In Part 1 we talked about strategies to embrace while on the road; in Part 2 we discussed travel companies, packing strategies, etc; and in this segment, we are going to be discussing international travel.

International travel has its own set of rules, that will require you to do a bit of preparation before traveling.  Some common things to check out:

1)  Immunizations, vaccines, etc.

The Center for Disease Control has a comprehensive website that is helpful to determine what immunizations you may need and what medications you should consider taking (for malaria areas, for example).  The link above leads you to ‘destinations’ and from there simply enter the country you are planning on visiting.  Their descriptions will help you determine if you need to be taking medication or not; and if unsure of exact location, contact the area you will be traveling to.  When I went to South Africa for a business trip, the conference was in KwaZulu Natal; the website informed me that “northeastern KwaZulu-Natal as far south as the Tugela River” may be in malaria area… a quick check of the map, or a call to the conference organizers, assured me that they were not in the northeastern portion of KZN and I did not have to pack malaria medicine.

2)  Passport and visas

I have unfortunately found out the hard way that Taiwan will not let you into the country if your passport is within 6 months of expiring.  After pleading with the immigration agents, they reluctantly let me in the company with a passport that was due to expire in 5 months – but they wouldn’t let me out again.  So, one day instead of meeting with my clients for 3 days, I spent the first day at the US Embassy processing a ‘rush’ passport – which takes approximately 6 hours, complete with paying additional rush fees for the photo as well as the passport.   So now, I check with each country to find out their requirements for passports as well as visas.  The easiest place to start in the US is the Travel website of the State Department; I’m sure other countries have a similar site for their citizens…  these sites will help you determine if you need a visa (China requires a visa in advance of arrival, for example) or if there are passport requirements – for example, South Africa needs 2 completely blank pages in the passport; Taiwan not only has a requirement for a passport with more than 6 months to go on it, but you will also need to show proof that you have met the next country’s visa requirements (so, if traveling to Taiwan and then China, you will need to show proof of Chinese visa before being allowed to travel from Taiwan to mainland China.)

3)  Safety and security

This is very much a personal preference for what you are comfortable with.  I know some folks who won’t travel to many countries because of threat of robbery, etc. while others are like Star Trek – boldly going where no man has gone before.  The balance that needs to be struck is often one of (not so) common sense:

• try not to look like a tourist.  Gaping at a building with your mouth open advertises “pick my pockets!”.  Ditto for a big bulky camera around your neck.

• don’t dress with flash.  I leave my good jewelry at home for most trips, and wear a simple gold wedding band on my left hand, a nice $70 watch, and one plain gold choker.  I’ve got enough jewelry that I don’t feel ‘naked’ but not so much that I’m a billboard for robbery opportunities… and it’s a good excuse to bring along some costume jewelry that’s inexpensive but still fun to wear, to dress up those business outfits.

• be smart about where you go and when you go.  There are places I’ve gone to during daylight hours that were fine; however, you couldn’t pay me enough money to go there after dark.  There are also places you won’t find me in, no matter what time of day it is or how many other folks I’m with.  I’m smart about where I go, and when I go there; and if possible, I go with someone else who knows the terrain (or the language) if I can.

• Tuck your money away.  I have a small flat pouch that I wear around my neck and inside my shirt – it’s where I keep my money / credit cards, and passport.  I hope that it’s REALLY hard to get to the pouch for a casual pickpocket – the rule of thumb is that pickpockets will go after easy prey – and that’s not me.

4)  Planning your itinerary.

One client decided that we were going to visiting all of their Asian suppliers in one, month-long trip.  We casually laid out the country names on a whiteboard in no particular order.  That random order inadvertently became our travel itinerary, and we ended up flying much more than we had to.  We went from the US to Singapore, to China, to Korea, to Taiwan.  [If you don't know how inefficient this itinerary was, pull up a map of the Pacific Rim - go ahead, I'll wait...]  What we should have done was to either fly to Korea and work our way southwest, or fly to Singapore and work our way northeast.   A bit of planning could have saved us hours of flying…

5)  Food

I’m middle of the road when it comes to food – I’ll try something new, but won’t go too far (no, I’ve never had monkey brains, and don’t intend to…)  I’ve learned how to eat a fish (A fish – complete with fins, gills, skin, etc) and tend to stick with seafood and veggies when in Asian countries; but will gamely try something my hosts recommend.  I’m not a huge ‘hot’ fan; but others I’ve traveled with love trying the spiciest food they can find, happily sweating profusely and smiling…

My secret for eating well?  When you find a food you like, copy the characters down with the translation – it’ll help you in the next restaurant when you want something similar.  And, do learn the symbols for things you are allergic to, and have someone write down in native language “NO _______ – allergic – will ___________ (get sick, stop breathing, etc.)” and show to server when ordering.

I tend to bring one bottle of water with me in my suitcase (not in carryon, as it will be confiscated) so when I land, I can grab it right away (after going through the line at customs for example) as flying is dehydrating, no matter how religious you were about drinking water onboard; I also tend to carry peanut butter and crackers [note: peanut butter may be confiscated by US TSA - apparently, if it's removed from the jar and will change shape within 10 mins, it's considered a 'liquid' - so pack this in your checked luggage], or other ‘comfort’ protein food, so i can eat when I want to on the first day (nothing is worse than waking up at 3 am local time ravenous!).  And, since most hotels have some way to heat up water, I also bring my fave drinks (teas, or hot choc packets, or even instant decaf coffee) – again, so I can get something to drink with a minimum of fuss, at any hour that my body wants it (until I adjust to the time zone).

6)  Gifts

If you are going to a company, you may want to bring gifts.  Some electronics, such as flash drives, are no longer allowed in companies, so be careful what you bring along…

I will bring my host company some food from here – in Texas, we have great pecans, so I’ll bring them cinnamon pecans (they prefer spices to chocolate as a rule in Asia) or some other tidbit that has LOTS of pieces so they can all share.  Other well-received treats have been salt water taffy, cookies, and salty snacks.

Another well-received gift is a ‘travel mug’ – the Chinese drink tea constantly, so an insulated mug is appreciated.

Most things with logos are fun to get – pens, pads, etc. that they can use – and since my Chinese hosts adore their children (the government only allows them to have one, so each child is treasured!), I will also pack along some very small gifts for them (not knowing them or how what gender they are, I usually grab a handful of barrettes, and matchbox cars).