Tips for traveling in developing countries - Vinkkejä kehitysmaissa matkustamiseen

This article is tourism topic.

Traveling in a developing country can be challenging for even the most experienced traveler.

Get ready

Means of payment

See article monetary.

Electrical equipment

Before traveling, check that your electrical equipment works in the country of destination. Keep in mind that in developing countries, access to electricity is not as secure as in industrialized countries - power outages are common where there is electricity at all.

Vaccinations and medicines

If possible, visit a travel specialist at least two months before departure. This will allow you to take all the necessary vaccinations and start all the necessary medications. Some countries cannot be entered without a vaccination certificate.

Come

Visa

Developing countries are most often the countries that need a special permit for entry, ie visa. Obtaining a visa can be a painful process, especially in countries that are not actual tourist destinations.

IATA Visa Database[1] and Project Visa[2] are good sites where you can check if you need a visa. The country’s border authorities often also have a website for tourists with first-hand information (use Google).

If it is possible to obtain a visa "on arrival" in the country, ie at the border it does not necessarily mean that it can be obtained at all border stations but perhaps only at the capital's airport. Check it out before you travel.

Sometimes it is a good idea to apply for a visa as early as possible before you travel, so that you are sure to have time to process your application. In other cases, you may want to apply for a visa along the way from a consulate in a neighboring country. If you plan to travel to several countries in the same area that require a visa, you should start your trip from one of the cities in the area where many neighboring countries have embassies.

Eastern Europe and Central Asia: Kiev (Ukraine)
Southeast Asia: Bangkok (Thailand) and Singapore
Southern Africa: Pretoria and Capetown (South Africa)

In the world's major cities such as In London and Washington D.C.Almost every country in the world has an embassy, so getting a visa is easy. In Helsinki Russian and Indian Visas for large countries such as

Mental coaching

If you are traveling to a developing country for the first time, be prepared for cultural shock, especially in the early days. If you eat your first meals in a western restaurant and live in a western hotel, the culture shock is not as severe.

Saavu

In many places, especially at airports, when a tourist-looking person enters the country, he or she is the target of all kinds of guides, hotel advertisers, and taxi drivers who push their services. This can be quite annoying for traders when there are not one or two but dozens. It’s important to look like you know where you’re going. However, it is worth looking at where you are going and how to get to the hotel from the airport. Arriving at the airport, surrounded by traders, reading the map is almost the last thing you should do.

Forcibly, those who trade in taxi services should be avoided, they will either cost more than regular taxis or take you to another hotel (which pays them for the province). If you go by taxi, you should find out from a Wikimatkat article, for example, what it will cost, and agree on the price in advance before you get in the car. Tourists are almost always charged a "tourist surcharge", but at least make sure there are no extra zeros at the end of the price. In many places, it may be possible to book the hotel’s own limousine to pick up from the airport. This costs some, but is usually easier especially if you arrive at night.

Talk

Try learning a few words in the local language or at least a little regional language (like Russia CIS countries, etc.). If it’s not a former English colony, it’s not worth counting on it to make do with English alone.

Sleep

In countries where you are unfamiliar with the local animal world should not sleep on the floor or floor level - you don't want to wake up to bite a poisonous spider, for example! If you sleep outdoors, use a hammock or similar. In countries where mosquitoes carry malaria and other diseases, you should definitely use a mosquito net.

Stay safe

As a Westerner, you can fall victim to a robbery because your watch or camera is as valuable as your local full-year salary. Don’t look like a millionaire when traveling in countries like this.

You should watch out for at least:

aggressive sales methods and that you will be charged more than locals
different sorts of ordinary scams.
pickpocketing.
Begging as well as begging children who are exploited by adults
violent / armed robberies, especially in cities.
In areas of war or unrest, the tourist should be especially careful.

Stay healthy

There are a wide range of health risks in developing countries. Health care and sanitation are often quite poor, and countries almost invariably have a hot climate that continues to contribute to the spread of all kinds of diseases. Before the trip, it is a good idea to see a doctor to get the necessary vaccinations.

Contaminated drinking water is one of the major carriers of the disease, and the tourist should only use bottled water if possible. Water purification tablets and / or cooking utensils can be brought on the trip for safety.

Also bring diarrhea, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, soap and a first aid kit, as well as condoms.

Stray dogs should be wary of developing countries; a stray dog bite can cause a rabies infection.

Survive

Pack

To travel in developing countries, you need some stuff that you may not need elsewhere.

Sarong is practical as a garment, blanket, towel.
Lock for your suitcase.
Money belt or passport pocket. See also the article pickpocketing.
A flashlight, preferably compact so that it easily travels with you everywhere.
Paper travel guides (prints from Wikimatkat articles). In developing countries, you may not always have access to the information you need online.
To be sure, the map should be purchased before the trip - the map of China purchased on site is difficult for most travelers to read ...
Toilet paper is not available everywhere.
It can be a good idea to carry food or snacks with you if the food at the airport is insanely expensive, if nothing around you looks clean, or if everything is closed for a couple of days due to some strike or festival.
The medicines you need on the go.

Backpackers also need:

Sleeping bag or blanket.
A clean towel.
Padlock.
Cap for bathtub and sink.

You may also need:

Sewing lock.
Air conditioning tape.
A knife (pack it in a bag that goes into the hold, all kinds of knives are forbidden on flights).
Lighter or matches in a waterproof package (they should also be packed in a bag that goes into the hold).