15 May 2013

Vacation dilemma. How to choose where to go?

Everyone of us has own preferences or what we deem as a perfect vacation. Be it lazing in the sun in the Bahamas, hitting the best clubs in London, discovering the ancient ruin in Rome, or safari adventure in Africa, we all have an idea of our perfect vacation.  Choosing a destination for a vacation  might not be as easy as imagining what a perfect vacation would be in fact it can be difficult as there are so many things to consider, more if you are planning for a family vacation. 

So how do you plan for a vacation?  In my household we stick to these few simple rules :

When? It is important to know the time of when the vacation would take place.  Be aware of the peak seasons when people normally travel like Easter break, summer, Christmas and new year.  A vacation during these times need earlier preparations especially with travelling arrangements and accommodation booking.  Acting fast would give you time and the luxury to choose as oppose to having to settle for whatever that was left. Also consider that even if it is summer where you are, it might be winter somewhere else.  We learned that the hard way going to Mauritius for a beach vacation in July and it was winter there!


Where? Where to go is depending on how much time allocated for the vacation.  For instance if you have a week off from work, going to a destination that requires 16 hours of flight to get there and another 16 to get back is unlikely going to give you a relaxing and full vacation.  You'd be spending 2 out of 7 days travelling, another day or 2 to adjust and adapt to the time difference, by the time you are refresh and ready to enjoy your well deserved vacation, it was time to go!  Travelling should be a small part of the vacation, not the vacation itself.  It is always great to know a bit about the current affairs of the place you have in mind.  We don't want to end up in places with some political instability or at the verge of a civil war. Check also the weather to see if it was the best time of the year to visit.  Nothing worst than being on a vacation in the middle of typhoon season!


Who?  It is easier deciding where to go if you were on your own but for those with family, it could be difficult. Some prefers this and others that, this factor could be a issue. Try to consider everybody's interest in making this decision for an example I enjoy ancient architectures and shopping, Captain loves the museums and the boys like outdoor adventures and thrills.  To accommodate everybody's interest Paris would be best  as it has great ancient structures everywhere, filled with museums and places to shop and Disneyland is just a drive away!  At the end of the day, parents should take charge and decide what's best for everybody. Make sure everybody has the proper travel documents needed for the country in mind and check also if everybody is up to date with the vaccination recommended for that country.




How much?  It is nice to travel with a limitless or big budget but unfortunately not all of us have that luxury.  I have always travel with budget ever since I was single and just started out in life up to now as a family.  We would set a reasonable budget and work within it.  With time I learned a few tricks that has proven to save some dollars and cents like always buy tickets to shows or exhibits in advance, online. They are normally a lot cheaper.  You can print these tickets and bring them with you or in some cases have them delivered to your hotel room on the day of your arrival. Get one of those daily or weekly passes to visit  the attractions, it is cheaper than to buy single ticket.  You can also have an idea of how much money to set aside for wine and dine.  Some websites even give an estimation of how much a meal would cost.  Don't forget to have a buffer for tips in your budget too!



Above all that I would say be adventurous and open minded with the idea of visiting places that might not even occur to you, you might just be surprise with the outcome and have a memorable time! After all the whole idea of travelling is to see new places on this face of earth.  What about going back to the place you've been before, would that be a waste of time since you've been there done that?  In my opinion there is always something new to discover about a place even if you've been there many times.

34 comments:

  1. Great article! These are all good questions to ask. Our family keeps it pretty simple by doing the same thing every year. We stay at a beach house for a week in the summer, then take an anniversary trip to Mexico. I really want to do an extended European vacay next year though!

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    1. Wow, Mexico sounds great! I've never been but I've been to most part of Europe. Would love to do Mexico

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  2. Great advise! I am also on a budget as it is a good guideline to at least try to keep on track with the expenses and we tend to do subway/airport shuttle/public transport in stead of taxis (if possible of course). This summer we have rented a house in Greece with two other Layan families. The dilemma with being a pilot family is that you can never guarantee that his vacation coincides with the rest of the family! x

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    1. That's the story of our lives of being a pilot family. His leave would clash with the kids' holiday and we end up not going anywhere. It is hard to take the kids off from school as they are now in high-school, can't simply miss lessons anymore. This year I think we will end up either in Paris (again) or do some island hopping back in Malaysia, you know rent a hut, snorkel and just let the day passes by.. Greece sounds great and I believe the more the merrier!

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  3. how lucky you are going on Vacation! I would recommend for you to visit my country, Peru in south america. We have one of the new 7 wonders of the world which is called Machu Picchu (look it up... is amazing; such a magical city).
    Kisses from Miami,
    Borka
    www.chicfashionworld.com

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    1. Borka, you are a Peruviana! I know about Machu Picchu and it is on my husband top 5 things to see. I have never been to South America, at least my husband has been to Brazil. Definitely a must go :)

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  4. How lucky you are!! have fun :)

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  5. nice !!!
    would u like to follow each other?
    let me know!
    kellystunnajr@blogspot.gr

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  6. Buenos días preciosa!! ACABO de Descubrir tu blog y me encanta Me Tienes Como nueva seguidora, TIENES Mucho Estilo. Te invito una cola visites el mio y si te gusta me encantaria Poder compartir cositas un besazo enormee

    Que fotos más bonitas me encantannnn

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  7. So simple and useful tips. I also like to do some research about the place I'm going, choosing what sites appeal to me and reading about their history. Then it is more interesting for me to see the places in reality.

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  8. These are really great tips! And this post is REALLY making me want to go on vacation. I haven't gone on a big trip since almost a year ago, sigh.

    -Sharon
    The Tiny Heart
    Target Giveaway!

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  9. Ahhh... wish I could be as level headed as you, these days, I plan rather haphazardly. Thanks for the tips. I'll ake the budget one especially on board this next trip I am going to :)

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    1. It is nice to just go with the flow but when you travel in a group of 4 a budget is a must ;)

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  10. This post is just timely, perfect time to decide for the upcoming summer holidays. Unfortunately for me i only have 2 weeks to make up my mind and book everything. I'm so confused where to go plus families of both sides want to see us.
    great pointers hun, you definitely hit the most important marks when deciding for a holiday.
    Goodluck and enjoy your decision making! :)

    http://anmari-ish.blogspot.com

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  11. Great tips Mrs C! We always travel on a budget and it's always worked out great. We never like to be in debt when we get back for an enjoyable vacation :) Thanks for posting!

    Sylvia
    www.sylvialovespink.com

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  12. Hello, I love your blog, beautiful photos, thanks for visiting my blog and for your nice comment, and I'm following you on gfc.
    I invite you to support me following me back.
    Let me know if you want to follow us also on Facebook and Bloglovin.
    Kisses
    Yasmin

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  13. All of these are useful tips!!! But whenever I get a chance to go on vacation...I'm already gone :)

    xx
    ileana

    www.ileanamarcel.com

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  14. This is such a great post, will remember some of this if I ever start a family!


    SDMxx
    www.daringcoco.com

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  15. This post outlines all the things J & I just had to go through to plan our trip! We settle on mexico since it was affordable, not a long flight, and it's beautiful/relaxing. I am really looking forward to it!

    xoxo Bree
    The Urban Umbrella
    http://www.theurbanumbrella.com

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    1. The plus about living in the US is how close it is to South American countries which are beautiful and have so many things to see. It would take us 2 days of travelling just to get there! Enjoy your vacation Bree :)

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  16. Vacation planning is one of my favourite pastimes - I know that sounds a bit silly but I love putting together all of the details almost as much as I love actually going on the trip! And personally, I'm all for visiting places you've already been; there's always something new to discover, even in the city where you live!
    xox,
    Cee
    www.cocoandvera.com

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  17. I just came back from a short vacation at home in Sicily, now I am back in Rome, and it's raining!!!

    www.hungrycaramella.blogspot.com

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    1. I've been to Sicily once, to Palermo to be exact. My husband's best friend is from there. beautiful places and great food!

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  18. Coming from a seasoned traveler like you....those are the best tips one could ever have! A well-planned trip is money well spent!!!

    Rebecca
    www.redtagchiclosangeles.com

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  19. Great tips... Tq for sharing... I'm in the midst of planning for a trip with my 2yr old too... Yikes ehehe

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  20. Awesome photos!

    Would you like to follow each others?
    Greetings from Poland!
    Renews xxx

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  21. I love vacationing but did a lot more in the past than we do now. I've been to Europe a number of times but would love to visit India or Arica.
    Ginny

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  22. Cool post! I will vote Greece and Italy! Thank you for your comment in my blog!

    Come back soon to visit me on The Notebook of a Fashion Lover

    Evi xoxo

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  23. I couldn't agree more with you! I love going back to old vacation spots, each successive trip is even more memorable!

    Cait
    The Petite Chronicles

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    1. For sure! I've been to LA/Santa Monica every year for the past 3 and going again this year.. I'm sure I'll be seeing more!

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  24. Those are all great factors that have to be considered when planning a vacation. I love vacation planning--it would be nice if we had the budget to do more international travel--but there's also fun places to visit that aren't so far away!

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