1. Avoid calling the people from any country locals, it makes them feel like tribesman.

2. Don´t claim North America to be a unique continent. Latin Americans are taught that South and North America make up one continent, not two.

3. When using public transportation, try to keep your voice down.

4. Make an effort to speak the local language, and at the very least the basics such as hello and thank you.

5. Don´t EXPECT people to speak your language, you are no longer home.

6. Don´t leave small change as a tip. It is just as insulting as back home, maybe even more as you will come across as thinking that your small tip is actually a lot for them and therefore makes you a good person.

7. Don´t ask silly questions like Do you guys have McDonald’s here? Or How long have you guys had Nike?

8. Don´t refer to a person´s country as being a Third World Country, even though it can be considered that in most countries. It´s just not a great conversation starter.

9. Be sensitive to the issues that are close to a nation´s heart.

10. Avoid binge drinking at all costs.

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Many times the quickest and easiest way to save money is to read up on where you are traveling. Pick up a travel guide to whichever city or country you are visiting to find out where the best deals can be found. Also, make sure to find out where the tourist traps are and stay far away from them.

Get a free room upgrade

Naturally it will be much easier to accomplish this if you travel during low season. Make sure to ask for a room upgrade before they hand you your room key. It is best to ask right away. Remember, the only way to receive this is by asking kindly. Tell them it is a special occasion such as an anniversary to increase your chances of your request being approved.

Find out what a Coca Cola costs

Try to find out how much a Coca Cola costs in the country you are traveling. The reason for this is that it will help you gage whether or not the places you are visiting are trying to rip you off. The best bet is to go to a grocery store as they rarely inflate prices.

Find a local travel agent

Don´t be afraid to contact a travel agent in the area to help you plan your trip. Travel agents can help organize your trip to make things go smoothly and to help you coordinate everything to maximize your fun. A travel agent can also point you in the right direction regarding the best and most economical places to see in the area. Travel agents receive commissions from hotels and activity providers and often times will share their savings with you as long as you book through them.

Find a friend

In today´s world, it has become very easy to meet people throughout the world. This could prove to be the single best way to save money as new friendships could potentially lead to very valuable information and possibly even a free homestay. Of course, this works best when traveling as a couple for safety reasons.

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Here is a simple list to ensure that your current or next trip to Central America goes smoothly.

1. Leave your passport somewhere safe and travel with a photocopy
2. Do not exchange money at the border or airport. You will always get a better rate at a local or national bank
3. Brush up on your basic Spanish prior to traveling, especially for directions
4. Do not bring any flashy jewelry
5. Be respectful of local customs such as leaving your shoes on in a household
6. Do not rely heavily on travelers cheques as very few merchants accept these
7. Stay in hotels that have a security safe in your room for the safe keeping of your valuables.
8. Always ask a taxi driver to turn on his meter when applicable
9. Ask you travel agent to give you more information regarding your security and well being.

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Often times newbies feel a need to include many high tech special features such and Java Script to boost the look of their sites. Problem is, these effects are not readable by most search engines and might end up hurting your search results in the long run. It is best to keep your homepage clean and simple and to concentrate on your keywords.

2. Domain Name

It is normal to want your company name to match your domain name, but unless you own a recognizable name this could end up seriously effecting your success online. Internet users have become experts at finding what they are looking for and quickly, and will most surely bypass your link if they do not recognize anything. So what can you do? Try putting your keywords in your domain to increase the chances of someone clicking on your link. If someone is searching for Costa Rica Travel and your domain name is www.costa-rica-travel-and-vacations.com there is a good chance they will feel that your site will lead them to a page that specializes in what they are looking for.

3. Too much talking, not enough selling

It is very understandable to feel as though you need to talk about who your company is and what it is you do. Reality is, people do not really care. Have a section on your site for that information, but tuck it away somewhere. Use your prime spaces for selling your product, not talking about it. If you can come up with an amazing offer, people will buy it, no matter what your company name is.

4. Hire a Pro!

It may be the most obvious of all, but if you want people to take your site seriously, you have to show them that you take it seriously by hiring a real pro to design a clean and attractive site that will be user friendly and load quickly.

5. Make backups of everything

This is definitely the easiest mistake to prevent. However, no matter how often it is said, most people starting out think to themselves that losing all of their hard work would never happen to them. The last thing you will want is to start over after an unfortunate event.

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