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The other day I told you how to save on flights and hotels when designing your own trip to Asia.
Today I’m giving you more tips on how to save on tours, currency exchange, and restaurants once you’re in your destination. So let’s get started.
Tours
Unless you are fluent in the local language, it’s probably best to book tours through a known agency. But check carefully to determine how much touring you really need to buy. I always begin my exploration of a new destination with a simple city tour.
This is for orientation purposes. I like to get a feel for the city and to get an overall idea of what there is to see. An orientation tour also gives you a great feeling for the lay of the land, that is, how far (or near) things are. Once you’ve oriented yourself, you can quickly determine how much touring you want to do with a guide and how much you can do on your own.
In some places, signs are not translated into English, making self guiding a real problem, so check carefully before you set out on your own. In other places, signs are posted in many languages making a self-guided tour a joy.
Book tours to the places you’ve always dreamed of visiting to be sure you don’t miss any of the important facts and details. Or, prepare yourself well in advance. Use a guide book to supplement your tour, but never use it to replace a real guide.
It’s better to save money by booking only those absolutely necessary tours through a reputable agency than to hire a private guide off the street (or even through the concierge at your hotel).
When you don’t go through a reputable agency, you don’t know your guide’s experience or knowledge of the city. Again, do the research before you depart. The Internet will give you lots of information about local tour companies. Even if you book and pay on the spot, you’ll already have identified whom to contact, saving time and trouble once you get to your destination.
Currency exchange
Never change money prior to departure. Every airport I’ve ever been in has a “change” desk where you can get enough money to see you through your first day. If you’re on a guided tour, your guide will know precisely where to change money.
And if you have an ATM or credit card that allows you to take out cash, that’s going to be your best bet. Capital One is the very best credit card for this purpose. It has no foreign currency service fee associated with it, and it’s the one I carry when I travel abroad.
However, even my AMEX or ATM card does the trick. After fees and exchange rates, I’m still generally getting a better deal than at the bank. And I can put my card into the ATM machine and ask for a modest amount of money to get me through a couple of days. Because in every Asian city and town I’ve visited, there are ATM machines readily available.
Restaurants
My main consultants for restaurants have become shop owners. I love to browse and wander, and shopping is part of that experience. Shopping doesn’t even need to include buying, but those shop keepers and clerks are eager to talk to foreign tourists, and they always know their towns well enough to give great recommendations. I’ve gotten tips about incredibly inexpensive spots to enjoy a meal with locals, where the food has been awesome and the socializing spectacular.
A good tour operator will give travelers plenty of advice and suggestions on most of these issues. Friendly Planet Travel offers every traveler a comprehensive destination guide for each place we visit, complete with great tips on where to shop, what to buy, and where to dine.
I hope these tips come in handy when you travel to Asia! And remember, you can use Friendly Planet’s new travel search engine to search thousands of deals on flights, hotels, and rental cars in Asia. And better yet, if you use our search travel engine, you still get Friendly Planet’s great savings and award-winning service. Enjoy your time in Asia!
