[M.]

Hey, maybe someone here can help me. i'm currently making plans for travelling to asia (nepal, india), and i was wondering if maybe some people here did this before and had some advice on buying cheap tickets/things to be aware of/helpful internet sites/anything really. i know this is a broad question, but please do share your experiences

[jon boy]

just make sure you keep your passport and money on you at all times.

my experience of travelling is varied to say the least, but bring things to keep you occupied during the times when you will be bored rigid and have a really good pair of shoes/boots because the amount of walking you will probably do is intense. just make sure you have enough of everything essential (toothpaste, socks etc) as finding these things can be hard depending on where you are going. its ounds stupid but its true. also, you made need shots if your going to someplaces in asia. hope your not scared of needles.

i think that there are plenty of books on the subject written by people who have actually done it. the lonely planey guides are ok.

[M.]

thanks, i've taken notes about bringing toothpaste!
i'm not scared of needles, but i shouldn't forget making a doctor's appointment in time

[Hip Priest]

Always, always barter with the traders whilst your there. They expect it.

[truncated]

Jon boy is right, keep your passport with you, but be SURE it's in a safe place. I've lost my passport before, and it was one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of my life. Bless kind Irish bank tellers.

Also, I'm not sure how currency/payment works there, but in my experience it's always best to use a credit card when you can, as opposed to traveller's checks. If you have a debit card, you can use it at an ATM just like at home (depending on the type of card you have). Traveller's checks are easy to lose, and depending on the size of the towns you're visiting, it can be difficult finding places that will cash them or exchange currency. So, if you cash a bunch of them in and you end up not spending it, you'll end up with a bunch of foreign money that you'll have to exchange in an airport at a crap rate.

Where are you travelling from? The currency issue isn't such a big deal if you're in the UK or Ireland, pretty much any bank will exchange it for you. Oddly enough, banks in the states won't do it - you have to send it to a downtown bank and pay a fee to have foreign currency exchanged.

[nature scene]

Take some traveler's checks though, because if you lose them they can be replaced. Credit cards and cash are just as easy to lose. Credit cards are good, but you can't use them at street vendors, and in many stores you may face a small charge for using a credit card. Wait and exchange money when you get there, preferrably from people on the street (people make a living doing that) as you can usually get better exhange rates than in a bank or money exchange.

[sellouteater]

Bring lots of rubbers you can never be to prepared

[sellouteater]

Well you never know