5 tips to making your trip even better

fuad lawal

April 17, 2015 7:27 PM

Travelling in Nigeria really does have its pitfalls. One mistake could mean the wrong tourist attraction, or a more expensive means of travel, or even worse, landing in the wrong state totally

Travelling in Nigeria really does have its pitfalls. One mistake could mean the wrong tourist attraction, or a more expensive means of travel, or even worse, landing in the wrong state totally.

Here are a few tips that should help you plan:

Read Traveller Reviews

Review sites have changed the way most people plan their travel, giving us an enormously useful tool for evaluating hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions and the like.

Reviews are helpful but not foolproof, so keep in mind the following tips:

• Read between the lines, asking yourself if the writer shares your mind-set, or if a negative review is the result of a persnickety traveler or a singular bad experience. As a rule of thumb, the more people have contributed, the more valuable overall ratings become. • Always see how recent the post was. Establishments are quick to change, move or close. • Always look at photos posted by users; you may find them more telling than words could ever hope to be.

Stay In Touch With Social Media

Don't forget social networks like Facebook and Twitter, which are useful not only for planning before you go, but also for once you're on the road, since you can continue to access them through your mobile device. Ask in your status update: Does anyone know a good-value hotel in Calabar? Coolest spots for asun and catfish pepper soup in Port Harcourt? The best place to? You'll be surprised at the number and variety of suggestions you'll get.

Travel Light

The goal is to pack with one bag. As much as possible, pre-plan your itinerary, figure out the specific items you'll need for your trip and stick to that list — if you start contemplating what to bring the night before you take off, you're doomed. But packing light doesn't have to mean going without. Just be strategic about what you bring. Mix and match everything, so you can coordinate more outfits with fewer clothes.

Ladies, If you pack all neutral pants or skirts, for example, you can use your patterned tops with any and all bottoms. Remember also that layering for colder weather is always better than bringing big, bulky pieces; on hot-weather trips, include a light sweater or jacket. Shoes are the big space hog, so limit yourself to two pairs (and don't forget that you can pack socks or other small goods inside your shoes). Ditch your toiletry bag, since you'll have to put all your stuff in a Ziploc bag to get through security anyway. And finally, remember the frequent-flyer's best friend: wrinkle-free everything.

Keep Your Phone Charged

Your phones should always be charged. If you think there might be power issues, like not having electricity to charge where you are going, get a reserve battery pack.

Always Carry Cash

This is not to say you should move around with a bundle of cash like you are shooting a music video. But moving around with sufficient cash might be the difference between you getting stranded at two in the morning or getting a warm bed.

Those ATM machines really do disappoint, trust me.

fuad lawal