Once the travel bug bites, your wishlist of destinations soon starts to mount up. No sooner do you get back from the trip of a lifetime, then you start to crave the next one. You’ve posted all the photos, your tan is starting to fade, and you begin to dream about where in the world to go next.
Every traveller is full of dreams about where their next trip is going to take them and what unforgettable experiences they might have along the way – from meeting new friends, to discovering a new passion in life or simply just getting the best looking Instagram feed!
There are so many practical considerations to choosing your next destination. And when the possibilities are that exciting, it can be surprisingly hard to narrow it down. To make sure your next trip is the trip of a lifetime, there are some ways of narrowing down your choices and making sure that you choose the right one for you.
Think About What You Want From Your Trip
We travel for all kinds of different reasons. It can be to discover a new culture, learn about history, to alter our pace of life, have fun with friends or switch off our anxiety.
Different destinations can offer things to excite us, soothe our senses, or help us learn about the world, and understanding exactly how you want this next trip to make you feel is the key to match your mood with your destination. If you need to kick back on the beach with a good book and get some headspace, then a chilled out destination like Goa or the Tuscan hills would be ideal. If culture and soaking up history appeals, you could head for Rome.
If you’re out to party with your friends then perhaps Las Vegas or even Ibiza? One you have the destination nailed, check TripAdvisor to work out what must-see sights and activities there are that would make your trip truly unforgettable. Think about what you want to eat and where you can easily travel to from your destination. Putting the research into it is half the fun as you narrow down what to do once you get there.
Set Your Budget
As great as it would be if money was truly no object, for most of us it has to be factored in, so make sure that your travelling budget tallies up with the place you’re going and what you want to do there. A lot of it depends on how long you are planning to go away for and if you’ll be working when you get there.
Try to look for areas to save money, such as accommodation suitable for your area and length of trip. Finding a great place to stay is easy with the Internet – you could check out the boutique hostels of Amsterdam or search for an apartment in kuala lumpur for rent monthly.
Have a good sense of what you can comfortably afford and remember that you will need some emergency money stashed away just in case, so don’t spend everything you have on a fancy hotel for the first two weeks!
Find Recommendations
Part of the journey of making choices and feeling inspired about your new destination comes from looking at the opinions of fellow travellers who have been where you want to visit before. From accommodation review sites to friends and family, you may just hear about that fantastic market or can’t-miss-it boat trip from someone that could take your visit to the next level.
If you know people who have visited near to your dream destination ask them about their experiences, where they found the best food and what their favourite memory was from their trip. You can get some really great personal recommendations or avoid some common pitfalls that way.
Stay Open Minded
Although making plans and setting a travel budget are important steps to help you make the most of your time away, there’s also definitely something to be said for staying a little open minded too. Sometimes the most amazing travels are those where you pack light and head somewhere that you perhaps wouldn’t have automatically chosen.
When we have less of a preconceived idea of what a destination will be like, it allows us to relax and enjoy the experience a little more. Itineraries are great to make sure that you stay on track and see what you want to, but it’s also just as important to enjoy some downtime as well.
Create a little space in your schedule to see where the wind takes you – you may just end up having the best experience of your travels!
Transform Your Life
Travelling to new places usually has a great way of opening your mind and making you see life a little bit differently. Use the time away to assess the direction that your life is going in and to create some goals for yourself.
You could even try and find volunteering opportunities abroad to make a difference while seeing some of the world. A shorter trip may inspire you to move abroad for a while and try life in a different country, or you could meet new friends all over the world.
When you travel, you make something happen. And that positive momentum can start a chain reaction in your life and take you in totally unexpected directions.
Capture The Memories
When you come back from your amazing trip, you’ll want to have something to remember it by. So make sure that you’re capturing those memories when you travel. Seek out the most Instagrammable spots by doing a little hashtag research on your chosen destination before flying out there.
Decide what those perfect shots are going to be and try to get to your locations early before they fill up with other tourists. It may take a little dedication, but getting those amazing items captured digitally means that you always have them to look back on after you’ve come back.
Images by Pixabay
