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How to Plan Your Next Travel



We all love to travel. Who doesn’t want to see new places, meet new people, experience new culture and humble oneself with the beauty of the world that The Creator made it to be? 
However, planning for a travel can be really painstakingly hard, unless you are that person who would rather enjoy the surprises of another land. But, of course, you still need to plan some parts of the travel, despite wanting the thrill of the unknown. 

Picking travel dates and destination
Planning your travel starts with the dates inclusive for the trip. You will need to look at the calendar for non-busy days that you can use for relaxation and vacation. Most of the people tend to book flights on holidays because of work and studies. However, take into consideration that this is the peak season. And fare is at its highest during peak season. That is why others prefer to travel during non-holidays to get the lowest flight rate. Travel dates are also important in order to pick the lowest possible fare. If you are already sure to travel at the said date, it is important that you book tickets ahead of time to get low rates. 

Your destination is as important as your travel date. You may need to research on the culture and other important matters of your destination, especially if you are Muslim, as you need to know if there are halal restaurants you can eat at. Your travel destination will also be crucial in packing your luggage and how much baggage allowance you will purchase. 

Planning your itinerary
Your research about the destination and dates of your travel will most likely affect your itinerary. This is the answer to the following questions:
  1. What do you want to do in your chosen destination?
  2. Are you meeting with someone in these places and time?
  3. Which places in the destination that you want to physically visit?
  4. How much time will you allot to each activity and place that you want to do and visit?
  5. And, so on!

Budget!
As cliche as it sounds, you need to plan your budget. If you are on a tight one, you may need to widen your research on how to make your travel budget-friendly. The easiest way to do this is to look at blogs of people who have traveled to the same destination on how they managed their budget.

Be sure to commit to the budget you have created. If it can’t be helped, just stick closer to the amount you have put in there. This allows you to be disciplined for your other upcoming travels. Also, make yourself accountable for any excess you made during the actual travel. 

Booking tickets
Just like what is mentioned in the first bullet, travel dates and booking dates are important in getting low fares. If you have low budget, it is rather helpful that you book flights ahead. 

One trick in getting low fares is to book your flights one by one rather than clicking continuous flights. Also, it is a plus if you enroll yourself to loyalty programs of the airlines and ferries if you travel frequently. Points can be converted to tickets when you reach minimum needed. 😉

If you need a Visa, you may want to check the websites of the embassy of the country you are visiting to know the requirements and what you need to do to acquire one. 

Book your accommodation
May it be hotels, inns, Airbnb or Couchsurfing hostels, it is best to book them ahead of time. A lot of accommodations will be fully-booked in touristy places during peak seasons. So, it is more appropriate that you reserve rooms earlier. 

Packing your luggage
Your destination and itinerary will dictate what you will be bringing for your trip. If you are going to a hot and tropical country, it is best to bring clothes that are appropriate for summer. If you are going to a cold place, then you may need your thermal long johns and jackets. 

Toiletries are also very crucial. It is best to bring smaller bottles or sachets, if available, to minimize the weight. It is best to bring extra tote that you can use to separate used clothes from unused ones or just for another use, too. 

It is best to call and ask your airline of choice about their hand-carry luggage terms, too. Some airlines do not require that your laptop, camera, magazines, etc to be included in the total weight of your hand-carry luggage; while others require them to be included.

When packing your luggage, be sure to use methods that would help you fit more into a tiny luggage. You can either fold your clothes at the size of your luggage or roll them to make use of every corner of the bag. You can search for tutorials on Youtube for this. 

My mom always tells me to have at least a pair of clothes and undies in my hand-carry luggage, just in case your checked-in one gets lost in the airport. This has been helpful when one of our luggages went missing in Brunei International Airport last 2011.

Moreover, be reminded of the things that are prohibited to be carried on your checked-in and hand-carry luggage. It is also best to have a weighing scale available to check the weight of your baggage ahead.

The most important reminder is to not carry unnecessary things with you!

Important Documents and Stuff 
From passports, valid IDs, tickets, itinerary, gadgets, cards, address books to extra cash, double check everything. 

An important note to all government workers and employees is to bring an Authority to Travel document signed by your supervisor and head of agency to avoid hassles in the immigration. It is also recommended that you have a soft copy of your documents in your flash drives and emails for emergencies. Moreover, always carry in your bag your passports and other documents during the travel. 

Bring extra biscuits, candies and water (unless prohibited) just in case you may starve at airport and ferry lines. I also bring first-aid medicine on every travel. 


~oOo~

These are only few of the many tips and reminders you need to know in order to have a worry-free vacation. If you have more, don't forget to write them on the comments. I will be writing more tips as per experience in this blog, so subscribe to newsletter and follow!

Hoping to see you chasing places, as well!







8 comments:

  1. Salam. Great information for traveling. Traveling is always a stressful time. From making sure that you have everything packed to getting to the airport on time to having all necessary documentation ready and available. Masha'Allah great post to make things easier. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. The worst thing about me is I am a procrastinator. I can't seem to pack until the night before the trip. Bad!

    Thanks for the great tips Kai.

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  3. Thanks for this useful list!I love traveling, but the planning and organizing needs to be done weeks in advance. I always like to check the travel channels tips, especially Anthony Bourdain's advice, on what to see, where to eat and where it's enough to take a picture in front of and not go inside:-)

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  4. I struggle when it comes to packing...I always take more than I need. Now that I have kids, the problem is even worse! It's that 'what-if' mentality! Thanks for sharing these great tips for those planning their next vacation.

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  5. I wished I am this organized in planning my trips. I used to pack my stuff one or two days before my flight. I hate bringing too much stuff so in my recent flights, I decided to bring just my laptop bag and one luggage. But, we can't avoid family and friends asking for pasalubongs and relatives asking to bring their package for their family abroad.

    Great tips kai! I hope we were able to make it to Malaysia, would be fun traveling with you and other HM sisters!

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  6. Oh I so need this post, we're planning to go on holiday this summer and the planning is just long! Especially with a child, this is a nice breakdown of how to plan it.

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  7. I love preparing for a trip so I loved this post. We haven't travelled overseas in a while but we do go on little day trips and are planning another camping trip soon so there's lots of good takeaways here for me to use then!

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  8. Great tips, Kai! It's been a while since I've on a plane but I'm def using all your tips next time we have to travel.

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