We all have that sense of adventure that pervades our very soul at odd times: you’re sitting on the loo and a poster on the back of the door shows a gorgeous Seychelles beach…and you want to go; a song comes on the radio about the wild wild west, next thing you want to be roadtripping across the United States on the back of a Harley Davidson.
Face it, we all would love to travel more. But for most of us, we have the constraints of money and time. 15 days leave a year does not leave much for debate, other than Christmas with the family and a mid-year gallavant to the Knysna Oyster Festival!
The good news is that with clever planning – you can arrange a trip that will meet your adventurous spirit head on, keep you within budget and indeed – leave you a few long weekends throughout the year. Keep reading.
Top Tips to Clever Travel Planning:
1.) DESTINATION
This will eliminate a whole bunch of places (ie: the deserts of Mongolia and the Durban south coast in December).
- Decide local or international (Garden Route or Thailand)
- Decide type of experience (beach, safari, city explore, nature, countryside)
- Decide coast or inland (Sydney or Prague)
- Decide one place or multiple spots (Paris for 7 days or Europe Highlights for 11)
Now get it on paper / ipad / laptop!
2.) BUDGET
If you have a vague “Yeah, I have like a few thou’ saved ya know, somethin’, could be cool, maybe like a trip to New York and LA?” Uhmm…no.
Girl – you need to plan, and you need to save, and an international trip needs some serious saving. If you are visiting relatives in the UK and they can put you up for a week, feed you and take you to pubs, then your flight is probably your biggest concern. If you’re planning on a trip to the East, you’ll need to worry about flight & visa costs, travel between each country and decent accommodation, although your food & general spending is a lot less.
Meet a travel agent, discuss your general budget and let them guide you to the best experience you can afford. Speaking of travel agent…
3.) DIY vs TRAVEL AGENT
Ok, most people these days will say you can book everything online – and yeeess, you probably can, but you might end up with a 2 star hotel in Bangkok (ie: cockroaches in the shower) and a 45hour flight reroute. Or, you can go with an agent (who actually gets discounted rates and then adds a commission, thereby giving you a relatively similar rate – and often less – than what you would have paid on line.
Obviously, it’s all relative. If you’re just deciding on a 5 day break up the coast, then by all means book online. But if it’s an involved holiday that includes flights & transfers – check out a decent and reputable agent to help you.
4.) TIME TO GO
As I mentioned, we all have that thing called Annual Leave. And yes while we often split it up all over the year going on small breaks, sometimes it’s actually worth it to capitalise on two weeks out of the office. Some good ideas:
- Look at the public holidays in the year – can you manage to save a few days by booking your holiday around that?
- Are you expected to be anywhere in the year? Ie: a wedding / birthday / Christmas with the family? Plan around this.
- Look for cool local events that can make a normal weekend a fun getaway and maximise your travel experiences.
- Always check out the seasons / weather of the destination you’re planning to go to, and WHEN you’re planning to go. Seriously!
5.) SAY GOODBYE
Once you’re on that plane or in that car, leave your daily work stresses behind! This is about YOUR trip, your holiday, your life. Enjoy it, look forward to it!
Turn off your work email notifications, absorb your journey and adventure to the utmost – it will keep you refreshed for longer and surprisingly, give you more longevity when you return home.
And those are just SOME travel tips from The Good Girls Guide, ensuring that your adventurous travel spirit is not dampened with once a year trips to Hermanus or Umhlanga. Go forth and be excited!
A whole world to see! | source here.
The Good Girls Guide 