Category: Advice

10 Common Travel Mistakes You Shouldn’t Make

by Anil Polat | Sep 4, 2025 | Advice, Luggage | 0

There’s a good chance if you’ve been traveling for any length of time that you’re better at it now than you were in the past. Each trip represents an opportunity to refine your packing habits, shave off a few minutes at the airport, and find the best airfare deals. What you want to do is identify some common blind spots in your travel strategy that can set you back as you move forward.

These are 10 common travel mistakes you shouldn’t make.

1. Booking Too Far In Advance

Purchasing plane tickets at the very last minute carries some risks (not finding a ticket) and rewards (getting a great deal). The opposite is also true however, booking too far in advance can lock you into unnecessarily high airfare.

2. Never Using AirBnb or Hotels

In some cases one or the other can be better. Limiting yourself to only hotels or vacation rentals can have you missing amenities, deals, and a more local experience. Search both and find out which might be best for you on every trip.

3. Airport To Accommodation

Even people who don’t like to plan should have a good idea on how to get from your arrival point to the place you’re staying before you get there. You’re most vulnerable to scams, overpaying, and losing time with all your luggage while you wait around trying to figure out how to call a cab. foXnoMad Podcast guest Laurie Woolever‘s book World Travel: An Irreverent Guide has details for many major cities worldwide.

Sale

World Travel: An Irreverent Guide

4. Over-Packing

Put all the stuff and clothes you’ll need for a week. Anything more means you’ve packed too much stuff you won’t need or can’t just get at your destination.

5. Not Using Mileage Programs

One flight is enough to warrant using a mileage program. Here’s how to make the most of them and since most program miles never expire, they can add up, even if you fly infrequently.

For the remaining 5 travel mistakes (some of my personal favorites on the list) check out the video here.

How To Plan A Trip To Bangladesh

by Anil Polat | Aug 21, 2025 | Advice | 0

Getting to Bangladesh can be a bit confusing since a lot of the information about visas, safety, and culture found online is conflicting. For those of you looking for a short, straightforward guide to visiting Bangladesh, this is it.

Visas

For those of you arriving through one of the international airports, Bangladesh offers a visa on arrival for many Western nation citizens, several Asian countries, and others in the Middle East. It’s the easiest way to get a visa and you can check if your country is on the list here. The fee, which needs to be paid in cash is around $50. The process at the airport though is very, very slow and takes approximately 30-45 minutes if you’re at the front of the line.

I’d recommend you get there as quickly as possible (power walk!) so you have less waiting to do. It will also save you a bit of time to have a print out of you travel itinerary in and out of the country – otherwise you’ll lose time having to email it to the desk, wait for them to receive it, review, and give you final approval.

For everyone else, you can apply for a visa to Bangladesh ahead of time.

Where To Stay

Bangladesh has a variety of hotels across different budgets so finding good accommodation shouldn’t be too difficult. There aren’t many tourists heading to visit Bangladesh either so you can find good deals on nice hotels at better rates than even nearby countries. In Dhaka, the Intercontinental is a luxury option but there are plenty of others and home-stays in small villages and towns across the Bangladesh.

Safety In Bangladesh

For all of the recent news regarding Bangladesh’s mass protests it might be hard to imagine Bangladesh is a relatively safe and welcoming place for travelers. Aside from common sense advice like watching your bags in crowded places, being aware of the traffic where crossing the street can be borderline insanity inducing, Bangladesh is a hectic but hospitable place to visit. It’s certainly not for everyone and experienced travelers feel more at ease, but not so chaotic that it ruins the travel experience.

It’s also worth mentioning the people are friendly and inquisitive, in fact Bangladesh might have the least camera-shy people I’ve met. Everyone wanted to take photos or appear in my videos and I felt more like a guest than a tourist. Bangladesh is moving toward becoming a country on the cusp for travelers but if you want to have a little adventure and see the best day trips, now is the time to visit.

What You Need To Know About Turkey’s eSIM Ban

by Anil Polat | Jul 24, 2025 | Advice, Pictures and Video, Tech | 0

The Turkish Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) recently banned several popular eSIM providers. These changes could make it more difficult for you get mobile data in Turkey, so here’s what you need to know.

What This Ban Is

The Turkish government did not ban eSIM technology or all eSIM providers, just these 7, so far:

Airalo
Alosim
BNESIM
Holafly
Instabridge
Mobimatter
Saily

More may be added to this list but for now, you can still use any eSIM provider not listed if you’re already in Turkey.

Outside Of Turkey

You can still use the Turkish-banned eSIM providers if you purchase and activate your eSIM for Turkey before you enter the country. Purchase your eSIM while outside of Turkey, then activate it the day before you arrive in the country to maximize the time on your eSIM plan. You data plan will still work provided you activate your eSIM before entering Turkey.

Already In Turkey?

Other than using an eSIM provider not on the banned list, you can also use a reliable VPN to access the eSIM online shops. Purchasing has been confirmed and in most cases, activating your eSIM (assuming your VPN is on the entire time during the process) should also work. It may take longer than usual (e.g. 5 minutes) however. Still, if possible it’s best to purchase and activate outside of Turkey to be sure or use a non-banned eSIM for now.

The video above covers why the ban may be happening and what could be some of the next steps for the Turkish government and the eSIM providers.

How To Protect Yourself In London From Phone Snatching

by Anil Polat | Feb 6, 2025 | Advice, Pictures and Video, Security, Tech | 1

You may have seen recent videos like this one from London, England where brazen thieves on e-bikes snatch people’s smartphones out of their hands in broad daylight. It’s a quick crime that’s been reported over 73,000 times in a recent 12 month span. Despite the headlines though it’s an classic crime and the tactics to avoid it are nothing new.

What’s Phone Snatching?

Phone snatching is a type of theft that’s just what it sounds like: someone grabbing your phone out of your hands and making off with it. In London the increasingly common tactic is several thieves working together on e-bikes in busy areas who quickly and quietly come up on someone texting, talking or just holding their phone. It’s a quick grab and by the time you notice they’re speeding away down the street.

Phone snatching also occurs on metro platforms where thieves can grab your phone just as the doors close. Again, the tactics is snatching, whether it’s a phone, purse, or backpack so here’s how to protect yourself.

Avoid Being A Phone Snatching Victim

There’s often a spotter looking out for people texting, talking, or simply walking with their phone held in hand. The crooks are looking for distracted people so the first line of defense is when you’re not using your phone, keep it in your (front) pocket or purse. When you need to text or make a call “pull over” away from the center of the sidewalk so there’s some physical barrier like a way on your back. This cuts off the angles someone can attack you from or just have a look around and get to a less crowded spot.

SURPHY 2 Pack Phone Lanyard for Cellphone Case, Phone Wrist Strap...

Same thing goes for when you’re taking photos. When you are looking at your phone it’s most vulnerable so try to be mindful of what’s going on around you. Also, knowing where phone snatching rates are highest in London can help you increase your own awareness.

What To Do If Your Phone Is Snatched

Now if your phone does get snatched make sure to report it as soon as possible. Then, as quickly as you can, log into Find My Device on Android or iCloud for iPhone to mark your device as lost. You’ll also want to update your phone service carrier as well. If your phone was unlocked when it was snatched then be sure to change all of your passwords as soon as possible. That includes email, iCloud, social media, and cancel all of your credit cards and report them stolen if they were on your phone through Google or Apple Pay. I would also let your friends and family know in the meantime that your phone was stolen and to ignore any suspicious calls or texts from you until you’ve had a chance to reset all of your passwords and get a new phone.

Prevention is key to avoid being in this situation so no matter where you are in the world, be mindful when you take out your smartphone, know the local areas more prone to snatching theft, and create a backpack security system.

How To Properly Wash Your Water Resistant Gear

by Anil Polat | Jan 30, 2025 | Advice, Health and Fitness | 0

We’ve all had a new outdoor jacket that can wick away rain better than you can handle most problems in your life but like your existence, over time its ability to remain resilient fades. Fortunately for your jackets and other water resistant gear, unlike your life, there’s a relatively simple fix.

Here’s the only way to properly wash your waterproof or resistant hats, jackets, pants, and other clothing.

Water Resistance Comes From Two Places

Tiny threads that are finely woven together are your first line of defense against water. The way this works is those threads are close enough to effectively act as a barrier against water droplets, which have a tendency to stick together (a phenomena known as cohesion). As you wear and potentially stretch those fabrics, the small gaps between the fibers tend to widen over time. Another ally to the physical barrier, which can also get broken down if it’s wet long enough, giving the water time to absorb, is a water resistant coating.

Nikwax Hardshell Cleaning & Waterproofing Duo-Pack, 300ml, Cleans...

This coating, which can be a mix of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS, breaks down with washing. You can however restore water resistance and do it without PFAS as well.

How To Wash Your Clothes

For anything that you bought which has or had water resistance, you’ll want to wash that separately but not with regular laundry detergent. The supplies you’ll use are Nikwax Tech Wash and TX Direct. The Tech Wash is used to actually clean your clothing so depending on the size of the load (try to limit to 2-4 large items at most) use the measurement suggestions (100-150mL) on the bottle and then wash using warm water on a gentle or synthetics cycle.

Once the first Tech Wash cycle is done, you’ll then do a cycle with TX Direct. The TX Direct replenishes the water resisting coating of your clothing and can be done using warm or cold water.

Air Dry For Best Results

Using a drying machine is not recommended as this can deter the coating from setting evenly on your clothing and also damage the threads, further reducing water proofing efficacy. For any stains you can spot clean with Tech Wash before throwing it in for the machine cycle. Remember, use these products for only your water resistant gear like a The North Face Triclimate and for shoes and boots, Nikwax makes a waterproofing spray.

Is Cambodia Safe?

by Anil Polat | Oct 17, 2024 | Advice, Security | 2

Most government warnings tend to be on the cautions side but those for Cambodia are especially alarming. Crime, theft, and robbery are all prominently highlighted but just how safe is Cambodia really? As for any country it depends on where you are but the main warnings are best managed with generous amounts of common sense.

Bag Snatching

Many of the warnings revolve around bag snatching where someone, usually two people on a motorbike, will grab a bag as they pass by you on the street. These are fast crimes of opportunity that can be avoided by carrying your bag or purse on the opposite side of the street. Simply by having your body in between the street and your bag makes you a more difficult target to hit quickly so it reduces your chances of a snatch and grab. Same goes for your phone or camera but any items you can keep out of sight while walking, the better.

Elements

There aren’t masses of people robbing tourists on the streets but there is something every visitor will have to deal with and that’s the heat. Cambodia is located around the 12 north latitude close to the equator. That makes the sun much stronger than anywhere in the US or Europe so prepare with sunscreen and remember to stay hydrated. Although you might be a city like Phnom Penh and surrounded by restaurants and cafes you can still end up dehydrated if you’re not consistently drinking water.

Always keep a bottle with you and plan your days like locals do, try to avoid the mid-day sun.

Follow The Sun

When it gets darker you’ll want to be even more aware of your surroundings. You’ll also want to avoid casinos and “massage” parlors and seedy bars, all places where scams, crime, and worse are much more likely to happen. Stay clear of those are your trip is much, much more likely to go smoothly.

You can also use the Grab app to call a ride or tuk tuk to get from one place to another and stay out of the sun or after hours get back to your hotel safely. Overall Cambodia is a destination you can visit safely and without incident if you follow some common sense advice to stay out of trouble.

About Anil Polat

Hi, I'm Anil. foXnoMad is where I combine travel and tech to help you travel smarter. I'm on a journey to every country in the world and you're invited to join the adventure! Read More