Top 10 tips to know before travelling to Asia
What you need to know before your Asia tour
Asia is an amazing continent to travel around and you’ll manage to explore new areas every time. We’ve put together a list of the 10 most important things you need to know before your amazing adventure trip to Asia. This will help you avoid your travel budget running out of control and avoid making the same mistakes we’ve experienced.
1. Remember cash when traveling to Asia
In most places in Asia, it is not possible to pay by card. There are plenty of ATMs, but this costs up to €10 in fees for each withdrawal. Therefore, always remember to withdraw money for longer periods of time on your trip so that you don’t end up spending too much of your travel budget on withdrawal fees.
It is recommended to exchange currency at home as you can exchange at a better rate. This will help you avoid the high foreign exchange and withdrawal fees.
2. Cheap scooter rental on an adventure trip
In Asia, scooters are widely used and the most common mode of transportation in the continent. As a traveler in Asia, this form of transportation is a cheap alternative for getting out and about. The rental price is no more than €20 to €40 per day. When renting a scooter in Asia, there are some things to be aware of.
Most places require you to hand over your passport while renting the scooter. Use your common sense and reconsider as you need to be careful about handing over your passport.
It is often seen that even a few scratches on the scooter after a ride can force you to pay higher prices for repairs. Therefore, it’s advisable to find places where you can take out some form of insurance to avoid an unpleasant surprise. It’s also extremely important that you make sure you take pictures of all angles of the scooter before you leave and that you point out to the rental company if there are any visible defects or scratches on the scooter.
3. Remember safety when traveling in Asia
As mentioned above, renting a scooter in Asia is incredibly cheap. Scooters drive significantly faster here than they do in the UK, and it’s not unlikely that they can travel up to 60-80 km/h.
In Asia, there can be a lot of curves and potholes in the roads you drive on, and you need to pay special attention to these. Most rental locations can guide you on which roads or routes to avoid. Always remember to ask in advance.
4. Taxi meter
In Asia, it’s usually cheaper to use a meter. However, many taxi drivers will try to get tourists to pay a “fixed price”, i.e. an overcharge for a taxi ride, if you don’t insist on using a meter. It is not unlikely that it will take several attempts before you get a taxi that is willing to do so. So be patient.
Another good tip is to show the driver that you are following the map on your phone. This will usually help you avoid a longer detour and therefore end up paying more.
5. Eat the local dishes
Asia is home to some of the best cuisines in the world. Don’t miss out on tasting them and exploring your taste buds. Not only is the food extremely good, it’s also cheaper than Western food.
6. Eat at the street kitchens
As mentioned, some of the best dishes originate from Asian cuisine. It is therefore obvious to try them from the local street kitchens. In these kitchens, it’s cheaper, and it’s often better and more authentic than in local restaurants.
7. Easy to get around
Getting around Asia is incredibly easy and there are countless bus routes that make it easy to get from A to B. In addition, you can use bus routes that make it easy, fast and cheap to travel from one country to another without too much hassle.
8. Remember to dress appropriately when visiting holy sites
Asia is home to many temples, and you’re likely to visit quite a few when you’re traveling around Asia. Almost all temples and holy sites require that you don’t show too much skin on both arms and legs when visiting them. It’s therefore important to remember a sweater or a sharon that you can just swing over your shoulder when you enter the holy sites. Also remember to bring pants that you can quickly put on and take off.
9. Think about the places you visit
Many people travel to Asia with the desire to visit one of the many zoos that exist here. However, there are still some zoos that do not treat the animals properly. It is therefore recommended that you thoroughly research the places you plan to visit before you arrive. This can be done by checking other visitors’ reviews of the places.
10. Haggle over the price
In Asia, you can haggle over the price of almost anything. As a traveler, you may find that locals will sell things for more than what they should cost. While it may seem absurd to haggle over a small amount of money, it can pay off if you’re on a longer tour of Asia. Think of how much more you can experience for the money!
A good tip is to always ask what the item costs before you make your own bid on the item. Another piece of advice is that if they don’t want to reduce the price, leave with a smile and a good day. You can probably buy this somewhere else cheaper. Most likely, the seller will follow you and tell you that you can get it for the price you asked for.
Trinus recommended trips and tours in Asia
The very best way to really experience the awesomeness of Asia by combining the strikingly different countires of Vietnam and Thailand
An incredible tour with real purpose taking you to the best beaches, amazing national parks, island trips, and deep delve in the north.
We think this is one of the best tours on the planet. Swimming with Manta Rays, get involved in local communities and an epic volcano sunrise are among just a few on things included.
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Are you ready for a great tour of Asia?
With these tips, you’ll be just fine and have a fantastic trip to Asia. This part of the world offers a unique and iconic experience, and you won’t want to miss out on a visit to this exciting continent. We think Asia should be experienced as part of a group for example – read more here: Why you should go on a group tour in Asia