You want to know how to explore a country to the fullest? Or maybe just a city, because there is not that much time? Continue reading and you’ll know how to plan your trip to be even more hyped to go on your dream vacation! 4 easy steps to feel better prepared. Let us begin with how to plan your trip to have one amazing day after the other. And to share your memories with the people you love.
First of all you should figure out what you would like to do most. There are different ways of exploring a city or and the country of your choice. It is about to know what you want. Are you an aspiring artist yourself and you want to visit a lot of museums and art exhibitions? Or an urban explorer who loves to time travel? Maybe you prefer to hang out at the beach and do party all night? You like to go on a treasure hunt by train to travel from one city to another to take the most amazing photos? Well, could also be that you are a huge fan of other cultures and cuisine… Oh, how much I love to eat!
Every single country has its own and unique past that wants to be explored by you. Book your tickets in case you didn’t do it already, pack your suitcase and let’s go!
RESEARCH
Luckily we live in the 21st century and in almost all over the world you have access to the internet. Open your preferred search engine and begin with doing research.
Write down the city or cities, places you will go during your trip and go through them one by one. As a sample I opened google.search and just typed in #Kyoto. Since I am about to go to Japan in two weeks, I began to do some research myself to see what may be interesting to explore in that specific city.
Google already shows me some parts of the city that look very beautiful.
From there I click through the different photos such as the one which is called Fushimi Inari Taisha. After I did some research I figured out it is a big hill that is covered with lots of gates and shrines of the fox god Kitsune. I really like to get to know the history and culture of another country. Next to it I love to walk around and to get inspired by what I see. The Japanese are very kind people.
Besides, they are really smart and when you get the chance to visit Tokyo you know what I mean. Even though life gets busier and technology more precise in every country, Japanese
are still able to manage to keep their past alive and are deeply connected to it. The same with nature. No matter where you go, there is always a small area which is overgrown with flowers or plants.
Another tip I like to tell you about, is to keep an eye on how to get there, where it is what you want to visit and how long you may need to explore. My experience while I have been in Kyoto, that it’s not too bad to live near the city centre, because you can take the train and the bus easily. Next to it the Imperial Palace is not that far away either. It is huge as well since it’s a park with little corners to explore and the palace itself. Just to let you know, it is a must-see when you are about to visit Japan, specially Kyoto. It is enough to do some basic research to get some information. But in case you want to know more you always can go through different travel.guide forums to see photos, experiences of others and recommendations. I prefer just to know a bit about it and to travel there myself to be surprised, no matter in what direction. Because sometimes people didn’t like what they visited and in the end if you had gone there you may have loved it. To get some feedback is always good, but listen to your inner feeling of what it’s telling you. In the end it is up to you whether you prefer feeling more secure and know already everything about a place even though you haven’t been there yet or you let go of some safety structures that were created in your mind and be a true explorer by getting fully absorbed with what you’ll find.
PLANNING
Write down all the things that you are able to do while you are on your trip. Plan wise. Just a few things at a day, because you don’t want to stress yourself too much to run from one place to the other just to make it in time. You want to enjoy your vacation and experience everything with your eyes, ears, nose and taste, instead of taking a look at your watch every five minutes. Sometimes you cannot avoid it, but most of the time you should allow yourself to get lost while you are wandering around. It is smart as well to check what sightseeing spots are in the same areas of the city or country so that you don’t have to travel that long or far for a day to get from one place to the other.
BOOK IT
Figure out how much everything cost to keep an eye on your money and how much you actually can spend. Depending on what you like to do you have to pay tickets to get access, food or drinks in a restaurant, train or bus tickets, renting a car, hostel, B&B, hotel. Check the prices, locations and connect the dots with each other.
After that you know your vacation well enough to book almost everything online and don’t need to worry any more. And write down what you actually already paid to have always an overview of the expenses.
EXPLORE
The fun part begins. You got your checklist of the things that you want to visit. You have your map saved on your phone or printed out on paper. And arrived at the place where you are about to stay overnight and are well rested. In case one of the spots you want to explore is not too far away just put on your shoes and take a walk. With that you get to know the area where you are staying better and often you find some nice corners nearby like a small restaurant that’s just too cute and a delicious smell is floating through the half open door, making its way to your olfactory receptors.
And suddenly you realize how hungry you are and decide to have a short stop for a proper lunch. Happy and full you continue with your adventure until you reached the point that is marked with your favourite colour on your map. Have fun to see what is right in front of you and don’t look back!
Enjoy every single moment of exploring whatever it is. Feel free to get lost.
That’s all for today.
Tell me about your next trip and see if we can get a coffee together!
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Thank you so much and see you in the future,
Sina
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