Do your research prior to leaving home.  Use the internet and research every place you intend to travel and learn everything you can.  Register with the State Department, check their website for information on safety, Visa requirements, and other advice.

Be sure your Passport is current with enough blank pages to satisfy the requirement of the countries you intend to visit.  It is also a good idea to place your Passport as well as Credit Cards in RFID Blocking Sleeves.

Check other sites from travelers and pay attention to the positive and negative reviews of the places you intend to travel.  Notice which hotels and other lodgings get the best ratings.  Be sure to also check Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor for up to date information.

You might also visit some other websites, such as Journeywoman, Wanderlust and Lipstick, and Travel Noire are just a few.  Each site offers a unique perspective to traveling.

Know the cost of a taxi and other transportation from the airport to your destination. Most often it is more economical to take a local bus.  From your research you will learn if negotiating your fare is permitted, if it is, be prepared to negotiate.  Know about transportation in the city. This doesn’t seem like much but it is very important. In some cities the taxi from the airport does not have a meter or they will not turn it on. You must ask them to turn it on and also let them know that you know how much it should cost. Or they might overcharge you.

When I arrived in the middle of the night in Bali, I knew exactly how much a taxi should cost.  Because it was the middle of the night and I am American, the taxi drivers offered to take me to my hotel for double the price, yikes!  After talking to several drivers, I finally found one who was willing to take me to my hotel for the normal fare.  In this case, being prepared saved me 100,000 Rupiah which at that time equaled to about $10.00 USD.
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If you travel solo, you might decide to do as I did, there were times when I joined groups, and other times when I enjoyed my solitude. If you’re traveling with a partner, decide before you leave home how you will travel together.  Will your partner expect you to do everything together or will you each have the freedom to do things solo.  Overlook this at your peril, not having a clear understanding of how you will travel together can ruin an otherwise beautiful trip!

Having said all of that about researching before you go, don’t let your research frighten you into staying home! Use your research as a tool to travel safely and confidently to all the places you desire.