A Few Travel Tips About Hotel Breakfast

I just got back from a work trip to Mozambique and South Africa. Ten years ago, I would have spent months preparing for such a journey and in fact did, but after living in the bush of Africa for a total of three years in addition to many trips abroad, this time around I resorted to making reservations AND packing the morning of my departure—whether that’s a result of well-heeded travel routine or just total lack of time remains another question.
In any case, here are just a few travel tips I use when traveling to a developing country or in Africa in general.

1. When possible, book hotels with breakfast – There may not be many or any safe and fast food options once you leave your hotel. There will be plenty of food for sure, however it may not be cooked according to your standards, may be unfamiliar to you, may take a whole day to prepare, etc. Therefore, I try to eat a big healthy breakfast at the hotel to get me through the day in case I don’t eat anything until I come back for dinner. This way, I also get the most of my day by touring around instead of trying to find a restaurant that suits my needs.
2. Fill up water in hotel gym or lobby–Unless you plan on remaining in the area for longer than a few months, drink bottled water, no exceptions. There is nothing worse than getting sick in a location you’ve been dreaming about traveling to your entire life, and worrying about healthcare. Obviously, hotels mark-up their mini-bars and when you arrive you may not be in the position to find the nearest deli or grocery store to stock up. However, if your hotel has a gym, restaurant or lobby, chances are there will be purified spring water waiting for you. Bring an empty bottle and fill you so you can hydrate yourself and brush your teeth.
3. Bring laptop to keep in touch - Most people are hesitant to bring their laptops to developing countries for the fear they will get stolen or tampered with. That’s fair and does happen. However, if you keep an eye on your laptop and carry it with you, it will be the best friend you never in hard-to-travel places. Despite the perception that places like Africa have limited infrastructure and therefore wi-fi, thats definitely not the case. From Mali to Mozambique, from Timbuktu to Tunisia, I have found that big hotels, medium hotels, even bed and breakfasts and bars offer wi-fi that is fast and reliable. I had better internet service in Mali than I did in Manhattan! Plus, laptops are all made now for both 110v and 220 v, so all you need is the right plug and voila, it works! For tips on what to pack with your laptop check out this list I drafted a few years ago.
4. Buy a Skype number– When I moved to Mali a few years ago, I relied on Skype to keep in touch with my then-boyfriend and family. Most people think of face-to-face video streaming when they think of Skype however that’s not what I am talking about. Skype sells U.S. based phone numbers (and YOU can choose which area code) for only $18 per 3 months that includes UNLIMITED CALLS between the the U.S.A. This means your friends and family in America can call this number anytime from their cell phones and reach you anywhere in the world as long as you have a Skype account (free). And YOU can also call ANY U.S. number from your Skype account (without any video). When a caller dials your number, your laptop rings as any phone does, and you pick up an talk through the laptop mic as you would a normal phone. If your laptop is not turned on, or if you don’t have wi-fi at the time, the caller leaves a voicemail which you can listen to the next time you get wi-fi. You can actually purchase a real phone to plug into your laptop and use that phone to talk, but I’ve found that talking through the laptop works just as fine without the added wires.
I’ve had the same number for years (beginning with Chicago’s 773 of course), and keep on renewing it every year even though I am not always traveling abroad. My family and friends already all have the phone number programmed in their phones as “Kasia’s Abroad Number” so they always know how to reach me regardless of where I am. It’s the best kept secret out there. I haven’t used a phone card in years.
5. Wi-fi in airport restaurants – This isn’t so much a tip for traveling to developing countries but I am including it anyway. I traveled 85% of my weekends this year so trust me; I know our great American airports very well. Some offer free-wifi, some offer 30-60 minutes of free-wi-fi before you pay, but some make you pay for wi-fi straight – up. If you have a layover and want to brown the internet, consider sitting in a sit-down airport restaurant. Not only is the ambiance a gazillion times better than the food court but often they give complimentary wi-fi access (around a $10 fee) for diners. So that $10 glass of merlot is kind of free.