With thanks to the Internet, there are now hundreds of packing checklists, even packing apps that are readily available for download and use.
My goal is to share some pre-planning for any trip, beyond the standard checklist. In fact, if you are leaving tomorrow, most of the advice in this post is probably a bit late - maybe bookmark it for next time =)
Etiquette
I have found that as the world continues to westernise and the amount of unchartered grounds have diminished, I have become less concerned about culture and etiquette. This shouldn't be the case, just because there is a H&M store in the city that you are visiting, doesn't mean that there aren't layers of cultural sensitivity underneath. A quick search on the etiquette of the country you are visiting will put you in good stead. This applies to both social settings and dress code.
Whilst it is perfectly acceptable to walk around America in your sneakers, I found myself severely underdressed in a city like Paris. In more conservative countries, you may be required to wear shorts/skirts that reach the knee or have covered shoulders (i.e. no singlets), irrespective of how hot the weather is. Whilst there's no law (in some places) against you wearing a singlet and shorts, you may find yourself being denied entry into certain tourist sites such as temples or just being a walking spectacle as you walk down the street...(if that's the angle you were going for).
One more finishing comment about clothing - perhaps consider the need to dress down. Is it really appropriate to be wearing your full jewellery and Rolex whilst in SE Asia? Dressing down will lessen the attention your draw to yourself and furthermore, ease the stress of you worrying about your possessions.
Weather
Yes yes, most people know to check the weather of their destination. It's a little bit more than just 'long sleeve' vs. 'short sleeve' and weather you should bring a jumper though. I find that I most often get caught out with shoes! If you are travelling somewhere during wet season, are you sure your leather loafers are the most appropriate choice? If you plan to visit national parks, are you sure you should be wearing kitten heels? (<-- I want it noted that I have seen kitten heels at Taroko gorge, I am not making this up!)
Arrival Time
It is potentially a bit late to be talking about arrival time if you have stumbled on this site and you're already packing your bags - but for next time, place more weight on the time that you are arriving than the time that you are departing. If you're a young female, travelling alone, do you really want to arrive in a foreign city at night? Aren't you better off leaving your home city at night and arriving in daylight?
Smaller Denominations of Currencies
On one of my first trips to Singapore, I was carrying two $1000 SGD notes in my wallet. When I told my colleague, she laughed and said she didn't even know that they existed and another had said she had 'heard of them' but had never seen one. Clearly common sense hadn't prevailed and carrying denominations of ~$820 US is probably going to be difficult for change (and apparently equivalent to carrying two Lochness monsters in my pocket). So much so, that when I tried to purchase clothing from a shop (not a drink from 7-Eleven!), they refused to accept it and told me to swap it at a currency counter. Upon speaking to a man at a currency counter, he laughed and directed us to the bank! To this day I still look fondly at Standard Chartered who converted my semi folklore $1000 notes for free, even though I wasn't a customer. When you change your money, be sure to ask for smaller denominations!
The first leg
Upon reflection, the most hectic beginning-of-trips that I have had are those where I have not sorted out my 'first leg' (if I can shamelessly borrow an Amazing Race reference). This includes both accommodation on the first night and the trip from the airport to the accommodation.
I know some people don't even book their accommodation (I'm not one of them) but on the other hand, whilst I do like to have an idea of what I'd like to see, I rarely schedule the days. I like an element of immersing yourself in the city without having to adhere to a timetable. Leave this creativity till you have checked in!!!
Many cities have airport websites that detail how you can make your way from the airport to the city centre. From this, you can make a balanced decision based on your budget and time. Also work out how to get from the city centre to your accommodation - you don't want to be just shifting the problem.
Don't do what I did, which is try to 'wing it' from KLCC to the city centre, only to discover the much talked about airport train leaves from KL airport and not KLCC. I caught a local bus from KLCC (after pushing through a sea of people trying to thrust pamphlets into my hands) to KL airport, before changing to a monorail. Much chaos ensued as the monorail station didn't have a lift or an escalator to the platform - Oh yeah, and then to find out that taxis are cheap in KL, so I should have just taken a cab straight from KLCC. Wonderful.
Local Map
This probably fits quite nicely with the paragraph above about the first leg, but it occurred to me, that trying to find tourist information (presuming a city has one) will be difficult if you, well, can't find tourist information. Print a map of your hotel and mark the tourist information before you go. Don't rely on wifi because it won't always be around (most likely won't be around when you need it most).
Check What's On
I love enjoying local festivities when I'm abroad. I'm not talking Full Moon party in Thailand or La Tomatina in Spain. When I was in Vietnam, it coincided with an annual 'Flavours of the world' festival. It was a fantastic way to immerse yourself with the locals and really enjoy the festivities. My rule of thumb is, the festivities should have more locals than tourists to be of real credibilty!
Another cool tip is to subscribe to local newsletters a few months before your trip or group buying sites such as Groupon so you can access some good local deals!
Hotel Cards
Essential in countries that don't speak English and you plan to get around in cabs. I had my first encounter with a hotel card in Macau and now can't believe I ever travelled without one. I was going to say that this is particularly relevant if you're not staying in one of the most popular hotels, but in Macau, even saying 'Mandarin Oriental' wasn't prompting any knowing nods. I even started writing down the address of places I wanted to see and handing that to the driver, rather than saying 'Museum'. There are a lot of museums around town you know!
Research Local Foods
Food is a quintessential part of the travel experience and it's always nice to know when you're eating food from its origin - and it doesn't need to be the scorpion on the skewer. In Saigon, it turns out that the South of Vietnam is known for its Banh Xeo (Pancakes) and the high profile Pho is actually from the North of Vietnam (Hanoi). Not to say you can't get good Pho in Saigon, but it certainly pays off to do some food research.
iPhone Translator App
With thanks to the iPhone, you no longer need to haul around a phrase book. Ensure you download a translator (that can be used offline) to help you decipher street signs and menus.
Keep the Change Xx
