7 things to keep in mind while traveling (in Sri Lanka)

6 min readMar 3, 2018

Traveling is fun, addictive, and always makes me think about why I am doing the things I am doing. Currently, I am traveling for 5 months in Sri Lanka with my girlfriend, so I will probably share more about our travels in this paradise as time goes by.

Here are 7 key points to remind me the next time I am at home and starting to pack my bags for the next trip.

1. Define your WHY before the trip and start your trip with that!

It’s good to have a general idea of what you want to do, see or experience during the trip. If you want it to be spontaneous, then don’t plan as much. If you want to experience a lot, then you need to do your research. For me, travel has been about living abroad, learning to surf, relaxing, and learning more about myself. So if you know what you want the most, start the trip with that. When I first arrived, I postponed surfing for 2 days because of jetlag, but the first surfing lessons actually gave me a lot of energy to get myself going. I also had a plan to take part in Vipassana course, which I did in the second month. First things first and stick to the plan!

2. Prepare to lose your checked-in baggage.

Usually, I love taking a single backpack with me when traveling. But when you are traveling to a single destination for a longer period of time, it’s okay to have a bigger bag that you then check in BUT have everything you need to survive in the carry-on baggage. Because if you don’t and your baggage gets lost, you will need to spend your time and money on things you already have.

This is what happened when we arrived in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Our baggage was lost. That was definitely an upsetting moment but what the heck. We got to our destination and only needed to buy an extra T-shirt, flip-flops, and a set of toiletries. So basically, I was okay since I had my shorts with me, but I will be much better prepared next time.

If you can’t fit everything you need in your bag, then you have too much stuff.

3. Have some money (Euros/dollars) in cash!

The dollar is the king of cash. Maybe it’s just me,but I suggest always having $100–$200 with you when you travel because it’s usually cheaper to trade than euros and more acceptable. This is a small thing to keep in mind. Maybe it’s just good luck to keep the Freemasons in your pocket to attract money :O

In most parts of the world, they have ATMs that actually can be a much better source of local currencies. No chance of getting fooled and you always get an up-to-date exchange rate. If your bank charges ridiculous fees then I suggest you get a new bank account for travel. I use N26 bank for withdrawals.

4. Buy earplugs or noise-canceling headphones.

Silence is rare in Asia. Maybe it’s just me, but I really don’t like loud noises at home except for some good music of course. I use earplugs on the plane even when I am not sleeping; it allows me to be in my zone out without listening to the roaring motors of the plane.

Our first stay was at a hostel where the average visitor was a person who likes to party. The silence was hard to come by. Again earplugs saved my good night’s sleep. Shortly after, we moved to a personal cottage where I thought everything was perfect but then… at 5 a.m. I start to hear the murmuring of something familiar. I thought that it was the mosques starting their morning prayer because of my experience in Turkey, but later I found out that it was a Buddhist temple. We were living up on a hill, and the loudspeakers seemed like they were right next to us. Here the earplugs needed the aid of an extra pillow over your head. At the same time, I am slowly beginning to adapt to the early lifestyle and waking up with the chanting.

If you are looking for a new alarm sound to train yourself for traveling to a Muslim country, then check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv9jGeJIK_M if you are traveling to a Buddhist country then https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR4GjRRIjaw

5. Have a dual SIMcard phone

Luckily, I had this as a bonus feature on my Oneplus 3, but I now would not buy a new phone that doesn’t have this. I can keep my personal SIM card installed so that I am available to whoever needs me back home and can also use roaming as a backup. Then I can have the extra SIM card for local calls and data transfer.

I can’t stress enough how useful this is!

6. Take less stuff

Let me repeat, take less stuff. Fifty percent of the stuff you take, you really don’t need. They are all nice to have, and if you find that you really need them, you can buy them in the country you are visiting — have an extra 100€ for SWAG. I repeat, take less stuff.

7. Travel with a friend (or girlfriend/boyfriend!

It might seem more fun and rebellious to go see the world all on your own, but I believe that shared experiences have at least 3x the value. Your memories, the companion’s memories, and your mutual discoveries — these experiences give you something to remember when you and your friend are old together. Traveling together also helps you get better places to stay when you have a shared budget. Also, remember to take some time for yourself so that you can recharge. If you are traveling alone, then make some new friends :D