Preparing for a short travel

Tomorrow I will fly to Sri Lanka with my sister to spend 2 weeks traveling around the island.

Here is what I´m packing for thees 2 weeks:

Important is to know how the weather can be, so I´m prepared for rain and some colder days as well as for crazy sun. (Helpful is to take a thin long pants and a bigger on you can put over. So basically really do the onion system everyone is always talking about.)
Take sunscreen, mosquito spray an umbrella or rain cape and a cape and a rain coat for your backpack. You really don´t want to travel with wet things.
My first rule: Always take at least 2 pair of shoes (no need for more than 3!). There is nothing worse than to walk around in shoes that are wet or hurt.
Even as a backpacker it is good to have at least one nice outfit to wear, as you just never know what happens ;)
As I travel a lot in busses and trains I find it useful to have a little pillow and a sarong, which you can use as blanket or a sheet.

A little flashlight can be very useful (in a dorm at night, in a cave you may visit etc.) As well as little water proofed plastic bags for your camera or passport if it is raining or you simply cross a river with one of the boat that should have been sinking years ago.
If you have a own snorkel take it! It often avoids extra costs and standing in lines.

If you travel, especially to Asia make sure to take some toilet paper. It´s rare and always useful.
All the other stuff is my cameras and chargers etc.
See the little bottles of snaps? Well, as I couchsurf a lot I always take something typical from my home country with me. And well... you all know that Jägermeister is from Germany :)
All these things are usefull to have but don´t worry, you will find replacement if you forgot something. There is just one thing you should never forget: Your passport!

If you want a detailed list just give me a comment.
Safe travel!

Traveling – just a temporary fashion?

Since the last two years traveling became a fad. An to make a living by just traveling as you like it.

I want to examine some of the aspects about that:

How to backpack a country in a short holiday

So if you have a normal job you can`t take to much time of at once. So I would always recommend to at least go for 2 weeks depending on the country. There are a lot that I would never do under 3 weeks. But it as well depends on what you want to do/see there and what kind of person you are.

So when I´m traveling I get up early and I want to do things. I´m not the type of person, who likes to sit on the beach all day. Sure I take my moments to enjoy, but this quality time for me don´t has to be a whole day.
I think before every travel you should get some information about the country and the culture, check what you want to see and how you can get there. But I usually don`t book accommodations and transport ahead.

The only thing I do always organize/book is the flight to go and come back and the accommodation for the first night, which I love to stay at a locals home. The best thing about that is that they can give you just the advice you need in a foreign country.

But as it is backpacking you have to leave things open! Give yourself the space and let destiny decide whom you meet and where you exactly go. I know a lot of people feel uncomfortable to fly in a country they don`t know with days ahead with nothing stabile. But since I started traveling I lost more and more having a plan. I just go with the flow. Sure, some things you have to plan, like coming back in time to your flight etc. But if you are open the best things will come to you.
No matter if you are traveling with a partner or friend or just simply alone, you are never alone. People all over the world started to take the achievement to travel and they are everywhere. No matter if they tell you the spot is sleeper -  there will be someone else travelling there. And of course there are local people everywhere!
It´s starts with a nice talk over a beer and you could end up having a awesome time traveling some parts together, where you never had planed to go.
So if you are traveling just a short holiday you should be aware of the time and make sure to get to the goals of what you want to do and see. But for the rest just leave things open and just plan some days ahead, even if you have little time.