The cholera-juice update

I have taken the first dose of the cholera juice. It certainly smelt like raspberry but the thing that made it hard to drink was not the taste, but the fizziness. Anyway dose 1 of 2 is done so  the end is in sight. The second dose remains in the fridge - hidden amongst the tasty food. I am due to take it at the end of the week which  I am clearly really looking forward to. I am not a great fan of fizzy water at the best of times, so the cholera vaccine infusion hasn't made it any better. If only it was a vaccine that went on a sugar lump and swallowed that way. When taking cholera juice you have to not eat for an hour before or an hour after, so you truly get to savour the lack of taste in the super fizzy mix. Luckily the travel nurse told me to make it in a big glass (with 150ml of water) because sometimes it fizzes over. I am not going to miss the vaccination process, but I wouldn't travel without having had them. So there is your cholera vaccine update, as promised in an earlier blog.

The Travellers New Clothes

My Oyster Worldwide T-shirt and luggage tag have arrived, making a rather dismal January day so much more exciting. I am looking forward to using them both for my travels. One of the hardest decisions I had to make was early on and was what colour T-shirt I chose. I think I chose well.

I am one vaccination away from being vaccinated against everything that can possibly be vaccinated against. I will have had 6 weeks interspersed with injections, so I am glad the end is in sight. The cholera-juice is still in the fridge - I am yet to brave the taste test of this raspberry flavour substance but plan on taking dose 1 in a few days time.

There is a box full of random stuff to possibly take with me travelling, but I am sure packing will take a few attempts. I have bought a set of roll up vacuum bags in hope of reducing the volume of the contents of my packing when it happens. I have a microfiber towel and lockable carabiners so things don't accidentally fall of my bag if requiring outside attachment. I have a pair of double zip walking trousers that can be shorts, 3/4 lengths or full length trousers as the need arises - all in one piece of clothing and therefore saving space. I plan on buying a thermos bottle to keep bottled water colder for longer when out and about as I don't like drinking warm water.

I am taking things that are flexible; one item that can do many things, like my walking trousers. I don't want to over-pack and take things I don't need or won't use. I have an awareness that I will most likely buy things to bring home which will require space in my bag and am trying to allow for this to happen pre-departure, rather than have a crisis of space whilst far away from home.

The Things We Do For Travel

In the back of my fridge, hidden away amongst the food is a box. It contains 2 doses of the Cholera oral vaccine to take at my lesiure at least a week apart. We do quirky things in the name of travel and I have to say I wasn't quite expecting this. Apparently it is rasperry flavour - I will let you know in due course if it actually does taste of taste of raspberry or not.

Casual box of oral vaccination in the fridge

The curse of the travel websites

So you want to book a hotel

You go online and pull up your travel website of choice

You pick a hotel - you look at its cost, location, facilities. All good right!?

Then you read the reviews

Suddenly you question your choice. You want to take a tent and stay in a field.
Everything seems grim and gloomy
The hotel suddenly seems like the end of the word.
You look at other hotels
But they are all the same.

Reviews by people who have clearly never been abroad
Reviews by people who claim to travel
Bad reviews with a splash of positive ones.

Don't believe everything you read, but what to believe.

I have just had this problem. A hotel was suggested to me and I was sent its basic information. It's website looked ok. Then I went onto the travel sites to read some reviews. Suddenly I am scared about having to book a hotel in the city I am going to. Suddenly I worry if I made the right choice by having a stopover. Maybe I should just stay at the airport terminal for 2 nights.

Or, maybe I should take the risk, book the hotel and see what happens for myself. It's for 2 nights - if I hate it I am not there long, if it's good then no problem.

Next time I need to book a hotel, maybe I won't read the reviews. I will look at location, cost and facilities and use that to make an informed decision, rather than trusting other people in a virtual land

Shop around and save £

Shopping for travel insurance is much like purchasing travel vaccines or luggage. This post will discuss these interchangeably, but the concept is the same regardless of what you are spending your money on. Travelling and volunteering is really expensive, so it is really important to try and save as much as you can in costs in the run up to your departure.

You can get very similar products for very different prices. Each gap year company recommends there own insurance but if you look around some general companies provide backpacker travel insurance.

If you are trying to save money, so you have more available while you are away shopping around for vaccines, insurance and items for travel is important.

Consider:

Quality - what are you getting for what you pay? Sometimes the brand makes something more expensive than it needs to be and you can get a good quality less popular brand for a cheaper price. Be aware that sometimes cheap insurance policies might not give you great cover, but there are some affordable ones with similar policies to the more expensive ones suggested by travel companies.

Cost - can you afford it? There is no point blowing all your money on something just because it is branded. Be realistic as to what it is worth, and how you would feel if it did get damaged. Insurance is important but do you need to buy the most expensive policy for the sake of it and assume it gives you all the cover you need. Research is key.

Use - will you use it? Travel insurance is important as you never know when you will need it. Buying items to take travelling is fine, but if it is something you are unlikely to use then remember, not only does it waste money, you will have to carry it around for weeks on end. Take things that are functional and that will be useful for you.

Need - Do you need it. Similar concept my point above. Think about what you need while you are away and only buy/take things you need - things you want but won't use can stay at home. You can take things you like as long as there is a need to take them with you.

Just remember that all the little costs will all add up to a very expensive trip. Be considerate of how you spend your money before you go and you will have more money to take away with you. Compare products/insurance/companies to see if you can get the same or very similar at a lower price. Then all those relatively small savings will add up and you will save more than you realise