Preparing To Travel For The First Time
I Had to write this post because of personal experiences as well as what I see some friends and people go through at the airport. I intend to make this post a handbook for those preparing to travel out of their home country for the first time. What to expect and what not to expect. Enjoy this as I share my experience with you.
About four years ago when preparing to travel out of my home country Ghana, I did not know what to expect. Those days I did not even know that you need a Visa to travel. All I knew was that I had a passport and that was all. Thank God I was travelling with some friends. They guided me and help me each step of the way. I can imagine if I had to do that alone. I remember in the queue at Kotoka International Airport for boarding. I was very nervous but then I go some morale from the friends I was travelling with SurKingsley Paapa Kwame.
It is important to carry along some or all of these items when preparing to travel.
National Passport.
If you are travelling out of your home country, you need to carry your passport. Your passport needs to contain the visa of the country you are travelling to. In some countries, like Ghana you have to request for the visa ahead of the day of travel. It is also advisable that your passport expiry date is at least three months ahead of your date of return from your travel.
Visa
Visa applications take some time to get ready. When you apply for a visa, your information will be sent to the country you are visiting to approve your stay. The country issuing the visa will review your reason of travel. Some countries even require bank statements etc. It is important for you to read from the Immigration website of the country to find out the requirement for the visa. For instance, for a South African visa, you might need two size passport picture, bank statement, some cover letter etc. Ensure that you find a professional photographer to take the passport according to dimension. I took mine at SharpNet cafe. The country you are visiting already doesn’t want you to come. So any slight violation will lead to a visa denial. There are some visa application agencies you can use to streamline the process, like VFS Global. Most visa applications come at a non-refundable cost. Make sure you find out the cost before starting the process. What this means is that even if you are denied visa you won’t get your money back. When you apply for a visa there are two main outcomes, you are either granted or denied. When you are granted, it is either single entry or multiple entries with a specified date. It could also be a visiting visa or work permit visa. Single entry means you can enter only once within the duration of the visa validity, whilst the multiple entries mean you can enter as many times as you want within the duration.
Yellow Fever Vaccination Card
To be able to enter another country, immigration requires that you take a yellow fever vaccination. In Ghana this comes at a fee, you can do it at the airport or some major hospitals. Hospitals like 37 Military Hospital, Ridge Hospital etc can also do the vaccination. Please remember this vaccination is different from the normal injection that we take in our communities.
Boarding Pass
After acquiring your visa with your passport, you might need to book your flight and pay for the trip. In most cases, it is cheaper if you buy the ticket earlier. Once you receive a confirmation of your purchase, you either print a copy (should your phone go off) or you keep a pdf on your phone. You may have to present this when you are checking in at the airport. Your passport is needed when you are buying your ticket.
House Keeping Stuffs
If you are going to stay with someone, provisions might be made for you but if you are going to stay in a hotel you might have to take basic things needed for your stay. Things like Towel, Sponge, Paste etc. Some hotels provide some of these things. It is advisable you check the type of hotel you are staying in. Most five star hotels get you covered. I usually read reviews of the hotel to know what to expect and what not to expect. Some hotels are just terrible, you might have to prepare yourself very well. Generally, liquid kinds of stuff are not allowed on your baggage. To prevent smuggling of items into your bag, please pack your bag or make sure you are part of the process of parking. All airlines have load limits so you have to know what to carry and what not to.
Leaving Home
Make sure you leave at most an hour to your flight time. This is because, at the airport, you will go through a series of checks and it requires time. And of course, this is your first flight experience so you don’t want to miss it. Just so you know how serious it is to be late, a friend had to pay $100 to get on the next flight because he missed his flight.
At the Airport
When you finally arrive at the airport, you have to check-in. Before checking in, if you want to buy or get something do it now because after the immigration check you might be buying ordinary tea or coffee at a price you don’t want to. Proceed to the check-in area if you don’t need anything else. This is the point where your boarding will be inspected and another print given to you. This print contains your boarding time and gate information. Endeavour to read all signs and pay attention to all screens, anything relating to your flight might be posted on those screens. Listen to all announcements through the speakers, it might be a piece of information you need at the moment. After this, you might have to fill immigration documents and do the immigration checks. This is the funny part, you may be required to remove your shoe, your belt and put all your bags on the trolley. For those with laptops, it will be inspected. You will pass through a laser check and somebody will run a quick body check on you. This is to ensure you are not carrying anything unauthorised. You are now almost done and ready to board. Look for your boarding gate or find something in the duty-free shops to buy. Sit at your gate and wait for your boarding call. Make sure to locate your gate and if possible ask people seated there where they are also going and the flight they are on just to be sure you are at the right place.
When you are onboard
When you finally get on board the plane, relax now and pay attention to the cabin crew. Every instruction is important. Have a safe flight and enjoy the cruise at such an altitude.
Please share this post with friends to help them with their travel experience. Thank you.
