HOW TO AVOID GETTING LOST WHEN TRAVELLING?

When venturing to a new destination, there is always a chance the unthinkable may happen. That is nearly everyone might consider the fact that they could get lost. It has happened to the best, most experienced travellers…including me! There are also times when you simple can’t find the help you need because you are in a remote location where you can’t find people and you may not have mobile service either.

Here are ways to avoid or at least prevent getting lost in the future. These are quite basic tips and hopefully you can remember them on your next journey!

DOWNLOAD OFFLINE MAPS

This is a great hack when your local SIM card can’t locate a cell tower and you’re stuck mid-way journey somewhere. If you manage to search the directions earlier on and download the map you require for use offline, you’ve just saved yourself in the midst of a crisis. Furthermore, you can also take printed maps from hotels/hostels as well as tourist information centers for extra reference.

FOLLOW THE DOT LOCATOR, NOT JUST THE INSTRUCTIONS:

Most well-known map applications will have a dot that indicate your present location. Often times, I find that the dot locator is must more effective then when I trail around a city following left and right turns that lead to nowhere. After spending nearly 2 hours being lost trying to find my hotel which was apparently only 20 minutes walk from the station, I realized how misleading these automated directions can be. Then, I started to turn my attention to the dot locator and I finally reached my destination which should not have taken long to find at all.

PACK A POWER BANK:

Again, this might be a staple of travellers packing lists, but then again not. I cannot tell you how many countless backpackers I have seen at airports charging their phones at a charging station. That means having to stay alert in the dead of night or through jet lag and continuously roaming the airport searching for an open charging outlet. I was one of these people back in the day and now realize that I should have invested in a power bank from day one to spare me having to fight over a spot at the charging station.

INVEST IN MOBILE WIFI:

Portable WIFI is becoming more widespread nowadays with the lack of free WIFI access across the globe. Let’s face it, we can’t always find a coffee shop when we need one and don’t want to waste precious time looking up WIFI hot spots either. Most travellers feel like it can be an expensive investment with the average cost being around $100, but it is a worthwhile investment indeed.

ASK A LOCAL:

And, when and if all your fancy gadgets and technology fail you, don’t be shy and ask a local. Often times, people want to find their own way, but you can save yourself time if you simply ask instructions of a local resident. This also means you should probably know some basic local language phrases also!