Overland travel is the cheapest way to cross another country especially if there are no airfare promotions available. It can be quite confusing especially for newbies. Here are my three tips on how to effectively survive an overland border crossing.
Do your Homework
Do your research prior heading out to the border. Check the internet for the requirements like ID pictures, cost, transportation, outbound ticket requirement, visa exemption etc. This is to make sure that you won’t get rip off once you hit the border. This will also be helpful in managing your expectation thus minimizing the risk of being frustrated with the process.
I was once denied entry in Huay Xai because I don’t have a Laos visa but I insisted that I don’t need one since I’m from the Philippines. The officer that I’m talking with asked his fellow officers about it and I was able to get my entry stamp. It pays to know your entry qualifications.
Bring Enough Cash
Since you did your research, you can anticipate how much to bring. There are some borders that have no ATM in sight. I once crossed Sunauli to Gorakhpur and didn’t see any nearby ATMs (maybe there’s one but I didn’t see it). Good thing I was able to bring cash to buy myself food and drinks. If you’re exchanging currencies in the border, make sure you know the exchange rates. I’ve heard countless horror stories of getting ripped off in the border by currency exchange companies.
Stay Calm but Persistent
There are times when you might get a little panicky because of some minor setbacks that you might encounter while doing the overland crossing. Stay calm. This will help you become more rational and logical in your decisions. I was told by countless travel agencies that I wouldn’t be able to get my Indian Visa in Nepal when I was there. I almost panicked because it would be very expensive for me to fly to Bangkok to get the Visa and fly to India afterwards. I calmed myself and went straight to the Embassy instead. To cut the story short, I got my Indian Visa (this was last Sept 2009, check the Indian Embassy for the new Visa process).
How about you? What’s your best tip on doing overland crossing?
Always remember that you need to be stamped out of a country and in to the next one when you cross borders. Locate where the immigration is, and head straight there. Ignore the touts, as they can do you more harm than good.
thanks for the additional tip Nina
Great tips! Will come in handy in the very near future ;p
cool! see you sa “future”
Aside from cash, a traveler’s check will come in handy too especially if you are carrying a tourist visa and you need to show proof of funds but you don’t want to carry too much cash with you.
i agree, carrying a lot of cash is not a good idea… just enough to help you reach your nest destination will do…
familiarize yourself with the different scams. being an idiot is just an embarrassing mistake! ^_^
so true… but sometimes scammers come up with new strategies too
can’t wait to cross borders in africa (err, in the distant future)… that would be way more intense than se asia. gotta deal with requirements like yellow fever vaccination, application forms, uhm bribes… hehe.
game na hehe ako rin cant wait to cross borders kahit saan
it pays to know a little something something. i reckon it would be cool, if you’re denied and show them a legit border crossing handbook! ha ha ha but i agree, would be an experience to cross border in Africa!
thanks for this. informative indeed