If you have been offered a great deal online that sounds like a bargain you cannot afford to lose-hold your horses! You may be dealing with one of the many travel scams out there. Does this mean that all bargains and good deals are fake? Not at all! But if you are given very limited details and required to pay first, this is your first red flag.

“Pay now, Travel Later” themed offers are something to be aware of. Scammers typically will not provide complete information in writing until they get your credit card number or money order or any other way they can ensure payment from you.

According to the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), there are some suggestions that can help you evaluate travel offers:

Scepticism isn’t always bad and when it comes to identifying scams, it’s a must. When you receive any kind of unsolicited email, phone call saying that you are one of the ‘lucky’ few who have been selected to avail of an ‘awesome’ bargain-beware! Though there are some legit offers out there, being sceptical never hurt anyone.

Having an eye for detail is another good protection against scams. Everything may seem OK on the surface but the fine print may tell a totally different story. Make sure to read all the terms and conditions and make sure there aren’t too many requirements and restrictions that will cause you more expense or even ‘disqualify’ you for your trip.

Pay attention to detail (creative commons)

Check the company’s credentials. Use the Better Business Bureau site to confirm whether a company is legit. Another good place to search when doing a background check is the popular complaint websites like ripoffreport.com.

Get your facts straight. If you find that indeed you are dealing with a legitimate company, don’t let your guard down just yet-get all the facts. Insist on receiving all details first and allow yourself time to go through them before making any payment.

Play safe by using a credit card. The beauty of the credit card is that you can refuse to pay for services not rendered in case your legitimate company goes bankrupt for some reason.

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Lastly, know when to walk away. If you really feel sceptical about the offer, forget all the ‘what if it’s legit’ notions going through your head and simply walk away. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Getting yourself a good travel deal can save you a lot of money but falling for a scam can cost you just as much.

Travelling abroad gives you a once in a lifetime chance to get away from everything you have known and experience a totally different way of life. In a new place with new people and tradition, you are blessed with the opportunity to learn and grow personally. However, some people hold back from engaging in such adventure for a number of reasons. Here are some misconceptions about what is involved in travelling abroad.

“I can’t travel abroad because I don’t have anyone to go with and don’t want to travel alone”. Travelling alone is not as bad as it seems. In fact, many people prefer travelling alone because of all the chances you have to cultivate new friendships with the locals. If you have no travelling buddies, then go take on the world alone! It is far better than giving up travelling all together.

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“I have a family and responsibilities”. Ask your wife and kids how they would like to experience living in a different country and see what they say. Chances are, they’d love it! If you save enough or even search for job opportunities that allow you to work from home, you will be able to experience true independence.

“Travelling abroad is too dangerous”. Ok, it’s true that there will be some safety issues but that’s part of the fun! As long as you find the right location, do a lot of research and take all the possible security measures, there is not much that can go wrong.

“I’ll get sick in a foreign country”. Just because you are travelling abroad doesn’t mean that you have to try out so many things and do all the activities tourists do. Try to always be aware of what your limits are and don’t try your luck by eating street food or doing extreme adventures that would spoil your natural balance.

“I can’t afford to travel abroad”. There are many inexpensive places that you can choose to go to on your vacation and if you really plan your costs, they won’t be as expensive as you imagine. This is especially true if you are from a first world country-the currency exchange rate will allow you to have more than enough for your needs abroad.

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Long term travel abroad is something everyone ought to experience at least once in their lives. Don’t be deterred by the common misconceptions-do your own research and get on your way!

Going on a cruise vacation is a very exciting time. The best thing about such a holiday is that the cruise company usually take care of everything that you can possibly imagine. From your fresh sheets to your smooth shower gel, you will be provided with all you need in order to enjoy your beloved cruise. After all, you did spend a fortune on it. However,  you still need to pack some essentials that won’t be included in your trip.

Ear plugs. Remember, you are not alone on the ship and there are bound to be times when you wish you could plug your ears so take a few sets of earplugs for your comfort.

Zip lock bags. These are irreplaceable when on a cruise trip. You can use them for packing wet clothing, food for your day excursions, shells you collect, cards and the list goes on.

Zip Lock Bags (creative commons)

Thermos bottle. If your cruise is one of those that last a few weeks, you will surely get tired of room service delivering your coffee each day. Get a little taste of independence with your own thermos bottle.

Extra batteries and a portable charger. You don’t want to run out of batteries for your camera and be stuck in the middle of the ocean with no place to shop. Never overlook these seemingly minor  things or you might be left without your most valuable memories from the cruise.

Extra SD card and flash drive. You don’t want to make the huge mistake of running out of memory and purchasing some ‘fake’ SD card that turns out to be a total failure that makes you lose all your photos. So keep this mind.

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A flashlight just in case. Yes, accidents do happen at sea and if they do, you wouldn’t want to be stuck in pitch darkness relying on whatever the crew can offer. Bring a flashlight for your own sake.

Handy dandy suction hooks. These can be stuck wherever you wish-in the bathroom for hanging towels, or on the walls for jackets-they are simply very handy. They are suction hooks so you can easily remove them when your journey reaches an end.

Off course, you don’t have to take your entire home when on your cruise holiday but the fact that you will be spending quite a lot of time at sea means you ought to be as comfortable as possible. These little things mentioned won’t take too much space but will go a long way in making you feel right at home.

When we think about travelling abroad, the first thing that comes to our minds is the cost. How will I save for my vacation? How will I get there? Where will I go? True, these are indeed worth considering but there is something else that needs to be prepared-your mind.  Those who neglect to prepare themselves mentally end up with a lot of problems. Here are some ways that you can mentally get yourself ready for before travelling abroad.

Make sure you have a plan and go over it. Although you want to be flexible and have room for unexpected excursions, you still ought to have an overview of where you want to go and what you want to do. This will help your mind prepare for what lies ahead and allow you to stay calm during your travel.

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Have tools that you plan to use for communication during your stay abroad. One of the things many long term travellers experience is home sickness due to lack of communication with the folks back home. Plan ahead on how you intent to keep in touch with your loved ones and let them know of your plans. If you have an action plan when it comes to communication, your mind will be more at ease.

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Have a fixed period of time that you will be gone so that you can also mentally prepare for this time. Travellers who decide to prolong their stay out of the blue or to cut their stay short find themselves psychologically unprepared for the sudden change of plan.

Be prepared for the unexpected. One of the things that usually cause unwanted mental stress is when things that you didn’t expect happen. To prepare for this, try and have contingency plans for some scenarios that you can think of may happen. From getting robbed to getting lost or whatever possibilities you can think of, try and imagine a plan of action in event it happens.

Avoid stressful situations if you are the type who easily gets disturbed. Prevention is always better than cure so when you sense that a situation is getting intense, find the nearest exit.

However, vacations are meant to be enjoyable and in most cases they exceed our expectations. An optimistic approach towards your trip and a few practical plans might just be the perfect recipe for your happy holiday. Have fun!

Savings go hand in hand with holidays. Either you save money before travelling or during your holiday, you often find yourself in the position of saving money in order to enjoy a delightful trip to a nice place. Sometimes, people decide not to take a vacation simply because they feel that they can’t afford it. If you sit down and do the math, you will find that you don’t need to be a millionaire to enjoy a nice summer vacation.

Think “One big instead of two small”

This simple suggestion can go a long way in helping you save during your travel. How do you apply it? Well, if you are travelling in a group, instead of renting two rooms, rent just one room with two king-sized beds. When renting a car, instead of going for two small cars, take one big SUV instead. Believe it or not, it is cheaper!

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Go for inclusive packages

Inclusive packages at resorts or cruises can save you a lot when on vacation. Try to find a package that has meals and other facilities included. Resorts have a reason for having these inclusive packages and if you calculate the cost for paying for everything separately, you will find that it is actually more expensive.

Always pack lightly

Packing lightly isn’t only applicable during flights in order to reduce the amount you pay for your extra luggage but there are other opportunities during your vacation that you ought to pack lightly for. For example, when going on a car trip where you paid for renting the car, packing lightly can actually reduce the amount of gasoline consumed.

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Keep your eyes open for freebies

Always ask the hotel, resort or whatever place you are at if they have any special offers or promos. Sometimes, it is easy to overlook a great deal simply because you didn’t ask. Watch out for complimentary breakfasts or whatever gimmicks are being offered and see if you can avail of them.

If you are travelling with kids, try and ask your agent to look for hotels where kids get free accommodation. If you want to save on your meals, check into a hotel that has a kitchenette so you can cook some of your meals.

Even though you can’t afford to have an expensive travel, you can still enjoy the perks of being in an amazing place without paying too much. So rather than giving up your chances of getting that well-needed vacation, why not be creative and think of more ways to save for your summer trip?

Depending on what country you are from, giving tips is considered general courtesy and not complying to this makes a very bad impression. It is easy enough to give a tip in our home city because we know how it works there and what is expected of us but if you find yourself thousands of miles away from home; this is a totally different story. Different parts of the world follow different rules when it comes to tipping etiquette but let’s try and focus on some of the popular destinations in Asia.

Generally speaking, tipping isn’t really ‘expected’ in most Asian countries. But of course, being a foreigner means that there are exemptions to what is expected of you.

If you find yourself in the bustling city of Bangkok for example, tipping will not be expected or solicited if you are eating in one of the local restaurants. However, if you opt for a more ‘Western’ place, then you’ll have to incorporate a more ‘western’ etiquette when it comes to tipping. It is also common for some high end restaurants to add a 10% service charge to your bill. Porters can be tipped 20 to 50 baht.

Indonesia has a very similar tipping etiquette to Bangkok and you will generally not be expected to give tips. The 10% service charge is also applied to restaurants and hotels so don’t bother to tip your porter unless you really want to. When riding taxis, you will not be expected to give a tip unless perhaps the driver has been exceptionally helpful in giving directions or with your luggage. A 1,000rp is enough for such services.

Fancy Restaurant in Hong Kong (Creative commons)

Hong Kong is a great exemption when it comes to giving tips and has adopted most of the Western culture in this regard. In all but its lowest establishments, it is expected that gratuity will be shown by leaving a tip. Although the same 10% service charged is followed, this usually stays with the owner so if you receive exceptional service, remember to personally tip your server. Remember though that Hong Kong is not to be confused with mainland China where tipping is a huge no, no and frowned upon.

Other countries in Asia follow the same general rules as the ones mentioned so simply keep in mind the etiquette in the previously mentioned places. Words of caution though-do not allow yourself to be taken advantage of for your good tipping etiquette.