Plan Your Itinerary

 

1. MAKE A WISH LIST AND CHECK THE PLACES YOU WANT TO SEE

This will make your pre-departure a whole lot easier because you already have a list of the places you want to visit and the activities you want to do. It will narrow down your search and make you figure out if your plans are doable, fits your budget, and allocates your time for your trip. 

 

 

2. CREATE AN OUTLINE OF YOUR TRIP

Creating a travel timeframe will make your trip a lot more organized. You may also list the duration of your stay at your destination to maximize your visit. A list of the places you want to see and activities to do creates an itinerary, which you will be needing. Remember to prioritize the areas you want to visit first.

 

3. ESTABLISH A BUDGET

 

It doesn’t matter if you want to stay in a shabby-looking cabin or a luxurious 5-star hotel if you pay attention to your budget. You should also consider having a target budget to decide how much money you can spend on traveling. This will help you manage and control your account during your travel. Also, do not forget to make your itinerary more realistic. Organizing your budget can avoid unforeseen circumstances, such as arguing with your partner for overspending and ruining the trip’s whole experience. We recommend you plan the distribution of spending amongst your friends regarding expenditures on food, accommodations, and activities.

 

 

 

4. CHOOSE A SEASON

 

The whole travel experience is all up to you. You need to carefully plan when you want to visit a destination. You must know beforehand the different types of seasons in that place in different months. If you want to witness snow, then book your trip in December-January. If you want to feel the warmth of the sun, then book your trip within June – August. All you need to do is plan ahead of time and ask the frequent travelers what they can suggest.

5.PLAN YOUR TRIP WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY

 

If you’re traveling with a partner or a group, like family and friends, you better have them involved in planning for the trip.

The tendency to planning the trip all by yourself will make the group you’re traveling with upset or not interested since you’re the only one having a good time. However, when you plan the trip with them, no one in the group will feel left out, and everyone, including yourself, is going to have a blast! 

 

6. BE FLEXIBLE

 

Not every planned trip is perfect. The weather may not cooperate, or your car rental may break down, or your flight may be delayed. The list goes on, but these situations are what you should be prepared for, and the best way to handle these unfortunate events is to be flexible. If you are planning to go hiking in the mountains, but a sudden burst of rain poured down in the city, indeed there are other things you can do, so you don’t need to be upset. You can dine out at a cozy restaurant or go chill in the hot springs. As long as you are having fun, there are endless possibilities.

7.  JOT DOWN ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED FOR THE TRIP FOR YOUR LOCAL AND  INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

 

Prepare the documentation and medications that you need that the country might require you. Surely you do not want to waste the money you spent on your flight just to be denied in the country you are going to. I recommend you get travel insurance. Trust me, and it will save you a lot of money when things go wrong.

Take advantage of affordable flights, cruises, train rides, and bus tour packages. Take time as well to search for hotels in every city you are going to stay in. Determine what transportation modes you need to take when you are traveling from one place to another are.

An essential component of conquering your nerves when it comes to being a first-time traveler abroad is learning everything you need to know about your destination. Here are tips on what you can do to get yourself familiar with your travel destination to travel with confidence.

 

LEARN THE LANGUAGE

 

When traveling, make a small effort to communicate in the local language, especially if it is your first time traveling alone. Remember, if you are in their country and you cannot speak their language, it is your problem, not theirs.

Some useful phrases you can translate to the language or dialect of the country you are going to are:

• “Hello”
• “Sorry”
• “Thank you.”
• “Goodbye”
• “Bathroom/toilet.”
• “Exit”
• “Police Station”
• “Hospital”
• “Restaurant”

However, if you are incapable of speaking the language, having polite body language and smiling goes a long way. Keep your voice at an average level and avoid yelling to make the interaction run much smoother.

Do not hesitate to use translation apps out there. Having these could help you in a long way, as well as creating a translation cheatsheet. Here are links that may help you to access the free Google Translate :

 

For iPhone users : https://apps.apple.com/us/app/google-translate/id414706506

For Android users : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.translate&hl=en

 

RESEARCH THE WEATHER OF YOUR DESTINATION

 

Packing has been vigorously debated many times, and everyone has their methods. Essentially, packing effectively comes down to three things:

• Pack less, but smarter
• Pack more underwear
• Pack for comfort first

This idea will never need as much stuff as you thought you did. You will rarely need more than one pair of shoes or more than one dress outfit. You will soon become at peace with wearing something more than once, and you will always need more underwear and more socks than what you’d plan for.

Some items can have multiple uses, such as scarves that can act as sun protection, warmth, and even a makeshift towel, and an oversized hoodie can be used for heat, pillow, or eye cover to catch some sleep on the plane.

Things to remember:

• Check luggage allowances
  You need to be aware that you will be carrying this bag at most times, and airlines do have weight limits. If you are taking multiple flights with different carriers, check your flights’ weight limits so you don’t get caught out.
• Having a travel partner
  It is a good idea to put an outfit in their bag and one of their businesses in yours, in case one of you loses their luggage. At least, each of you has a fresh outfit to wear until you sort things out.
• For dirty clothes
  Get some big ziplock bags, so they do not affect the clean clothes that are yet to be worn.

Some random yet useful items you could store in your luggage are superglue, a headlamp or mini flashlight, and a phone charger. These may come in handy.

 

Get to know the local culture.

 

                                                   Vigan City, Ilocos Sur Philippines

 

NOTE:   PLEASE RESPECT THE CULTURE

 

When you go traveling for the first time, you will notice something — things will be different. That is the kind of the whole point when you have chosen to travel for the first time. There are things that you should prepare for yourself. Do not let the potential for accidents prevent you from having a great time.

 

If you are from a developed western country, you are probably used to drinking tap water, finding toilet paper in almost every bathroom, and knowing what to expect from your food and how your body will react to it. These are some of the things that you will find to be different when you go traveling — and the only way to find out about that is to do your research or ask me.

 

Having an upset stomach and spending days in the bathroom, or worse, in bed or hospital, can easily be prevented with research. If these things happen, you will be able to overcome these situations quickly if you have the items you need in your medicine pack.

If the local laws seem harsh compared to your own country’s standards, you still need to obey them. You can’t expect preferential treatment just because you are a foreigner. In some countries, exposing your legs or your shoulders or having dual nationality is forbidden.

 

The Do’s and Dont’s of Traveling

Do’s

 

1.  Pack light 

It’s important to consider packing lightly for the trip. I know, it can be tempting to stuff your entire house in your luggage. But honestly, most of the stuff you’re going to bring isn’t even necessary and it’ll probably just sit inside your bag weighing you down. 

 

Here’s a list to help you prepare for your pre-departure :

• Passport
• Visa
• Luggage (consider using a 22-inch carry-on stroller suitcase since this is lightweight)
• Clothes (choose clothes made out of lighter fabrics such as nylon, polyester, cotton, linen, and cotton blends)
• Shoes (be realistic when choosing what type of shoes to bring)
• Toiletries (we suggest you bring none at all and depend on what your hotel will provide or purchase the toiletries needed once you arrive at your destination) If in case you need to bring your own, put in small containers and must not exceed the airline and security standards.
• Electronics bringing the right electronics will save you both weight and space

2 .  Be aware of your surroundings. Watch out for suspicious people or vehicles.

3.   Be ready for cash substitutes such as credit cards and bring them wherever you go. Bring small cash in case you need it.

4.  Always keep your valuables safe. If you’re not bringing them with you, please make use of the safe box in the hotel you’re staying at and place your valuable items there.

 

Note : DO NOT FORGET THE SAFETY BOX COMBINATION

 

5.  Jot down your passport number or take a picture of your passport first page with your picture and save it. This will make things easier for you if you ever manage to lose your passport by accident.

6. Please do dress appropriately. It’s better to look like a local than an obvious tourist. This is to avoid unwanted attention from people that have bad intentions. 

7. Put a name tag in your luggage for you to identify what is yours immediately and as a safeguard against stealing. Write or add the following information:
–return address,
-address of your hotel,
-Or a colorful title around your luggage 

8. Travel with companions as much as possible. Remember, there is safety in numbers.

9.Keep vehicle doors & windows locked and rolled up, and double-check the safety door lock of your hotel room as you enter with your luggage.

10. Be vigilant in checking on your bags and your travel documents. Be cautious when people accidentally bump into you because it is very common that people lose their belongings when that happens.

 

Don’ts

 

1. Don’t carry wads of cash around especially in dubious-looking areas.

2. Avoid looking lost in public. Plan your activities for the day and for the succeeding days. Plan your tours and enjoy every minute of it.

3. When walking, don’t let your bag hang loosely from your shoulders. Also, keep your bag opposite from the side of the road to avoid it from being snatched.

4. Avoid wandering around during nighttime, especially if you’re alone.

5. Never leave your luggage unattended, everywhere you go.

 

Conclusion:

 

As you reach the end of this chapter, I hope you have learned a lot from reading the things you need to do to be travel-ready. Since I am not new to travel life, you may contact me by visiting our website, Avian Connections, at www.avianconnections.com to help you and answer your questions in any way I can.

 

Always remember not to be afraid to explore the beautiful places the world has to offer. Traveling is an experience you will never forget, and I hope this is something you would be doing more often in the future!

 

Stay safe and happy traveling!

 

 

 

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