Travel Tips: Checklist for a Stress-Free Arrival


I’ve always felt like stepping off the plane is the most daunting part of my travel. While arriving at the destination seems like a sigh of relief (I’m not big on long flights), what comes after is sometimes just not the ideal cup of tea, is it? And it’s worse if your destination is one that speaks a language not known by you, which makes it all the more intimidating. I remember the very first time I landed in Dubai, Nairobi and Thailand, I was a lost puppy. The signs in Arabic, Swahili and Thai were just as confusing and I couldn’t tell where to go to speak to someone in English. So I decided that since this happens to a lot of us, I’m going to make traveling simpler for you. I already wrote about how to manage packing for multiple climates, so here’s another travel post on how to be more organised once you step off the place:

1. Always carry a passport holder: It’s so very important to have a good passport holder with you. Before you start your trip, make sure you’ve got all the required documents you’ll need (vaccination cards, visas, letters of invitation, etc.) Keep it all organised in different pockets of the holder so you don’t end up opening everything to just pick out one thing. You could also be asked to fill in forms on the plane, so make sure you’ve got a pen to fill in all the necessary forms before and on arrival.

2. Ensure you have the required documents & enough money: Many destinations are such that give you visa on arrival, so make sure you have enough currency on you to pay for it. If you already have your visa stamped in your passport, make sure you mark the page with a post-it to open the correct page when you’re up for immigration. It makes the officer’s life and yours much simpler.

3. Print your hotel/residence information: The reason to keep a printed copy is in case you run out of battery on your phone where you were sent the information and addresses. Print a sheet with the address of your stay and the relevant names you will need to know and provide to the officials who may ask.

4. Charge all your devices!: I cannot stress on how important this is. Arriving with a phone that has enough battery is so re-assuring. You may need to contact your friends and family or even the hotel to ask where your cab is. So make sure you leave your house with all your devices charged fully. This includes your phone, iPod, your laptop, etc. I’ve invested in a travel charger which is great because it lets me charge most of my devices and lasts pretty long. So ensure that you have all your wires with you (in your hand bag and not in the check-in luggage) in case you need to charge on the go!

5. Keep enough currency for exchange: It’s always a good idea to exchange for some local currency once you’ve arrived at your destination (unless you can do so before, then that’s of course ideal!). The locals appreciate if you can give them local currency since sitting down to figure out the exchange rate with your currency can be tedious. Also, always carry some US Dollars since most people recognise the currency and are open to doing transaction with it. If you don’t find a good rate at the airport, reach your hotel and ask where you could get a good rate. They might provide you with one!

So next time you travel, remember to be organized to easy things off for you when you’re all tired and groggy :)

Got any more suggestions? Drop them below!


photo: apairandasparediy