Traveling goes beyond just a means to unwind and relax; it’s your chance to create memories that will last you a lifetime. But really, what makes a great travel experience? Having the answer to this pertinent question can turn a basic trip into an adventure.
A great travel experience will depend on your preferences and interests however, some general principles can light the spark of any trip; careful planning, flexibility, personalization, and understanding your overall travel budget and the best way to allocate it.
According to booking.com, 72% of travelers believe that tailored and personalized travel experiences are the key to having a great trip. This alone emphasizes the personalization side of things. Other elements indicated (careful planning, flexibility, etc) are not just theories, they have proven to be very important from extensive experience in the travel industry, crafting and advising on several travel plans. Without further ado, let’s get into figuring out why these elements are the key to having a great travel experience.
What Makes a Great Travel Experience
Choose a Good Destination
It’s essential to properly plan your trip, starting with choosing a good travel destination. You need to ensure that your destination meets your needs and expectations. So how do you go about this? Start by researching the culture, weather conditions, and activities available at the destinations you have in mind. This will help you determine if the destination has what you’re looking for.
Through planning and research, you can prevent or be prepared for many of the common issues you might face in adjusting to a different environment overseas.
PennState Global
Let’s say you’re like me who loves the outdoor experience of beach relaxation, surfing, hiking, and similar fun activities, I would ensure that I research destinations that have these activities and ensure the weather conditions are great to avoid disappointments. Got it? You could also check out forums like TripAdvisor and FlyerTalk to learn more about the experience of other people at your choice destination.
Flexibility and Open-mindedness
It’s important to plan ahead of your travel, structuring out the locations you’ll be visiting, logistics, how long you’ll spend at each location, accommodation, and all that shenanigans however, you also need to be open-minded and flexible. Allowing for the spontaneous alteration in plans can lead to a more fulfilling travel experience.
All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.
Marin Buber
Whether it’s taking a quick detour to an unplanned location or starting up a conversation with a total stranger, doing the unplanned can add some spice to your travel. Nonetheless, ensure you exercise caution while being spontaneous. Stay within your limits, respect the culture, and ensure personal safety at all times.
Budgeting and Personalize your Trip to the T
Want to enjoy that trip? Critically consider what your priorities are, be it adventurous activities, relaxation at luxurious beaches, savoring delicious cuisine, or any other thing. This is the personalization stage of things, which deals with tailoring your trip to your interests. Next, you want to find out the cost of these activities and allocate your budget in order of what’s most important to what’s least important. This is the budgeting side of things.
Of course, here I am talking about the budget allocated to activities that you’ll get involved in at your destination. Other essentials like your flight fee, accommodation, etc, are constant.
A travel budget helps create a realistic list of expenses, whether you’re in the planning process or saving up for a potential trip
Adobe
Planning your budget around personalized activities ensures that every cent you spend is worth it. You don’t want to come back from that trip feeling that you wasted your money, do you? I don’t want that for you either so make sure you do this part religiously.
Take it Slow
Sometimes, it can feel like the right thing to include so many activities in your travel itinerary. I mean, this is not something you get to do all the time, right? For people like me, certainly not. I know there are travel nomads and all that. Chances are that you’re not.
Know this. Crunching in so many activities into your travel itinerary isn’t necessarily the right way to make a great travel experience. The aim here is not necessarily to get involved in so many activities that you barely have enough time to soak it all in. The best way to travel is to take it slow. Don’t be in a hurry. Spend more time in fewer places. This will save you money, and energy, allow you to explore more, and enjoy your travel.
Explore and Experience Something New
Traveling is a great time to get out of that comfort zone and try something new. This is an important way to create a great travel experience. Some fun activities that you can try out during your travel include skydiving and scuba diving if you’re an adrenaline junkie, or going on a Safari ride, hiking through the forest to connect with nature and wildlife, interacting with strangers, learning a new language, or a myriad of other activities you could try out.
Just make sure you don’t return from that trip without being able to place your finger on one thing you did that you haven’t tried out before. This is how you make amazing travel memories. You only live once right?
Connect with People
If you’re naturally reserved like I am, this may not come off as easy however, you’ll need people when you travel. You’ll need them for directions and other forms of assistance during your travel. Even more interesting is the fact that through interacting with locals or other travelers, you get to learn about the customs, traditions, and beliefs which are usually quite interesting. For example, when I was at Zanzibar in 2022, I got to learn from a stranger I met that the shortest war in history happened in Zanzibar. You never know. You could make new friends or even meet a girlfriend/boyfriend depending on the case. Lol.
The important thing here is not to be rigid, smile at people, ask them questions, listen attentively, and create conversations.
Record Those Memories
What’s a great travel experience without having them immortalized? This goes without saying but ensure you have a good device for taking pictures and videos. You can also go along with a journal. These can be shared on your social media, encouraging others to travel more and learn more about your travel experience. A few years down the line, you’ll look back at these memories and get that nostalgic feeling as it brings back those moments of adventure, laughter, and friendships you made during your travel experience.
How Would You Describe a Wonderful Trip
A wonderful trip is epic, unforgettable, full of enthusiasm, nervousness, and thoughts constantly running about possible things to explore. It leaves a lasting memory that you can’t help but unconsciously remember from time to time. You know those moments when something happens to you and you can’t stop talking about it with your friends? A wonderful trip will get you in that jam.
“Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.”
Dalai Lama
To sum it all up, creating a great travel experience will require you to follow the steps described in this blog. If you’re going to travel, you should make the best time out of it. Stay informed about your destination, pack light, stay flexible, try local cuisine, interact with people, explore activities, and most importantly, immortalize these memories.
