19 Sep How To Find Your Dream Destination
So you are planning on going on a vacation, and would like to plan your getaway to remember for life. Well, there are SO many places waiting to be discovered, and it is not easy to pick the right location for your passion, travel style, and budget (especially with the vast number of inspiring travel accounts on Instagram, constantly making you question your next vacay). In case you need some inspiration and guidance on getting started, below you will find a few tips to help make those vacation plans become a reality, sooner than you would expect them to.
The Climate
You will, of course, have to consider the climate before you go. If you are a fan of tropical weather, chances are that you will find plenty of rainforests and beaches to visit. If, however, you’d rather stay somewhere cold (to go arctic floating or ice bathing, for example), you will need to look somewhere in the mountains, in Northern Europe, or even Mongolia (which is still on our must-see list, so let us know if you get there before us, ok?) Your choices will also depend on what time of year you’re planning to visit, so keep that in mind too. Our home country South Africa, for example, can have piping hot summers of 30 degrees plus, but in winter can drop below zero. The good news, is that there are so many climates to discover, from moderate to extreme, so you can stay comfortable while traveling just by checking your destination’s climate ahead.
Your Budget
Of course, your budget often limits where you can go, and this is why you will have to check the price comparison and travel sites before you choose your location. There are some services, such as Kayak, that allow you to pick your budget and then look for fights. If you are good with money, or prefer to know exactly how much you are going to spend, you will certainly have to check the cost of food, accommodation, and travel before you set off too. Our eBook TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD has an entire section dedicated to budgeting and costs, so that might help your pre-planning.
Your Interests
It is important that you find out about the activities and the different prices in the region. Before you decide where to stay on vacation consider what you would like to do every day. You might be a keen diver or surfer, maybe enjoy long walks and canopy tours. The bad news is, that the more popular your travel destination is, the more you are likely to spend on the activities. Be sure to look for alternative locations that offer better prices and the chance to avoid the crowd.
Long Haul/Short Haul
You’ll need to decide how much time you have to spare. If you only have a week, you essentially can spend five days enjoying the vacation (if you are going on a long haul trip), therefore, you might choose to go on a trip closer to home. If, however, you have a couple of weeks or a job you can do from anywhere, it might be a good idea to spread the cost and find a long term rental, so that it is more worth your while when purchasing expensive flight tickets. You can explore different countries and regions backpacking, as well. There are plenty of great locations in Turkey, such as Istanbul and Bodrum, or one of our favourites – South East Asia, to see Vietnam and Indonesia.
Activities
Traveling alone will probably not make you too happy (unless you’re looking for some “alone time”, then never mind…off you go!) Creating memories during your vacation will make a difference, no matter who you’re traveling with. Ensure that you plan your activities and every day offers a new “wow”. For example, if you are planning to travel to Asia, you can go on a train journey to see a different place, and take part in a new ritual every day (or so we’ve heard). If you’re stuck on deciding what kind of activities you want to do, make sure to check out our Wanderlist – it’s filled with all our own “bucket list” experiences, and those recommended to us by our community.
Safety
When choosing your travel destination, you will also have to check out how safe it is. It might be the case that you are going to save money on the single supplement charges, so why not take someone with you to share the experience? That way you can also split the weight between your bags, and split the bill after a big night out. Alternatively, you can join a group going to the same place, and benefit from the knowledge and expertise (even the language skills) of others. While adventures are great, feeling unsafe and lost in a new city is not the best way to spend your vacation, so make sure you’ve spent enough time doing the research.
Reviews
Once you have a destination in mind, and you are ready to go, it is important that you choose your local travel agent and accommodation carefully. Take into consideration the fact that the hotel and accommodation rating systems vary from one continent or country to the next, so the stars you see next to the name might be misleading. It goes without saying that you should read travel blogs (we have lots of posts to share), look at reputable accounts on Instagram (such as yours truly), browse through Pinterest, and read expert reviews in magazines, so you can avoid disappointments.
In case you often feel the itch to go out there and explore new places, you will have to make sure that you are able to choose the right location, attractions, activities, and accommodation. Be sure to read reviews and destination guides, and consider the time and money you have available to spend traveling the world. Then, pack that bag, and hit the road!
If you enjoyed this post, and want more travel-related content, you may want to follow our journey on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, browse our online photography shop, or get yourself a copy of our TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD eBook.
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