My favorite words on travel come from Marcel Proust:
The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes
The ideal state of mind for the traveler is to be open in mind and spirit, throwing off preconceptions and misconceptions in order to fully discover and experience the new environment.
I made my first trip out of the United States to Mexico when I was 12 years old. Having lived in Colorado and California, I was fortunate to have had some exposure to the culture, the people of the region, the food and some of the customs. I must have had a great time because it led the way to decades of travel.
If you don’t consider yourself a traveler, maybe some of my enthusiasm will encourage you. Virtual travel can also be exciting. a la exploring with Anthony Bourdain. Let’s start at the beginning. Don’t be put off or daunted by what it takes to plan and organize a trip. The preparation builds anticipation and interest in the adventure. I have planned trips for weeks, but I have also arrived at the airport only knowing in what country the plane would land. In almost all cases, the more I planned, organized and studied for the trip, the more I enjoyed it. Pardon the agricultural analogy, but it’s the difference between preparing the soil, planting the seeds, nourishing the plant, picking the tomato off the plant at just the right time and eating it or just eating it. My nephew would argue that spontaneity is the key to a great trip, but either way, taking it is the key! How you approach it, depends entirely on your makeup.
Beginning the adventure:
- Setting your Goals
Make your destination list considering where you want to go on your next trip, the number of days you can be away, the most convenient dates, your budget, and the type of travel you are comfortable with (all-in tour, individually guided, self guided or some combination of these). Talk to friends who have traveled recently for their recommendations. If you are traveling with friends or family get their input early.
- Deciding Where to Go
To have a quality experience you will want to want to eliminate those places on your wish list which may have an associated “fatal flaw”.
Check the government site for areas of unrest that are best avoided. A rough count of 39 countries have advisory travel warnings. If you are going to live in or travel to areas of unrest despite the travel warning, take the time to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)
Check for the places, in individual countries, that are experiencing problems. Overcrowding conditions are often due to the large cruise ships with an enormous number of people landing at once. Other areas have suffered environmental destruction and are undergoing conservation efforts. Where conditions are extreme, caps have been placed on the number of visitors allowed daily and when that is insufficient, timed tickets may be encountered such as we see when important exhibits are shown in museums. According to a recent AFAR article , Five Destinations Limiting Tourists, areas currently given an AVOID recommendation include: Barcelona, Spain, Maja Bay, Thailand, The Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, Machu Picchu, Peru, and Dubrovnik, Croatia. Note that some of these sites may be more inviting at certain times of the year.
For your top choices, check out the weather during the period you are targeting, avoid monsoon season, extreme heat or cold (which would be hard to do if you’re focused on Antarctica).
Cost is not always the primary factor, but is usually a consideration, especially if you travel frequently. When it is, check the exchange rate of the countries on your list and favor those where your dollar will go further. A companion AFAR article, Seven Best Destinations for Americans, currently recommends Vietnam, Nepal, Hungary, South Korea, Czech Republic, Morocco, and Guatemala.
3.Type of travel
All-in tours are offered by professional tour companies that have packages available to various places in the world. For a fixed price, almost everything is included. Round-trip transportation to/from the starting point and insurance are usually separate. Everything is done with the group and has been planned in detail. Cruises fall into this category. While eliminating the hassle, not conducive to wandering, spontaneity, or interacting with residents of the country you are visiting.
Individually guided tours are for a very small private group and are customized specifically for you. You can select the countries, cities, hotels and specific sites for your trip. The emphasis could be on mountain climbing, art museums, Buddhist temple, food or anything else that interests you. You and the tour company will mutually agree on all aspects of a well documented plan. Often you will be assigned a driver and a guide, and the latter will have expertise specific to what you will be seeing and doing. Depending on distances, they may accompany you throughout your trip or you may have new ones in each new place. For me, this is the ideal way to travel.
Traveling solo puts the planning and its execution totally in your hands. It can be as tight or as loose as you wish and subject to your whims (the reservations and tickets you purchase beforehand will dictate the extent to which you can alter your plans). You can rent a car and drive or return it and buy train tickets to continue. With mobile phones, driving yourself is a lot easier using online maps, reservations (museum tickets, dining and hotel) can be made for the next city you are coming to, and of course those heavy travel guidebooks have been replaced by lots of excellent online travel applications.
Trips of course can be segmented, and you could include all these options, should you wish.
My next posts will include tips, personal experiences, and, as an aging traveler, it’s time I start exploring how some areas of travel can be managed to ensure smooth sailing.