Travel Tips

Traveling can be super fun, but sometimes it ends up being a pain in the ass too. Specially when you have to plan everything from the flight to the hotel rooms, and that too everything in a budget. I have traveled to so many places and each trip gave me different experiences, so I decided to share some travel tips with y'all. These are just my experiences and thoughts, you don't have to follow these tips if you don't want to😬

Here are some things that you should keep in mind when you're planning a trip :

1. ALWAYS CHECK THE WEATHER

When planning a trip, always check the weather to make sure it's a good time to visit the place and pack according to the weather so you are dressed comfortably and don't need to run out to buy clothes for yourself. It just means that you're going to have to waste your time buying unnecessary stuff sometimes.

Also, search up the best time to visit the place and try visiting at that time of the year if you can.

2. RESEARCH ABOUT THE PLACE

Whenever you decide to travel to a place, make sure you research a little about it and if it's suitable for you and all the people traveling with you. Try to learn a little about their food, culture, language, history, etc. Though it's not necessary, it's fun if you do so. I like to learn a little about the country I'm about to visit, it's famous places, tourist attractions, where I can find good places to eat and a lot of other stuff. I also like learning a few common words and phrases in their language because I love the reactions of the local people when I respond to them in their language. Their reactions are wholesome af.

But if you are traveling to a country where English is not spoken that much, then definitely try to learn a few common words and phrases so you can at least have a basic conversation with the locals. Or you can simply use google translate. The microphone option– that I'm pretty sure you've seen the advertisements about it-- is super useful.

3. APPLY FOR FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAMS

One way to save on flight fare is to join a frequent flyer program. Each country has different programs and there are different ways to earn those points. Even though it might take some time to redeem the points or some programs might not even be worth it, I would still suggest that you apply for it. You get free upgrades, discounts, gifts, and a lot more stuff.

I am currently an Aeroplan member, so every time I book a flight through Air Canada, I get air miles.

Every year, I get a free gift on my birthday. Last year I was given five options and could choose any one as a gift.

The options were; 25% OFF BASE FARES + A PREFERRED SEAT, EARN 5X ON AN UBER BIRTHDAY RIDE, UP TO 10% OFF VACATION PACKAGES, 500 points with a purchase of $50 or more via the Aeroplan eStore and 100 points to add to my air miles. It might not be much but every little thing helps.

I've already mentioned in my previous blogs that I love ranting about stuff, so forgive me if I randomly start ranting about something else in the middle. I already ranted and realized that while I was editing this post so I am pasting it below this warning lol. Feel free to skip it.

I was flying through Air Canada, but our flight ended up getting canceled after 2 hours of us waiting for it to fly while the plane stank of sweat (It was the absolute worst😫). They ended up telling us to go back home or stay at a hotel provided by them since we would be flying out the next day instead. We ended up receiving a $200CAD gift card which could be used while booking a flight with the airline. It was valid for 2 years from the date we received it but my unlucky ass never got to use it because those two years were spent staying at home during the lockdowns😢 I thought I received it because I was an Aeroplan member but later realized that it was complimentary for everyone as an apology from the airlines lol.

Anyway, I suggest that you definitely find the one available in your country and join it!

4. AVOID BOOKING TOUR PACKAGES

We have realized that booking tour packages is a waste of time and money. We used to book them before but later figured out that we enjoyed our trips without them. You get to do stuff on your own for cheap and you aren't time bound. The tours feel like we're on a school trip to be honest. The tour guides make you rush so much, you don't get to enjoy a single place properly.

I would rather suggest that you search the tourist spots and other places online instead. There are a lot of travel blogs that you can read. People's personal experiences also help you figure out what you want to do and what you don't want to do.

Ask the locals or your hotel's front desk to suggest some good places. The hotels usually have sponsors so you might even get some tickets for a discounted price to some tourist spots. Like when we went to Phuket, we asked the front desk about some good places we could go to. They suggested a live show and gave us tickets at a discounted price with a VIP entry and free buffet. The person then told us about how businesses promote themselves by doing this and gave them a limited amount of tickets. I even checked the ticket prices online and realized that we had got them for cheap. Overall, it was a good experience.

I don't know if all hotels around the world do it or if it just depends on the timings but we got lucky. You might not get cheap tickets and stuff but they will definitely give you some good ass suggestions for the places you should visit.

Also, if you take a taxi, ask the taxi driver too. They are the best people to get a review about any place lol. They are always so honest, I love it.

5. ASK THE LOCALS

If you want to find the hidden gems of the place you are visiting, ask a local. They have been living there for super long and know everything about the place. Trust me when I say that they will suggest the best affordable places to you. They won't make stuff up to force you to go to a place since they aren't trying to sell anything to you.

You also end up making friends this way! (Might sound like a complete nightmare to some people:P)

6. PLAN EVERYTHING BEFORE HAND

Make sure you make your trip schedule beforehand and also check out the weather and plan your days accordingly.

This one time we were in Mauritius and we decided to do water sports activities at the beach but didn't check the weather. We reached the location and they were packing everything up because it was too windy and about to rain. It ruined our mood but also left us wondering what we should do next since we didn't have a backup plan. We ended up going to the mall and shopped a little but also lost a day of our trip in doing useless things.

So, make sure you always have a backup plan. If your weather report shows chances of rain, even if it's low, make sure you have a backup plan ready so you don't end up wasting your day or being stuck in your hotel room.

7. ALWAYS PACK LESS

Do not carry unnecessary items with you while traveling. Try to carry less stuff because you tend to shop a lot when you're on a vacation and you end up having overweight baggage which forces you to pay extra or buy a new suitcase. But it also depends on where you're going. Like if you're going to Thailand, literally carry an empty suitcase lol. We shopped so much that our suitcases were overflowing. We ended up buying two new ones to fit our stuff in. That's why I recommend researching about a place before you plan your trip. If you're going to shop a lot, carry less stuff or be prepared to buy a new suitcase. But again, some people don't like shopping that much so it depends from person to person.

8. MAKE A CHECKLIST

While preparing for a trip, make a checklist to make sure you don't forget to carry the stuff you need, specially the important documents. Also, make sure you carry all the important medicines in case of any emergency. If you're in a new place, it's hard to find the medicines you're looking for and you don't even know if the alternative for that medicine will suit you or not. We always carry a medicine bag with the basic medicines, bandaid, spray and stuff so we don't have to run around looking for them in case of emergency.

9. DOUBLE CHECK EVERYTHING

Once you book your flight and hotel, make sure you double check the date and time so you don't mess up. One time our flight gate number got changed a few hours before the flight and since I had subscribed for the updates, I received an email and a notification about it but a few of my friends on the same flight didn't know about it and they ended up having to make a run for it.

10. ALWAYS PLAN ACCORDING TO YOUR BUDGET

Before you plan a trip, fix a budget and then plan everything else, otherwise you might go overboard and will definitely regret it later. Once you decide your budget, find things to do and places to live within that budget. If you dig up a little, you can find a lot of free or cheap stuff that you can do in other countries.

11. PUT TRAVEL TAGS ON YOUR BAGS

Putting travel tags with your information on your luggage is super useful. It's easier to identify your suitcase from afar when it arrives on the belt, doesn't mix up with other suitcases and helps others contact you in case you misplace it.

We had a basic black suitcase and when it arrived on the belt, we picked it up only to realize that it wasn't ours. We kept waiting for ours to come when my dad got a call from an unknown number. He picked it up and the person on the other line informed us that he picked our bag by mistake and contacted us through the information provided on our travel tag. I definitely suggest that you buy yourself a tag now so you never lose your luggage. They come in beautiful design and quotes and you can also get them customized.

Here are some of my favourite ones on Amazon:

- Luggage Identification Tags Funny Quote Messages: https://amzn.to/3ESUJnU (I have the 'Sorry it's mine!' one in pink)

- Harry Potter House Crest & Platform 93/4 Design Pack of 2 Luggage Bag Tag for Baggage Suitcases Official Licensed by Warner Bros, USA: https://amzn.to/467ENKx

- Hamster London Luggage Tag Set/Travel Tags Messages - Pack of 2: https://amzn.to/458gpqQ

- Go Hooked Luggage Tag| Identification Label Tag for The Bags| Luggage Tags for Suitcases|Luggage Tags for Suitcases Flight| 10 x 0.5 x 15.2 cm| 100 Grams| Rubber Material| Multi Colour| Letter H: https://amzn.to/3PYoEkZ

(These are all affiliate links, if you click on them and buy the product, I will earn a small commission with no extra cost to you.)

12. PREPARE FOR YOUR FLIGHT

To save yourself from getting bored during the flight, make sure you download some shows, movies, songs, books or podcasts to your device so you can keep yourself busy during the flight. I usually only prepare a playlist and listen to it on the whole flight because I used to suffer from motion sickness and I am worried that looking at the screen will trigger it again. I usually take a pill for my nausea before flying so I don't end up getting sick on the plane.

If you're like me, try eating something before your flight and take a pill as well. Avoid drinking soda or alcohol. Slowly sip on water and do not over eat. If you wish, you can have little soda too but not the whole glass. You can also carry small snacks like granola bars. I usually end up sleeping through most of my flight so I carry them in case I miss a meal lol.

Don't forget to carry neck pillows! And try to sleep as much as you can. I put my music on and keep my eyes closed during most of the flight. Definitely helps me have a smooth flight!

Oh, and carry chewing gum. Chew one during take off and one while the plane is landing. It helps reduce ear pain.

13. TRY NEW THINGS

Every time you travel to a new place, please get out of your comfort zone and try everything you can. You don't know if you'll get to visit the place again or not. Try to adjust to your surroundings and have fun. I have seen a lot of people trying to find their favourite food in another country after just one day of trying out the new cuisine. I get it that some people just can't develop a taste for it but honestly, try all the local places and cuisines. Try everything you're afraid of and I swear to god that you'll have the best time.

Just be a little adjusting, open to new experiences and get out of your comfort zone!

We went to Singapore and we went to mega jump (That's what they call it) from like a 5 floor tall building, I kept whining about not wanting to do it because I was so scared and about to shit my pants. My dad encouraged me and was like, 'look at all these people ahead of us, if they can do it then why can't you?'

He was absolutely right, I went and did it even though I was really scared and stumbled when I landed at the bottom but it was so fun! I am glad he encouraged me to do it.

So forget your fears, leave your comfort zone behind and have the time of your life.

14. CLICK PICTURES AND VIDEOS

I know some people say, learn to live in the moment but I think clicking pictures and videos is a good thing. They always stay with you as a memory. Sometimes when I feel sad, I go back and look at the pictures to remember the good times and sometimes my family and I like to go down the memory lane too.

You can also make a scrap book for your trips. My friend does it and I absolutely love the idea. She saves up all her tickets to places, boarding pass, bills and sticks them all in her scrap book along with the pictures and writes small notes related to it.

I do this on my finsta instead. But I don't only post travel content, I post outings with friends and other stuff too and add a caption for memories. I like going through my feed and relieving all those memories.

Now that I have started blogging, I regret not clicking more pictures of the places that I have travelled too. But I will be sharing whatever I have saved from those trips.

Even though I haven't been on a trip in a long time, I will be posting some travel content with my experiences and will also be suggesting some good ass places to you!

If you want to keep up with my travel content, make sure you subscribe to my blog so you don't miss out any posts!

Anyway, these are the only tips I could remember at the moment but if I remember more, I'll add em later.

Just kidding lol. I was deleting pictures from my phone and found this one from Vancouver in December 2018. My roommate and I walked 20 minutes to buy Bubble Tea at like 9pm in the cold weather. That dumbass was too lazy to put on her shoes but regretted it later when we were on our way back to our room. Her feet had turned red and she couldn't feel them so I made her take a warm shower because she was freezing. I thought this picture was too funny to not share here. If you find it lame, please forgive me😩

And if you're going on a trip soon, I hope you have an amazing time and create a shit ton of beautiful memories😍

See y'all soon with a new post!✈