As the holiday season approaches us, it’s time to start planning your holidays. How exciting! But, before you start booking your tickets, make sure you’ve got everything under control with our checklist:

1. Check the validity of your visa and passport

Common sense isn’t very common these days so, always check that your passport is valid for six months  from your date of travel because otherwise, they won’t check you in honey. Secondly, make sure you have the appropriate visa for the country you’re visiting. The last thing you need is to land there and be asked to make a swift U-turn back. Trust me, it’s happened before.

2. Always carry your cash in different bags

Many countries are safe but you can never be too sure. If you’re carrying cash and cards with you, separate some notes and cards and place them in another bag while you keep the rest in your wallet. That way, in case your wallet gets stolen, you have extra cash to help you out for the rest of your trip.

3. Know where your country’s embassy is

Heaven forbid anything goes wrong…you injure yourself, you’re in trouble or you don’t feel safe, you can go your country’s embassy and they’ll help you out. Always have the address and number of your country’s embassy with you. (Write it on a piece of paper and keep it in your wallet in case your phone dies.) You may never have to use it, but it’s always a good safety measure to have it with you.

4. Leave your itinerary with someone you trust

Whether you’re travelling solo or with your squad, anything can happen. So, have a rough idea of where you’ll be going on your trip and write it down. Give a copy to someone you trust like a parent or friend who is not coming with you. That way, in case of an emergency, they know where you are and can send help. 

5. Download offline maps

Have the city’s map or public transport map with you if possible. If you’d rather use your phone, download the map for offline use via the Google Map App on your phone in case you run out of data while in transit. Make sure to do this so that you don’t get lost. It’s simple and really effective… I speak from experience.

Safe travels ladies!