Saigon
Gold Member
Given a few good travel tips have come up on the China thread, I thought maybe the topic deserved its own thead.
What advice do you have for people setting off on a journey - particularly to the Developing World?
I'll throw ideas in every so often, but just to get things started -
1. Cameras are often stolen by brand name. i.e. kids are told to steal Nikons, Canons etc. An old journalist trick is to paint over any visible brand names, change the camera strap to something like an old guitar strap, and wrap some surgical tape around the lens barrel - make your camera look like a piece of crap, in other words. This trick absolutely works - I have also been known to tell people it was broken.
2. Buy a head torch. The first time I saw someone wearing one I laughed...but a couple of years on it is the first thing in my pack. It's great for hotels when the electricity goes off, and or for reading in bed even if the lights are dull. It's also great if you need to find a bathroom, key or use a mobile on a dark street!
What advice do you have for people setting off on a journey - particularly to the Developing World?
I'll throw ideas in every so often, but just to get things started -
1. Cameras are often stolen by brand name. i.e. kids are told to steal Nikons, Canons etc. An old journalist trick is to paint over any visible brand names, change the camera strap to something like an old guitar strap, and wrap some surgical tape around the lens barrel - make your camera look like a piece of crap, in other words. This trick absolutely works - I have also been known to tell people it was broken.
2. Buy a head torch. The first time I saw someone wearing one I laughed...but a couple of years on it is the first thing in my pack. It's great for hotels when the electricity goes off, and or for reading in bed even if the lights are dull. It's also great if you need to find a bathroom, key or use a mobile on a dark street!