Ozebookings editor Sven Puetter with some reminders - for even the seasoned tripper.

1    Not every trip goes according to plan

Being flexible is the first rule of travel. Sooner or later your plane will be delayed, your hotel booking will not be on the computer, your luggage will have disappeared, or that market food stall will leave you with Bali Belly. Roll with it. These are the times when we can experience the best of travel, the kindness of strangers, those for-travellers-only reminders that we still live in a world that is not as bad as it sometimes seems.

2    Do overseas just as you would do at home

Would you ride a motorcycle around your city? No? Then don't ride one around the streets of Bali or Koh Samui. Here the streets are worse, the traffic more chaotic. Together with the idea that bigger is better and with the odd chook running across your path, this makes motor biking seriously hazardous.

Just as you wouldn't give your credit card details to a slick salesman offering to make you a fortune in downtown Melbourne, don't give it to a gem dealer on the beach strip in Phuket.

3    You don't really need that kitchen sink

Pack sensibly, an overloaded bag is a burden. Ask yourself, 'Am I 100% certain I will use this?" You can always come up with a creative substitute on the road. And no one will notice that you only have one change of clothes and that you spend every night washing the other set in the hotel sink.

Consider carrying an extra bag rolled up in your luggage - useful for those on-the-raod purchases when your suitcase is already tightly packed. On the trip you may fill it up - but then again it may come back empty.

4    Rely on technology

Automatic Teller Machines, ATMs, are these days found in the most unlikely of locations, to such a degree in fact that travellers cheques can be relegated to an 'emergency use only' status. If you do find yourself in the back blocks of Indonesia however, hard currency, in cash, may still be the only option at the local bank or hotel.

Want to get in touch with your friends? Try sending a text message off your mobile - more often than not it works! But beware of the well-meaning friend who pulls you out of your restful trek-induced slumber at 2:30am not realizing you've left the country. Be sure to visit your local mobile phone dealer before you leave to have them set up your mobile.

Poste Restante used to be the place for travellers to pick up a letter from friends or their mum. The post office must have celebrated the rise of the Internet Cafe which today is where most pick ups take place.

5    Do your shopping at the end

Try not to by that intriguing Balinese painting on the first morning as you sip sweet tea on the balcony - wait a while to see if its charm hasn't somewhat faded by the end of a week's worth of experience. This way you'll know enough about Balinese paintings (or Nepalese carpets for that matter) to be sure of buying something you'll still enjoy owning in ten years time.

6    Prepare for the unexpected

Photocopy your passport's main page, put it in a seperate place. It will be easier to secure a replacement if it is stolen.

Keep some cash and a second credit card in a secret spot in case you lose your money belt.

And in the eventuality your luggage doesn't make it off the plane, put a shirt and clean set of underwear in your carry-on bag.

7    Do the unusual

One of the best pieces of advice was given to me by my travel companion way back in 1979, when the deliciously air-conditioned Malaysia Hotel in Bangkok was still the refuge of the backpacker on the overland trail, "On every day you should do something you cannot do at home..." Find the cash to see a show, make the effort to get up at dawn for a Himalayan sunrise, and take that uncomfortable bus ride to see Buddha's shoes. Second chances rarely happen.

8    Learn to say 'Thank you'

If you can say 'yes', 'no' and 'thank you' in the local language, it puts you in a different league. It shows courtesy and respect for the locals. And as Lonely Planet editor Tony Wheeler says, the phrase, "a cold beer, please..." goes a long way.

9    Spend money on Travel Insurance

You've bought your tickets, organised the visas, packed to perfection and have arrived at the airport ready to check-in and buy some travel insurance. Travel insurance? Allow some time to get it. Chances are you'll have a safe trip to LA, but if you're the one who breaks your right wrist slipping in the gym at your hotel you'll appreciate the thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, that you'll save because you had the foresight to get travel insurance. And if you're travelling to Nepal, reflect on that second mortgage on your house if a helicopter is needed to bring you out of the Annapurna Sanctuary.

Avoid the traveller's horror story - buy the best insurance you can afford.

10   Trust your fellow man

There are conmen out there and it is easy to let your guard down while relaxing on holidays, but the best experiences come from trusting your fellow man. I still remember being tracked down by a rickshaw driver in Agra who not only showed me sights and scenes of the Taj Mahal I will never forget, but with whom I spent a memorable afternoon dissecting the highs and lows of a cricket test between Australian and India over a bottomless cup of sugar chai.

The kindness of strangers are the memories that will be among your sweetest.

Enjoy your journey.