Knowing and respecting the cultural differences of other countries can make an overseas holiday a much better experience and better value than trooping through a place totally oblivious to the fact that there are other ways of living – both good and bad.
Many travelers forget that when they leave their own borders that other countries aren’t necessarily the same – in customs, attitudes, politics and governance or human rights.
Dress Codes
Many countries are more formal in modes of dress – for a various reasons. For example in 
Thailand, for men to wear shorts and tank tops to a restaurant is seen as low class. Women wearing shorts and halter tops, while acceptable at home, is offensive in many Moslem countries.
Some countries require that shoes be taken off before entering sacred places and even homes. Others will require women to wear head scarves in public. Whether you agree with such matters is irrelevant – it is their country and, a holiday, is not a time to try to change others.
Many countries are patriarchal, whether we like it or not, and women do not enjoy the same status as in the U.S, Europe and so on.
If you are visiting a country that straddles the tropics remember it will be very humid, so choose clothing that is cool, rather than opt for less clothing.
Alcohol and Drugs
Drinking alcohol is not permitted, at least publicly, in many countries. Snogging on a beach, common at home, can result in a birching in some places.
Illicit drugs (while banned in most places) do have much more severe penalties in many countries, including the death penalty – for crimes that would get fines of short term incarceration at home.
Pre-departure reading is highly recommended. Travel books like Fodors and The Lonely Planet have excellent references to a wide range of information for travelers, including tips to handle cultural differences so that your holiday is not swamped with cultural shock.
