I recently came across an article by an author who has spent the past four years traveling around the world. He wrote a blog post about 30 travel tips he's learned during this time. Here are my top 10.

1. 10 Great Travel
Tips
By Ari Kellen

2. Wake up early
• Waking up early means
you have attractions all
to yourself while
avoiding crowds.!
• Sketchy places are also
a lot less dangerous in
the morning.

3. Stash extra cash
• Have at least a couple
hundred dollars’ worth
of cash at hand in
case of an emergency.!
• Stash it somewhere
convenient such as in
your socks, in your
shoe, in a toiletry bag
or around the frame of
your backpack.

4. Meet local people
• Start conversations with
locals.!
• Be friendly, smile and
say hello, and people
will open up.

5. Take lots of photos
• Photos are the best way
to share your memories,
they cost nothing and
don’t take up space.

6. Keep an open mind
• Embrace different cultures and ideas.!
• Even if you don’t agree with them, if you embrace
different possibilities you might learn something
new.

7. Try Couchsurfing
• Staying with a local
is the best way to
experience a country.!
• Locals will host you
and provide solid
recommendations.

8. Don’t be afraid
• Keep an eye out for sketchy
situations, but don’t let that
shape your trip.!
• Just use common sense,
and you’ll be okay.

9. Eat local food
• Chances are that you don’t know what Mexican,
Chinese or Italian food actually tastes like.!
• Taste a bit of everything, even if you don’t know
what it is.!
• Try street food from vendors with a big line.

10. Say
yes
• Be impulsive and say yes
when somebody invites
you to do something or
explore a new place.!
• These are often the best
stories.

11. Get off the beaten path
• Seek out interesting and
unusual places that don’t
see many tourists.!
• This leads to plenty of
memorable experiences.