Internet tools before travelling
The Internet is an excellent tool for gathering important
information before you leave your country. I have listed what I
found useful while researching backpacking and future
destinations. At the end of each section, I have placed an
Internet link to either an online directory, Internet keyword
search, or a direct link to a web page. The Internet directory is
the best way to go, it is like an online yellow pages and
provides an up-to-date list of all known websites on that
subject. The Internet search keywords are suggestions on
what you can type into a search engine like:
http://www.google.com, http://www.yahoo.com, etc.
If I
couldn’t find what I needed to know with an Internet directory
or keyword search, I provide the address of the website.
Guidebooks: Most guidebooks publishers have their own
website. Information in your book is always changing and any
updates will be on the site. Also, they are a great reference for
Internet tools before travelling some initial research on what is offered in the country, andother useful facts. Many of them publish a newsletter that is
sent weekly, monthly or annually. Some of the better ones
offer free news groups where anyone can ask a question and it
is answered by fellow backpackers.
Internet Search Directories:
http://directory.google.com/Top/Recreation/Travel/Specialty_
Travel/Backpacking/
http://directory.google.com/Top/Recreation/Travel/Specialty_
Travel/Budget/
DFAIT: DFAIT is the Department for Foreign Affairs and
International Trade. This is the government’s lifeline to all
travellers. It has a wealth of information on what is currently
happening in a particular country as it relates to your
nationality. I check any travel advisories (which tend to be a
bit overly conservative for my taste, but they are just covering
all the bases), visa requirements, maximum length of stay
permitted, etc. If you are going to be staying long in a
particular country, you can register yourself with your
country’s consulate and have them keep tabs on you.
Internet Search Keywords:
dfait + {the name of your country}
Website address:
http://www.embassyworld.com/
E-mail: There are many free e-mail websites on the Internet
and all can be accessed from any Internet terminal around the
world. E-mail allows you to stay in touch with your old
friends and family and also your new friends that you are
going to be making while travelling. Some packers create a
special e-mail address just for travelling and give it out freely
to whomever wants it. They have a primary one that they keep
to themselves.
When you meet other backpackers, the preferred method to
stay in touch is to exchange e-mail addresses. In the back of
my journal I have a list of e-mails that I collected. I found it
useful to make sure I have their full name and a small
description of them. After a while, you get a name: Xe’ Chi –
madfish@e-mailaddress.com and have no idea who the person
is.
Some people like to protect their privacy when travelling.
They would get a temporary account such as:
carltravelstheworld@e-mailaddress.com. This way, after you
get home and given your e-mail address to a thousand or so
strangers, you can pick who you want to give your real e-mail
address to.
Internet Search Directories:
http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Internet/Email/
Free/Web-Based/
http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Business_to_Bu
siness/Communications_and_Networking/Internet_and_World
_Wide_Web/E-mail_Providers/Free_E-mail/
Blogging: A blog is basically a web log or an online diary that
anyone with an Internet connection can create and update.
Anyone, or only people whom you specify can read what you
are writing and post their comments to each of your entries.
There are many free services on the Internet that offer these
services. This is the best way to stay in touch, since your
friends would come and read what you are writing whenever
they want to without you filling up people’s e-mail box with
your periodic ramblings.
Internet Search Directories:
http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Internet/On_the_
Web/Weblogs/Tools/Publishers/
http://dir.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/World_
Wide_Web/Weblogs/Software/
http://dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Cultures_and_Grou
ps/Cyberculture/Virtual_Communities/