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What's New:
- Avoiding Insect Bites
Many tropical diseases, such as malaria, yellow fever, and Japanese encephalitis, West Nile virus, L
- Websites
Some of the following links are on other pages of this website. I have brought them all together on
- Books
Below is a list of just some of the books that I have bought and found useful on my travels. I usua
- Suppliers
Links to the suppliers of the travel gear I use and recommend can be found through out this site. He
- Miscellaneous
Waterproof bags Used to separate and keep various items dry in your bag. Good for keeping valuables
 Taking large amounts of your own currency for changing when you arrive is probably one of the worst options for carrying money.
Your exchange rate will be retail, which is always going to be more expensive that wholesale.
Also, in most places, the person doing the exchanging will always want their little “cut” from the transaction.
Banks and hotels are the best places to change money but you can still get ripped off by the unscrupulous. Keep an eye on the daily rates to avoid this.
Remember, there may also be a fee for currency conversion so always ask about [...]
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 Not everywhere takes credit or debit cards so another option is to withdraw cash from a local ATM. This has the same advantage as using a credit card, that of getting the wholesale exchange rate, plus the fact that you can get local currency from the machines.
Again, find out any daily /weekly/ monthly limits your bank imposes on transactions.
Disadvantages are, again, the fees charged. There is the usual currency exchange fee, plus a handling fee (a flat fee of a few dollars/pounds, or a percentage 2-4%, again, per transaction).
In addition, bear in mind that if you [...]
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 Credit cards (and debit cards) are usually the preferred option for making purchases overseas because the currency conversion (the actual exchange rate you see in the papers or on the news) is usually at the wholesale rate (or 1% over the commercial bank rate) and not at the retail rate you would pay for changing cash at the airport, hotel, or bank.
Not only this, using cards is just as secure abroad as when you are at home (for example, if used fraudulently). You also don’t have to carry cash around, taking it out and putting it [...]
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 Some countries insist that you show some means of support (credit cards or cash), or have evidence of an address where you will be staying (hotel, friends, etc.) while visiting. You may also need to show return or onward air tickets.
This is mainly to show that you don’t intend to stay for an extended time in the country (illegally), and you won’t become a burden to the state (and won’t need to be flown home at their expense, for example).
This is known as the ’sufficent funds’ requirement. New Zealand, for example, requires that you have about [...]
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