Top 3 Tips For Choosing a Holiday Destination
Written by Tracy Bell
How to Start – Choosing a Holiday Destination The world was my oyster – I could go anywhere! But the overload of information and pressure of deciding where to go made this freedom quite daunting. I had a rough itinerary, but through my travels, I learnt to leave myself open to random opportunities. I knew from the beginning that I was not interested in a tour, despite a travel agent strongly pushing a Contiki trip. But backpacking by myself opened me up to go in any direction and meet people to travel with wherever they might be going. But still, I had to buy a plane ticket to somewhere first, so how to make that decision?
Here are three steps to follow to help you choose a destination, whether you are planning a “Big Family Adventure” or a shorter vacation. (How to Start)
1. What do you want from your travels?
Are you looking for adventure activities, a beach resort or some empty bushland? Do you prefer to camp or stay in a hotel? Are you interested in history, culture and/or nature? Figuring out how you like to travel and what you want to see and do can narrow down your choices. For example, if you are more interested in history and culture than nature, then perhaps an African safari won’t serve your purposes and you might instead look at a visit to St Petersburg or Paris.
2. Ask around about other people’s travel experiences
There will be some amongst your friends, family and other associates who will have travelled and might have some suggestions for you. And perhaps you even know someone who has experienced some of the things that you want to experience on your holiday, so ask questions. Where did they go? How did they organise it? What would they do differently next time? Travel forums are also a great place to get advice from other travellers. Get online and post your questions to the worldwide travel community.
3. Plan your travel
How long do you have for this trip? After establishing your travel goals and talking to people, it may become apparent that you need to make it a multi-destination adventure. But don’t get too ambitious – if you have limited time it might be worth considering splitting the trip into two separate holidays. As well as the time you have for the trip itself, consider the time it will take to organise the trip – getting vaccinations and visas can take several weeks or months.
My biggest tip is one I mentioned earlier: don’t get too ambitious. Having a strict itinerary that fills every day of your holiday can be frustrating for a number of reasons. You want to leave time in your itinerary for random opportunities. Getting to know one place in depth is often more rewarding than simply ticking off a checklist. And don’t forget that travelling is tiring – you are constantly pushing the limits of your comfort zone so you need a rest day now and then. (How to Start)
Travel is awesome! Everywhere in the world has something amazing to offer and there is no “wrong choice” in choosing a destination. So don’t get overwhelmed by the information overload and feeling of total freedom of choice. Just close your eyes, point to the map and go wherever your finger lands. Have fun!
Top 3 Tips For Choosing a Holiday Destination Top 3 Tips For Choosing a Holiday Destination
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