Last Updated: 4/12/21 | April 12th, 2021
A few years back, I went to Sri Lanka and, outside a few facts I’d chosen up by reading the news as well as speaking to good friends over the years, I realized I understood shockingly bit about the country.
I understood it was when ruled by the British, there was a long dispute between the Tamils as well as Sinhalese, the country creates a great deal of tea, it has beyond-delicious food, its funding is Colombo, as well as there are some outstanding jungles as well as beaches to explore.
But, beyond that superficial understanding, I understood nothing.
I couldn’t tell you if the country was affordable or inexpensive, what to see, one famous ruin, security issues, where in the country is prominent to visit, exactly how to get around, what their currency or culture is, or anything in mellom.
Sri Lanka was a blank slate to me.
I never like to go somewhere new blind — it’s a sure-fire method to get ripped off, eat the wrong thing, get sick, make a cultural faux pas, and, generally, have something go badly.
Knowledge is power and, provided that so much info is offered online, I feel like going somewhere without any type of comprehending of that location shows a laziness in your planning as well as a indication that you’re an unskilled traveler.
So, when planning my trip there, I needed to do some preparation. Normally, if I have sufficient of a fundamental comprehending of a place, I just wing it — I’ve been to neighboring countries, understand people, or have checked out sufficient to have an idea. Sri Lanka needed some work.
Faced with a understanding gap, here’s what I did — as well as you should do — when you travel somewhere you’ve never been before:
1. buy a travel Guide
To get started, I bought the rough guide to Sri Lanka. I believe guidebooks are still important for travelers. even though their practical info is commonly out of date, I like looking over them to get an overview of exactly how to get around, type concepts on what to see as well as do, suggest itineraries, as well as look at the maps as well as featured places.
It assists me put together the foundation of my planning. Besides, there’s just something enjoyable about holding a book as well as highlighting locations that reading a blog doesn’t offer.
2. checked out travel Blogs
Next, I went searching for travel blogs. Guidebooks are a great foundation, however blogs can fill in a great deal of spaces as you can discover more updated info as well as off-the-beaten-path destinations, as well as ask concerns of the bloggers. I searched, read, as well as searched some more for material as well as stories that provided me a sense of the destination. For reference, these are the blog posts I read:
The expense of travel in Sri Lanka
A budget plan Traveler’s guide to Sri Lanka
Train travel is the very best method to Travel
Sri Lanka | The Blonde Abroad Archives
3. Ask Friends/Family for Advice
Once I had my guide as well as checked out over some blogs, I asked good friends as well as household for their advice (or if they understood anyone who might provide me advice). It turned out I had a few good friends who had been there just recently as well as a few with household there. They provided me advice, tips, as well as tips on hotels as well as restaurants, as well as they linked me to household members.
Now when I land, I have some people to stay with, show me around, as well as assist me get situated. nothing beats a regional host.
4. Ask other Travelers
With so many people reading this blog, I figured there must be some visitors who had been there. Tweeting, Facebooking, as well as my blog posts created a flurry of messages with tips as well as advice, as well as some from locals looking to satisfy up.
It was incredibly helpful, as well as now I have some people to hang out with when I go!
Since not everybody is a blogger, I would suggest Couchsurfing or The Nomadic Network as an alternative. They are both excellent methods to link with locals as well as travelers alike to get insider tips as well as information.
5. checked out Some Books
Finally, I bought books about the country. As I’ve stated in the past, you can’t understand a location if you don’t understand its history. With a long flight ahead, I bought a few books about Sri Lanka’s history so I can get a much better comprehending of the country’s rich history.
Here’s what I read:
Buret
Island of a Thousand Mirrors
Elephant Complex
***
Talking to friends, family, readers, as well as blog writers has now provided me a sense of the destination: an affordable, risk-free location with friendly locals, tasty food, as well as sluggish transportation. “Everyone is incredibly nice as well as helpful, however don’t expect to get anywhere quick unless you lease a driver” was the typical refrain.
For the very first time in a long time, I am going til et sted jeg ikke forstår noe om. Jeg kan ikke vente med å prøve å ryggsekk i tillegg til å finne ut av ting på metoden igjen! Sri Lanka ser mange turister så vel som det ikke er helt “utenfor allfarvei”, men det er annerledes for meg.
Jeg er sikker på at planene mine, ruter, så vel som konsepter vil endre når jeg treffer bakken. Imidlertid føler jeg at jeg har et mye bedre konsept for hva jeg får meg til. Jeg har en følelse av hva jeg kan forvente, så vel som det gjør meg mer litt komfortabel med å besøke.
Du forstår aldri hvordan et sted virkelig er før du går, men nå er bildet av Sri Lanka ikke en total uskarphet – det har kommet mye mer i fokus.
Å besøke et sted du forstår litt om i en region du aldri har vært, kan være noe skremmende. Å gå et sted helt andre skyver deg ut av komfortsonen din, så vel som det kan være en vanskelig ting.
Selv etter femten års reise, har jeg fortsatt litt nervøsitet før jeg drar.
Jada, det forsvinner rett når jeg lander så godt som jeg tror “hva var jeg så bekymret for?” Men det er den stemmen i bakhodet som noen ganger går “Er du sikker på at du vil gjøre dette?”
Å gjøre litt forskningsstudie for å få en forståelse av en sted demper den stemmen.
Dette handler ikke om å ordne alle dagene dine så vel som alle aktivitetene dine. Dette handler bare om å bli mer informert om destinasjonen du besøker.
Fordi en klok så vel som informert reisende er en mye bedre reisende.
Det er fremdeles mye å oppdage om Sri Lanka, men nå føler jeg meg ikke som om jeg er helt tap eller uvitende om stedet.
Hvordan reise verden rundt på $ 50 om dagen
My New York Times veldig populære pocketbok guide til verdensreiser vil lære deg nøyaktig hvordan du kan mestre kunsten å reise for å sikre at du kommer fra allfarvei, spare penger, i tillegg til å ha en dypere reiseopplevelse. Det er din A til Z -planleggingsguide at BBC kalte “Bibelen for budsjettplanreisende.”
Klikk her for å oppdage mer i tillegg til å begynne å lese den i dag!
Bestill turen din: Logistiske tips så vel som triks
Bestill flyet ditt
Finn en rimelig flytur ved å bruke Skyscanner. Det er min foretrukne bla gjennom motoren siden den søker på nettsteder så vel som flyselskaper over hele kloden, slik at du alltid forstår at ingen stein er igjen.
Bestill innkvarteringen din
Du kan bestille vandrerhjemmet ditt med Hostelworld. Hvis du vil bo et annet sted enn et herberge, kan du bruke booking.com, da de konsekvent returnerer de billigste prisene for gjestehus så vel som hotell.
Ikke klarer ikke å huske reiseforsikring
Reiseforsikringsdekning vil beskytte deg mot sykdom, skade, tyveri, samt kanselleringer. Det er omfattende sikkerhet i situasjonen noe går galt. Jeg drar aldri på tur uten det, da jeg har måttet bruke den mange ganger i fortiden. Min foretrukne virksomhet som tilbyr den aller beste servicen og verdien er:
Safetywing (best for alle)
Forsikre turen min (for de over 70)
MedJet (for ekstra evakueringsdekning)
Klar til å bestille turen?
Sjekk ut ressurssiden min for den aller beste virksomheten å bruke når du reiser. Jeg viser alle de jeg bruker når jeg reiser. De er de aller beste i klassen, og du ikke kan gå galt ved å bruke dem på turen.