This page is written with South America in mind, so most examples and specific advice is for SA. But of course the general advice may be useful anywhere.
Before going to another country, try to find out as much as possible about it. Look it up in your atlas or encyclopaedia, read some books (facts or fiction) about it, read something by an author from the country, learn the language etc.
You probably have some of this material at home already - or in the library or on the internet (hey, you are already here!), so usually you don't need to buy much. But one thing is IMHO a must - a decent guide book for the country or region you plan to visit! (Some people say you should bring a map as well. This is useful if you are driving a car or are trekking or is going to a specific village, but if you go by bus/train/plane a general map which is printed in any guide book is good enough. Or you can get one locally when you need it.)
Even though I concider a guidebook a must, it does not mean you should follow it like a slave. Personally I read them before I go and just bring them to look up info on places I want to see. If you follow the guidebook, you will certainly follow the path of other tourists like yourself, and that may be a bit boring. Better go to the local tourist office to find out what to do in the area, or ask local people. Don't worry, if you want to see them, you will see the major attractions in this way too :-)
Who is the publisher? Do other people recommend this book? When is it published? In what language is it written? Is it translated or did the authors use this language? Does it cover all of the country/region? Is it written with a specific age group in mind? Does it have a special interest in mind? Does the tips it gives fit your budget? Remember, buying a twenty year old architecture guide aimed at rich, old people, written in French may not be your best choice! (Unless you are a 70 year old rich architecture geek with a major in French, of course.)
I have used Lonely Planet and Let's Go. Both series are well written and updated regularly. I think Lonely Planet covers more of the world, and they also have general guides on language, beaches, travel stories, woemn etc. On the other hand Let's Go is updated yearly, so it's always up to date. Let's Go is written by students, so it may be very good if you are young and poor.
I won't try to evaluate them against each other, I have read too few of them, but both are probably a good buy.
There are other series too, like Rough Guides (they do also have music, special guide books, language guide etc, like fex. Lonely Planet have) and Insiders' Guide and lots of others, plus a bunch of translated and non-translated national and international series. I haven't tried many of them, so I have no idea about how accurate they are. Remember that guide books are often written with a special audience in mind, and the content is decided by that.
Learn some language. This will show people you meet that you have a slightest interest in their language, and will make them more polite and willing to help you. This is especially important if you are visiting friends and their families, which may not know any other language than their own. It shows that you have respect for them. And it's icebreaking when a child greet you in his language and you not only understand him, but also know how to greet him back.
Lonely Planet's phrasebooks are very good. They contain essesial vocabulary both for meeting people and surviving on your own, and have good sections on health, food etc. They also provide facts about the areas the language is spoken in.
(Latin American) Spanish is spoken in most of South America. The exception is Brazil, in which Brazilean Portuguese is used. In some of the Andean countries, like Peru and Bolivia, Quechua is spoken by many, but Spanish usually works in most parts of these countries too. Many people here don't speak Quechua at all - it's an indian language, and not all people are indians.
Most important phrases include:
"My name is..."
"I am from..."
"How are you?"
"Hello" (Good morning/afternoon/evening - the polite forms are most
important, the informal words will probably be something like hello, hi,
hola anyway)
"Good bye" (again, the polite version)
"What is <this> in <foreign language>?"
"Where is the bus station?"
"How do I get to <place>?"
Expand your vocabulary from this.
Don't carry too much valuable stuff around. Use a small pocketbelt for cards, passport, tickets and other valuables if you can't leave them in your hotel (don't trust the hotel safe), but if you are staying with friends you can probably rely on them and leave your stuff there, maybe discretely tucked in at the bottom of a bag etc.
Don't carry your passport/tickets in your (hand)bag/purse.
Leave a copy of your passport, tickets, travel schedule, credit card, travel cheque list etc at home. Bring a set of copies with you, store them in your luggage. Remember to bring the emergency phone numbers of your bank, VISA, travel agency etc plus to friends or family (even if you know them by heart. In a crisis you may be in chock or somebody else will need them.).
Dont't show your money on the street.
Don't take out your cheques/passport until you are inside the bank.
Don't take out your VISA-card until you are inside the room with the ATM. There are probably guards or cameras there to keep you more secure.
Don't do other things than taking pictures with your camera while in public. Don't change film, lenses etc. Never leave the camera unattended, not even for two seconds. This also includes storing it on a free chair while eating in a cafe.
If someone want's your money/camera, give it to them. Never try to fight for it. Thieves may be dangerous.
Report robbery to the police. Get a receipt afterwards. You will need this to claim your insurance money.
Always have a travel insurance, preferably one that can give you back your camera etc immediately, before you get home.
Bring a single-use camera for use in crowded areas, on the beach etc.
You can safely develop films in (chain)stores. Double copies are often expensive, so if you want this, wait until you get home. If you buy double copies, you may send one set home. If not, you may send either the negatives or the photos home, via registered mail. Carry the other set in your hand luggage. Always carry developed films in your handluggage, and preferably also undeveloped film, since strong x-ray on checked-in luggage may harm it.
Especially in poorer countries people really dress up if they study, work in an office etc - generally if they have an education and/or can get a "white collar job". You may want to bring along conservative clothing so you don't feel too dressed down with them, i.e. proper pants/trouses, a shirt/blouse (and iron, or borrow an iron in the ho(s)tel or family you live), a nice jacket/blazer, tie, nice dress/skirt etc. It doesn't mean your luggage will be heavy - just that you bring your nice clothes in stead of the more dressed-down clothes you would have used at home. For students and young teachers in fex. language schools, jeans are (usually, unless the school has a dress code) appropriate with a nice top or blouse.
Bring a skirt and a blouse (or two) in stead of a dress or nice trousers (one or two pairs) and a matching blazer in stead of a complete suit. It's easier to clean (at least a blouse fits into the sink) and easier to buy an extra blouse or trousers if you need it, without making the luggage too heavy. Remember that you may want to wash your blouse daily if the climate is warm, while the skirt can be used for a few days before being too dirty.
If you are small/petite (no L/XL) you can easily buy clothes in the country you stay, probably cheaper than at home. Shorts are seldom used by adults - bring light trousers or a skirt/summer dress in stead. Remember nice shoes, even though you should be sure your shoes are comfortable first. If you don't have comfortable, nice shoes, go for the comfortable, not-so-nice shoes! (Clean, brush and polish them.)
For young people jeans is ok - wear a nice top, bracelet, matching ear-rings, rings and makeup if you are a girl, or an ironed short-sleeved shirt if you are a boy. Generally young people in South-America dress like young people everywhere: according to what's in, but on the elegant side of it. I guess this is similar to the Latin parts of Southern Europe, even though I haven't been there. They dress conservatively at work.
Stay away from raw fish (ceviche of raw fish is forbidden in many countries (but not all!) due to danger of colera, and is made of boiled fish instead. It's safe if the place itself looks safe. Just check whether the fish is raw or cooked first.). Be careful at BBQs - make sure your plate has not been used for storing raw meat in. Make sure salad is washed in clean (boiled/bottled if the tap water is unsafe) water, and that fruit and vegetables are peeled recently.
In markets, buy fruit that you can peel yourself (bring a small knife), don't let the market staff peel or cut it for you. Don't buy peeled fruit in buses etc unless you see with your own eyes that it's peeled there and has NOT been stored (peeled) in a bucket of water or on the soil.
Don't buy juice or limonade unless in sealed bottles. Plastic bags with juice and a straw may be tempting on a hot day, but the water may be unclean. Buy or bring a 0.5 litre bottle (I brought a regular bottle of water in Norway and brought the bottle all the way through my journey. This is lighter than buying camp gear kind of bottles, and good enough unless you plan heavy trekking (well, why don't use the same bottle then, too? Except it might be difficult to attach to the backpack in such a way that it's easy to reach.) or insist on sitting on your bottle all the time.) and refill it from a 5 l bottle of water that you buy from any store/kiosk.
Buy films in photo stores. Not much cheaper than at home, but you can usually be sure the film quality is really what you expect it to be, and the brands are well-known. Photo stores also sell single-use cameras. You don't need to bring tons of film from home, but remember to stack up if you go to rural areas for a long time.
Use stores, kiosks etc away from main streets or very touristic areas. The prices will be halved. This also goes for internet cafes, even though the speed may be poorer and the software less updated (but Yahoo, Hotmail and the other usual webmails work). People around you will more likely be local people.
Don't walk home if you feel unsafe. Take the bus or a taxi (both are ridiculously cheap). Make sure the taxi has a meter, that it's zeroed before the trip starts and that the driver is using it. Let the driver know (from your glances on the meter) that you expects the meter to be used.
If you absolutely HAVE to walk, don't walk alone. Ask people going in the same direction as you if you can walk with them IF they look trustworthy (hint: men should unfortunately be treated like NOT trustworthy if you are a single woman). Never do this unless you have a little idea about where you live, how to get there and what the way looks like. Stick to lightened streets and open places. Avoid people. Generally, act as you would in any city in your own country. If you are drunk and can't get home, find a hotel in stead. Never walk home alone if you are drunk.
People will generally be very polite and invite you into their homes if you get in touch with them. This also includes giving up their bed for you if you can't get home that night. Myself I stayed at my dance teacher's home after a trip because of a taxi strike. I shared room with three children (them in one bed, I in the other), while my male friend got the bed of our dancing teacher - she slept in her sister's bed. It's therefore smart to carry around small gifts from your own country to give as a gift of appreciation if you experience such things. Small calendars, an album with photos/pictures of you, your family and country that you can give away pictures from, small souvernirs etc.
Make a small album of pictures of yourself, family, places etc. The pictures can be self-taken photos or view cards. Use this as a way of getting in contact with people (of course you shouldn't sit on the street waiving your album, but show it to people you talk to, their families etc). Prepare yourself for the vacabulary (not necessarily complete sentences) you need to explain the photos if the motive is not evident (then they can tell you the words in their language :)).
You will often be the first person from abroad in their home (and sometimes even in their village), so the impression you give is very important. It will be a great experience both for you and them.
(This is written by a female and goes mostly for women.)
South America is very much a masculine society. Women, especially from the upper and middle class, get education, but are often expected to get less paid than their husbands and their main task will be family affairs. Don't react if women of the families you visit are treated badly, unless asked how women are treated in your country.
(Women from lower class seldom get education. This also goes for men from lower class, so it's a socio-economic issue more than a gender issue. Generally there is more equality between men and women among poor people, because everybody have to do their share and thus nobody are expected to just sit at home. But men and women are certainly threated different, it's not like they are equal.)
Don't react when men are whistling at you. Just ignore them.
Don't tease men by dressing "inappropriate" (compared to local girls), going home with them etc. Of course a no is a no and should be like that, but this is not necessarily clear in all other parts of the world This does NOT mean you are guilty if anything bad happens!!!
Local girls are expected to be virgins when they marry. This means that they are often hard to pick up. Don't push them if you are a boy/man - respect and accept.
For women this also means that local boys are somewhat hungry - ask them politely to get away, then to piss off, if you feel uncomfortable in a situation. Generally family members of your friends will behave well, but this does not necessarily go for their friends.
Learn the local vocabulary for making someone get away from you plus the words to use if yelling for help. Try to learn how to get help if you need to go top the hospital, doctors, police etc. The phrase books usually have sections on this, so you can use them in an emergency to explain what happened - if you don't bring the phrase book it might be wise to write down some sentences in stead, just to remember them in a stressed crisis.
On the other hand, don't be afraid of flirting :) Just don't do stupid things - don't let a completely strange man accompagny you alone to home (let him take you along with your girl friend and make sure you agree on NOT letting him in or going into his home), be careful with visits at strangers' homes at night. If asked by his parents to guide you or take you home, your friend's brother will be a perfect and polite guide, so there is no reason not to trust him (you may ask your friend first, though).
Some of my best experiences in Ecuador were when I drove around with my friend's cousin (I guess he was ordered by his parents) and he showed me small villages, nice cafes, the beach etc. He was extremely polite and nice.
These advises are written by me, a Norwegian woman of about 25, for other people. I travelled in Ecuador and Chile for 7 weeks in 1999, and have made several shorter trips before and after that. I will not consider myself an experienced traveller, but I have some experience and am usually not afraid when travelling (I usually go alone).
I am in no way responsible for the use of this advice, and I don't guarantee that information I give is correct. Please send me your comments, corrections etc if I have written something completely wrong, forgotten something important, you want me to write something more or you simply want to write me a comment.