Awkward situations every traveller faces

Accidentally drinking tap water…

Like a lot of places, the tap water can have some not so funny side affects if you drink it. As most people know, sticking to bottled water is your best option. But sometimes this can slip your mind, especially if you’ve been away for a significant amount of time. There might come a time if you aren’t too careful where you accidentally take a sip of some tap water, drink ice made from tap water or even brush your teeth or wash your mouth out with tap water. This can lead to catastrophe for your bowels and should be avoided at all cost. Unless you want to spend your time in the toilet, stick to bottled.

Coming on your period in a public place…

Of course us girls have a little more to think about when we travel. One of those things is coming on your period. You’ve probably had the experience of coming on your period at an awkward time or in a not so ideal situation or place back at home. But on your travels it can be a little more awkward. Especially if you need some assistance. Coming on in a public place where there is a language barrier can be somewhat uncomfortable. For example, if you need to ask where sells sanitary products or if there’s been some sort of leakage situation at a hostel and you need clean sheets. As girls, the vast majority of us don’t find our periods embarrassing to talk about, but it can become a little awkward when having to explain to a complete stranger who speaks an entirely different language. My advice: bring A LOT of sanitary products and download a period logging app on your phone so you can be a little more prepared for when your friend comes to visit.

Cultural faux pas…

It is also recommended that before you jet off on your travels, you have to look in to the culture and the rules and regs of where you are headed so you can be fully prepared. In some Asian countries not finishing a meal can be considered disrespectful, so make sure you eat up! Now a lot of people find this next faux pas annoying in any country…PDA (public display of affection). You can land yourself in big trouble in some places for displaying affection, so maybe save that for when you’re in private. Another faux pas could be something as simple as giving a hand gesture. To some people a peace sign can be seen as cussing or swearing and is seen as extremely disrespectful, so keep those hands to yourself!

Having to politely decline local delicacies…

When you’re on your travels, friendly locals often want to share their favourite local cuisine with you. This is very common and although it’s a lovely gesture, sometimes you don’t feel like eating it. Whether its because you are avoiding meat, or are already suffering from a severe case of ‘holiday tummy’, sometimes you just want to say no. It can be an awkward situation and depending on the place and the person, some locals might not take it very well. To some it might seem disrespectful. If you’re brave enough to try, go ahead, If not, you can always take it and hope your friend will save you from actually having to eat it.

Using a squat toilet for the first time…

Now this is an interesting one. The first time you see a squat toilet, it could come as quite a shock. It really is just a hole in the ground with absolutely no option to sit. So, I would advise making sure you work on your leg strength because its definitely not the most comfortable position to stand in whilst you do your business. It can be an awkward skill to master, but after some time you’ll get used to the squatting ways.