The world on a plate, fried.

Food is one of the best parts of travelling. It's just amazing how the same human beings can put such diversity into their mouths!

Eatng In - Hostels

Now is when you begin to realise that hostels really are your best friend. Why? Well most hostels come with a kitchen and some even provide a free breakfast. Making the most of the kitchen means you can buy your food from the local supermarket and cook away. Even if you don't want your evening meals there, it's often nice to have a quick cereal breakfast and coffee before you leave to go exploring.

Bottled Water

You might be island hopping or exploring a city, but either way it's essential to keep hydrated. Unfortunately, in many countries it's not safe to drink the tap water, but dehydration can still be avoided by drinking plenty of bottled water. And the good news is that bottled water is for sale from virtually every street corner, doorway and beach hut in the world.

Imported bottled water is often far more expensive than what is produced locally and because there is little noticeable difference - if any - in taste, I tend to avoid it. There is normally a local big brand that stands out on the store shelves and this is typically available right across the country. This is usually an excellent choice and just as good for thirst quenching. And buying water that is bottled in the country is helping the local economy, so this is another great reason to buy it too.

Now I'm sure you wouldn't purchase a drink without a proper seal or with a seal that had been tampered with in your own country, so don't get lapse, apply those same rules whilst abroad.

But what if bottled water isn't an option and you have to depend on local sources for a few days? This is when it can be handy to have some water purification tablets with you. You simply add these to your water and as the name suggests, they purify it and make it drinkable.

You are travelling for the experience and [street] food is very much part of that.

Eating Out

If your budget permits, you may want to eat out every night and of course that's fine. However, remember that in some places not speaking the language (see the Speaking tab above) and not understanding the menus may make this a little difficult. I've found waiters will always serve you, it's just that you might not get what you asked for.

Choosing the right place to eat can be difficult and more often than not you simply have to go with instinct and see if you like the look of a place. Of course, the old tip that if a place is busy (with locals or foreigners) then it must be good, is nearly always true. And don't be afraid to ask the locals. Before you leave your accommodation ask those behind the desk to see if they can recommend somewhere.  Even if you don't like the look of  the place they recommend there could well be a neighbouring establishment that catches your eye.

Personally, I always feel better about eating at a place that has other restaurants near by. My logic is that if competition is rife, then surely they can't afford for the clientèle to have a bad experience, as they will then simply go elsewhere. In practise this theory has worked for me, but obviously it's far from scientific.

Generally, a local food stop is never too far away, but  if you do get caught and are struggling to fill an empty stomach then a McDonald's franchise is often scarily close to any thriving high street, regardless of the country.

Street Food

"Street food" is the 100% authentic food cooked on the street or in a market, it's usually the preferred choice for locals, but traveller's opinions can differ wildly. To some this is a delicacy, to others plain disgusting. Some will insist you try it, whilst others will think it unhygienic and must be avoided at all cost. I will of course leave the final decision to you the reader, but consider the following points first :  

• The locals have grown up with this food and as such their constitution is more tolerant to this type of food. Don't just assume that because someone else is eating it that it must be fine.

• Heat kills bacteria. So if the food is cooked fresh at a high temperature (i.e. in a hot wok)  and not left standing then you are less likely to get an upset stomach.

• In most restaurants you will not see the kitchen. The beauty of street food is that you can see it being made. So does the stall look clean and well kept?

• Not all street food is made equal, so if you have a guide, then ask what they recommend - a real gem could be just around the corner.
   

It's common sense really,  so weigh up your options : If you have a long journey or a once in a life time excursion the next day then just don't risk it. But If the stall looks clean, has a steady turnover of customers, you have nothing planned the following day and it smells great then why not? You are travelling for the experience and food is very much part of that.

So you can eat in and you can eat out, but don't forget that not everywhere in the world uses the same eating utensils. So if the concept of eating a meal with chopsticks fills you with dread, then remember that in many places in the world (not just China) you might not have the option of getting a knife and fork. As such, you can either take your own (a little embarrassing) or, do what I recommend and get practising with the chopsticks before you go. 

"Hello" and a big smile will go a long way.

How can you travel the world if you don't speak the lingo? Obviously it's a barrier, but nobody can speak every language in world, so you just have to do the best that you can. 

The 4 most common languages in the world are : Mandarin Chinese,  Spanish, English and Bengali. However,  English is spoken as as second language by a great many people, not only by many Europeans, but also many Indians. So despite being the 3rd most common language,  it will be considerably more useful on a round the world trip than the most common, Mandarin Chinese. Consequently, I'd recommend knowing as much English and Spanish as possible. If you don't know them, then take a basic class or online course, get a simple phrase book and start practising immediately.

As for the countries where you know nothing of the language, then at least learn the very, very basics. Saying : "hello", "thank you", "please" and  "good bye" in the native language with a huge smile makes such a difference.  The huge smile is a must too. If after this you blurt out in broken English or Spanish then people will be more willing to help you. You don't need to learn these basics before you go either, just pick them up from hostel staff or other travellers. Ask and most people, especially hostel staff or tourist information people, will be happy to tell you about their language.

Some countries are near impossible to navigate without the native language, but all is not lost. China for example isn't the easiest to get around if you don't speak the language. However, that shouldn't stop you seeing one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Why? Because you can alway book a tour. Companies like : http://www.gapadventures.com/ , http://www.geckosadventures.com/  and many others provide an excellent way to see your dream country, and when you're stuck or can't understand the menu, then a guide can be at hand to translate.

Kwikpoint Visual Language Translator:
Communicate with pictures!
[click image to enlarge]

If you want to travel alone and don't have the time for a language crash course, then there is a product on the market that might help : the Kwikpoint Visual Language Translators [see image].  This is basically a laminated card showing a  vast amount of internationally recognised images that you simply point to, to be understood! Some of the images do seem quite comical (Don't believe me? Click to enlarge the image and I'm sure at least one of pictures will make you smile), but if it gets the struggling traveller out of a sticky situation, then who am I to mock. More information is available at the Kwikpoint website or you can buy one from Walkabout Travel Gear*.

The hostel saves the day and makes the task of finding a bed easy. Forget out-of-date, dirty rooms and think hives of activity with mod-cons and clean rooms.

The hostel market is now big business - thanks largely due to Internet bookings - so if a hostel doesn't go the extra mile, it gets a bad review and people go elsewhere. It's become very competitive,  and lot's of perks (free Internet access, free breakfast) are always getting offered to make you stay at a venue. So, if you've never stopped in a hostel before, you should do it now as it will make your entire trip easier.

Hostels can provide you with pretty much any type of room you want :  shared dorm, single sex dorm, private, private with en-suite. The choice is yours, but the one thing you can count on is that it will be cheaper than a hotel. Even a budget business hotel will struggle to price match a hostel's private room with en-suite. As for booking, well as most have Internet access, you simply go on-line and book your next bed a few days before you move on. It's that simple.

Check out the following sites to make bookings and look through those all important hostel reviews:

http://www.hostelworld.com/
http://www.hostelbookers.com/
http://www.tripadvisor.com
http://www.hostels.com/ 

Even a jungle camp will have a place to wash. It may be a bucket with a barrel of water, but it'll have something. Hostels on the other hand will offer en-suite or communal facilities (which are typically single sex).

In hostels, don't expect baths or massive showers and you won't be disappointed. Showers are normally good and clean, hot water can't be guaranteed at peak times, but is usually fine. Some hostels have push button showers, the kind where you push a button and you get water for a couple of minutes and then it stops until you repeat the push of the  button.  Again, these work fine, and after a hard day crossing time zones you'll be glad of anything wet and warm.

You won't acquire many friends if you don't have a fully stocked wash bag, so here's a quick list of things to fill it with :

Toiletries : A Quick List 

1. Toothbrush & Paste

2. Soap \ Shower Gel

   Despite cost savings when buying the big bottles, try and get something a bit smaller so that it's lighter to carry.

3. Shampoo \ Conditioner

4. Deodorant

   Nothing too smelly is best, otherwise the mosquitoes might like it too.

5. Travel Towel

   Way smaller than a normal towel and drys just as well. Available to buy from Walkabout Travel Gear*

6. Bio-degradable Travel Soap

   You can wash your clothes, fruit and yourself in this stuff. And because it's bio-degradable, you can even have a wash in a stream and it won't harm the wildlife. Just brilliant!

7. Tampons

   Not readily available in some countries.

8. Hand Sanitiser Gel *Essential*

   Just because there's a toilet, it doesn't mean theres a sink to wash your hands in. Apply gel before food, after toilet visits and any time your hands need to be germ free. This stuff is an absolute essential so keep a bottle in your day bag at all times.

9. Nail Clippers

10. Contraception

11. Razor

    And don't forget the charger if it's electric.

12. Sun Cream

    The high factor sports variety is usually best for lasting all day and protecting against burns.

13. Cosmetics \ Make-up

    Just take the essentials. Many brands produce excellent travel sets that provide all that you need, including the mirror.

14. Toilet Roll

    In many countries public toilets will not provide any. Biodegradable toilet tissue in a handy-pack is available to buy from Walkabout Travel Gear*

15. Wash Bag *Hostel Essential*

     How else are you going to carry it all to the bathroom down the hall? 

For an abridged printer friendly version of this list please visit The Check Lists

And What About Laundry?

If a hostel doesn't have it's own laundry service or washing machines, then it will know where the closest laundrette is. So when it comes to laundry you usually have at least one of two options : you can either do your own or you can pay someone else to do it for you. And we all know how hotels charge a fortune for washing a sock. Well hostels (and the places they recommend) work differently : they simply charge by the weight. This makes them far more reasonable in price than the "per item" rip-off  that hotels tend to offer.

So even though it might seem a bit posh to get your laundry done by someone else, it's often reasonably priced and might even offer a drop-off service. This is great as you can spend less time on chores and more time on seeing the sights - which is what you are really there to do.

Modern technology has made it so easy to keep in touch with your loved ones back home, that you really have no excuse not to let them know that you are OK.

Mobile Phone

Firstly, in the case of emergency calls, there's your mobile phone. If you just want to check-in to say "Hi", then you can always send a cheap text. Your mobile can either have a world sim fitted or you can leave the existing one in it. See the technology helper for more details on which to choose.

Internet (Email & Skype)

Secondly, email. Internet cafés are everywhere in the world, so this is an extremely cheap way to let the people back home know where you are.  Also, many Internet cafés have VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) telephone facilities, like Skype .

VOIP allows for telephone conversations to occur using the Internet and in doing so the call rate is considerably less. VOIP may be a normal looking phone that is operating via the Internet, or a computer with a headset connected. If you are using a computer then Skype is an extremely popular choice of VOIP provider. The software and headset are available in many Internet cafés across the world, so don't leave home with out setting up a Skype account. All you need to get started is a PC with a headset and the Skype software installed. When calling via a PC it can seem a little odd at first, but remember, Skype to Skype calls are free, and Skype to normal lines are still very reasonably priced for international calls, so it really is worth persevering with.

Landline

And finally, the traditional telephone. Unfortunately calls with this medium can be extremely expensive. In many countries you will visit a booth,  make the call, and then pay for it afterwards. As such, they can charge you pretty much what they want. Regrettably, I'm confident that many inflate the cost when they realise you are a tourist too.

And despite being the more established medium, using the traditional phone can often be the most complicated way of getting in touch. If you don't pay after the call then you will probably need a phone card. Instructions for these are obviously in the local language, so understanding "Press 1 for International" isn't always the easiest to decipher.

You will of course need to enter the international phone number (with country code) and despite what you think you know about dialling internationally, when in a foreign country and dialling out, it's not unusually for an additional random digit to precede your normal number. Yes, making calls should be straight forward, but it's just not the case. So if you find you need an international dialling code or help dialling it,  then visit http://www.numberingplans.com/  as they provide excellent instructions on how to make calls from virtually anywhere in the world.

(shouts) "The toilet's broken, there's just a hole in the ground where it should be." [Oh, that hole is the toilet!]

One world, many toilets.

This may come as a surprise for some of you, but the whole world doesn't necessarily use the same style toilets.  There's the seat variety that westerners will be familiar with and there's the hole in the ground variety that appears quite randomly around the world. Affectionately known as "the squat toilet" to many westerners, this can be difficult to master if your squatting technique is poor. For locals, squatting (not necessarily above a toilet) is an extremely comfortable way to "sit" and they have being doing it since they were children. In fact, school children in such countries will compete and pride themselves on the duration in which they can stay squatted for. Kids and adults alike can often be seen in streets, perched on the soles of their feet,  waiting for a bus or whatever. Of course, their skill doesn't help the struggling westerner.

In some countries many public toilets do not come equipped with even the basics. No sink, no soap and no toilet roll can be a frequent occurrence. Thankfully, this can easily be overcome just as long as you remember to carry hand sanitising gel and toilet roll in your day pack. Biodegradable toilet tissues in a handy-pack are available to buy from Walkabout Travel Gear* . And if you do have a long bus journey then Walkabout Travel Gear*  also provide other equipment to prevent you sitting the whole journey cross-legged. You might also want to consider that just because your mode of transport has a toilet, it doesn't necessaryly mean you'd actually want to use it.

One final thing not to take for granted is that a cubical with privacy, although very common, isn't guaranteed. I recall once stopping at a motorway service station in China to witness a toilet that was nothing more that a communal ditch with four perimeter walls and a tin roof.

But not all toilets are shoddy, some are actually probably better than what you are used to. Take the toilets in Tokyo's airport for example, they come complete with padded, heated seats,  water sprays and pretend flush noises (to hide unpleasant sounds) . And all of this is activated by the touch of a button on a remote control type panel. Perhaps one day these loo's will be the norm and dreading toilet stops will be a thing of the past. 

For more information regarding toilets of the world, please see http://www.cromwell-intl.com/toilet/ ,  a site that is dedicated to the cause and has lots of pictures!