More to the point, I wish I knew that you CAN buy stuff there. Wherever there is, you can buy it and probably in your size and to your liking. There are so many multinational brands that you can find almost anything you want wherever you are going. How do you think the people you are visiting survive? This stops you from overpacking for the worst-case scenario.

Also, I wish I had known that the first time I would need to have many documents ready, like receipts/e-tickets for your flight back and a bank statement doesn’t hurt(especially if you travel with debit/credit cards instead of cash).

To contribute my own list of things that I have learned from reading other’s tips and from personal experience I’ll post this link:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum.....uette.html

8. Never assume that your taxi driver knows where your destination is.

Upon arrival to Madras at about midnight, my taxi driver drove in circles for a good hour, trying to find my hotel. The guidebook map and street signs did not help — he could read neither English nor Hindi. After stopping and asking directions a dozen times, I happened to spot the hotel sign as we drove by and staggered to a well-earned rest.