Dry humoured travel advice

Like the liberal technocrat that I am, I have some actionable lessons after traveling Australia to India and back for 33 days.

• 7–10 days is a good duration. More than 14 days, you might as well go for 3 weeks or 3 years.
• Hotel gyms are a lie. They are, at best, three dumbells with a treadmill. Learn calisthenics, practice every morning.
• Australia has the finest sunscreen in the world, take some with you.
• Don’t buy these international SIM malarkies, go with your ho(s)tel driver to a local phone retailer and point to the local SIM you want on the local brochure. Bring your passport, license and selfie stick.
• Even if you’re not going to take photos, you will. Complete a short course and you will take less bad photos. I recommend these Melbourne courses: https://mel365.com/stefano-ferro-photography-workshops/ You will thank yourself.
• Buying travel essentials as you go is cognitively and time inefficient. Unless it’s heavy, bring it from home.
• If you know nothing of you destination, read the simple wikipedia entry. If you’re knowledge hungry, read the regular wikipedia. If you have too much time, read a book.
• Do not bring a book. Books are heavy. Podcasts weight nothing. Podcasts are books with mattress ads.
• Travel with old friends or make new friends? Do both, they’re the actual best.

Advice from the comments:

• Get a Kindle!
• Get an eSim!
• Get a shawl!
• Get a daybag! Small/light enough to take anywhere. Stuff it with layers, snacks, toiletpaper and a waterbottle.
• Get a toilet paper! From hotels/etc, keep in your day bag and regularly replenish. You will probably get a runny nose, you may get the runs, you will not always have a bathroom with toilet paper.
• It’s hard to find universal adaptors in Australia, but they’re often duty free from airports. Amazon also has an amazing range.
• Pack less than you think you need. At the end of a trip review what you used and resolve to never pack such things again.