Each time you travel, it gets easier & more fun. The first time, it might seem complicated, like a lot of work …
… but this is where the fun begins.
If you have only ever eaten one sort of cake in your life, how do you know it’s good?
WTF? What kind of stupid question is this & what does it have to do with traveling?
A LOT. If all you know are your local woman, your local culture, city … whatever – you have nothing to compare it to. You don’t know if it’s actually good … because you know nothing else. You might think something is good, simply because you haven’t seen anything else.
Traveling gives you that clean slate & new perspective … now you can suddenly say,
Wow, back home was nice, but there are better things out there …
I appreciate what I have back home, but I like the women/food/whatever it might be … much more here.
I personally travel for quality of life. I like Asian women, so it’s only logical to hang out in those places, like Thailand & Vietnam.
YOU can do the same. If your thing is food, or you’re looking for low costs of living … just pick the place that caters best to your needs.
There is an URGENCY to traveling though … most countries are just going to become more Westernized. This can be good & bad … bad if you’re looking to experience the inherent local culture & women in their natural femininity.
Look at Bangkok 20, 30 years ago & you know what I mean. A good example is Vietnam. Right now, there are hardly any tourists, it’s a communist country – that’s why it feels so different … even thought it’s so close to Thailand.
… but how long will it stay like that?
That’s what’s driving me to take the plunge, to not postpone traveling because I know the chance might be gone forever.
… and another important point: each passing year, are your responsibilities becoming more or less? More or less freedom?
If you’re honest to yourself, you know it’s only going to be more difficult to start traveling in the future.
You’ve Decided To Travel. How Do You Actually Start?
1. Watch Videos Online – so you get a sneak preview & can see if that’s what you’re looking for. Articles are great too, but they can’t do what videos can do – get you to see/hear before you get there.
I have complete playlists of Bangkok / Vietnam that show a variety of aspects of each city (admittedly focusing on nightlife & girls … but that’s what most single men traveling will be interested anyway).
2. Pick A Location – no place will ever be 100% what you’re looking for, so you have to take a chance. Again, Vietnam as the prime example. I simply went there to get a new visa for Thailand.
I didn’t think much of it … but when I arrived, I realized that I was completely wrong & thought it was amazing! But I would have never found out by just continuing to watch videos.
3. USE A GUIDE – for Bangkok & Vietnam, I offer interactive guides that take care of everything for you: hotels, bars, massage places, etc. You’re saving yourself a ton of time, money & frustration, all of which can turn your holiday into a nightmare.
If you’re going to any other city than those two, find a guide online. Without a guide, you have to research it all on your own … ton of work … and in the end, you don’t even know if you found the best places/cheapest prices/best value.
4. Book The Flight – very simple & you should use price comparison sites like SkyScanner to get a good deal! If you don’t know the exact return flight date or plan on staying longer, just book a single flight ticket.
… but isn’t that an issue?
Yes, that’s why you should use a service like FlyOnWard when using a single flight ticket. You get a return flight ticket for $10 there.
How is that possible? $10?
Here’s how they do it: you can do it yourself, it’s just going to be more work, so I don’t mind paying the $10. They buy an actual, refundable ticket in your name.
Ideally, you book it shortly before you need it for immigration – you go through immigration & then they refund the ticket which was bought in your name. So, the $10 isn’t for the actual ticket, but for the service. You can choose between return flight tickets that are either valid for 24 or 48 hours.
5. Book The Hotel – if you’re using my Interactive Thailand guide, it’s very easy because there you will already see a ton of recommended hotels to choose from.
On my first trip to Thailand, I didn’t book a hotel in advance … thought I’d just walk around and find something. Big mistake. Walked around a lot & the only available place I could find was a shitty place in a noisy area directly at Walking Street, Pattaya.
Make sure to have at least the first few days booked, you can then extend if you like anyway.
6. Check Visa Requirements – Again, if you’re using my guide (e.g. the one for Vietnam), I cover this & show you what to do. In the case of Thailand, you can – this applies to most passports – stay for 30 days anyway + extend for another 30 days. If you want to stay 90 days in total, get a tourist visa at the closest Thai embassy.
7. Pack Like A Boss! – Bringing enough money is the most obvious part – anything else that you forget can be bought … but let’s talk about a few things which are rarely mentioned.
If you want to be safe/smart, you can split money into cash, multiple cards & even having money online (e.g. on your PayPal account so you can at least pay for accommodation in case everything else gets stolen).
Money Belt – crucial for Thailand/Vietnam … especially when you haven’t checked into your hotel yet. Once you have, you can easily deposit your valuables in the safe & won’t need the money belt much anymore.
Lock (for suitcase/bags) – to make sure nobody can steal or add something to your luggage.
Condoms – yes, pack a stack of those! The sizes in Asian countries are often too small for Westerners and getting bigger ones often requires you to order online (which takes too long if you’re only staying short-term).
Unlocked Smartphone – you’ll need to get a local sim card for better navigation. It’s better than relying on free WiFi spots. Also makes meeting girls & using my guides so much easier.
For safety purposes, you can also have a copy of your passport & the address of your countries’ embassy (+contact info) printed out.
I personally always travel very light – only carrying the essentials – so I can use it as carry on luggage, safe time & money.
8. THE FINAL STEP – If you remember only one thing, it should be this: As soon as you are on your first night out, send your friends at home a message telling them how awesome it is! You get bonus points for additional envy if you send a picture of you with a few hotties.
The sophisticated traveler might even use sarcasm by saying how awful his trip is – followed by pictures of amazing food, gorgeous women & sunny weather.
So, no excuses! Wherever you are at, you know the exact steps: Why You Need To Travel & How To Actually Get Started – This is the exact way I plan & go about starting every trip!