Travelling for the First Time

Independent and gap year travel should be the most exciting and invigorating time of your life. The world is at your feet and almost nowhere is inaccessible to the intrepid traveller. From the top of the world; Machu Picchu in Peru to the reefs and shipwrecks lying on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean; experiences come no better then packing a few belongings in a dusty old back pack and taking off into the blue yonder, seeking out the wonders of the world (there are many more then 7) and meeting people as different as the Mongolian Nomads and the Sea Gypsies of Borneo.

The skills you can gain through independent travel are sought after by farsighted employers. Interaction with different cultures and the ability to deal with all the hurdles that will face you in far flung areas of the world, can be a real asset to you in your personal and professional life.

But there are pitfalls. Some statistics put the frequency of a 'serious incident' occurring to the independent traveller, at 1 in every 4. In recent years there has been ongoing conflict, terrorist attacks, civil unrest, political instability or natural disasters on every continent of the world except Antarctica. Even the unassuming city of Sydney has seen race riots in recent years, in fact there are so many problems round the world that it is a surprise that we ever leave our own shores.

Before you travel you should do your own research, keep up to date with the news from around the world (Sources such as Foreign & Commonwealth Office - Travel Advice, BBC World News) and talk to people who have been there before. In reality much of the world is safe and if you follow some simple rules and avoid those areas of the world that really should remain out of bounds to the independent traveller, there really is no reason not to have the most amazing travel experiences.

A personal safety course is also advised; find a low-impact course that teaches you how to get away rather then how to fight. Too many 'self-defence' courses concentrate on physically disabling your assailant. In many parts of the world weapons are common in society and against a machete, fighting will not serve you that well, what you really need to have is an understanding of is how to communicate and resolve the situation in a manner where both you and your assailant can walk away.

It is very important to consider your environment and the impression you make. For example would any of us walk down a street in the UK with £5000 pounds in cash in our hand?

Probably not, but consider if your mobile phone costs £150. You walk down the beach in a developing country, calling home at a cost of £2 a minute; think how that looks to a local resident who may earn as little as £15 a month, live in poverty and be desperate for many of the things we take for granted such as education or health care.

Your mobile phone will look very much like that £5000 would in UK. Not to mention that your call charge may be the equivalent of 4 days salary for every minute you spend calling home.

Add to this scenario; you are a female in a bikini walking down the beach. You have added another factor; showing your shoulders and legs, let alone the midriff can in some areas of the world be very disrespectful.

Now consider how this scenario looks to the local in our example; a young European comes and flaunts themselves showing no respect for herself, local traditions or local religion. She is screaming out that money is no object and that she has plenty to go around. The local will also believe that if her money goes missing, more will be sent from some far away rich western country to replace it. Surely no one can be left in any doubt that there is a temptation there for a theft or worse to occur?

Having a basic understanding of local customs, cultures and religions can go a long way in showing respect for local people. In most places in the world, if you show respect and understanding then respect, friendship and often a generous welcome will be offered to you in return. A little research and some cultural awareness training can go a long way.

There are many other ways to get well prepared for your trip;

• What you need to pack, a common mistake is to pack too much, remember you are looking for new experiences, so leave all the old ones behind.


• Seek medical recommendations for the areas you intend to visit, the mosquito carrying malaria doesn’t know where you come from and once you contract malaria it can remain in your system for your lifetime.


• Don’t take anything you can’t afford to loose or give away and make sure you have insurance that covers you for the activities you intend to take part in. Cheap travel insurance is great until you need to claim repatriation costs of £20,000 and you find your policy doesn’t cover it.


• Above all, go where you know they will actually welcome you as a tourist and not see you as a nuisance. The world is now small enough for you to be able to gain bragging rights without the need to go into countries like parts of Columbia where there were 800 kidnapping in 2005 alone; or Burma which is run by a corrupt military junta that violently oppresses and enslaves it’s own people and relies on foreign tourists to help provide foreign exchange to fund itself.

The answer to all your questions are best discovered through talking to people who have actually been there and experienced first hand the highs and potential lows of independent travel. At Beyond The Blue we run Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshops (GYITSA) bringing all this information together for you in one place. We give you all the information you need to avoid the pitfalls and learn the tricks that you will need to make your trip as fun and trouble free as possible.

But above all don’t let paranoia ruin your trip, the best advice we can give anyone is to be confident in what you are doing, don’t not go swimming because you don’t trust anyone to leave your passport with them, if there is any reason not to go swimming then let it be the Salt Water Crocodiles that put you off, that at least makes sense!

To get the best possible start to safe travel Book Your Place Now on our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop.

For details of Workshop / Course Dates and Fees please visit the How to Book section of this website, call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

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