Beginner's travel checklist: Naija style

For the first time a few months ago, I visited the United Kingdom. I sincerely thought I had everything figured out when I was leaving - don't get me wrong, I had no idea what it was going to be like, but I had prepared for my trip a couple of months before. I did EVERYTHING.

Burned my data on YouTube, trying to see if there were any tips for village people like me that were leaving their country for the first time and I got some tips that were close to what I was looking for, but not what I was looking for. Okay, that sentence was too long.

Three days after I got to my destination, I fell ill. When I told my friends I had fallen ill, they kept replying with "it's the weather change". Immediately, my mind traveled different places. How wasn't I prepared for this weather change? I was going to disgrace my entire village here, but this sickness really dragging me into unwanted and unfamiliar places. I had been told by the same friends that it would only last three days, but mine lasted a whopping nine (9) days out of the 14 days I was supposed to be there for!

I was so sick; it felt like my body was really ready for war against treatment or prescription drugs. Then I started regretting a lot. I missed my mother's herbal "" and the (herbs) she usually gave me - which calmed me down before I'm able to visit the hospital. I had never felt so weak, restless and sad in my life. Another thing I noticed, even when I started getting better, was that while everyone felt really hot, I felt super cold. I didn't blame them, it was summer after all and my special Nigerian body was completely alien to this new weather.

1. Medical check up

You might already know this, but it cannot be overemphasized: PLEASE visit the hospital for check-up and possible treatment against any disease that might have camped in your body without your knowledge. You usually have some time to prepare after getting your visa, so please do that. It's super important. I felt like what elongated my sick period was the fact that, residue from stress had accumulated in my body and I hadn't noticed because I was either always working, or on the move. If I had known before then, what I knew then, I would've treated myself before leaving so I would have just had the weather change to deal with.

2. Herbal Preparedness

A.K.A, prescription. If there are certain kinds of illnesses you usually would have - maybe malaria or typhoid, please get some prescription from your doctor.

If you're like me that likes to collect directly and indirectly from Mother Nature (natural herbs and tablets - in that order), get your stuff ready and in place. Chances are, you WILL need them because your body is used to them and while going through this environment change, it's possible you hit some special bumps (read: familiar illnesses) on the way.

These are solely my recommendations. Please consult your certified medical professional for more guidance. This checklist contains the most important things I regret not doing before going on my trip. If you want to have a good time away from current hassles, it's best to do that with a fit, sound, and healthy body so that you can at least like I planned for mine.

Travelling soon? Have a yummy trip!

Have you been in my shoes as a beginner traveller? What did you do and what tips did you give yourself for next time? Let’s talk in the comments x.

Article by Lola Ogunnupebi

Lola Ogunnupebi is a freelance writer, poet, and entrepreneur. She melts at everything artistic - regardless of understanding. She's also a graduate of human resources management and hopes to someday, balance management and the arts. She blogs at and is on Twitter & Instagram @lolaogunnupebi