5 Helpful Tips for Traveling to the Caribbean
I saw a great list of tips for traveling over at The Collazo Projects. They are for traveling in Latin America and the Caribbean, but as I have been many other places in the world, they are pretty much worldwide tips.
- Always Carry Small Bills and Change. - When you are traveling through other countries, many times they will not have the ability to make change for big bills. Also, you don’t know if they are or not since they are most likely giving you the local currency. Keep your money in small denominations, and it will save you money, headache, and attention from carrying a lot of money.
If you start flashing around big bills, you’ll soon have a crowd around you trying to sell you things, depending on where you are of course.
- Don’t Flush the TP – This, although it is changing, is still a good tip. It is one that I wouldn’t have thought of. Last time I was in Jamaica, I was in a building site that had a toilet, but that’s all it was, a toilet. With no plumbing at all. Flushing won’t help there.
- Lose Track of Time – Many countries do still have this idea that time is relative. It’s hard for me, since I have this horrible affliction of always being on time, or more usually early. Relax, if you don’t get there when you want, you’ll get there when you do.
In some cultures, it’s proper to be late. You’re on vacation, don’t worry about your watch. In fact, leave your watch at home.
- View Each Country as Its Own Entity, As Well As Part of a Whole – This is a good tip. Many times, I see people lump the Caribbean countries together as one individual people. They aren’t. They are Jamaican, Cuban, Bahamian and more. They are Caribbean as someone from England is European.
- Prepare Yourself for Extraordinary Generosity – Here in America, we have forgotten about loving people, and being generous and helpful to our fellow man. That isn’t the case in the Caribbean. It’s not because you are a rich American, but because you are a human being, and that is good enough.
Do you have any more tips? Let everyone know in the comments.
Posted on July 29, 2008 - Filed Under Beach and Vacation Travel Tips and Help, Jamaica, Beaches, and the Caribbean, Travel
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2 Responses to “5 Helpful Tips for Traveling to the Caribbean”
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Respect. Just because things are different, doesn’t mean they are bad or behind of the curb, they’re just different. If you want to be somewhere where things are the way you are used to them, stay home.
Also, try to learn a bit about where you’re visiting before you get there, at least the basics: currency, location, languages spoken, climate… Believe me, there’s nothing more unrespectful to a local than a tourist that doesn’t even know where in the world he, asks you how you got American dollars (I’m from Puerto Rico, that IS our currency…) or criticizes our climate. You wouldn’t want us coming to your hometown to criticize everything, do you? Then don’t do it while traveling. Enjoy the charm of the world, it’s a lot bigger and grander than USA (America is a lot more than the States…) has you think.
Lol, that made me laugh. Someone asked you how you got US currency in Puerto Rico? HA!
I fully agree with you. You have to respect the place you are going, and realize that you are a guest. You have the privilege of being there, not the right.