BirdBound Travel Tips

>CURRENCY EXCHANGE:
Note exchange rate shortly before leaving home- Currency Site. Armed with this information, visit an exchange booth in your international gateway airport (ie. Miami not Peoria, Chicago not Platte). Yes, the rate will be less here - that's how they make their cut. However, do a quick rough figure. If you decide to exchange $400 and are only going to pay $20 - it's generally worth it. It's very unnerving to start your trip without the proper cash. And too many times you will arrive at your destination, only to find all the banks are closed or there isn't one handy or, as is often the case, you are too tired or excited to want to stand in a bank line first thing. If the sell rate in the airport is really outrageous, just exchange what you think you'll need to get by for a couple days, giving you time to visit a bank some time after arrival.
See more on toting this cash in Cautions.

>SLEEPING ON A PLANE:
Some people swear they can't sleep on a plane. It is difficult, but it's worth a concentrated attempt. A lot of international flights are overnight, dumping you off blurry-eyed in the morning, and you face your first day in a strange place needing your wits about you. See JET LAG in Cautions.
So - the two major strategies of plane sleep - anchoring head and stretching out legs. Window seat (with little pillow) is best for headrest. If traveling with a partner, window person should leave his seat up a little, so person next can put her seat all the way back, and that creates a little headrest, too. Try to get legs straight out under the seat in front, elevated on top of daypack if possible - to approximate being horizontal. Take shoes off - feet swell on planes. Use the quiet time of the movie for zzz's.

>LONG LAYOVERS:
Usually occur in the gateway airport, so after exchanging currency - what now? A little forethought goes a long way here. Some airports have attached or very close-by hotels that have dayroom rates - much more comfortable than airport chairs, and kids can use the pool.
The airport information desk can be helpful - ie. in Miami, we picked up a wonderful typed sheet that listed what do you if you had two hours, four hours, six hours, etc., including detailed public bus instructions for getting to nearby tourist sites.   Another scenario: Coming back from Nairobi will often land you in London in the morning and possibly your flight back to the US doesn't leave till later in the day - stow your bags (locker or stowage service), take the easy-to-use train into the city center, and see Big Ben, The Eye, Westminster! Or better yet: Plan your airline ticket to leave from London the next day - an added destination bonus!   Just think ahead a little!

>RENTAL CAR:
This is a very personal choice. Some people can tackle driving in a foreign country, some back away in fear at the very thought. If you do decide to get a rental car - some tips:
Before traveling, check your car rental insurance feature on your credit card, but the optional CDW is strongly recommended. Reserve ahead and try to use major companies. Don't rent a stick shift (cheapest option generally) if you don't drive one at home. Don't rent your car before you 'do' the city. Common arrangement: Arrive by plane, take public transportation or taxi into London or Bangkok or Quito, see the city for a day or two, take same transportation back out to airport (and therefore out of traffic center) and pick up rental car there. Make sure you have good maps (purchase ahead from Amazon.com or some such). Familiarize yourself with the routes. Let person next to driver navigate. Remember - the entire rest of the world doesn't drive like we do. Generally, the only rule is: The biggest thing has the right of way. Drive defensively, but decisively.

>BARGAINING:
If the item isn't marked or is in a street stall, bargaining can commence. One of the best strategies is to have a second 'bored' person with you that keeps wandering away. Show interest, then start to leave - this usually starts the process. You'll quickly learn what is the normal bottom line - it's usually sort of a standardized custom for that particular place. I've seen some come down as much as fifty percent, whereas in another destination you can't get them to budge below ten percent.

>TIPPING:
No hard and fast rule here. Check the travel book first - if there's an unusual custom or expectation, it's usually listed. Generally ten percent serves well. In some all-inclusive lodges - ie. in the Amazon - tipping is handled at the end of the stay in a single payment that they prefer to distribute. Ask politely.

>WASHING CLOTHES:
If you've packed the right kind of fabrics, this is generally achievable. I don't pack any kind of detergent - shampoo or the hotel bar soap work well. And I don't bother with a stopper (sold in a lot of travel catalogs) - a sock stuffed in the drain suffices. Showering in a stinky shirt or muddy pants is a useful strategy. Washing is no trick: Drying is the hard part. First, squeeze out as much of the water as the possible. Next, lay flat items in a bath towel, roll tightly, and step on the roll (with clean bare feet). Hang inconspicuously. If in one place for several days, first check the hotel/lodge laundry service. Sometimes cheap and convenient.

>SOUVENIRS:
Packing light doesn't mean one can't buy local handicrafts. Luckily, textiles and baskets and beaded jewelry are quite universal, and easier to tote than Venetian glassware. Try to put off purchases toward end of trip, if possible. Choose wisely. Use the flattened nylon bag that you've been carrying in the bottom of your suitcase. Sometimes the sacrifice made for 'must-haves' is checked luggage on the return trip, but I often prefer to ship a box home rather than compromise flight flexibility. Better stores may ship for you and local post offices often sell boxes. Easier than you might imagine.

>NIGHTLY BIRDLIST:
Back to birding - one of the reasons for being there! After a day of ogling antbirds or babblers or bee-eaters, meet your travel partners for a well-deserved dinner and cold drink, and work on your list. Or if part of your party did something different during the day, swap stories. Doing this nightly will cement the experience and the camaraderie.