Nightlife is a huge deal
in many areas such as South America, parts of Southeast Asia, Central America,
Europe and more. It is known in many
Latin-cultured countries that a night out on the town doesn’t begin until about
1am and can last until the wee hours of the morning like 7am. That’s quite different from the nightlife
scene in America which usually begins around 11pm and ends around 3am or
4am. It’s all part of the culture of
each area. I’m not a huge fan of
drinking and partying, especially when I travel, for several reasons. One reason is that it really takes a toll on
your budget, and your body! Drinking and
partying can really put a dent into your budget and there’s nothing fun about
sleeping and wasting the majority of the following day due to being hung over. Another reason why I am not a fan of going
out much while traveling is due to safety.
I never want to put myself into a situation where I am alone, lost, or
vulnerable. It’s very tempting because
you meet so many awesome people who invite you to go out with them and you feel
comfortable enough to do so but, the truth of the matter is that you really
don’t know those people nor do you know if they will look out for you
throughout the night just in case you have a bit too much fun and too much
alcohol. But, that’s just my opinion. I remember going out once with my good friend
who was backpacking for her first time and came to Thailand. I had already been there backpacking so I
stayed in Bangkok for a few extra days to meet up with here. She loves the nightlife scene anywhere so I
went out with her. I had already not
been feeling very well because I was still sick from a terrible cold that I had
been carrying with me for a few weeks already but, I went out anyways. I could barely speak because I was already
losing my voice and yelling over the loud music wasn’t helping. I drank more than I should have but, I was
having a great time, despite not having a voice what-so-ever anymore. We met some other travelers and we all took
little tuk tuks to some club further away.
Of course upon arrival, everyone in my tuk tuk refused to offer any
money to pay for it. At that point I
wasn’t feeling very well from being so sick, not being able to speak, drinking
too much, and being so tired so, I headed back.
I wound up oversleeping and missing my booked and paid-for bus to Cambodia
the next day and I felt physically awful.
I was so sick from being hung-over and so sick, I had no voice at
all. I slept all day and left on the
early bus to Cambodia the next day. I
wish I had did things differently because despite having a good time with my
friend from home, I took a toll on my budget, mind, and body.
I know plenty of people
who enjoy the nightlife in countries all over the world as part of their
traveling experience, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It can be fun and a great experience to take
part in cultural activities like nightlife and have a blast with new people
that you meet. If you do choose to do
so, make sure that you do it in a safe and prepared way. I have met many people who have horror
stories about a night out on the town in a foreign country, or of situations
that could have a bad ending. I always
share my opinions and advice based on my personal experiences and the
experiences of people that I have met along my traveling way. I have met people or witnessed people who had
a bit too much to drink at times, get left on their own by everyone who they
were with, were in a dark and secluded area, had little to no money, had gotten
robed, got into the car of people who were “giving them a ride back”, were passed
out from drinking too much leaving your body and possessions vulnerable, and
much more. Anything can happen.
I rarely ever went out,
I say “rarely” because there are times that I have gone out with people that I
met but it wasn’t much. Me rarely going
out doesn’t mean that I never had fun and met others. The hostel life is a great way to get that
experience without having to go to a night club or bars. Every hostel is different but there are some
that have a more youthful and eventful environment where everyone hangs out in
a common area, drinks, smoke hookah, plays games, listens to music, someone
plays guitar, and just has fun. So it’s
possible to have a great time, have some drinks, get to know others, and have
fun without going out.
That is why it is very
important to try always make a smart choice when traveling. I’m not saying don’t go out and don’t have
fun. Even though going out isn’t really
for me, I think it’s a good way to have a great experience as long as you stay
smart and safe.
Some things to keep in
mind and ways to stay safe when going out are:
·
Write down the name of
where you are staying and keep it in your wallet in case you forget where you
are staying or need to tell somebody else to help you get back, you can show
them the written name.
·
Stay close to those who
you are going out with throughout the night.
Never wander off on your own.
·
Don’t take all of your personal and important belongings or all of your
money and credit cards with you. Keep
them locked up in your room.
·
Use a purse that goes
across your body and zips/locks well so people can’t reach into it while in
close proximity to others. Keep your
purse in front of your body.
·
Have a plan with your
friends on where to meet up in case somebody gets lost.
·
Don’t go to an ATM to
withdraw money at a late hour, especially not alone.
·
Remember to drink lots
of water in between cocktails throughout the night.
·
Don’t leave your drink
by itself and don’t accept drinks from others.
·
Be sure to eat something
before drinking.
·
Don’t over drink to a
point where you depend on others to help or to take care of you.
·
Know what you are
drinking and how much. Sometimes places
give you “buckets” of liquor that are meant to be shared.
Again, I’m not saying
that you shouldn’t go out and have a good time when traveling. I just want to make sure that you do so in a
safe way. It only takes one back
decision to ruin your trip, mental state, or even life.
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