Planning a trip can be as easy as having a piece of plum cake.
But one piece at a time, it will cause more harm than good.
Most of us ask this question: How to choose your trip?
I would say, this is the most confusing one. Especially when we have a lot of places in our mind and we cannot go to all of these places at the same time. It is sometimes hard to decide and choose the best location.
It is confusing. But definitely not the difficult one.
How can we make it less confusing?
It’s easy. We just have to “ask ourselves a few questions “
Let’s dig a little deeper
The Question of NOW
The most important question we need to ask ourselves is, is it worth going to that place now?. For instance, if you have never seen snow before or wanted to enjoy the snowy landscapes, it is absolutely unwise to go in the summer. Or your thing is to sip a cold beer and relax on beaches of Goa or Kerala, you avoid going in the rainy seasons.
We can also narrow down our wish list depending on the time of the year. You should plan your snowy escapades from December to February.
What If the winter months have already gone and you don’t want to wait for next year?
Then a little dipping will help you know that in March and even in April, you may be able to experience snow.
There are many places in India where we can actually see snow even after February.
I visited Chitkul in the first week of April 2019 and guess what I had found.
So let’s ask the first question.
Is it worth going there NOW?
Before answering this question, we should have an Idea, what you want to experience there.
For Example, I have seen my friends complaining about Manali when they visit there in April and it was off-season. If you want to experience lush green mountains and the apples of Manali, you need to plan your trip from August to October. In April you want to experience something green and fresh, well, Northeast or Kerala can be the best choice, and again you need to research more to narrow down the places.
How to plan your budget trip
Another deciding factor is Money. How much you are willing to spend.
When I started my first trip, I had only limited money to send for travel and I had to choose a place that suits my pocket. I found Mussoorie for my perfect budget option from Delhi. Traveled on public transport, chose the cheapest stays, and stayed away from expensive and luxurious restaurants. I have also traveled to Manali in the same way I have traveled to Mussoorie.
You can check out my blog for budget travels in detail here on ” How to plan your budget trip “
Then there are other times, I have booked my complete package from an agency and did my cozy trips. For me it was my budget travels that gave me the best experience, that molded me to travel anywhere with proper planning.
Now let’s ask the question.
How much should we spend on a trip?
“Travelling is the only thing where we can spend money and will never regret it “
But that does not mean we should travel by busting all our savings.
Plan a trip that suits your budget. If that place is not within your current budget, choose the one that you can afford and there is nothing wrong with that. That can motivate us to plan the next big-budget trip. With proper planning and money management, we can make it happen for sure.
How to travel with family and friends
Most of the famous locations to travel to are ideal for everyone, Be it with family or friends; or even those who travel solo. But some places do not suit everyone.
If you’re traveling with a family that includes elders, then choose places that are comfortable for them. Extreme winter months may not be ideal for them if you are planning to visit Kashmir or many parts of Himachal and Uttarakhand.
If you are a person who doesn’t appreciate long trekking and tough landscapes, avoid trips that involve long and hard trekking. But if you are healthy enough to try it, then I must say, you should try it. It may change your life and you might see some of the most unexplored and breathtaking views of nature.
There are places where we can spend time with our friends like many secret unexplored beaches of Goa and Gokarna.
And then those who travel solo. Choose a place that gives you the best vibes you seek.
That leads to our next question.
Can I take them there?
Choose and narrow down a place after considering your travel companions. Talk to them about it. Ask their opinion and finalize a place that they all can enjoy.
How to plan a trip while working
Most of us are working for 5 to 6 days of the week and other than short weekend trips, we may have to take leaves for that long-awaited trip. We can plan a trip after taking the leaves or we can take leaves after we plan the trip.
But the truth is most of us may not get that many leaves and sometimes have to plan a trip based on our number of leaves.
It takes 12 to 15 days for a bike trip that covers most parts of Ladakh from Delhi. A minimum of 7 days to Spiti. You have 4 days’ leave and it is impossible to cover Ladakh or Spiti.
Do I have enough leaves?
Choose a location that falls within your spendable days.
How to travel safely and be aware of the restrictions
We never imagined that we have to go through these tough times and the new normal that followed. Places we once traveled so freely were either closed or allowed us with a lot of restrictions. We are slowly adapting to this new normal and learning a lot of new things.
Is it safe to travel there? Are there any travel restrictions?
Make sure to check the covid guidelines before traveling to that place. There are a lot of government and private websites that share that information. Make sure to check the updated information. I prefer the Indigo Airlines website as they update the information regularly.
Final Thoughts…
Answering these questions can help you narrow down your trip location and save a lot of time. Not just these four questions, you can ask yourself more questions and finally choose a place that suits your requirement.
Even if you’re not confused about where to go, still asking these questions helps us to understand a lot more than you think. If we wish to travel a lot, this is something we must do and make it a habit. Make your own questions.
We hope that at this point we have shortlisted our next vacation. It was easy, right. I bet most of us already knew these tips and still, we messed it up.
Why?
Because we always thought it was very hard to do it.
BE HONEST AND ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS.
This is powerful stuff, right?