The New Year feels like yesterday, but soon enough we will be welcoming the holy month of Ramadhan and Idul Fitri.

By the end of the fasting month, people will be busy preparing themselves for mudik, the annual migration back to their hometowns to celebrate with family members.

Did you know that last year the number of Indonesians traveling for mudik reached over 18 million people, of which 4 million used the train as their transportation of choice?

How about you? Have you booked your mudik trip yet? Any traveler knows that it is advisable to plan your trip and book your tickets in advance to reserve your seat. The good thing is that train tickets for mudik are now available for advance booking up to 90 days prior to the date of travel.

Not only is traveling by train probably the cheapest option, but going by train is also a good option for anyone traveling closer distances who don't want to drive a car or be stuck in traffic. For example, the mudik from Jakarta to Bandung, Sukabumi or Purwakarta can be done in three hours by train.

Trains are also considered family-friendly means of transportation. As Indonesian people usually mudik with the whole family, going by train will allow your kids to move around freely inside the car and slightly decrease the risk of your kids getting bored.

Buying your mudik train tickets has also become easier today with online travel services. There are a lot of online travel agencies selling train tickets now. But specifically it is better if you buy the tickets from the official partners of state-owned railway operator PT KAI, such as Traveloka, which always offers special promos every day. Traveloka is the leading travel site that offers plane, train tickets and hotel rooms.

Now that your tickets are booked and your clothes are packed, please ensure that you follow some of these tips below on essentials to ensure an enjoyable journey home:

Bring your own water and food for breaking fast

During Ramadhan, you can easily find food sellers on the street in the afternoon to help you break the fast. But, when you are en route, you will not have another choice but to buy meals from the train’s food service. Now, this is not a bad idea, but breaking the fast with food you like and are familiar with surely is better.

Bring hand sanitizers/wipes

Public places (including stations and trains), where you see and meet people and have to use common facilities are prone to bacteria and germs. So keeping yourself clean and germ-free by having your own hand sanitizer is always a good idea. By bringing this, you do not need to go to the toilet in a fully-occupied train car just to wash your hands.

Take medication

Some people easily get travel sickness like headaches, stomach aches or simply cannot relax and sleep. When you have a long journey taking an overnight sleeper train, you might want to have your medication ready because you do not know when the sickness will hit, and traveling by train means that you cannot just stop wherever you like to buy medicine. People who find it difficult to sleep on public transportation may consider taking a prescribed sleeping pill.

Do not forget your travel charger

In a digital world when personal gadgets become a part of you, a travel charger or battery pack is good to have on hand just in case your phone or gadget batteries start dying. You never know when you may need to make important phone calls or face emergency situations.

Pack your entertainment source

This part applies differently to everyone. You can bring your books, e-readers, mp3 players, tablets packed with your favorite movies or full of online games to play. Anything that will take your mind off of your journey is good, especially games for kids.

Scarf/sarong for better resting inside the train

Some people find it easier to sleep with blankets. And while blankets might be too thick to carry around, a big scarf might be a good idea for when you feel the need to cover up

Mind your belongings

During the mudik season, the stakes are high, because everyone wants to go everywhere and get everything. Be sure to watch out for your belongings (especially in the station and on the train, which are very crowded in mudik season).

Not only is criminal activity high during this time, but simple things like taking someone else's bags can cause big problems. You would not want to make your niece back home cry when her presents are lost because your bags were swapped, would you?

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