What to do before travel? 旅行前须做的事

OK. After done with the 'What to bring' thingy, there must be also a 'What to do' thingy. Basically, these are for our own conveniences during traveling. Not a must, but just as a reference.Its more towards to 'checking' and 'research' and a ''WHAT SHOULD I DO" thingy..

CHECK:

1. Passport validity
   - This is the most important part and without six months validity of your passport, you can only dream to fly. Check your passport validity at least one month before your flying date so that in case you find out your passport is expriring in 6 months time,you still have time to renew it in our Malaysian Immigration Department. Renew of passport only take you half a day if you are using the Kiosk machine or the max one day if you are Q-ing in the counter.

More travel post at : http://travelyoume.blogspot.com
2. Flight's time and date
   - Especially if you are not following a tour by travel agency -- FIT"Free Independent Traveler" (which travel agency's tour leader is kind enough to call you personally and remind you about it, that's the good part if you are taking tour with the travel agencies), its advisable then you double check your flying date and time days before. I have friends experienced missed flights traveling by the 'everybody can fly' airline, without any notification that the flight had been re-schedule in 30 minutes or 1 hour earlier. It happened! So be alert! Make sure you double check the ETD time and date!

CALL
1. Credit Card and ATM CARD
   - If you are bringing credit cards with you when traveling, do remember to call the Customer Service and ask for activating your cards to be able to use abroad. Some credit cards are not able to use abroad without calling and verifying with them. But most of them are OK so just a reminder. But the ATM card is a must to call the customer service to activate it, just in case you need to withdraw CASH when you are running out of 'em, it could be a life saver for you. Some ATM cards can be activate via ATM machines as well.

2. Activating SIM cards 
   - If you are using post-paid, and you are not planning to get any local SIM prepaids when you are oversea, then it is advisable to activate your SIM card for roaming purposes, for emergency, or in touch with family members.. For prepaid user, don't need to do anyting as it wil be an automatic roaming once you reach oversea with 'special' calling rate, so make sure you reload more $$, or just buy a local SIM card once you arrived.

and finally, RESEARCH  

More travel post at : http://travelyoume.blogspot.com

For FIT, research is very very important for a smooth and pleasant trip. Please don't be so 'siu sah' (in Cantonese 潇洒）and only decide what to do and where to do after you reached. This is quite risky. I would say the information in the Internet is quite helpful enough but not all are correct due to time being problem. Its advisable to get a travel guide book, or visit MORE online forums or blogs to seek for the accuracy, i.e.travelyoume@blogspot.com ! :p

1. Transportation
   - For most of the FIT, I believe transportation is the most concern part when traveling. Do check if it's transportation friendly city like routes, fares and schedules of the train services, buses, taxis... Plan your trip well in arranging what kinda transportation you gonna take would save your time and make your entire trip smooth going. (cos you know what you are taking next to where and the ways to take them) Places without good transportation then should consider to hire driver or local tour guide, especially places without languages that we familiar.

2. Accomodation
   - Nowadays there are getting more and more types of accomodation asides of hotel, like budgeted hotel, hostels, bed and breakfast, backpackers lodge... a lot of these accomodations provide FIT like us more choice and lower rates too. As for me, price comes first, secondly is the location and thirdly are the small concerns like star rating, services & amenities and so on. Personally advice that you book your accomodation before your trip as earliest as possible to get cheaper rate and rooms reserved. Unless you are a REAL backpacker, you stay where you go. Online booking is a good method like www.booking.com, www.agoda.com, www.asiarooms.com and etc... To me, as long as it ables me to sleep peacefully, a place for me to shower and keep my luggage, nothing else I could ask more :D

Ahhh.. look at these pics... aren't all of us wanna stay in this kinda resorttt???

or this? :D

3. Currency Difference / Exchange
   - If its just a neighbouring country then I believe that they accept our RM for notes exchange, or else, better to bring enough cash of that particular place that you are going. Uncommon countries like the Southern America or Africa or what-so-ever countries that you unable to change the notes in your home country, I suggest that you bring the most common and wanted notes, the Euros or US$. Another thing is the currency difference. Like when I was in Bali, Indonesia (you know, their currency are like in thousands and millions),its so hard for me to count on the spot or I even just blind guess. Haha, I know, I'm bad in my Maths. But I know, there are lots of them like me who doesn't like to do all these mind currency convert thingy... So the only way is either you bring along a calculator, or, you bring along a Maths genius with you. Problem solved! LOL

4. Directions
  - Well, OK. I'm not telling you to DL and print out the whole google map and bring along a compass with you.. If you are bringing an Ipad / Smart Phones with you, well, you gonna have no problem with it, and if you are not.. you have to at least google and view the map once or twice before you depart. Just in case you got lost, well, don't be shy to open your mouth and ASK the local people. And if they don't speak the languages you do, too bad.. That's why I said, research is very important before you depart. 

5. Travel Insurance
   - Basically, I think this is not a must depending personal needs. To travel abroad, its adviced that you purchase one, just in case. I had experience that my flight to Mauritius delayed from morning till night and I only knew it one day before, and thank goodness I purchased the travel insurance. Eventually, I able to get claim about RM200. And there was another case that my friend was sick during the travel period in France, once touched down KL she immediately rushed herself to a doctor. I was unsure how much was her medical fees, but since it was stil in the traveling period, she able to claim from the travel insurance. There are also a lot of things that you can file claim from the insurance company like baggage lost, baggage damage and so on. So, you justify yourself.

And there are more............

So, voila! Ready to flyyyyyyyy~~

Next Post : Long Long time ago in France~~~ N年前在法国~~~~

**   For this post, I decided to write in English, so that for those who are not so familiar with Chinese will be able to read and easier for me too! 'Hanyu Pinyin' typing is actually very very timing consuming.. lalalala~