I perfected over the years is “visualizing” in my minds eye, in kind of a cartoonish way, what I would do in certain situations. Like go-go-gadget arm “punch this guy” or “drop 10 kg weight” on that one. Or draw “asshole” on forehead. You would not believe how therapeutic this is. Laughing it off is sometimes the only way. (This applies here in London as much as anywhere else!)
Re Thighs: you would be surprised the expats I’ve seen wearing tights with a long shirt in the field or at meetings. Just because you’ve “covered” a part of your body does not mean your clothing is not provocative.
Re Malarone: have had similar reaction as on Larium. Finally realized the best option was to cover up, use bug spray etc.
[…] together some of the things that keep me sane and somewhat prepared … Here is the original: Travel tips for my female friends « Wait… What? Share and […]
Oh, girl, we have a serious disagreement. In your travel tips, you write as if you check your bags. What’s up with THAT?
NEVER CHECK YOUR BAGS!
http://www.bbwindow.com/2006/philippines/never_check_your_bag.html
Yeah, can I be any more clear? On pain of leaving things behind, just don’t do it, ever. Okay, maybe if you have to take equipment for work, or a Playstation to the Philippines to get a free house to stay at, but then put only that stuff int he checked bag so if you loose it, its no big deal.
OK my friend, I was determined to travel with only a carry on last week to Mozambique instead of taking electronics and essentials in my backpack and checking everything else in a suitcase…. And I was forced to check that carry on because South Africa Airways only allows 7 kilos – (eg., a laptop and not much more). I had to quickly reshuffle everything while everyone in the line behind me waited. I forgot my 2 mobile phones were buried in the bag that got checked, and they were missing when I arrived. Of course the airlines has a clause saying they are not responsible for any valuables left in a checked bag. Nice.
So, what’s the tip here?
If you are planning to take all carry on, you may be forced to check it at the last minute, or put your carry on under the plane if the plane is a small one. So, make sure that any valuables are organized all together in one place, not mixed around in your suitcase. That way if you have to check your bag at the last minute, you can pull out the most important things and keep them with you.
Agree 100% with what you said. Especially the coffee comment. I’ve never understood the obsession with instant coffee in Africa.
I will second both malaria comments tho. Lariam caused a permanent motor imbalance in a friend of mine and gave her seizures for 2 years. Malaria is better than the side effects of Lariam. That being said- if you want to go on malaria pills- I would recommend getting them when your in country (if you are there for a substantial time). A- its cheaper and B- its often more appropriate for the local climate.
When it comes to unwanted attention- if you have long hair I would recommend it being tied back- I’ve found in both myself and colleagues, that when you leave your hair down it tends to attract more attention, especially if you are fair/blonde.
What a great (and detailed!) post. Note that I tend to pack really really light and these are the bare necessities.
In addition to ziplock bags, I always carry a (small) roll of duct tape and a Leatherman (only if you’re checking your luggage, of course). Both have come in handy more times than I can count, especially when leaving the comfort of large towns.
Medications. I have a small bag I put together with Advil, Asprin, band-aids, anti-bacterial creme, Pepto-bismal, and Immodium. Don’t use the Immodium unless it’s an emergency, though. You’ll regret it.
Headlamp. Some people hate them, some people love them. I think not having to carry a flashlight (or worse, my cell phone) when the power’s out and I have to use a strange bathroom/latrine/field is AWESOME.
Malaria medication. I don’t take it either; however, I do recommend carrying Coartem, or whatever the local cure-all is, just in case. This varies from region to region, so do your homework.
A louffa for scrubbing red dirt out of the soles of your feet. Extra batteries for your camera (in country they may be super expensive or super cheap Chinese knock offs; either way, not what you need).
Dress code. It’s not enough to just cover up (if you’re female) or not wear flipflops. Spend 30 seconds on Twitter and find out what the local dress code is. Please stop showing up to meetings in Tevas or long flowing skirts or sleeveless shirts or capris or whatever. No shorts. Ever. You’re a professional. Try to look like one.
Security. I don’t find African cities to be terribly more dangerous than cities of comparable size in the States and Europe. Cotonou, for example, is far safer than, say, Baltimore. The key is to not be an idiot. Don’t pull out large wads of bills. Don’t show off your fancy smart phone. Stay away from the bad parts of town. Get back to the hotel at a decent hour, and for the love of God, be smart if you want to have more than just a drink or two.
As far as harassment is concerned, just brush it off. It’s not worth getting indignant, especially if you’re leaving the next week. Get over the fact that many places in this world are full of men that just don’t recognize a woman’s right to not be harassed, or think their desire to talk to you trumps your desire to be left alone. It sucks, but that’s the way it is. Unfortunately, you have to pick your battles. As Giantpandinha said, just leave.
Note: I’ve found that, unless I’m absolutely brutal, smart ass comebacks are often wrongly interpreted as sassiness and flirting. Better to just smile and say you’re not interested while finding an exit.
Scarlett Lion had a great post about what to bring and what not to bring to Africa a few months ago too, and there are a ton of comments with excellent advice.
tl;dr Duct tape will save your life. Larium won’t. Dress nicely. Don’t be an idiot.
Hey friends, thanks for all the great comments! I totally missed ScarlettLion’s great post. Adding a link to it at the end!
Great post, and thanks. Have to disagree though, on the malaria. Yes it’s a pain in the ass to take it and Larium is clearly not the way to go, but Malarone and Doxy are both fine (well, Doxy sucks – yeast infection, sun sensitivity and nausea = not fun, but it doesn’t do any actual harm) and I do know people (smart expats that used nets and mozzy spray and knew the symptoms to watch for) that have died of cerebral malaria. Really don’t think it’s worth dicking about, because malaria meds could well save your life.
Duct tape is also awesome. As are Swiss Army Knives and string.
It sounds stupid, but I also tend to pack a little bottle of balsamic vinegar if I have space. I love love love avocados with balsamic, and it’s just easier to take the balsamic to the good avocados than to try and find good avocados where the balsamic is. I’m not a coffee drinker though, so guess this is the equivalent of the coffee press :-).
Clothes wise, my key question is always ‘can I wear this on the back of a moterbike taxi’. It’s worked well for me so far.
Oh, and more sunscreen than I think I’ll need because that ain’t getting replaced!
Loving this, women friends! Learning a ton. A few things I found helpful:
* Take antibacterial creme and benadryl – small tubes but both have come in handy and are not readily available in many places. Ditto with tampons – they are hard to come by! And, condoms are a must – take some if you plan to be sexually active.
* Second the big, light scarf. I have pashminas in varying colors and sizes that are always useful, professional, cover you, and do not make you sweat.
* I definitely try not to check luggage – three weeks worth of things can be packed in a carry-on, indeed, if you have good travel clothes (light, tightly packable, and non-wrinkling) and know how to roll things.
* Love the string – never remember that but boy, how handy when washing out socks and underwear. In the suitcase with it!
* Zip ties. They are the bomb. I tie luggage with it and other things that need tying and a record of whether they have been opened or tampered with but where you can not constrain access, for whatever reason. They come in VERY handy. (Do take small nail clippers, though, because otherwise you will never get them off anything!)
* Leave the good phone. I lost more than I can count by being careless and just dumb to take them. Take cheap small phone that you can easily work (i.e. text with) but that are super-unobtrusive and undesirable to take.
* Take paper copies of your passport, green card, visa, and immunization records. Put them in a back pocket of your suitcase and one other place. Important backup should you lose any of your documents.
Loving this – this is a book in the making 🙂
Two things I always bring, for bad bathroom situations (which is most bathroom situations):
(1) Those little rolls of Charmin-to-go – they come in a little plastic package (so the paper stays clean) and they don’t have the cardboard tube (so they’re very compact). I keep one in my bag at all times.
(2) Small, opaque plastic bags, like the ones you can buy for picking up after your dog – great if you’re forced to hold onto a used sanitary pad or tampon because you’re nowhere near a drop toilet or trashcan. Gross, I know, but better than having to improvise…
Laura, Katrin, Karisa, Kathleen – thanks for the additions. Really great tips out there – I appreciate that you posted them!
learn from the business travelers and be your own travel class. pack a small kit for the plane, with a sleeping mask, inflatable neck pillow, earphones, earplugs, travel socks, cabin booties (bathroom floors are gross and feet swell), aspirin/advil, a mini toothpaste/toothbrush, lipbalm, and a pen for landing cards. i’m sure there are other things to add, but those are exactly what i want within reach when on those 17 hour economy class flights. leave it stocked and in the suitcase.
and i second the full 3oz kit in the suitcase and a set of rubber flipflops to get you across the sketchiest floors.
finally, as someone who seems to have trouble with sharp knives and cutting myself – a tiny tube of superglue in the medical kit along with tampons, condoms, etc. does wonders for keeping small cuts closed and sealed from bacteria.
Just to add: since this about tips for women, I’ll assume it’s safe to touch on the normally-taboo topic of menstruation. If you travel a lot to places where tampons and sanitary napkins are hard to find, do yourself a favour and get a menstrual cup (Keeper / Mooncup / Diva Cup / whatever it’s called in your country: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menstrual_cup). They are amazing and so easy to travel with.
Great advice! It’s nice to hear how others travel.
I agree with the menstrual cup! Not only is it better for the environment, but it works great on long haul flights. Mine has saved me many times, most notably during 7 hours of rafting the Nile. The only time it doesn’t work so well is when I’m using latrines or there is a shortage of water. Tampon back ups are necessary for rural field work.
Finally have some time to chime in!!
Also bring:
-Extra passport sized photos ready to go for last minute visa applications
-A copy of your passport (photo page and relevant visa page)
-Frequent flyer cards! That stuff adds up yo’!
I also keep my toiletries packed and ready to go (so I literally have two of every toiletry that I need) so I don’t even have to think about whether or not I packed my nail clippers.
Oh, also, one of those plug adapters that works for different type of outlets. Even if you google what type of plug to expect, you’ll be surprised by the variety of types of outlets you might find in any one country.
Wow! I feel like I’ve been on a trip just reading all of these great tips. Not being too experienced yet, I am surprised I have something to add, but I do…
i) universal sink plug. I used mine every day in Tanzania for washing and laundry.
ii) drawstring bags to keep small items together in your large bag – I had one for first aid/medical stuff, one for anti mozzie parphanalia and one for everyday toiletries
iii) I’d opt for a head torch so you can read and hold your book/write your diary at the same time (small too).
iv) an extra rechargable battery for the camera – invaluable!
v) this is my life – in photos in a business card holder… brilliant for sharing/connecting with people when there are language barriers (obviously to be done sensitively)
vi) micro towel – bathroom luxury without too much weight/space being taken up and quick to dry
I want to pack my bag and go again now.
Great blog by the way.
Oh and one more thing…
vii) a good (large with fleece cover) inflatable neck pillow – I slept on the plane and the bus. Unheard of.
[…] Travel tips for my female friends – wait…what? – great travel tips for women from a woman who’s been just about everywhere […]
Love the blog and lots of great suggestions
Its so nice to hear someone ELSE say some of these things – like the one about the slip. 🙂
I also bring hand sanitizer. Its also helpful for people to know that contact lens solution and tampons may not be available or my be very expensive,
[…] to re-hash it all. I’d rather try to make something positive out of this to add this to my ‘Travel Tips for my Female Friends‘ post as an additional tip from someone who spends a lot of time traveling and arranging travel […]
I know it’s an older thread but it is still finding readers out there. I just wanted to say, be a little sensitive with the hand sanitizers guys.
I have seen a real ‘explosion’ in their use lately at very in appropriate moments.
i.e. You have just shaken hands with a very old lady in a very rural Health clinic in the bush and then you immediately whip out the sanitizer and give your hands a quick rub.
Now how insulting is that? It’s like going back to the ‘untouchables’ era.
My tip is to practice keeping your hands away from your face (I nearly added, esp if you have a beard, but then I remembered this is just for ladies lol!)
You would be amazed how many of us ‘fiddle’ and touch our faces all the time. Then you can simply wait a while until you are able to discretely and privately use the hand sanitizer. Usually, just before eating.
You might want to extend this to keeping your hands to yourself generally. Surfaces, seats, door handles, handrails esp in Health Units etc could easily be carrying bacteria. Its amazing how many people sit on their hands whilst waiting in the doctors waiting room!
Coo, going on a bit now!
Great blog Linda, now in my bookmarks
Oh I completely agree. That is one of my pet peeves too! Thanks for reading, Ian.