1. Research

(Credits: Google Image)

2. Make a Personal Google Maps

Bangkok is a BIG place to explore. I've been here 4 times from 2017 to 2020 but I've yet to explore every part of it! As you can see, with your personal Google Maps you can use various icons and colours. For me I have my own colours to coordinate my map (Green: Places I want to visit, Grey: I'll go when I visit again and Purple: For eating) It's a very convenient feature and I HIGHLY suggest you use it if you're a frequent traveller or want to search for places more easily.





You can check out this " YouTube video " on how to make a personal Google Maps.





3. Bring Enough Clothing









4. Bring "Universal Travel Adapters"



(Credits: Google Image)

This is something I learned as I travelled more frequently but I highly suggest you bring a "Universal Travel Adapters". The electronics I normally charge are: Handphone, x2 camera batteries and x3 power banks. I used to bring a extended cable but I recently found out about "Universal Travel Adapters" with x3 USB ports. This is good as it can save space in your luggage.

5. Bring Your Local Currency for Emergencies

(Credits: Google Image)

6. Get Data

Here is Changi Recommends' data plan and price. I chose this according to my recent Bangkok trip and the total was $44 after using their promo code that they sometimes offer. Even after using their promo code the price is still quite steep. I guess Changi Recommends is good if you're sharing it with someone so you can split the payment. You can check out their site here: Changi Recommends





Below is Starhub's "TravelData" plans. Looking at it, their data plan is more affordable as I'm normally a budget traveller. I couldn't screenshot the whole site but they have various plans depending on where you're travelling to that you can see on their site here: Starhub "TravelData"





7. Make Photocopies of Your Passport

This is good especially if you're planning on renting a car or motorbike as I won't want to hand over my actual passport for safety reasons.





8. Learn the Culture

Often times I would see some tourist spit or litter when I'm travelling and even here in Singapore. During my 1st trip to Bangkok in April 2017 I visited "The Grand Palace". I was walking around while admiring my surroundings when a middle aged Asian lady thought it was a good idea to spit on the ground. Maybe in that lady's culture it's acceptable but I would refrain from spitting as what's accepted in your country might not be in another country.



(Credits: Google Image) Another good example is Japan. The 1st time I visited Tokyo in April 2018 I was told to learn their culture so I went on YouTube and watched this video by Japan Abroad titled " 12 Things NOT to do in Japan ". I did not think so much about it after watching the video but when I stepped foot into Tokyo I got a culture shock. Turns out everything that's mentioned in the video is true. I saw this quote while watching a travel video on YouTube "It's your holiday, but it's our country".

9. Make Plans

I normally use the "Memo" app on my phone to make my daily plans and it's easier to edit if needed.





10. Screenshot and Save Photos on Your Phone



(Credits: Google Image and ICA)

What I like to do is to screenshot the places I want to visit or eat at. I do this just in case I don't have connection or want to save on data. It's also good to screenshot the address of your hotel both in your native and the country's local language. If you can't find the address written in the country's language you can always ask the hotel staff to write it down for you. Another reason is some countries require you to fill up an "Arrival Card" so with your screenshot you can fill up the card on the plane or at the airport of your destination.

Below is the hotel I stayed in Bangkok during my recent trip.





11. Make a List of Things You Want to Bring

I remember when I went to Bangkok in April 2017 I forgot to bring my camera charger but thankfully I just came out of the elevator of my house and I remembered it. I quickly went back home to get it and from that day on I made sure to do a list of things I'll bring for my travels. Like my daily plans, I use the "Memo" app and I'll delete the items that I've packed. Below is a screenshot of some of the things I normally pack.





12. Visit Airline and Travel Sites for Good Deals

Before I book a flight I would watch the prices of the plane tickets from different airline sites depending on where I'm travelling to. There are times I booked tickets during a sale and the price was at it's cheapest till the day I hop on the plane. But there was once I booked my ticket and a sale occurred a week later. For hotel I would also see the actual hotel websites and compare it with various third party hotel sites.

(Credits: Google Image)





13. Travel Insurance



(Credits: Google Image) 14. Be Punctual I have yet to be put in a position where I missed my flight or have anything happen to me but it's always good to be prepared in case something does happen.

Whether you're heading to the airport or checking out of your hotel it's always good to plan ahead. I always pack my luggage the day before I fly back and I'd wake up early to make sure I've got everything so I can check-out from my hotel at least 15 minutes before the stated check-out time.

In places like Bangkok and Tokyo there's definitely going to be a rush hour and it's not fun being in a packed subway. It's good to know when is the peak hour so you can avoid the crowds. For example, Tokyo and Osaka's peak hour is around 1700 onward and at 1600 Bangkok's road will be packed with vehicles so it's best to avoid taking any cab to the airport during this time.



15. Do That Solo Trip Travelling with friends and family is fun but it's also good to solo travel at least once in your life. For me I prefer to solo travel mainly because I only need to plan for myself . As a introvert I'm fine with not having anyone to talk to but solo travel also forces you to be independent which I think can help you in the long run.

(Credits: Google Image)

16. Enjoy Yourself



Whether you're travelling for food, photography, speding time with friends and family it's always good to go to a cafe or a park to sit down and relax. It's your holiday so do take this time to appreciate your surroundings and relax!





Here are my tips for travelling. Before we begin I just want to let you know a brief introduction of myself and my travels so far. I started travelling on a frequent basis since April 2017 after my trip to Bangkok, Thailand. After I came back I realized how much I love travelling and it's one of the best experience! However, since writing this post I've only travelled to 4 countries out of 195 so I wouldn't call myself a guru when it comes to travelling but these are my tips that I've picked up during my travels. Whether it's that weekend getaway or a month long travel I'm sure this post will benefit you. Keep in mind that I'm not sponsored in any way for anything that I mentioned in this blog post.I always like to do my research before I travel. When I first travelled to Chiang Mai in May 2018 I knew they did not have any subways like Bangkok but instead they have a "Songthaew'. As I wasn't familiar with it I did my research on Google and YouTube on how to use this mode of transport. Ideally, there are also Facebook groups that you can join or use TripAdvisor if you need to ask questions.Before I travel I would watch countless videos on YouTube and do some reading on Google to get a better understanding of the country and their culture. With today's technology, why not take advantage of it?This feature is really convenient. Let's say you want to find this restaurant on your "To-Go List" but instead of Googling for it you can just open your personal Google Maps that you created and the "Saved" restaurant will appear on your map.Normally when I travel to Bangkok it will be more than a week and my luggage will be a backpack and camera bag so I won't bring too much clothing with me. And because Bangkok is really warm I'll perspire buckets. What I like to do is to wash my clothes before I sleep so I can wear them the next day or the next few days. Always bring proper clothing when you travel, you wouldn't want to dress lightly for a cold weather. And best is to not over pack. Wherever you travel to there will be clothing and toiletries that you can buy if needed. It's good to leave some space as I'm sure you'll buy souvenirs.I actually made a blog post on what I normally pack for my carry-on travels which you can check it out here: What's in My Bag When I Travel Personally, I try not to use up all of my money. I know when you're travelling you're suppose to enjoy yourself but I like to come back with at least SGD$20 or more worth of foreign currency. The only time I had to change money while I was travelling was in Bangkok, Thailand on November 2017. I spent all my money on eating, entering places for sightseeing and beer and I ran out of money 2 days before flying back to Singapore.What I also like to do is to separate my money. So normally I would have my spending money with me and my emergency money and local currency in a separate bag. I do this just in case something happens so at least I know I'll have backup money somewhere.When I first started travelling I would use a pocket Wi-fi that I'll book from Changi Recommends. I later found out there's a cheaper alternative and that is to use Starhub's "TravelData". The highest is 3GB which cost $15 and its good when I travel for at least a week as I normally use my phone for Maps. If your country's telco company doesn't have a travel data plan a sim card would also be good. That way you have one less gadget to charge.You don't have to do this but for me I need to make plans for each day that I'm travelling. I like to do this so I'll roughly know know what to do for that day. Referring back to #2, I'd use my personal Google Maps to make a day plan and this way I'll also know which area and subway stations I'll go to so I won't spend more than I need to on transport. I used to freelance in films and production so what I used to do is to make my plans like a call sheet. But I noticed I would make changes to it when I travel so now I use my phone to do it and it's easier to edit if needed.