I have always been a travel obsessive, I will head to anywhere and everywhere from skiing trips to soaking up the sun in Greece, I am a lover of exploring the world. Only in the past two years or so though, have I been able to organise some trips like Paris, Brussels, New York, Turkey and now South Africa. I really hope that the list of destinations will increase dramatically this year as well. I'm determined to make the most of travelling whilst I can.
So here are my top tips on how to successfully plan and organised a trip of a life time.
Research
Deciding where you want to go on an adventure is never easy but making sure you can get the most out of your trip once your destination is decided is really important. Google can be your best friend but also asking people who have been there is always useful. Some of the best advice will obviously come from people who know the area. I also find that blogs can provide the best insight into what there is to do. Travel guides are also a must, but my top tip is check out the library first. There are hundreds of guides out there and so checking out all the library has, on Paris for instance, allows you to pick which guide you prefer before buying one and also allows you to have an idea of more things to do.
Plan, Plan, Plan
Planning isn't the be all and end all (this is a big thing for me, the ultimate list maker and planner to say) but, it is an important part of your trip. Planning is crucial if you want to jam pack as much as you can in a short period of time and especially if you are staying in multiple places, knowing your transfer times, and hotel locations will allow you to enjoy your trip a lot more than if you were trying to figure it out as you go along. I like to know where I will be resting my head before I arrive and I can search the location and things to do before hand which means I can at least have a rough idea on what to do in that location.
Shop Around
This comes close to planning but shopping around to find the best deal is a great thing to do. I love using trip advisor, secret escapes (if you want some luxury), sky scanner and travel super market to help me find the places I stay at the lowest possible price along with finding the best deal on flights. If you're a student, STA travel is a god send as it can often get you a really good cheap flight. If you're not too worried about where you are staying, hostels are brilliant! On my trip to South Africa, we are only staying in hostels and I can't wait. Some of them look even nicer than the hotels in the area. Another great place is airbnb.com. A new site that I have only heard great things about (I will try this out hopefully this year too!). Finding the cheapest deal doesn't mean you are missing out, and with some independent hotels you can even some times barter to get the best deal.
Visa/Money
Making sure you understand the country is really important before you go. Turkey is a brilliant holiday destination but it does mean you have to apply for a visa before hand and you can use the euro or Turkish lira. For America you will need a visa or apply under the visa waiver scheme. In South Africa, if you are just travelling you can get you're passport stamped when you enter the country and it's valid for 3 months. Each country is different, with different rules and regulations and checking these is important so that you don't turn up and aren't allowed in! I normally try and exchange some money before I arrive, for large amounts the post office offers a brilliant exchange rate but I do find, it is sometimes better to take money out in the country itself as the exchange rate can be even better!
Pack Appropriately
I am a really fussy packer, I like all my items to work with each other, means more outfits and less clothes I require but I also understand you need to be respectful of the country you are visiting. Although in the UK we are lucky enough to wear whatever we like, in Northern Africa and the Middle East showing skin can be really disrespectful and can even get you arrested in some areas (crazy right?!) Find out the main religion of the country before you visit, and so bikinis at the hotel are perfect but so are thin trousers and vest top and a shawl or wrap to cover your shoulders if you venture out into the town. Respecting the country you visit is really important!
Stay in Touch
Making sure that you are able to contact people when travelling is obviously essential. Check with your network provider that your phone can work abroad and if you are planning to travel for over a month, I would recommend investing in a local sim. A new sim will mean your phone has to be unlocked which is much easier to do from the UK than abroad. I speak from personal experience when I had to call up O2 from South Africa to ask them to unlock my phone, NIGHTMARE. Another important thing to do is write down the numbers you need such as hostels, family and emergency services on a piece of paper and put it somewhere safe. Phones regularly die, IPhones in particular and so having the numbers elsewhere means you can easily solve your problems with pay phones or some kind member of the public.
Don't be Afraid
Seems easy to say, being in a new place can be daunting to the best of us, but you are going to create some incredible memories that will hopefully last for ever. Do what you want to do, fancy heading to that crazy volcano, do it. Just make sure what ever you do (especially adventurous stuff) you get a good tour guide and have the insurance in case of injury. Nothing worse than getting bitten by a shark and finding you have to fork out the £15,000 in surgery costs yourself. The NHS is a wonderful thing that we take for granted!
Get Lost
Super important to indulge, learn about the country, do something the locals do and indulge in their world. Lots of people visit a country and but never leave their hotel complex. Dive head first in to the culture, who knows you may fall in love with something new.
Don't Loose Your Wits
I think in all my advice, this is the most important. The UK is a fairly safe place to live, not all countries are like that. Make sure you understand the laws and views of the locals. As a girl, I would never head down a dark road on my own after sunset, it's stupid. Make sure you always know where you are staying, how to get there safely and keep your important possessions on you and hidden from sight. Pick pockets are always present at the really touristy areas so make sure you do your zip up on your bag and don't leave your phone for easy pickings. Common sense right? Just stay safe!
Enjoy!
After all the safety speel the only thing left to do is enjoy yourself, meet new people, learn new things and gain new experiences. As they say...
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