How Can You Be Sure You're Travelling Somewhere Great?

 

Most of us love to travel. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran of the jet setting world, or you’re a newbie to the suitcase life, you love to know you’re off to a great place that’ll have worlds and cultures unseen! 

But how can you be sure you’re travelling off to somewhere great? How can you be sure you’re getting your money’s worth? How can you be sure you’ll have a good time, and not end up in a filthy hotel, with a tour guide that never turns up, and ultimately, not get stranded in the middle of nowhere? 

You Scout Out the Tourist Scene

Tourism is a big industry, and it guarantees fun for the family when they jet off to any place around the world. But if you’re someone who wants to explore properly, and find all of the hidden gems of the area you’ve landed in, you’ll need to break away from the mainstream. You’ll want to touch down just outside of tourist central, and try to avoid being sucked in by the various traps that can exist in it! 

Image by Simon Migaj

Image by Simon Migaj

The most commonly packaged vacation deals are usually the biggest tourist hotspots - places in Southern Europe or Nothern America, etc. And because of this, it might be a good idea to try and avoid these trip options, or come up with your own agenda if you really want to head off somewhere that’s being advertised. 

You Use a Smart Review Site

Reviews are your best friend when it comes to travelling, especially if you’re headed somewhere for the first time. And you’ll need to know what website or review board is the smartest at listing out the good and bad of every destination you could think of. Try and find a site that has little to no corporate affiliations, and has thousands of reviews from normal people just like you. 

Image by Henry Perks

Image by Henry Perks

And make sure you search through the majority of these reviews - even if the top ten or twenty are glowing reviews, there’s always going to be one or two that leave a negative score of the hotel you’re thinking of booking into, or the restaurant you like the look of. Take these opinions into account as well, and take at least five minutes to think about which of the reviews applied most to what you are planning too.

You Pack For Every Eventuality

And finally, if you want to make sure you’re travelling to a great destination, you need to take some responsibility yourself. That means you need to try and pack for every eventuality - a first aid kit in the suitcase, a bottle of water in your backpack at all times, a snack or two in your pocket etc. Nothing ruins a wonderful tour of an ancient ruin like hunger or thirst, and you not knowing where the nearest cafe is! 

Image by Stil

Image by Stil

Well, with a couple of tips like the ones listed above, hopefully you’ll feel nothing but excitement for your next trip away. 


 
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Header Image by Agustin Diaz
This post is a contribution to HandZaround.com