What you need to do before travel...

Some of you may experience self planned travel or may NOT have experience it at all. Some of you might interested in Off beaten track, work out for stunning natural view and maybe some of you just to wind down and experience culture from your hotel/hostel balcony. So the way to experience and digest new things during travel is vary... and as always interesting.

So, in conclusion every traveller have their own way to experience their gateway or expedition. There's NO WAY I can experience all, explain and answer all question about travel... unless I'm doing it full time. And that's should be interesting right? will make my best effort to be everywhere.

Ask for me, plan before travel always going to save you a lot of cash IF YOU HAVE LIMITED TIME. So, before headed to a great journey of yours... these are few essential things you need to posses. Consider you traveling alone and you don't have any friends or relatives staying at places you want to visit.

1. VISA





• You need to realized that some country are NOT happy you wondering around their country without permission. So, you need to apply for them. Some countries requires certain amount of fees for VISA and some don't. You need to know, the country that you going to visit need VISA before arrival or apply during arrival (VISA ON ARRIVAL). Browse for more info regarding terms and types of VISA.
• For Malaysian going abroad browse here: http://www.kln.gov.my/web/guest/requirement-for-malaysians for complete information about visiting other country.
• Being Malaysian it is easy to travel around ASEAN countries. Automatically you'll received 14 to 30 day stays. That's why when visiting neighboring countries like Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia they just stamp your passport and off you go. If you check your stamp properly, you'll notice the date you arrived and statement like 'PERMITTED TO ENTER AND REMAIN IN  'COUNTRY' FOR THIRTY DAYS FOR SOCIAL VISIT ONLY FROM DATE SHOWN'. And the stamp logo, style and statement is varies from one country to another.
• The advantage of having this information before hand will reduce the unwanted days abroad applying for VISA. Remember, extra days will require extra cash. If you have limited time, this is the way.
2. Knowing places to stay.
• One of the important thing that you need to prepare is places to stay or visit address/information. It happens when you filling up the VISA application and the 'Embarkation Card'.
• Even though they (immigration officer) never ask you to call the 'place you stay' stated in the VISA application form or especially 'Embarkation Card' to rectify your information is genuine. However, it is advisable to fill in the information to avoid any difficulties. Just randomly put any hostel information taken from the internet or travel guide books and make sure it is the place you headed to, after immigration office.
• Other than preparing your entry VISA, to have this information on hand before arrival is to plan your traveling budget and NOT wondering around unknown place too much, searching for places to stay. Especially at night (been there and it's NOT amusing)... :P
3. Knowing where you go.
• Again everything is cost related. By knowing where you go or places you plan to visit, very much going to save your transportation cost and time. By planning the whole trip itinerary will save you a lot more.
• Some sights and tourist related place have entrance fee. So, you need to aware of that. 

That's is my bicycle on top of the SONGTHEAW... LAOS.

Knowing VISA fees, places to stay, places to go... very much will helps you to conclude how much money you need to bring along on you travel. If you're on a tight budget, you can directly change you plan before the actual travel happens. Again it will save time and you'll experience more.

Here are few travel guide books publishers.

• Lonely Planet (My favorite).
• Frommer's

Here are few travel related stuff

• Hostel World
• Couch Surfing
• TravBuddy (social networking design for traveller).

Need additional information? you can always comment and send me emails. If you have other way to save traveling cost do share... :) that's all for now.