Top 3 Travel Mistakes Every Singaporean Should Avoid
This article was originally on GET.com at: Top 3 Travel Mistakes Every Singaporean Should Avoid
Whether or not you are a workaholic who does not mind slogging behind your desk at work, giving up on your work-life balance, the majority of hardworking Singaporeans would agree that a vacation abroad provides a welcome respite from the mundane demands of work and life in general. And that is precisely why so many of us are more than willing to spend our savings on travel.
To ensure that our well-deserved holiday trips overseas go as smoothly as possible, we at GET.com have rounded up the top 3 travel mistakes you and I should avoid as much as we can. You don't want a supposedly fun trip to morph into an unthinkable nightmare.
Top 3 Travel Mistakes Every Singaporean Should Avoid
1. Forgetting To Renew Your Passport
This is possibly the worst thing that can happen to anyone who's dying to get out of the country. Besides applying for visas whenever necessary (here are a number of countries that Singaporeans probably don't know they require visas to enter), it is of utmost importance that your passport is valid for at least a good six months from the date your travel falls on. Don't make the mistake of booking your airfare and hotel without first checking and renewing your passport.
2. Not Having Travel Insurance
It is always a good idea to insure yourself just in case anything unfortunate happens to you. Nobody wants to experience mishaps, lose their bags or experience severe trip disruptions, but sometimes, these are inevitable. Rather than going on trips around the world without any form of travel protection at all, make it a point to get a travel insurance policy that covers you adequately especially amidst rising safety concerns worldwide.
There are credit cards that provide you with free travel insurance when you use them to pay for your travel purchases in full. The most important thing you can do for yourself is to check whether the credit card you are holding offers complimentary travel protection. If your card doesn't and you travel somewhat frequently anyway, it might be worth it for you to sign up for one that boasts free travel protection.
3. Failing To Learn About Things That Are Frowned Upon In The Places You're Visiting
Unless you're going to a deserted spot somewhere on the planet where nobody else is in sight, it is important that you respect the culture and people of the place you are going to be visiting. Many places and tourist spots across the world have certain customs that you need to adhere to if you don't want to end up showing any unintended sign of disrespect.
For instance, you want to make sure you are dressed appropriately when you visit places that are sacred to the local population and that you don't gesture unnecessarily because these supposedly harmless gestures may take on a whole new (read: negative) meaning in some countries.
Do a quick search online to save yourself from offending others without meaning to! I am pretty confident to say that no one would volunteer to be the subject of ridicule and embarrassment in a foreign land or even in their own home country.
What do you think? Share your comments with us below!
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