If you want to take a vacation, the first thing that you need to decide on is the place that you want to go to. You may pick a place that is just a few hours away from your city or you may prefer a place that is miles and miles away. Whatever you decide on, you need to have a strategic plan to make sure you enjoy your vacation. Most of us are too preoccupied with work that taking a vacation may be something very difficult to fit into our schedule. When we can finally squeeze in a few days for our vacation, then we must make sure all those days are utilized well, and most importantly, filled with fun!
I want to share with you a few things that you must take into consideration when you plan for your travel:
1. Choose your companions – Unless you are a loner, you would prefer to have companions to share your trip with. You may want to bring your family with you, friends or your office mates. Selecting your companions for a trip will also depend on what place you may want to go. You have to make sure that the companions you choose will enjoy the trip and will appreciate the place.
2. Plan ahead – Planning ahead gives you time to schedule a leave from work, and also time to set aside some savings for your trip. This includes coming up with a date where you plan to go on a vacation. When choosing a date, it is best to have the weekends or some holidays which may result to long weekends. This helps minimize your days of absence from work.
3. Getting there – If you choose a place that is hours away from the city that you are in, you may consider riding a bus or renting a van. Try to ask around for prices and compute if you can save up taking a bus or renting a van. For places where you will need to ride a plane, it is best to book your ticket months ahead. Airline companies usually have promotional seat sales and tickets booked months ahead helps you save up for the cost of your travel. However, you need to remember that if due to unavoidable circumstances, your trip will not push thru or you have a change in dates, you may need to spend more when re-booking your promo fares.
4. A Place to stay – Your place to stay will depend on your preferences. Some people cannot live without wifi, so they prefer hotels that give them free wifi. As for me, I look for a place that is cheap, clean and secured. I prefer a cheap one, because it will only be used for sleeping. I do not plan to go on a trip and just lock myself up in a hotel room for hours. Clean, because you will be sleeping on those beds and using their towels. So you have to make sure they are properly washed and cleaned. Security is one requirement that I definitely prioritize. You will need to leave some of your belongings in the hotel and you would want to make sure that it is safe to leave them there.
5. Places and sites to see – Since you will only be staying for a few days, might as well plan the sites you want to see. Research on the must see places and how to get there. It is important that you read about what you will be expecting to see or experience if you should go to that place. We all have our personal preferences and what might be pleasant and exciting for some travelers might not be as pleasant and exciting for you. Once you have listed the places you want to go to, plan which days you want to go to these sites. Make sure you visit Museums and other government run institutions on a weekday, they are closed on weekends.
6. Travel Light – As much as possible, bring light clothing. I love travelling light. It saves me from paying for my baggage fee and from carrying around a heavy baggage. Would you believe that my clothes for a 10-day travel would fit into a normal sized backpack? I bring shorts, skirts, shirts, dresses, and leggings. Remember that you won’t need to bring a towel if you checked-in a hotel, as the towels will be provided for you.
7. First Aid – Try to bring basic medicines that you may need. Paracetamol for headache and medicine for diarrhea should your tummy react negatively to any food you might eat during your trip.
8. Get a Map – You can get a map to help you get around the city. This will also guard you against drivers who may want to fool you by charging too much. Maps provide you an idea of how far the places you want to go are from each other. Find the city tourism office desk in the airport or locate it in the city you will be visiting by searching for details ahead on the Internet. Maps are usually given for free by the city tourism offices.
9. Lost? Ask for Directions – I know it isn’t really a good idea to ask for directions as it gives people the idea that you are either a tourist or you are lost. However, it would save you time if you ask for directions. When asking for directions, make sure you ask from reliable people. You can try to ask inside an establishment or ask security guards. Also, make sure you do not ask directions only from one person. The trick is to make sure you are being given the right directions. Ask three different people. If they provide you with the same instructions, then you are sure that is the direction to the place you are looking for. If you get different instructions, then continue to ask more people.
10. Bring home some souvenirs – Souvenirs reminds you of the places that you have visited. You can get a shirt or some items which are unique to the places that you have visited. Do not be too impulsive when buying shirts or other items. Remember that the first vendor you see is not the only person selling the goods you might like. You may regret seeing the same item being sold by another vendor someplace else for a cheaper price.
Planning for a vacation can also be tiring if you are the one in charge to book the tickets, book the hotel, research for the places to see, etc. So you won’t cram, look for hotels and research for the sites a month ahead. This gives you enough time to read and learn about the place that you are about to see. Do your research during your free time and stop when you get tired.. there is always the next day. During your vacation - forget about work, forget about your problems and most of all ENJOY YOUR TRIP!
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