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You Wish You Knew!
February 3rd, 2010
Isn’t there always something that you wish you’d been told about a destination before you got there that would have helped you be a little more prepared? Here are just a few of the probably innumerable insights that may help your destination decision and planning. These aren’t necessarily good or bad things, just things you may wish you knew.
- The beaches for visitors in Bora Bora are almost all created by the hotels, and are not very large. The local beaches are available, if you don’t mind sharing them with 70-year-old Tahitian women sunbathing topless. The water near some beaches contains a ton of coral, and hence swimming/wading near the shore is not always advised.
- If the waiters/chefs at a restaurant in Italy tell you what you want to order, or don’t give you a choice and just bring you out something, this is actually a compliment – they’re giving you the chef’s favorite/best dishes.
- In much of Europe, it’s considered rude for the server to bring you the bill after the meal unless you ask for it (ie they’re telling you to leave). You may end up sitting there for over an hour wondering why it’s taking them so long, so when you’re ready to leave, just ask (”can I please have the bill” is a pretty common phrase in most language translation books). If you’re desperate, making the check sign is rather international, though shouldn’t be your first choice.
- It’s illegal to tip in Argentina, which is why if you pay by credit card you won’t see a space for a tip.
- If you’re treating yourself to a spa treatment, carefully read the description – a massage is not the same around the world and I’ve personally experienced the embarrassment of not realizing the type of massage to expect!
- Some countries (South Korea for example) require an international drivers license in order to rent a car, and this is not usually something you can get on the spot. If you plan to rent a car, make sure you know everything you’ll need before you go. This is where a travel planner can make your life much easier!
- If you’re an American not used to traveling to Asia, is not okay to eat from the street (or boat) vendors in and around Bangkok, no matter how good it smells. Nothing illegal about it, but your stomach might think there should be!
- If you don’t want your sandwich bread buttered in Australia, tell them so upfront. That goes for a lot of other foods here as well. Everything tastes better with butter, right?
- If you’re traveling to Venice in the December or Costa Rica in August, bring your galoshes. Rainy season in Costa Rica is aptly named. December in Venice can make it difficult to tell where the canal ends and the sidewalk begins.
One could probably write a book and this (and I’m sure someone probably has). These are a few tips from my personal experience which I wish I’d known pre-travel. I’d love to hear your thoughts. My intention is not in any way to diminish any of the destinations above – I have thoroughly enjoyed them all. Rather, I simply want to share some thoughts I took away from my experience that might help others. So let’s hear ‘em!
4 Responses to “You Wish You Knew!”
You would think that it would be warm in southern Europe in September, but I went to Portugal and it was freezing.
Yes the weather is something that can take you by surprise! Like the fact that the coldest month in San Francisco is August! I wonder if your experience in Portugal was unique given a strange weather pattern, or if there’s a big drop off in temperature at the end of August. When in September did you go?
When my family went to the Cayman Islands, there were ants in the bedroom and the bathroom of the hotel. No one told us about those.
That’s no fun! I’ve heard several people say they unexpectedly had insect “visitors” in their rooms in beach resorts. While I’m sure they’re harmless, I wouldn’t like that either, especially if you’re paying a lot for the hotel! I had something similar in Costa Rica. They actually told us never to bring food back to our rooms b/c the ants would be all over the room almost instantly. That’s a good reminder for my clients heading to tropical locations!