Smart Explorer Pro tips from a seasoned traveler

By Alexandria Stathakis

Over the past year, I took several exciting trips overseas to visit Peru, Costa Rica, Dubai and India. I felt really blessed to be able to go to these places and explore new sights, cultures and food. Here are some tips I picked up from my travels that will come in handy during your honeymoon — and beyond.

On-Off Bus Tours

I usually wonder along aimlessly and avoid the on-off bus tours, but I admit — for big cities and first-time visits — these tours are an excellent way to get a feel for the city.

I used it in Dubai and was reminded of a couple of things. Thinking I needed a two-day ticket to see the old city and the new was a mistake. The time starts running when you first enter the bus. I wanted an earlier start, so I took a cab and walked the area so by the time I first entered the bus, it was afternoon, so I basically ended up with a ticket I didn’t need. But warning: sometimes it is not easy to tell where the pick-up stops are so if you don’t get on and off at the same spot, you could miss a pick-up. My suggestion is that you ride all the loops that you can with a one-day ticket to get an idea of where everything is and then use public transportation to go back to where you want to go.

Hot spots

Once you decide where and when you are going somewhere, do your research because there are often places that require advance ticket purchases. In Dubai, I knew to buy a ticket in advance to the Burj Khalifa Tower if I wanted to be there at sunset, but I was not aware that tickets to the Museum of the Future had a two-month waiting period, so I missed that one.

I ran into similar situations with top restaurant reservations, so I highly recommend securing tickets or reservations in advance for popular places.

Art districts

I have lucked out in several big cities, finding interesting renovated industrial buildings turned into art districts. They usually include one-of-a-kind gift shops and nice restaurants. They are often in areas outside of the city so I would recommend taking Ubers or cabs. I ventured to one once on buses and subways in China (not recommended), and thankfully three young Chinese girls helped me on the bus, but I was sure to take a cab back to my hotel.

Addresses

That China trip reminds me that you need to be sure to have your hotel address written down in the local language. Taxi drivers don’t often understand English. Most hotels will give you a card with the information you need. I ended up having to call my hotel to get them to talk to the driver.

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Public transportation

Don’t be fearful of public transportation. It is usually cheap and will get you to the main areas of big cities especially. One regret in Dubai is that I did not take the monorail more often.

At the same time, in big cities at main attractions, airports, or train stations, expect long lines at the taxi stands. I almost missed a restaurant reservation because of an hour-long taxi line. In some cities, one bus will circle the city and you get to see where everything is — just like the on-off bus that costs much more.

Take advantage of dead time

I had a 12-hour layover on my return from India in Dubai so I worked with one of the tour companies to get picked up at an airport hotel and returned there. The hotel agreed to store my luggage. Instead of sitting around doing nothing, I saw the deserts outside of Dubai. Taking advantage of these moments requires a bit of planning, but will be worth it to make the most of your time in another country.

Hotel concierges

If your hotel has a concierge service, get in contact with them before you arrive. They can give you hints and tips of what to plan.

Look for the bright spots

Traveling in India is stressful. Horns blowing, cows and dogs on the main roads, two wheelers in and out, no lines on the roads and when there are, nobody pays attention to them.

The other thing about India that is nerve wracking is the dirt — everywhere. Most places are just not maintained, and the streets and sidewalks are littered. However, on this visit, my third, I focused on the bright spots. I looked for the beauty and it was in the sculptures I found, in the eyes of the children, in the archeological wonders, and in the absolute kindness of its people. My point is, there is beauty everywhere, you just need to look for it.

Enjoy your travels.