Once upon a time, we didn't know better. I thought, since it would be our first time in that specific place and we want everything to be convenient and good, let's let the experts handle it.
Wrong move.
In a nutshell, we felt like we did not get to experience the place enough. It was not the best experience and we swore that moving forward, we'll do it our way. DIYs Itineraries are the best!
I'm no expert in planning trips, I have not traveled enough to be called a legit travel blogger but I thought it would be nice to share how I go about planning our trips.
1. Plan ahead of time. Yes, spur of the moment decisions are always good memories to look back to, but if you do not have the luxury of time and fund to always go on travels, it is not the best idea. Always take enough time to plan your getaway. You don't want to waste your time, opportunity and money to make the most out of your trip just because you were not able to prepare.
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| Flower Dome - Gardens By The Bay - Singapore |
2. Make a To Do List. I am not just talking about typing some notes on your smartphone. I suggest that you go do it in a more traditional way. Go grab that pen and paper, list down all the things that you need to book, do and research about the upcoming trip. Stick that note on a place where you would always see, take a photo of it on your mobile phone, set a schedule to accomplish all that you have listed! Set up a reminder on your phone's calendar to make sure that you won't need to rush.
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| Batu Cave - Malysia |
3. Do not book what needs to be booked all at once. I believe one of the reasons why some people say that it is too expensive to travel is because they think all expenses needs to be paid one time, big time. What I suggest is, start booking at least 5 months before your desired trip date.
The longer the preparation, the better! Say, you want to travel in March 2018. I suggest you go book a plane ticket before October ends, then your hotel accommodation before November ends. Save portions of your income from December-February for your travel pocket money. And then, if necessary, go buy your travel outfits!
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| Yes, -- print it! |
4. Research everything you need to know about your DIY Itinerary. This is the most tedious part. Making your own itinerary. This usually takes the longest to be accomplished. Here are the things that I do to make an effective personal itinerary.
- I research the top tourist destinations and choose which ones would we like to prioritize and visit.
- I read travel blogs for additional information.
- I check the distance of the tourist tourist spots from each other and from our accommodation.
- Research on how to get to the place.
- Check the operation hours, dress codes and entrance fees.
- I print a hard copy and save a copy on my mobile phone.
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| Magalawa Island, - Palauig - Zambales - Philippines |
5. Allot ample time to enjoy each tourist destination! It's alright if you will not be able to visit all of the recommended tourist destinations. After all, it is really impossible. Instead of trying to squeeze all the tourist destinations in on trip, just choose your best options and make sure to enjoy the place while you're there! I am not suggesting that you slack off and not make the most out of your trip. All I'm saying is, it will even be more of a waste if you will not be able to enjoy the moment and the place that you visited just because you are always in a hurry to get to the next place. You went there for vacation, not Amazing Race! If you were not able to visit all places that you wanted to visit, then you have a damn good reason to come back! ;) Save it for another trip.
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| Ayutthaya - Thailand |
6. Travel Budget. For the daily expenses while on the trip, I normally allot a specific amount of money for each day and stick with it. At the start of each day, we make sure that we set aside the budget of the specific day. I find this really effective because we always still have enough to spend for the remaining days of the trip. You don't want to go all out on your first day and not have enough fund to enjoy on the last few days!
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| Eden Nature Park - Davao - Philippines |
7. Research about local mobile data prepaid plans. Do I still need to explain this? lol. You can't get lost when you have online maps! And it won't hurt that you get to post live updates on your social media accounts, too!
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| ChocolateVille Thailand |
8. Not everything is going to go as planned. You might think that you have planned everything perfectly, but be prepared that you might have to tweak something because of some unexpected events. It could be rain, unbearable heat, closed tourist spot and many other things that could go wrong. If any of these happen, do not let frustration win. No matter how it did not turn out as planned, just be grateful and excited that you're out on a trip and there's always that possibility of experiencing something new and fun!
So, that's how I and my partner plan our trips!
What about you? What do you prefer? organized Group Tour or DIY Travels? Let me know about your experiences on the comment section! :)
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