Travel tips from the Amazing Race

As the majority of my photos up until recently have been travel shots, I thought I would share these travel tips that I found from Phil Keoghan who is the host of The Great Race.

In summary they are:

1. Face your fear.
2. Don't panic.
3. Pack for one week.
4. Have a plan before you clear customs.
5. Stick to backpacks, not messenger bags.
6. Avoid checking bags.
7. Never share a taxi with a stranger (especially at the airport).
8. There is no simple, over-the-counter solution for jet lag.
9. Never wear shorts.
10. Schedules are subject to interpretation.
11. If you must, panhandle from fellow travelers.
12. Always act the guest.

Apart from #9, I pretty much follow follow these rules.

Number 6 is also quite hard when carrying my camera gear. I did a weekend trip to Ireland to just carry on and my camera plus lens made up over half my bag.

While not pan handling, I also agree with #11. We arrived in Cuba and left our lonely planet (with all our travel plans) on the plane. I staked out reception of the hotel and asked every traveler who was leaving with a pack on if they were going to the airport and if they had a Lonely Planet guide they would no longer need.

Travel tips article