Must Have Skills to Learn for Travelling.
- Patricia Narsico
- Jul 11, 2018
- 3 min read
*Note: This is of course based off of my own opinion and you have choose to have/learn them as you please.
**Disclaimer: The photos are not mine unless stated.
Haggling
This is especially useful in Asian countries. I remember doing this in my Indo-China trip and any local destination I've traveled to. It saves you a money and makes your appreciate the item you bought because you worked hard to get it at a lower price.
The most memorable memory I had haggling was when I was in Bangkok. I was going around looking for a white luggage for my sister and when I found one that was well beyond my budget. The vendor was selling it for 2000 Baht (PHP 3237.24/60.65 USD), I tried to haggle to lower the rate to 1000 Baht (PHP 1618.69/30.33 USD) which was my budget, but the vendor won't budge. He lowered it to 1500 Baht (PHP 2428.03/45.49USD) and told me this was the lowest he would go. I told him I would pass because I only had 1000 Baht on me and I would look somewhere else. As I was walking around the vendor stops me and says sells me the luggage for 1000 Baht. With a little effort, perseverance and luck you can item you want at a much lower price.
Driving a motorcycle
There are countless of times I wish I knew how to drive a motorcycle so I could save on tour packages and the convenience of time to get to one place to another. For example, when I was in Siquijor I could have saved PHP 500.00 for the island tour. It's a lot of more fun just driving around an island or city and getting lost in its streets and learning more about the place. It makes your appreciate the location even more.
First Aid
I am a very clumsy person, I literally trip without anything in front of me, so knowing how to do basic first aid is important for me. Even as
simple as disinfecting an open wound or treating a jellyfish sting is important. Some of places on our bucket list is far from any proper medical institution, so learning even the basic can be a matter of life and death, not to sound overly dramatic.
It's also important to always carry a medical kit with you. My medical kit is fairly simple; bandage, alcohol, paracetamol, pain-killers and antihistamine (because I'm allergic to salt water or sea food). I remember one time when I was in Fantastic Island in Medellin, Cebu. The water was full of jellyfishes and I got approximately 5 feet from one and I started to itch like crazy and it didn't help I was allergic to salt water. I got out of the water, drank antihistamine and my friends helped me by pouring fresh water around my body.
Asking for help
This may seem like a silly skill to learn, but it's a lot harder to ask for help than you can imagine. If you're lost or there's a language barrier or something went wrong it's important to know that people can actually help you. You don't have to approach a stranger, look for a local official or police man or tour guide or a door man or hotel/motel front desk to ask help from, you'll be surprise how helpful people are.
When I was in Bangkok I got lost and my phone dead on me, the only thing I had was a map to my hotel. To my surprise, a lot of people actually tried to help me. A local police officer even tried to look for someone who could speak in English so that we could understand each other.
Being alert
A lot of things can happen in a matter of seconds. A little research and common sense goes a long way for your personal safety. Knowing where the clinic is in your hotel/motel or the closest police station or help desk can mean a lot if you're stuck in a sticky situation. Be also wary of your surroundings, especially to places with busy and bustling streets.
I had a friend who got scammed in Vietnam by their toktok drive. He brought them to a location and left them there stranded.
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