My Two Cents on Traveling

With my recent trip to Borneo I've been to over 60 countries and still have plans to visit two more countries (Japan and Romania) before the end of the year (which means I'll hit 65). Between all of my travels and now living abroad in Oman, I've picked up a few nuggets of travel wisdom that I figured I'd share (and this isn't going to be the silly/obvious advice like "keep your passport in a safe spot", though you should totally do that). 
       

Because I'm obsessed with maps and obsessed with filling the map with blue!

 

1. Be Complimentary of the Country:  I've been to plenty of countries that might be referred to as third world shitholes; but, shithole or not, most people are proud of where they're from. No matter how awful a place might be, try to think of something to compliment that country, especially when you're talking to locals.  Almost every time I meet a new Omani they ask me how I like it here (probably expecting me to complain about the heat or culture shock or anything else) and every single time I proclaim how much I love it here, what a beautiful country it is, how nice everyone is, etc.  Whether you mean it or not, complimenting the locals will go a long way towards them accepting you and appreciating your company. 
2. Learn Something About the Local Culture:  This almost seemed too obvious to include, but then I thought better about it.  I know plenty of people who have gone to South Africa solely to hunt big game or Bali to sit on a beach and never once met a local (aside from people waiting on them).  Learning about the local people and how they live is not only potentially interesting, but may help you appreciate their hardships and complain a little less.  So you think the beef is really grisly in Southeast Asia? Would you complain less if you knew that the locals only got to eat meat about once a month and beef far less frequently than that?  If you're tempted to complain that the hotel only gave you one towel, would you be less likely to complain if you knew the area was having a water shortage or that the hotel didn't possess a washer or a dryer and instead had to do all laundry by hand?  (This sort of goes hand in hand with No. 1 above).
3. Bring a Decent Camera:  I'm not suggesting you schlepp along a very expensive DSLR camera, but make sure that whatever camera you bring can adequately capture the memories you want.  There's nothing worse than seeing or experiencing something spectacular and then only having a blurry photograph to remind you of the experience.  On my recent trip to Borneo, only my roommate and I had real cameras -- everyone else was awkwardly trying to take pictures with an iPad (the absolute worst - an iPad should not be used as a travel camera) or an iPhone.  But when you're trying to capture wildlife photos, you absolutely must have a telephoto lens and an iPhone just can't cut it.  So of the 13 people on my trip, only my roommate and I were really able to get photos of the wildlife in Borneo.  And why go all the way to Borneo if you can't get a single decent picture of an orangutan?!?
4. Have a Reason to Go Somewhere:   People tend to ask me why I picked specific countries to visit, and I'll admit my list is pretty random.  But I pick a place to visit based on the experiences I want to have.  For example, I wanted to see gorillas in the wild, so I went gorilla trekking in Rwanda.  If it weren't for gorillas, I wouldn't have necessarily gone to Rwanda.  And yes, while I kind of want to go everywhere, I can usually think of an experience I want to have in that country, rather than just feeling like I need to check countries off a list.  I also try to learn a little something about everywhere I go, whether it's reading a travel guide, reading books based on the area or even just using Wikipedia. 
5. Be Aware of the Impact You Have:  Be aware of the impact your trip has on the local people - if you give money to begging children in Cambodia, are you encouraging them to continue begging rather than go to school?  If you eat meat for both lunch and dinner in rural Vietnam, did the local community have to slaughter more animals than otherwise necessary to meet your demands? And if you want to hold an orangutan in Indonesia, have you now encouraged people to capture orangutans so that they can make money off tourists (and trust me, I'd like nothing better than to hold an orangutan, but I can't support capturing the animals just so I can have a cute picture)?  There's not always an easy answer to these questions, but they are certainly things that should be considered when you think about the experiences you want to have.
6. Be a Traveler and Not a Tourist:  This is actually my main point and can partially be accomplished if you act according to the first five points.  To me, the difference between being a tourist and a traveler comes down to not only being courteous and interested in the country, but also in preparedness.  If you're going to a Muslim country, make sure you are dressed conservatively and appropriately (and I guess you'd first have to know you were going to a Muslim country -- there were plenty of people on my Borneo trip who didn't seem to know Malaysia was a Muslim country).  If you're going jungle trekking, make sure you have waterproof hiking boots, long pants/long sleeves and mosquito repellant - your flip-flops will not be sufficient.  At least looking like you know what you're doing might help avoid being considered a tourist.

 

What about you guys?  Any travel advice you'd add?