Photography and Travel

One of the great things about this line of work is that it can afford many opportunities for travel. Frequent travelers tend to develop their own habits/preferences and love to share them with anyone who will listen. Further, living in a constantly changing place that tends to flummox tourist guides, I often find myself in the position of assisting those who were unprepared. Below, you will find some of my suggestions for reducing the hassles of travel. Mostly though, this page is an excuse for me to display some products of my newfound hobby: photography.

Do

1. Read about your intended destination in advance. I do not mean just travel guides and web forums (which you should obviously do too), but local or national newspapers if possible. Beyond what to do and what to see, a traveler should know what they're walking into. Is there ongoing unrest? Are there major festivals or holidays going on? But also what sorts of events tend to make the news? The papers also tend to be the best source for clarification of any recent law changes.

2. Familiarize yourself with the exchange rate between your home and the local currency. Develop an easy way to approximate prices. Calculators and apps can do this well, but (1) this can be tedious and (2) if a shopkeeper sees you using your phone to understand the price, you will stick out as an easy mark. This can be additionally troublesome when weights and measures are added to the mix. For instance, when grocery shopping in the UAE, I mentally convert dirhams per kilogram to dollars per pound by dividing the price by eight. It need not be an exact conversion, but you should be able to quickly tell if an item is expensive or a bargain.

3. Maximize your space on planes by booking window seats if you can and by taking the in-flight magazine(s) out of your seat pouch. It serves no purpose now that Sky Mall is defunct and can take up an inch or more of knee space. You can also generally fit a small handbag between your seat and the wall instead of putting it under the seat in front of you.

4. Assume that any law on the books will be enforced on you. You are a visitor and cannot know with certainty what is or is not treated as an offense. Educate yourself. This goes doubly for what you are allowed to bring in your luggage. Commonly used medications and food products in your home country can be strictly banned in the place you are visiting. Don't rely on what someone posted on a forum about having had an item in their luggage and having not been caught. Read State Department travel advisories. Some items that may not even have occurred to you may be banned.

5. Buy a small, simple Nokia mobile phone. The kind with a black and white screen, no internet, and a battery that can last for weeks on end. Smart phones are great, but if you are going to a place without reliable electricity, you need a backup plan. In many countries you can buy a pre-paid SIM card at the airport. Some even give tourists free temporary SIMs for which you can then buy credit.

6. Investigate how middle income locals tend to commute, as that will likely be the most efficient way to travel around town. Just because a city offers public transportation does not mean that it is reliable and tourist friendly.

7. Before you travel, call your bank to tell them that you will be overseas. They will likely ask for your itinerary so that they won't block your card due to unusual activity. Read up on any fees your cards charge for international purchases. Some banks offer free ATM use anywhere in the world and will reimburse ATM fees charged by other banks. This means you can take out money at ATMs at the market exchange rate and not get fleeced by airport exchange houses. Write down your bank's customer service number. This is usually on the back of your card. If your possessions are lost or stolen, you will want to notify the bank immediately. Keep a physical list of contact numbers in a safe place. Do not keep it with things that are likely targets for thieves.

8. Register with the US State Department's Smart Traveler Program. In the event of a crisis (natural disaster, terrorist attack, etc.), this helps the local embassy contact you to provide information.

9. When traveling with companions, consider how much water you will need and then double or triple that amount. Everyone should be responsible for their own water, but the last thing you need is one of your party to drop from dehydration.

10. Stop by chain stores/restaurants from your home country, even if you do not plan to shop/eat there. It can be interesting to see how they adapt for their local clientele and also how your country is represented abroad.

Do Not's

1. Do not engage in conversation with locals on politics, religion, relationships, finances, family, or anything personal unless the local initiates the conversation. These can be sensitive or even offensive topics, depending on the circumstances.

2. Do not limit your dining to TripAdvisor (or the like) top rated places. By all means try these, but some of my favorite experiences have come from unmarked street vendors, tiny shops, and local suggestions. For instance the best pizza I have ever had came from a grocery store in Siena, Italy. That said, take TripAdvisor much more seriously when selecting a hotel. On that point, if you are going to be traveling to a destination multiple times, try to build a positive business relationship with the hotel staff. You will be surprised how well they remember you. This can pay major dividends.

3. Do not plan on having a meal at your destination's airport upon arrival, especially if that airport is a small, domestic facility. I travel with commercially packaged protein bars (when permitted by customs rules, which is most of the time), as it is pretty common to arrive in small towns late at night to find nothing available.

4. Do not over pack on departure. Unless you are engaged in some serious adventuring, there is no need to carry gear for every potential situation. Yes you should be prepared, but the combination weather radio, flashlight, wrench, deep fryer is probably a bit excessive. Excess baggage fees on international flights are considerably higher than for domestic travel and continue to rise.

5. Do not assume that you will be safe from mosquito borne illnesses, just because you are visiting a city or even a fancy resort. For that matter, do not rely on organic/home remedy repellents. Save those for your home garden.

6. Do not take pictures of anything, unless you are certain that it is legal to do so. This applies particularly to taking pictures of people, government facilities, and religious sites. Not only can this be considered rude, but it can be illegal and result in serious repercussions. Note that airports count as government sites.

7. Do not expect dietary restrictions (allergies or preferences) to be respected, even if you know the correct translation of what you are trying to avoid. In the case of things like gluten or peanuts, servers may not actually know and just say that it is fine. If you have a serious allergy, have your own treatment handy (if permitted) and research local emergency options. If you just prefer to avoid certain products, then prepare for your trip to be a vacation from that preference.

8. Do not eat at the hotel where you are staying unless it is included with your room, the hotel's restaurant is particularly famous, or it is the only option. Not only are hotel restaurants typically overpriced, but their offerings tend to be less authentic to local cuisine and more accommodating of unadventurous tourists. Pay attention to taxes and fees that are not included in menu prices.

9. If adding a tip to your bill at a restaurant, do not pay the tip with your credit card. Pay it in cash. You cannot always trust that the tip will make it back to the staff who did the work. Even if a restaurant charges a flat service fee and implies that it goes to staff, it is more likely to make it to those individuals if they have the cash in their hands.

10. Do not underestimate the value of please, thank you, and learning as many words in the local language as you can. These are almost universally appreciated. Be forgiving of minor mistakes or misunderstandings. It is pretty easy to distinguish someone who is genuinely sorry from someone who actually does wish to offend you. The former will tend to go out of their way to be extra nice to you. The latter will not and will not fear any attempt you might make to gain justice.