vagabum.com

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   For Technical assistance, see the top question in this section.

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   The stars rating system allows each post to be rated independently on a 1-5 star basis, with 1 being the least impressive and 5 being the best or strongest. If you have ever rated movies on Netflix this is exactly the same system.

   Please take an extra 2 seconds and rate a post after you read it so I can rank the posts for new viewers who just want to jump to the best stuff first. Please be honest and do not be afraid of offending me (I realize not all posts can be the best). Just think of the stars as a relative scale where 1 is the quality of the least interesting post and 5 is the quality of the best.

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   No. All comments, ratings and polls are accessible to both unregistered guests and registered users. Registered users just get to customize post notification if they want and their comments will be automatically signed, but otherwise the access level is the same.

7. I am hesitant to subscribe. Do you sell or share personal information from subscribers to any 3rd party business or organization?

   Absolutely not. I personally guarantee all information will be kept strictly confidential. In addition, any user can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time they wish.

8. Vagabum Mike, do you write all of your posts?

   Absolutely. I am the sole author and creator of the site and all content is of my own creation (and copyrighted for my exclusive use).

9. I like your blog interface. How were you able to build it?

   Thank you. The blog interface is powered by WordPress and the Gallery interface by Slideshow Pro. If you wish to learn more, I have written an extensive blog creation tutorial HERE. Feel free to post blog set-up questions in the comments area of that post and I will do my best to answer you.

10. Where did you get the photos you are using in the site header, in the gallery or embedded within the posts?

    I personally shot all my photos. All photos are my own copyrighted content and therefore not for use by any 3rd party. Please email me (mlzzz at yahoo dot com) if you are interested in licensing any of the content for specific uses.

11. You photos are incredible. How can I learn to take better photos?

    Thank you. My main advice is to practice taking multiple photos of every shot with variations only to composition or camera settings (mainly to either ISO, F-Stop, Forced Flash or White Balance). For more detailed tips I have written an advanced digital photography tutorial that you can read through HERE.

12. Where can I see larger copies of the photos that are embedded inside your posts?

    I have integrated a cool plugin which expands each blog photo to full size when you click it and then contracts it again on the second click. There are some limitations here with Internet Explorer where you can not expand more than 1 time, but a workaround is to reload the page. Firefox, Opera and Netscape should not have this limitation. I am not sure about Safari (Mac). Also see my Photo Gallery, or the link to my Shutterfly Albums in the side bar at right.

Travel Trips

1. I am interested in taking an around the world trip and am wondering the best way to book flights. How does a Round-the-world (RTW) ticket work and what should I look for when purchasing one?

   I think RTW flights are the way to go if you have more than a handful of destinations and if you wish to have lots of flexibility on dates and even routes. Plus you will be earning frequent flier miles along the way. I took Star Alliance and was very pleased with them and even earned a free International ticket with frequent flier miles by the end of the trip.

   For specific details about RTW tickets you should visit the sites of all the airline alliances (Star Alliance, Oneworld, Sky Team, etc.). Wikipedia has a list of the 3 alliances and airlines HERE. Each alliance has different rules and more importantly different restrictions, but basically you pick an initial set of destinations and dates but usually you can change the dates for free along the way.

   Some alliances may have restrictions on total stops, total distance, and even direction of travel (e.g. can only make stops in order West to East or vice versa). Most likely the trip will have to start/end within a year and originate and end in the same country and any overland travel between cities will still count against your total distance limit. Prices will vary depending on starting location and total stops/distance, so plan accordingly. Typically dates can be changes any number of times free of charge, but route changes will incur a change fee and are subject to the plan restrictions. Note that airline employees abroad will be less familiar with the plan restrictions so it is quite possible to exceed the plan limits (I think I got an extra 3500 miles and 3 stops but had to pay US$75 to change my route 3 times).

   For more information, see the Wikipedia page on RTW tickets HERE, but definitely still visit the alliance sites to verify restrictions and compare costs.

2. When going with a RTW airlare can you drop some destinations from your itinerary while adding others? is this what you mean by the 75 dollar charge?

   Yes, for the given change fee ($75 is what it was for me but check with the Alliance for current costs) you can alter your routes within the given restrictions (total stops, mileage, or total duration). Note that there are some extreme cases where additional taxes can be added. For instance I bought my ticket and left just before 9/11. Since all the airlines of the world added additional security taxes when I went to change my routes the new taxes were tacked on and that cost me an additional $220 which sucked (I probably could have fought it but did not bother to remember). Simple date changes are usually free (as long as they do not break the date restrictions).

3. Which travel books are the best for budget travel and/or backpacking?

   The Lonely Planet and their Shoestring travel guides are currently the most popular world-wide and are excellent for first time travelers/backpackers (and equally useful for those on a medium to high budget). The information is so essential for travel many refer to their current LP book as The Bible. The Lonely Planet web site in also an excellent travel resource and they maintain a fantastic on-line LP Travel Forum where you can get fast and up-to-date answers from millions of backpackers around the world. I have bought 25 or so LP books and still have most of them in my book case that I use from time to time to reminisce or for reference.

   The first LP guide book was written for Thailand 30 years or so ago, so the guides are exceptionally good around Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand where they have received the most updates and revisions. Many backpackers like myself have come to appreciate the organization of the Lonely Planet so they tend to stick to the same brand in future travels as they can immediately locate appropriate information even in a new LP book.

   For Europe the Lonely Planet is still fairly good (I have always been happy with those as well), but some European travelers claim that Let's Go! or Rick Steve's guides are superior there. Some travelers recommend Moon Guides for much of Latin America, but I have always been quite happy with the Lonely Planet guides in those places and the one time I used a Moon Guide (Cuba) I was only moderately pleased. I would definitely not recommend Frommer's, Fodder's or some of the other more famous guide brands for budget travel since they are written for the mindless tourist with money to burn and a penchant for laziness.

4. How do you choose the places you want to travel to?

   When choosing new places I tend to follow my main interests. I have always been fascinated with ancient cultures and archeology since I saw my first Indiana Jones film (and probably even before). So, most of my travels in Latin America have been archeology focused, as have those to Cambodia, Israel, Jordan and of course Egypt.

   I am also very interested in 20th Century history and especially that from the World War II, the Vietnam War and the Cold War eras, so that led me all around Europe, to Vietnam and hopefully some day soon to Russia and the Baltic States. My love of beaches and SCUBA diving has led me to Thailand, French Polynesia, Belize, and the Carribean islands. My love of animals will take me across Southern and Eastern Africa, hopefully in 2008.

5. Can you recommend some places to visit if I am interested in travels related to archeology, beaches, history, nature or shopping?

   For amazing archaeological sites research Egypt, Jordan (Petra), Israel, Cambodia (Siem Riep) and China (Xi'an). In Latin America research the Mayan sites on/near the Yucatan Peninsula (Quintana Roo, Campeche, and Chiapas states), in Guatemala (Tikal), Honduras (Copan) and Belize. Also look at the sites in Peru (Incan Machu Piccu and Nazca Lines), plus additional sites in Bolivia, and near Mexico City (Teotihuacan, Aztec, Toltec, and Olmec culture ruins).

   For beaches try Thailand, Australia, Cuba, Fiji, Indonesia and Mexico / Yucatan. Tahiti has surprisingly weak beaches (dirty, black sand mostly), but the other islands in French Polynesia (Moorea, Bora Bora, etc.) are awesome, if mostly expensive (Bora Bora may be the most expensive tropical destination in the world). Hawaii is way overrated and over crowded in my opinion and easily 5x the price of Thailand. Cancun is also way overprices, over crowded and overrated, but for the same beaches and a much more culturally authentic experience try nearby destinations of Playa Del Carmen (1 hour by bus) or Isla Mujeres (20 min by ferry).

   For nature interests, you may wish to look at visiting Thailand, Malaysia, Guatemala, Ecuador/Galapagos, Peru, Tanzania (Serengeti), Nepal and New Zealand.

   For History you might be interested in Vietnam, China, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Russia, Turkey, Italy, France, Greece and Germany.

   Some great trinket shopping cities are Mexico City, Cairo, New Delhi, Istanbul, and Athens. For cheap tailored clothing check out Hong Kong, China, Vietnam, or Thailand

6. What are your Top Packing Tip Recommendations?

   - For adventure travel, buy and use an internal frame backpack (use the brand most popular in your country - Eagle Creek in the US, Mountain Equipment Co-op in Canada, or Mack-Pak in the UK). View the various size options, make your selection and then downgrade one size (smaller will encourage more efficient packing and save you weight).

   - Set aside all the clothes you wish to pack, then remove 30-40% of them to save weight and allow room for quicker packing and to carry souvenirs. Even with significant travel experience I still tend to bring a few items of clothes I never wear. Thankfully those items wasting space have decreased significantly since my first few trips when I took way too much. If you are staying in hostels, dorms and guest houses you can definitely afford to limit your nightclub outfits!

   - Take some older clothes so you might be more comfortable throwing them away or giving them to needy locals in order to reduce the weight of your pack, or to make room for souvenirs. Avoid garish or flashy clothes and especially t-shirts with giant flashy logos to allow yourself to blend in further (become less of a petty crime target).

   - If you travel with larger valuables (e.g. an SLR-sized camera or laptop) and are staying in hostels, dorms or guest houses, purchase and take a Pak-Safe. It is a steel mesh that wraps your pack and can be secured with a lock (a padlock is better than the flimsier key lock included).

   - Bring a combination lock for your Pak-Safe or for rooms with an owner supplied lock on the door. This will deter amateurs and opportunistic workers around the premises and will buy piece of mind (anyone with renters or home-owner insurance may also have coverage for the loss of these items abroad so it pays to check that out before hand). If you cannot afford to lose it, leave it at home.

   - For budget travel and/or travel in developing countries carry a money belt you can wear inside your clothes. Only put your large cash, credit and passport there and keep some small cash in your pocket to purchase small or frequent items. Take some extra cash, and a secondary bank and/or credit card and hide it somewhere in your pack (I put some cash in some rolled up socks and hide my credit card elsewhere in my pack.

   - Pack and carry a small roll of toilet paper or several tissue packs (it is MUCH better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it!).

   - Pack a sturdy plastic water bottle (ideally with a method of securing it to the outside of your pack - e.g. a climbing caribiner or a water bottle pocket on the pack).

   - For budget travel pack a compact travel first-aid kit (available in any large drug store)

   - Pack a compact high intensity flashlight (torch to my European friends) and extra batteries. I usually also bring a very small disposable flashlight I can carry in my pocket at night and can share with others without much worry about losing it or without too much added bulk.

   - Pack some fix it yourself / multi-purpose supplies (small amounts of string, rubber bands, duct tape, zip ties, and Zip-lock freezer bags).

   - Pack a robust multi-tool and/or pocket knife (I use a Leatherman and find the pliers especially useful and I also pack a smaller pocket knife as a backup.). Do not forget to place these items in your checked luggage to prevent their confiscation at airport security.

   - Depending upon your destination bring one pair of comfort shoes, one pair of rugged / hiking shoes and one pair of multi-purpose sandals (e.g. Tivas, NOT flip-flops). Leave those dress shoes at home or you will hate yourself for having to carry them around.

   - Depending upon your destination bring a water proof jacket or a light-weight rain poncho. Obviously substitute a heavy jacket for colder climates, but try to select a compact winter jacket that can pack tightly. You can always choose to leave the jacket and buy one on the road if you truly need to.

   - Bring a travel alarm (Brookstone has an excellent $25 Travel Alarm with an Imperial/Metric temperature thermometer) and/or a multi-function digital watch with an alarm. I pack both a watch and a Brookstone alarm clock.

   - Make several photocopies of your passport, plane ticket(s), itinerary, and travelers check receipts (if you have them) and disperse the copies around your backpack and in your money belt. Ideally store extra digital copies of everything on-line somewhere (on a photo site, or as an email to yourself).

   - Bring back-up memory cards, a memory reader or digital camera cable, back-up blank data CDs or DVDs (to archive photos from an internet cafe) and back-up batteries (some AA and one extra rechargeable battery for your camera).

   - Depending upon your destination bring a power converter AND a multi-plug adapter.

   - It never hurts to bring a handful of energy bars.

   And last, but not least:

   - Bring a positive spirit and an adventure seeking disposition!

7. I have heard that the country I plan to travel to is dangerous. Should I change my plans and find someplace else to travel to? Where can I find information about the safety situation in that area?

   Most Western governments provide on-line information about official travel warnings. The US State Department lists their travel warnings HERE. Surprisingly to some, the CIA also has excellent statistical information posted on each country in their World Fact-book and is a good source for the basic stats and current state of affairs in each country.

   The thing to note is that these warnings are written to scare the timid from attempting to travel and of course the press will play up the danger as well, so while there are always some risks, the extreme dangers often tend to be quite rare.

   One should note that there are some safety dangers inherent in any big city - in both developed and undeveloped countries. While most know to take caution about not ending up in the wrong part of a city in New York, LA, London, or any other Western City, the same can certainly be true about traveling to any developing country. As long as you are not going to visit the top most dangerous countries in the world (Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, Congo), then a person with reasonable big city street smarts should feel completely safe traveling to most any developing country.

   I have found my initial news-fueled fears unfounded is most countries that have gotten negative press in North America (e.g. Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Egypt, Israel, Laos, etc.). This has allowed me to moderate the fear-mongering propagated by Western press and by the skewed propaganda of our respective governments. The government information and your own research is still extremely valuable, but one needs to separate out the data from the drawn conclusion in most cases.

   If you are still ambivalent for a particular trip, then hop on to one of the travel forums such as Lonely Planet Thorntree or Couchsurfing.com and ask people who are there now if safety is an issue. At the end of the day if you still have fears, then you may be better off choosing another destination, but then you will never have the opportunity to gauge whether your fears were unfounded or not.

8. When traveling what is the best way to access money / funds? Travelers Checks? Master Card? Visa? American Express? Cash?

   You don't really need travelers checks these days (other than in banks they can be much harder to spend and cash than credit). You could take a few hundred dollars travelers checks as a backup, but ATM and Visa are much more convenient and you are guaranteed the best exchange rates.

   Just take a bank ATM card (check for the Cirrus, Star and/or Interlink symbols on the back that work world-wide these days) and a Visa and carry minimal cash. A second bank card or Visa kept separately from your others (ideally in a separate piece of luggage) is a good idea also, as is a one or more mini stashes of cash (hidden and separate from the rest).

9. I am starting my very first Round The World (RTW) trip and my budget is very very low. Do you have any cost saving tips for me? How can i extend my trip so that i can visit the most places on a shoestring?

   Definitely go with a RTW fare from one of the airline alliances like Star Alliance. They have different tiers of flights, so you have to weigh the difference in distance and stops with the costs (note that you get miles for all those flights as well). Also make sure the flight dates can be changed at any time and as often as you want (Star Alliance allows free date changes and I think they are still $75 on route changes). Even for overland travel you probably still get charged the miles towards your overall limit. Note that in many non-western countries the airline workers are not so familiar with the rules and it is easy to exceed your total miles and total destinations stops (I went over 4,000 miles and 3 extra stops but changed my flight routes 4 times in 10 months and was never questioned or stopped).

   You can certainly stretch your funds by visiting mostly developing countries. Some airline alliances have restrictions on flight direction (e.g. only Eastward travel) so read the fine print and compare plans and alliances. Also read the forums on travel sites like The Lonely Planet Thorntree or Couchsurfing.com.

   First off, if you have not already, then head to a library and check out a Lonely Planet or L.P. Shoestring guide book for each country or region you are interested in and take notes on places to stay and things to see and get a feel for the costs of things in that country and make a prediction on per day costs to see how long you can stay in each country. Buy a Lonely Planet book for the first few countries or regions (depending on time in each area) but you will not want to carry more than 3 of those books most likely (I shipped a bunch home and traded a few others). Check Amazon.com to see the latest published edition of each book (accuracy goes down after 3 years and in some quickly changing countries like China in 1-2 years); it is worth it to wait 1 or 2 months if a new edition is imminent and you do not absolutely need it.

   You can save a lot by staying in hostels or dorms if that is to your liking (I'm a bit too old for open dorms but guest houses and some hostels can still give you a private room at a much cheaper rate) and all those are listed in the LP guide books. I would not worry about booking ahead unless it is a place that explicitly recommends that for a particular season. If your flight gets in late at night it might be worth booking the first night and you can probably find an on-line booking for any of the hostels, guest houses or motels in the LP guide book at Hostels.com (you should only have to pay a few dollars booking premium).

   Alternatively, you can find travel-friendly locals willing to allow you to stay with them free via the awesome on-line travel community at Couchsurfing.com

   If you find a travel mate (just post a note on the Lonely Planet Thorntree or Couchsurfing forums listed above) you can also save a lot on private rooms (often the combined dorm rates equals the same as a private room in a guest house) and certainly security and peace of mind will be increased with a travel partner (If you are female note that I have met many confident women traveling on their own all over the world who have not had any problems, so it depends on your comfort level although to minimize the male hassle factor they tend to group together in Islamic countries).

   Finally, you can save a lot of money if you plan to eat from street-side food stalls (always a fun adventure, especially when one does not know the language!) and to shop at grocery stores for food/drink, rather than to eat in restaurants and drink in bars.

   Definitely remember to budget extras like bus / train fares, museum or site entrances (which can be $25 for sites like the Taj Mahal), souvenirs, internet cafes (usually about $1 / hour), tours (some places are inconvenient to visit solo) and film/development (if you do not have a digital cam). You should also probably add 10% to your estimates just to have a conservative estimate (it is better to under-spend an estimate and have more time than to over-spend and have less).

   Happy Travels,

   ~ Vagabum Mike

10. How do I know if I need to get an entry visa prior to my arrival in the country I plan to visit?
    

    Most Western governments provide on-line information about the entry requirements for travel to other countries. For Americans, the US State Department has compiled the entry requirements for foreign travel HERE.

    You should also look for the embassy web site of your home country that is located in the capitol city of the country that you plan to visit. Just do a Google of your home country name with the destination capitol name and 'embassy'.

    Finally, you can visit Lonely Planet Site and read up on basic entry and travel information.

11. How do I know if I need any travel vaccinations (shots) for the country I am visiting?

    Most Western governments provide on-line information about the entry requirements for travel to other countries. For Americans, the US State Department has compiled the entry requirements for foreign travel HERE.

    You should also look for the embassy web site of your home country that is located in the capitol city of the country that you plan to visit. Just do a Google of your home country name with the destination capitol name and 'embassy'.

    Finally, you can visit Lonely Planet Site and read up on basic entry and travel information.

12. How much research should I do on a country prior to my arrival? How do I know where to stay?

    The answer is that it really depends upon your travel experience and your comfort level, so you need to decide for yourself what is the appropriate level of research.

    Before I even completely decide on a trip I tend to read up briefly on the top sights and some of the more interesting off-the-beaten track type excursions. Aside from that I research the visa and vaccination entry-requirements and then of course the optimal and cheapest flight travel arrangements which leads to the decision at least about the initial destination (sometimes I have not decided that until I come across a particular air fare).

    For a week or so leading up to a departure I will also check the Lonely Planet Travel Forum and browse any relevant topics or ask any remaining questions that I have.

    In the last 24 hours or so (sometimes even from the plane) I will review the airport transportation options, the basic city layout, preferred lodging areas and the budget lodging options for the city I arrive in. Normally at this stage I will rank the top 3 or so lodging options within the desired area or neighborhood but will not make the actual decision of where to stay until after I have arrived and have had a chance to see the rooms and facilities (an an often essential step with budget travel in developing countries).

    Sometimes if I am arriving at night, or if the Lonely Planet has advised travelers about a scarcity of lodging in a particular season (especially around Christmas/New Years Eve), I may make a bet and reserve a room in a guest house (on-line at Hostels.com) for 1-2 nights upon my arrival, but that is usually only the case for some of the more intimidating cities in developing countries (Cairo, Delhi, etc.) where I will arrive at night.

    Part of the fun of travel for me is making it up as I go along, so I intentionally limit the research so I can learn even more while away. As always, your results may vary, so do as much research as your experience and comfort level warrants.

13. Should I book a budget room or hostel bed in advance, or when I arrive?

    It really all depends on the season, the destination, the time of arrival and your risk aversion. I rarely book in advance unless it is during a holiday and in a destination where budget rooms become scarce or if I am arriving late in a sketchy city, but I am quite experienced and I have no problem running around even at night looking for a room.

    Do your research and figure out when high season is and if that affects hostels / budget rooms in the areas you are traveling to. If in doubt book the first night or two only. You can check the Lonely Planet Thorntree Forum, or any of the LP Shoestring guidebooks at the bookstore to find out more.

    If you decide to show up without booking do some research to select a cluster of hostels that are a) in your range of price and amenity standards and b) within easy walking distance of one-another. Before hand try to make sure to find out how many beds in a room, whether or not the genders are mixed and whether or not they have air-con if relevant. When you show up be sure to look at the room before committing as rooms especially in developing countries can have completely different standards of cleanliness and safety.

    If you do decide to book ahead, check out http://www.hostels.com as most main hostels world-wide are there these days and you only end up paying a dollar or two premium for booking.

14. Are there any common rules for tipping in other countries? For example you are expected to tip at least 15% in the US for food service plus tipping bartenders, baggage handlers etc.

    It varies from country to country but generally you will find tipping expectation for most every other country less than the US 15% and not at all expected in most developing country (in which case leaving some extra coins is not out of line and probably not unheard of).

    Many travel-focused businesses abroad will try to weasel tips out of Western travelers, especially Americans and can often try to automatically add in tips or misc. fake charges, so do not be afraid to dispute that or just leave a different amount you feel appropriate (I found it common in Romania that they stick on random charges just expecting Westerners to pay them and yet they always accepted the accurate amount with no tip or extraneous charges included).

    Be sure to follow and not exceed the going rate by more than a nominal amount. Locals and expatriots hate it when travelers inflate tip expectations for local businesses. Ask any of the non-service-industry locals what the common custom is to get a better sense of tipping expectations. Otherwise, the Lonely Planet guide books all have a section on local tipping customs for reference.

15. Are there any key safety or theft precautions I can take while traveling abroad?

    As in any city in the world, travelers should ALWAYS remain alert as to their surroundings, regardless of the location, the amount of people or if they feel safe in a group.

    ALWAYS be aware of others who are following your actions too closely or who are walking behind you. If you are suspicious of someone in particular or just get than nervous feeling someone is watching stop and/or change direction abruptly to see if anyone reacts strangely, to allow someone behind to pass or to put distance between you and a person or group you are wary of. Or, use the stop in conjunction looking behind you in the reflection of a window in order to help identify someone who is paying too close attention to you.

    If you see someone who looks suspicious and you feel up to it while you still have some distance make prolonged but non-threatening eye contact with them in order to let them know you are aware of them and often this will dissuade any action.

    Do not let groups of kids or vendors approach too closely or surround you. If anyone sticks a paper, a menu or something close under your face that cuts off your vision of your bags quickly turn and put distance between them (many who use this technique to distract can pick your pocket in as little as 10 seconds and you will never feel anything).

    If you are still in an uncomfortable situation after the above precautions then make a point of hopping in a taxi or heading into a large populated tourist shop, hotel or restaurant, or quickly get back to an area you are more familiar and more comfortable with.

    If someone bumps into you immediately assume you are being pickpocketed and take rapid stock of your valuables while they are close.

    Probably of more concern for thieves than in open areas should be crowded areas where pickpockets truly thrive. In a crowd or on a crowded bus/train be especially cautious and maybe put your hand/arm/leg around any loose straps with valuables like a camera or a backpack. Try to stay in groups and never never never leave your passport and/or any valuable behind while you head to the bathroom even if you are sure the nice family across from you is on your side. I have seen thieves on a crowded street car almost face to face with someone they are working on, so in these instance a bear hug around that backpack, camera, or purse can be the best deterrent as well as vigilant eye contact with everyone around you.

    In all my travel the vast majority of people who have suffered from theft have been those that left a bag unattended on a train/bus while sleeping or hitting the bathroom, or those who had loose valuables on a crowded bust/train/street car.

    Be smart and alert to your surroundings and there is very little change you will have any problems.

    For peace of mind you can look into traveler insurance for your key valuables or you may already have that insurance as part of an existing renters insurance policy. If there is something you have that you would literally be devastated if it were lost then leave it at home.

16. I have heard that some malaria medications cause severe side effects. What do you use for prevention?

    Wikipedia has some great information if you are interested => Anti-malarial Drugs.

    I have taken Larium (the 1 pill a week type) and have felt some disorientation/dizziness the first day of each week after taking it and then had some seriously psychotic dreams that were truly terrifying. My father is a doctor and when I told him I was unhappy with the side effects he told me to split the pill into 2 and take it every 3 or 4 days instead. Once I did that I did not have any more problems. Larium is used to both prevent and to treat Malaria, so some people just keep it on hand in the event of actual infection. There are some Larium-resistant strains of Malaria in SE Asia, so if you are going there you may want to try one of the others. Wikipedia page on Larium

    Doxycycline is indeed the least invasive but according to my Lonely Planet East Africa there are some Doxy-resistant strains in Africa and I think in S. America. The risk of photo sensitivity (extremely quick and bad sun burn) is 10% according to the Wikipedia page on Doxycycline. Doxy also impairs the effectiveness of several types of contraceptive pills, so ladies beware.

    I usually have some Larium on hand and only take it preventively if I am in a high risk area, but not in low or medium risk areas (like most parts of Thailand). A bigger concern than Malaria for me is Dengue Fever (also transmitted by mosquitoes), so be vigilant with liberal applications of DEET-laden bug sprays. Although more rare, supposedly Dengue makes Malaria look like a walk in the park by comparison so better to be safe than sorry! Dengue by the way is Swahili for "cramp-like seizure caused by an evil spirit" (seriously!). Wikipedia page on Dengue

    My suggestion is to educate yourself and be vigilant, but know that with reasonable prevention methods you have little chances of catching either of the two, so do not let any lingering worry stop you from traveling or enjoying your trip.

    For a plethora of excellent International medical links, see this excellent FAQ page from Lonely Planet.

17. How are you able to take such candid photos of locals? Do you ask permission first or forgiveness after? Do you pay them?

    I usually try to make eye contact from a bit of a distance and hold up my camera to indicate I am going to take a picture. I wait a few seconds to see if they are going to object and if not I take it. Making a connection from a distance discourages requests for money. With tacit permission I often take 2 or 3 photos with different framing and facial expressions in hopes of ending up with at least one great shot of them.

    I dislike it when locals pose unnaturally or change their behavior for the photo, so if they start acting different I just thank them and move on.

    Every now and then I will sneak a candid photo by pretending to shoot a building or background with them in the edge. In those cases usually I will make eye contact after and go through the routine again to ensure they are not offended by it (some older cultures still believe taking a photo is akin to stealing the persons inner energy).

    Sometimes the person or persons you make eye contact with will approach and ask for money for the photo which I will usually politely decline, especially in a crowded area since it may encourage others to swarm you looking for money. Often the people are happy without pay when you show them the digital image that you have taken since digital photos are still a very new thing in some poorer countries and may seem like some incredible machine to them. Some people like them so much they want to see some other photos and I will show them a few more if requested.

    I will occasionally give money to a lone child or woman without their asking if I feel I am insinuating myself in a private moment or just if I think they are in need, but just as often I will hand over a new candy bar or snack to the hungry kids (developing countries only) which usually produces a content smile and even allows for another photo or two.

18. How much time should I plan to spend in each place I travel to?

    My suggestion is to do some research on the sights in the area you want to travel to, make some time estimates and then add 50%-100% to the estimates for some of the other destinations. Also make sure to build in some flexibility into your travel plans (ideally dates and particular destinations if you hear less than glowing reviews about those places from travelers along the way).

    I think the initial instinct for many early travelers (especially Americans) is to rush through as many places as we can see and that was the same instinct I started with on my Round-the-World (RTW) trip in 2001/2002. The problem is that too much quick travel is very tiring and a quick visit to a particular city or area is not as rewarding if one does not have time to soak in more of the history, culture or ambiance at more than a shallow level. Also consider travel is slower in some countries or takes more time and effort to organize on your own (e.g. China was much, much slower to plan and execute along the way for me in '05 due to the language barrier I experienced that was quite a bit more significant than in any other country for me) or in developing countries (e.g. India) trains and roads in many area may be very outdated and trips might take 5-10 times as long as we are used to in the modern infrastructure of the Western World.

    Earlier on in my travels I used to stop in a place for 2-3 days then travel to the next one (by bus, plane, train, or boat) but after a few weeks of this I found that exhausting and I found that I often had lingering regrets on things I missed for no particular reason other than trying to keep up with that hectic pace. Or I found that I had not accounted for slower travel capabilities of some developing nations and I had to cut out some of my plans to compensate. Now days I estimate 4-6 days min in a particular place and try to plan more of a mix of top sights, top activities and off-the-beaten-track areas. I originally planned a 5-month RTW trip but as I was traveling that turned into a 9 month trip in practice and in retrospect I wish I had spent 15-18 months (money and time were not particularly limiting factors). Through this I learned that it is better to over-estimate time and have time to spare than to under-estimate time and have to cut plans out. The great part about over-estimating time is that any left over time you end up with you can fill with new on-the-fly plans as to what looks, sounds or feels most interesting to you when you are in that locale.

19. I am considering bringing my laptop on my trip. Do you have any tips to help make it easier or more useful?

    I have taken my laptop on a couple trips, but it is tiny one and only weighs 3 lbs. I definitely would not want to lug a 7-10 pound model for weeks on end. It might be a better option to purchase one of the new ultra portable computers (the Asus Eee or the OLPC XO) since they only cost US$400, they are quite light, rugged and small and provide most of your basic needs (they use Linux, not Windows, but the Write and Browser applications will seem familiar). You might want to also buy an extended battery for your laptop to get more out of a charge if you are going budget in developing nations since you may be more hard pressed to find a power outlet. Also be sure to pack a power converter with a multi-plug power adapter (make sure to have both).

    Most internet cafes these days around the world will allow you to connect with a WIRED connection to their router for the same or less rental fee (you might want to bring your own network cable). Wireless connections are not yet prevalent in developing countries except in popular tourist destinations, but they are getting more popular every day. A flash drive might also be useful to back up your most essential data and to transfer at the internet cafe in case you are unable to connect to the internet or in case you do not want to lug your computer to the cafe.

    Assuming you have a CD writer in your laptop you should bring some extra CDs to back up your photos and data against theft (or blank DVDs if your laptop can write them) - or just use them to create backups in the Internet Cafe without having to buy them at an inflated price. Nomad Travel Insurance can be purchased through www.LonelyPlanet.com and they also provide laptop insurance but it is a fair amount more expensive. Here in the US my renters insurance covers my computer and camera equipment while abroad but I do not know if it is the same in other countries. You should not have any problem if you are careful (and if you buy a PackSafe to lock up your luggage in your room), but be sure to back up your data from home before you leave and if there is anything you cannot possibly afford to replace then leave it at home.