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Traveling to a foreign country can be an exciting, yet daunting, prospect. Before you head out for your journey, you should check with people who have visited the nation. In addition, the age of the Internet allows you to check online. Find out about any laws prescribing dress. Also check into the climate and local customs so that you will be prepared for your trip. Here is a continuation of the tips for women traveling abroad. I hope that you will take these tips as a starting point so that you can be prepared when you travel.

Shorts in Mexico are a bad idea. Try to stick primarily with pants although short-sleeved shirts are acceptable. Also, in many American beach communities, it is considered acceptable to wear your bathing suit into local restaurants and such. That is not the case in Mexico. Stick to wearing your bathing suit only at the pool or beach and cover up on your way there and back.

The people of Thailand are all about respect. They believe strongly in people's respect for themselves, and that respect begins with clothing. Unlike some other nations, you should always press your clothing in Thailand and approach the nation with courtesy. You should not wear sleeveless shirts or shorts although some contemporary fashion is acceptable. The Thais will not be angry or offended by your shorts, but they will be as if you are screaming to everyone that you are a tourist, which you do not want when you travel to other nations. Also no one in Thailand wear socks, which is in part because you are expected to take off your shoes anytime you are in the presence of Buddha. Stick with sandals.

If you are traveling to Malaysia, you can wear short sleeves, but you should stick to dresses that come below your knee, as close to ankle-length as possible.

The Philippines is one of the nations where women are expected to cover up, but that tradition has come into contact with Western culture. The alternative, then, is that many of the women wear polo-type shirts, which fits the cultural standards about women and makes the women feel better.

Belgium is part of the Western world in terms of fashion. You should be okay there in terms of your clothing regardless of what you choose. The one area where you should be careful, however, is that you should be prepared for the changing weather they have. Belgium can have rain one day and a perfectly sunshiny day the next. Bring clothes for cooler days as well as for inclement weather.

Indochina is one of the places where the shoes must come off at the temples although some temples will permit you to put large socks over your shoes if you are weird about walking around barefoot. Beware of thievery, however! Like in many American cities where you cannot leave your CD player in the open in your car, you should beware of leaving your shoes outside the temple door. Someone is likely to take them. Instead you should put your shoes in a handbag with you because that is considered respectful.

If you are taking a trip to Poland, never fear. Your jeans can go with you. Denim is extremely popular in Poland, and the people there are open to wearing shorts and short sleeved-shirts as well. The only major concern you should have is that the winters can get very frigid. To avoid this problem, you should bring very heavy winter socks and a good coat with you.

Turkey is not the place to break out your skirts. Instead you should stick to pants and long-sleeved shirts. Do not try to dress more liberally than the nation's residents do, or you will get unwanted attention from the locals.

If you are in Nigeria, your best bet is to make yourself look like a Muslim women. Nigerian women are very meticulous, and they always press their clothes before leaving home. (In other words, the college student, just out of bed look is not okay.) You should expect to do the same and wear a scarf over your head (not required, but a good suggestion) so that the men believe you are a fellow Muslim.
By Julia Mercer