Favorite
places on Earth
1.
Tibet
2. Nepal
3. India
4. Myanmar
5. Cambodia
6. Bhutan
7. Ecuador
8. Switzerland
9. Italy
10. Vermont
Worst
Places I have ever
been
1. Yemen, right after 9/11. People partying in the streets
shooting AK-47's all over the place.
2. U.S. Embassy in Kabul when a suspected truck bomb tried
to crash the gates. Lots of shooting, I hit the dirt and hid
under my desk.
3. Northern Pakistan during the Indo/Pakistan fighting in
Kargil. I was probably about 20 miles from the battle but
I could hear and feel the artillery echoing through the Hindu
Kush Mts.
4. Boarder town between India and Nepal I
think it was called Sonauli.
This little hell hole was
something right out of Mad
Max. This is actually
the worst place I have ever
been in absolute terms.
5. The Slums of old Dhaka, down by the river. Just image
millions of people living a toxic waste dump.
6. Northern New Jersey, with its miles of chemical and oil
refineries.
7. Any city in Central China
8. Cairo, Egypt. A filthy open sewer of a city, I remember
non stop harassment for locals who prey on tourists for a
living.
9. Calcutta in February, millions of people burning anything
that will burn to keep warm. I.e. tires, trash, coke bottles,
etc. The result was a dense black smog the was barely breathable.
10. South Bronx, New York City.
My top 18 Travel tips (when
traveling SOLO in the developing
world*)
1. Don't trust anyone
in the big cities, esp
in bus/train stations,
boarder crossings and main
tourist centers i.e. (Taj
Mahal, Giza pyramids,
Kosan Rd). This holds true
especially in India, and
Egypt. If you were walking
through Times Square in NYC and some guy approached
you offering a free tour
of the city, would you
trust them? Of course not!
2. Don't bring too much,especially
medicine. I constantly
meet Americans traveling
around with backpacks that
probably have more medical
supplies than the average
Bangladeshi ambulance. Generally
if you get sick
you will be able to buy medicine
with out a prescription.
3. You are always going to get ripped off
when you arrive in a new
country, esp when you are
taking a taxi from the airport.
It's futile to even get pissed
off about it. You can sometimes
avoid this by trying to get
your hotel you are staying
at to arrange an airport
pickup.
4. Don't
be a picky eater,
the best way to experience
another culture is
through their cuisine.
5.
Always carry a little
bit of toilet paper
in your wallet you never
know when you might
have an "emergency".
Toilet paper is a western
luxury and many people,
esp into he far/middle
east don't use it.
6.
Don't stand out too
much, dress a little
scrappy. The con-artists
might stay away if
they think you don't
have any money.
7. Take
travel advice from
others you meet on
the road with a large
grain of salt. Everyone's
perception and tolerance
levels are different.
8.
Of course try to budget
your trip, but don't
be too stingy. When
I was in India I traveled
with some cheap Aussie's
who refused to pay
the entrance fee to
the Taj Mahal since
they thought it was
too much. Another time
I met some Israelis in
Istanbul who refused to pay
a taxi 6 USD to take
them to them directly to
the airport (
a 20 minutes ride). Instead
they choose to save 5 whole
dollars by walking 1.5 miles
through Istanbul with all
their gear to the local bus
station where the could catch
a slow, local bus.
9. Try to be somewhat
culturally sensitive.
This doesn't mean dressing
like a local,but
if for example you are
in a Muslim a country you
might want to wear long trousers,
etc.
10.
Don't stress out too
much before you go
to a new place, everything
will be fine and if
you really can't handle
it you can always hop
on a plane and come
home. It's best to
stick it out, the harder
the trip the greater
the rewards and the
more memories you will
take away
11.
Keep a journal!!!
12.
Always use an ATM
to get your money,
travelers checks are
very inconvenient and
you will almost always
get ripped off when
you cash them.
13.
The middle, center
seat is the safest
seat on a bus. I have
been in one or two
bus crashes over the
years and the middle
is always the best place
to be.
14. Learn to say at Hello, Thanks and
count 1 through 10 in each
place you visit.
15. I know this sound obviously, but check
on the visa requirements
at least a month before you plan to visit a place, some
visas can take ages. Especially
for places like Belarus,
Russia and India
16. Never put your backpack in the trunk (boot)
of a taxi. If the driver
decides to rip you off when
you arrive at your destination
he can hold your
bag ransom until you pay.
It's happened to me in more
than one place.
17.Don't forget to change your money before
you leave a country, usually before you go through
customs. I have been stuck
with hundreds of useless
dollars for forgetting to do this.
18. Always have a plan B, plan C.
19. If you have an expensive camera you might
consider getting insurance
to cover it, in case you
get jacked exploring the
back alleys of Moscow. Knowing
that you are covered will
also reduce your stress.
*Developing World = Generally, any place
outside of Western Europe,
North America, Japan, Australia
and New Zealand.
