If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that travel doesn’t always go as planned. Every trip comes with its own lessons, and our team members have had their fair share of learning experiences along the way. In this blog, we’re sharing our stories with you, to offer tips we wish we’d known sooner, travel mistakes to avoid, insights that can save you stress, and travel advice to make the most of every situation.
From leaving a few blank pages in your passport to checking the weather ahead of time and more, here’s what we wish we knew about traveling before departure day.
What I Wish I Knew Before Traveling: Laurie
When I was in my 20s, I thought I was a seasoned world traveler. I had a job that let me hop around the globe, I was living in Costa Rica, and my boyfriend (now husband) and I somehow scored an invitation to an important family wedding in South Africa. A wedding in South Africa! Of course, with a little financial help from my parents (who somehow agreed to bankroll this crazy idea), off we went.
At the time, I was ridiculously proud of my poor, beat-up passport. It was dog-eared, battle-worn, and filled with stamps that practically screamed “Look at me, I’ve seen things!” What I didn’t realize was that South Africa requires two fully blank pages for entry. And those mysterious pages in the back of the passport that don’t say “Visas” at the top? Yeah, turns out those don’t count. Rookie mistake.
So there I was, at the border with three sad half-pages left. Generous counting, mind you. Immigration was not amused. I was detained, scolded, and told I might be put on a plane back to my “home country.” Problem one: I didn’t live in my “home country.” Problem two: if they deported me, I’d have to buy another ticket back to Costa Rica just to get to my actual home. Problem three: I was jetlagged, exhausted, and very much on the verge of ugly-crying in front of strangers in uniforms.
After about an hour of this circus, they finally let me through—but not before fining me. Did I have cash on me? Of course not. Did I realize that maybe, just maybe, this whole thing could have been solved faster with a discreet little “tip”? Also no. When I was finally released, I bolted into the arrivals hall, reunited with my now-husband, and muttered something along the lines of “Walk faster before they change their minds!”
Lesson learned? Always, always check if your destination (or even your layover country) requires a minimum number of blank passport pages. Also check whether your passport needs at least six months of validity left. And finally—carry some cash when you travel. You never know when you’ll need it. Bonus points if it saves you from crying in an immigration office on the other side of the world.
What I Wish I Knew Before Traveling: Rob
The first time I ever needed a visa was in 2005 on a month-long backpacking trip through Thailand and Cambodia. I had traveled internationally before, but this trip was a different animal. It was long, it was scrappy, and it was pure chaos. In Bangkok, we stopped to buy bus tickets to Cambodia, and the ticket office told us they could also handle our visas. The catch was we’d have to hand over our passports for a full day. Even in my early 20s, I knew that sounded like a terrible idea. Hand over my passport to a random bus ticket agent? No thanks. We figured we’d just do it at the border. Easy, right?
The bus dropped us off at what I’d generously call a truck stop. A dusty restaurant with a few wobbly plastic chairs, and in the back was a shoddy table with a crooked sign that said “VISA” in Thai, Khmer, and English. That was the entire operation. We laughed at how sketchy it looked, but then, of course, we filled out the paperwork, surrendered our passports, and forked over a fistful of Thai Baht. Who knows how much it really cost. Then we sat around drinking beers, staring at the wall clock that didn’t exist, and slowly panicking as the afternoon dragged on. The border had business hours, and the thought of being stuck between countries without our passports was starting to feel a little too real.
Eventually, our passports came back with Cambodian visas inside. Huge relief. We’d made it. Or so we thought. The bus dumped us at the border crossing in Poi Pet, and we had to walk across on foot. Instantly, it was madness. Crowds of travelers, barking guards with massive machine guns, and giant red signs warning about crimes punishable by death—drug smuggling being at the top of the list. Not exactly the warm welcome you’re hoping for after a long ride.
Right in the middle of all this, I realized I had lost my Thai exit card. A tiny piece of paper that suddenly felt like the most important document in the world. Next thing I knew, I was being pulled out of line and escorted by soldiers into a bare concrete room with a single chair. A man stormed in and started yelling at me in Khmer. I had no idea what he was saying, but it wasn’t a pep talk. After a while, a translator came in and asked what kind of stunt I was trying to pull. I didn’t even know what to say. I was sweating bullets, convinced they were about to drag me off for good.
Eventually, they figured out I wasn’t a criminal mastermind, just a clueless backpacker, and let me go. The funny part is they walked me straight out past the massive line of people still waiting at customs. I went from terrified to first-class treatment in a matter of minutes. Not exactly the plan, but hey, I was in.
The lesson was pretty clear. If there’s an option to apply for your visa ahead of time, do it. Every time. It’s cheaper, easier, less stressful, and dramatically lowers the odds of being yelled at in a foreign language while surrounded by men with machine guns. Or at the very least, keep track of your tiny slips of paper while death-penalty warning signs loom over your head.
What I Wish I Knew Before Traveling: John
Kim and I planned a trip to Bolivia to see family in Santa Cruz, located in the Eastern lowlands where I had lived as a teenager. “We should spend a few days in La Paz and maybe go to Tiahuanaco and Lake Titicaca. We could traverse Isla del Sol!” She is an avid hiker. I am an avid biker. I blurted out “Sure! I can do that!”
I visited La Paz and Tiahuanaco as a kid. La Paz was two miles high and cold. The altiplano was that plus austere and 45 years later, it was still the same. However, the amenities had much improved, though. A vegan eight course meal at GUSTU in La Zona Sur would have been unheard of! And for $80.00 a person, Bolivian wine was included!
We woke up early before the sun illuminated Mount Illimani, had coca tea, and stepped out into the frigid air of downtown La Paz to meet Don Marcelo who would take us to Tiahuanaco and then to Copacabana, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Tiahuanaco was amazing as always. In forty years, they had excavated much more of the covered ruins. It’s easy to see how Ancient Astronaut Theorists can seem to make sense!
Later in the afternoon we arrived at Copacabana at Hotel La Cupula! Each room was different and whimsical, although the lack of really hot water, made it a little less so. Kim had gnocchi and I had the ubiquitous Lake Titicaca Trout (which they raise in the lake and has an ubiquitous pink color) fried and served with salad and chunos (the dehydrated potato dish of the highland natives). So good!
The next day, we walked down to the pier to get a boat to the Isla del Sol. The boat ride was amazing. The lake was so blue and clear, even in the midst of it losing water levels. We get to the south side of the island and start the hike at the Temple of the Sun. The trail rises steeply and relentlessly. Kim is cruising along and I’m taking a breather every ten steps or so.
Finally, after an hour, we make it to the top of the first hill and there is a soccer field with a soccer game going on! These guys are running full blast at 3,500 meters! No wonder even Brazil’s soccer team fears Bolivia when they play in La Paz!
An hour later, we reached the Altar at the top (4,000 meters) where human sacrifices were held back in ancient times! Francisco, our tour guide, was waiting there for us to cheer us up with some Inca Kola and bread!
As we walked down the bath to the town and the pier to go back to Copacabana, it was easier and made me realize the subject of this story: The altitude is no joke!
If you can, stay in La Paz for a few days and acclimatize to the height! Drink lots of coca tea and eat light meals! It’ll make your stay in the highlands of the Andes a more enjoyable experience!
What I Wish I Knew Before Traveling: Alexa
Something I wish I knew before traveling from Palm Springs to San Diego is to bring extra layers of clothing. When I visited Palm Springs, it was over 105 degrees every single day. I wore comfortable and lightweight clothing throughout my stay, and because it was a dry heat, we could still walk around and enjoy everything the city had to offer.
However, when we got to San Diego, it was a whole different story. The weather was closer to 70 degrees, more than 30 degrees cooler than in Palm Springs. It’s safe to say that the weather felt a lot colder, and unfortunately, I did not pack the appropriate clothing. Next time, I’m making sure to check the weather ahead of time, so that I bring a jacket and some long pants, and when it comes to travel advice, an important tip for first-time travelers is to ALWAYS check the weather.
What’s one thing that YOU wish you knew before traveling?
