Survival Guide for Travelling to a New Country for the First Time

Everyone loves a good and fun travel adventures from time to time. May it be a simple or fancy get away from a tiring life you used to have – people do enjoy travel. It is there escape to the reality – a getaway to some fantasy to create peace in their mind and rejuvenate the lost energy.

Usually, people loves to go around and spend their vacation like they never had one before. But they usually forget that when traveling for the first time in a new city, there are things that must be kept in mind. To help you get on track and always be ready for your first visit, here are 5 survival guides for traveling first time in a new country;

1. Learn their basic language – and survive!

Communication is everything. It is a number one rule in travelling to always be acquainted with the language of the place you’re visiting in especially if they do have different language from the place you came from. You don’t necessarily have to be a linguist or a master of all language before you can travel, just get yourself acquainted with the basic words that you will surely come in handy when travelling.

Try to practice the words that you can use in asking direction, or asking where the nearest food store is. Words like that will be very useful from time to time. It is also important that you know how to speak the languages that is most common in most countries like English and Mandarin. Example, you want to travel to Singapore, you must keep in mind that Singaporeans speak more than one language, they speak English, Mandarin, Malay and even Tamil.

2. Familiarize yourself with the laws

Ignorance of the law excuses no one. And by no one, I mean everyone is not exempted – even if you are a tourist, a high profile person, a government leader, a member of a monarch or a plain citizen- everyone must adhere to the laws that every country has. Before going on a trip, educate yourself with the basic laws that this country has.

Find out what laws they have that you find peculiar so that you might not end up regretting about your trip. Googling the basic laws in that country can save you from a lot of possible disasters along the way because you might not know it that you already committed something against their law and might end up in jail. Nobody wants that right? Just like in Singapore, you pay a fine if you failed to flush the public toilet or for even chewing a gum! So better be informed than sorry.

3. Embrace the culture – know the do’s and don’ts

Culture is a very interesting part of your travel.  There are certain variation of cultures from one country to the other, and that is absolutely normal. But to save yourself from any harm, be acquainted with the country’s basic traditions – the way they live and deal with things. In Singapore, you should know that pointing with one finger alone is construed to be rude, thus they point with their whole hand. Even handing out an item must be done with both hands for handing it with one hand is found disrespectful and off-hand. Thus, to enjoy your stay more, get to know the basic do’s and don’ts of the place that you are planning to visit.

4. Just accept the norms of the society

Society plays a very vital role in the community, and we are all aware of that. For first time travels in a new place, be more knowledgeable about the lifestyle and trend of the society you are about to visit. Have yourself informed of the norms that this community practiced so you will not feel “out-of-place” in the area. In Singapore, you can encounter different races coming from different parts of Asia and even Westerners are also seen in the country. This proves that the society in Singapore can be much of a multicultural society since its citizen is composed of varied races.

5. Know your geography – get a map!

It is always better to be safe than sorry. When travelling in a new destination, always get yourself a map of the place you are about to travel. Having a map in your bag gives the feeling of assurance and security that you can never get lost in the city since you have the whole place figured out in your map. It will also give you easy access to landmark and city spots that you wish to visit by yourself.