Hacks for first time travelers

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There is always a first time for everything. And when you're traveling for the first time, you might feel scared or excited or even both at the same time. To ease your worries and to feed your excitement, here's a list of travel hacks you need to know before you go out and see the world:

Research

Some may argue that researching and planning your trip to the last detail can spoil the fun and ruin your vacation. There's some truth to that. However, it's also important to learn about the place you're going to and to know what you can gain from your visit. This can minimize missed opportunities of doing something you would've loved.

Take it slow

Don't rush to do everything. If you're only staying for a couple of days, choose the activities you really want to do and do them first. If you feel that you should have done more, you should plan another visit. This is better than trying to experience everything at once. You might not enjoy the view if you're rushing to see and do too many things. Relax, take it slow and enjoy your new surroundings.

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Be polite

You may be a visitor to a new land but that does not excuse poor manners. Being a gracious guest and having a kind smile can go a long way when you're away from home. This will help you make friends who can help you in your journey.

Learn to adapt

You will go to a place where the traditions, beliefs, and culture may be drastically different from what you're used to. Do not force your beliefs on others and learn to adapt to local customs. The beauty of traveling is seeing and experiencing the world's diverse cultures.

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Hi, I'm Louis Habash and I love traveling to the different parts of the world. Find more useful travel tips by following me on Twitter.

REPOST: Traveling to food festivals for oysters, chocolate and beer

All of us may be trying desperately (or at least occasionally) to eat enough wild Alaskan salmon, leafy greens and quinoa salads. But let’s be honest; if we’re making the effort to pack a bag and book a flight in search of flavor, it’s going to be for something decadent.

The Galway International Oyster and Seafood Festival in Ireland and the Salon du Chocolat in Paris are two more obvious choices for edible extravagance. Having just celebrated its 60th anniversary, the oyster festival has grown from a banquet for 30 to one of Ireland’s most celebrated events, with music, shucking competitions and historical tours marking the beginning of the oyster harvest (Sept. 25-27).

Salon du Chocolat hosts several events focused on the darling of indulgences, this year in Japan, Belgium, Russia and England; all amuse-bouches to the main course in Paris, a virtual fondue pot of international confectioners and pastry chefs mixing, tasting, building towers out of, and designing clothing with cacao (Oct. 28 to Nov. 1).

But some of the world’s richest treats aren’t quite as refined. Take, for instance, the “doppelbock,” a doubly strong version of an already thick and malty beer first brewed by the Paulaner monks in Munich in the 17th century. Oddly, it was brewed during Lent, when fasting allowed only the consumption of liquids. The more potent the beer, the more nourishment they got, or so the story goes, and the local flock was happy to follow their example.

Today, the tradition is celebrated during Starkbierzeit, or “strong beer time,” the first of Germany’s spring beer festivals (Feb. 27 to March 15). It begins each year at the Nockherberg brewery’s Paulaner beer hall and garden, former home to those crafty friars, with the tapping of the first keg of Salvator, the original brew, just as strong. Look for other varieties, as well as oompah bands and other entertainment, at any of Munich’s abundant breweries.

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival may have mile-long trains of crawfish bread and stuffed-mirliton, but the gumbos and gravies of the South Louisiana Blackpot Festival & Cook-Off in Lafayette win crowds with personality. Each pot entered in the festival’s 10th anniversary cook-off this year (Oct. 23-24) represents centuries of Acadian and Cajun history, family recipes tweaked and tooled over the years to compete for modern palates.

Crowds gather at competitors’ pots on Saturday evenings while the judges decide which wins the day in five categories: gravies, gumbos, cracklins (or “gratons”), jambalayas and desserts (yes, pies, cobblers and even cinnamon rolls cooked in cast iron).

Americana plays throughout, from the region’s best zydeco to Appalachian bluegrass, topped off with an accordion contest and square dancing lessons. And in the campgrounds, where most out-of-towners settle in for the night, there’s more grilled boudin sausage and fried catfish to be shared, most likely along with a fiddled fais-do-do from a neighboring tent.