The other day we were having a lovely conversation about travel with the family over a nice dinner at home. We were sharing our stories from Cambodia, parts of Thailand and our trip to Sri Lanka. That’s when my (Shayan’s) dad started telling some of his own travel stories and it completely blew us away. Firstly, he has traveled to almost every continent and visited over 30 countries, for work mostly. He seemed to know so much and a lot of it are things you don’t see much on blogs or guides. So we thought, why not share his unconventional expertise and experiences with you. Here are some awesome travel tips by my dad.

Be Kind No Matter What

This probably goes without saying but my dad really believes in being a good person and always doing the right thing. This included being kind to people even if they are not.

He says that more often than not, your kindness will rub off on others and they will have no choice but to be nice in return. He goes on to say that you’ll be surprised what people would do for you if you show them the slightest bit of respect and courtesy. Of course there are always those who will be rude but those are the ones you ignore.

If you’re genuinely kind, you never know but you could get upgrades for flights or hotels and even get invited to amazing places.

Put yourself in the shoes of Hospitality Staff

We try to be as friendly with hospitality staff but my dad’s advice is simply on the next level. He even explained that we should mention or talk about things they care about. For example, hospitality personal, and not just the hotel managers but even drivers and bellhops like to talk about occupancy. So ask them about it and about their struggles/life at the the hotel or airline.

They will be quite surprised and you never know what perks and benefits you might get in the future.

“Ask them about their day. Tell them they are doing a great job and let them know that you know how difficult their job must be.”

Travel is like a Box Full of Chocolates

We don’t just mean this in a figurative way, but literally, carry a box full of chocolates wherever you go!

On one of his flight, he gave chocolates to the flight attendants. The next time he flew on that same airline, he met one of the attendants who surprisngly remembered him. They were so happy from the previous time, they ended up bringing him food and beverage from the first class throughout the flight!

Plan, prepare but also go with the flow

My dad is one of the most easy-going, chilled-out person in the world. He rarely loses his cool and is always keep it together. So when he travels, he’s obviously always prepared. He has traveled so much for work, it’s like second nature for him. He says to make plans, pack in advance, prepare the documents and all that but also realize not everything is under your control. Once you know that, life is easier.

You no longer get disappointed, angry or hurt. Just go with the flow!

So what are some of your wise word for travel? How are you a better person to others and yourself?