[Travel Tips]: How to plan a trip

Life is short. Why not spend some time to explore the world?

More and more people are addicted to travel nowadays. I can't stop myself from feeling jealous towards people who can travel often to different places in the world. I don't have the time and money. So, recently, I have been reading on a lot of travel blogs and posts. They inspired me to share my ways of planning trips. I may not be as good or as professional as other travel bloggers, but I have my way to plan a trip, either domestically or internationally. 

Here are some tips on how to plan a trip! This can help me to imagine that I'm indeed on a vacation NOW! 


#1 DECIDE ON A DESTINATION
You have been saying that you want to travel, you want to explore. But, W-H-E-R-E?? Do you prefer going on a shopping trip? Relaxation trip? Adventurous trip? Beach getaway? It is very important that you choose a place that you will like and enjoy to the fullest. Don't just follow the crowd or the trend. You could be a beach person but all your friends went Bangkok for a shopping trip. Which one would you choose? Follow the trend? The point here is, if you have limited travel fund and time, please follow your heart.  


#2  BOOK YOUR TICKET
Either you are traveling by land, sea or air, you need to book a ticket to leave your home. Checking schedules of bus, flight or boat is very important if you are on a tight schedule. Make sure you get cheap tickets by comparing prices from different companies. Not to forget, allocate enough time for yourself to travel. If you found really really cheap flight ticket, I would suggest you to grab it first! Of course, pick a time that you probably can travel to avoid wastage. 


#3 PLAN YOUR ITINERARY
You've chose a place to explore. And now you have your tickets ready. You must have something in your mind about the place. What you want to see? Where you want to visit? I would strongly suggest to visit tourist spots if you are visiting the place for the FIRST time, at least the famous ones. List down the places that you want to visit and then take a look at the map. Group places that are near to each other accordingly. This will help you to save time on traveling and also easier to plan your itinerary too! If you have no idea at all, you can ask Mr. Google, or visit TripAdvisor website for suggestions. 




#4 BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION
Now that you know roughly how many days you will spend in a place, you can start searching for accommodation. It will depends on your budget to decide on what types of accommodation to book. If you want a comfortable and nice room for yourself, I would suggest you to search for a hotel. If you just want a comfy bed to sleep on and don't mind sharing bathroom, hostel would be a great place. If you are more adventurous, you can try couchsurfing (which I have yet to try).

Before you book any place to stay, I would suggest you to read some traveler's reviews because photos on the website could lie. In my point of view, safety is the most important criteria to look for, followed by friendliness and cleanliness. If there are some comments saying that the place seems dodgy, please think twice!


#5 PREPARE YOUR DOCUMENTS
Check your passport expiry date!!! Is there any visa required for you to enter the country? Print all the booking slip for your transportation and accommodation. Don't forget to check in your flight before departure. If you need travel insurance, kindly go search for one earlier. Don't wait till last minute. Get ready your travel funds too! Remember to change your money to local currency. 


#6  PREPARE YOURSELF
Get ready your clothes, bags, cameras, etc etc..... Be mentally prepared to absorb new culture and environment. And so, you're basically prepared for a getaway! 

This is just a very brief guide on how to plan a trip by yourself. You can also join a tour if you are lazy to prepare itinerary. Local tour seems to be more fun to me, or you can choose a tour from your origin country/state. So, are you ready to travel?? =)