Ten Out-of-the-Ordinary Travel Tips

(FeatureSource) - Adventure columnist Doug Lansky has been there and done that – traveling to over 100 countries in nine years. His dream job leads him to off-the-beaten-track places few travelers ever see. If you're planning to check out some remote attractions or sample some of the planet's adventures, here are ten tips gleaned from Doug's new book "Last Trout in Venice" (Travelers' Tales) to help you sail through unscathed.

1. Naples is the world's most dangerous place to drive a car. Keep in mind that local drivers regard traffic lights with about the same concern as the lights on a Christmas tree. So, even if you have a green light, approach the intersection with caution.

2. Remember exactly which porters help you to the summit of Kilimanjaro. Travelers often get duped at the end of the trip when the tips are given out. It's common practice for a few extra locals show up and claim they helped carry supplies.

3. When in Alba, Italy, the white truffle capital of the world, conduct your foraging at night to avoid truffle spies.

4. At Sweden's Ice Hotel, remember to order you Scotch IN the rocks, as all the bar's glasses are made from blocks of ice.

5. When buying clothes for your first trip to an erotic European dance club, don't forget to pick an outfit with a place to hold your wallet, or you'll be stuffing your money into places you'd rather not retrieve it.

6. Some of the trout in Colorado have been caught and released upwards of 40 times. Sometimes, all you need to do is get one on the line and, presumably to avoid the pain, it may swim straight to shore and beach itself.

7. If you want to take part in Rio de Janeiro's Carnival samba parade, the most important thing is to get right is the costume. The organizers don't seem to mind that you don't: 1) know the words to the samba schools' song; 2) know the special hand movements; 3) or have the slightest idea how to dance the samba.

8. When you reach the lost Peruvian city of Machu Picchu, it might keep things in perspective to know that there's no official record of the ancient daily life. Many guides take advantage of this and rattle off their own versions to add a little color to their tour.

9. No matter how exclusive or expensive the tickets may seem, avoid the first row at a sumo match. The wresters may be entertaining to watch that close up, but your perspective will likely change when you've got one on top of you - they regularly land on front row spectators when thrown out of the ring.

10. At Pamplona's Running of the Bulls, the ideal feat of courage is to run right along side of a bull and reach out and touch its back. The least courageous thing to do (and by no coincidence, what most foreigners end up doing) is to start running about five minutes before the bulls are released and race through town as if it was a one-kilometer fun run. If your game plan is "fun run," you'll gain more respect from the locals if you just watch from the sidelines.

Courtesy of FeatureSource

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