People travel at different stages of their lives, some travel when they younger, while others when they have saved enough to afford a holiday.
Podcaster Lelo Boyana of Chica Travel with Lelo podcast recently did a show with Lebogang Mgiba and Lahvito about their advice for first-time travellers.
Boyana said that she often gets carried away with her love for travel that she forgets that many people have not yet travelled out of the country.
Her podcast offered many travel tips, including advice for people who have not travelled, how they could apply for a visa and travel insurance and other important travel tidbits.
Lahvito said: “We take it for granted that you travelled so much that you forget that people have never been on a plane, never been to the airport and do not know what to do when they get there.”
She remembers travelling with her father to Mpumalanga during the mid-year holidays. She would sit in the back of her father’s van wrapped in a blanket as she enjoyed the scenery around her.
Mgiba said when he flew for the first time, he was quite nervous. He spoke about how his friend advised him to chew bubble gum to prevent “my ears from being blocked” and about using the paper bags that airlines offer passengers when if he felt queasy.
“I was oh my goodness, what if I throw up? What if I embarrass myself? What’s going to happen? What if I get nervous? There were all these things going on in my mind. But mostly, I was excited. It was quite exciting. After that, I never looked back,” he told Boyana.
Mgiba said he is inspired to travel to see different countries where he gets to learn about the culture and locals.
Here are some tips that they offered during the podcast:
Simcards at destinations:
They recommended purchasing a sim card with a data plan at the destination. If you are travelling with a group, get one sim card and use it as a hotspot for others. They advised not to rely solely on wifi hotspots, especially if you are travelling alone.
Contiki's:
They believe that Contiki is a good way to see a destination. Contiki's, available for those aged 18 to 35, has jam-packed itineraries so you get to see more countries in a shorter time frame. Lahvito took one with two friends in Europe in 2010. They visited nine countries in 12 days.
Saving tips:
Lahvito uses her annual bonus and belongs to a stokvel group. Mgiba has taken an investment where he saves R1 500 a month. They also cut down on unnecessary spending habits.
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