Independent producer Jake Warga has compiled a list of travel tips over the years. On a recent trip to Taiwan, high in the Alishan mountains with a group of travel writers and photographers, Warga also gathered tips from his companions, including Gerry Wingenbach, Bobbi Sotonoff, Rich Carlson and Kurt Wisner, who co-wrote the New York Times best-seller, Honeymoon with my Brother.
Says Warga: "Ultimately, good traveling is waking up each morning and having to ask yourself, 'Where am I?' But the best traveling is having to ask yourself each night before you go sleep, 'Who am I?'"
The Tips
No. 1: Wear sunscreen (this is the most important).
No. 2: Learn a bit of the language. But that said, Chinese is not easy. Luckily for the traveler in Taiwan, signs in the major cities are also in English. After a week, travelers can recognize the sign for "exit," and can learn how to say: "Hi," and "Thank you."
No. 3: When you're lost and don't know which direction to go, or even why you're there, just sit down. Breathe.
No. 4: When you go up to a local, never ask for a good restaurant. Don't say: "Where should I go to eat?" Instead ask: "Where do you go to eat?"
No. 5: Nothing says: "Please don't hurt me" like Canadian flags on your luggage.
No. 6: Before you even set off on your trip, walk around the block with your luggage, and figure out if you really need all of it.
No. 7: Never check luggage. If you run out of clean socks and underwear, turn them inside out. Or, if that's too gross, wear sandals.
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