JC. Princen The internet is full of travel tips. Whether it’s about traveling in Asia, in South America or Africa… There is so much to read that sometimes you don’t know where to begin. And that’s also the most difficult thing when you have travel plans.
Where and how do you start? Which country do you want to visit? How long will you go? How do you book cheap flights? There are quite a few things you need to sort out before you actually get on the plane.
To help you a little bit, we have some useful tips that helped us and other travelers, while traveling in Asia.
Consider where you want to go
It may sound obvious but it is important to know for sure which country or countries you want to see. We met a lot of travelers in Asia who said; “It’s not quite what I expected”. That may be due to your expectations but it’s also a lack of preparation. If you are looking for beautiful temples you could better head to Myanmar than Vietnam. So if you’re planning a trip to Asia, figure out what you want to see or do and than chose your country!
Check out the best travel time
Most people go to Asia in ‘our’ summer months. Sometimes this is justified due to work or children. But our summer months are not always the best months to travel. Firstly, because prices will go up in those months (peak season) , but also because you often travel in the rainy season. You never have the guarantee of a sunny day but there’s a big difference between rain season or dry season (and the transition months).
We prefer to travel just after the rain season. It rains less and the landscape is amazingly green (especially the rice fields). But if you;re looking for a couple of weeks relaxing at the beach you’ll probably be better of in the dry season. And if you like treks of hiking you may be better off just before of after the dry season (due to the heat). Therefore, always check the best time to travel before you leave!
How to book your ticket
Once you know which country (or countries) you want to visit and when you want to go it’s time to book your ticket. Some will find a cheaper ticket than the other, but there are some things you can keep in mind when booking a ticket. Flying in months like July, August and September and around the holidays will always be more expensive. Also try searching with flexible dates and not on fixed dates. Sometimes flying a day earlier or later can save a few bucks! In addition, monitor your several sites. Other tips on finding in the search of a cheap ticket can be;
- Newsletter – we register ourselves for newsletters from different ticket providers. In that way we never miss the best deals.
- Price Alarm – we set a price alarm where possible. You can set a price alarm on different websites like Skyscanner. They give you a notification when the ticket you are looking for drops in price.
- Stop overs– fly directly to your destination obviously is more comfortable but not always cheaper. Therefore, check on stopovers as this may save you a couple of bucks!
Plan or don’t plan?
It’s one of the most talked about topics of traveling. Planning a trip or vacation has its pros and cons. A good planning can save you time, money and stress along the way because you know what you want. However, you can also plan to much and you’ll travel in a hurry and forget to enjoy.
It is important to find a good mix between planning your whole trip but risking a fully planned trip and no plans at all which can cost you a lot of money on unnecessary things (such as wrong buses, scams at highlights etc.). Check out the full blog post about planning.
Saving money
Whether you are traveling for three weeks or six months. You always spent more money than you planned. If you’re on holiday for three weeks this may not your biggest problem. But if you’re traveling for six months and after two months you’re already halfway through your budget then it is time to limit your spendings.
There are a number of tips to save money on the go. And we do not mean saving money throughout doing nothing all day. We’ll often meet travelers who hang out at the hostel all day not doing anything fun just to save money. Everyone must of course decide what he or she does while traveling but you’re not in Asia every day, so you may enjoy it a bit! You can save some money with these tips;
- Bangkok – Fly to Bangkok and fly from Bangkok to other countries in South East Asia. This is often cheaper than to fly directly to the country of destination.
- Hostel / Guesthoue – a hotel is nice (and certainly the first night of arrival) but a hostel or guesthouse is cheaper and have excellent facilities.
- Live like a local – travel by public transport instead of tour buses (where possible) and eat on the street (street food) at one of the food stalls. This is not only great fun, it’s also very cheap!
- Save on souvenirs – That may sound harsh because everybody likes to buy souvenirs for others. But no matter how hard your grandparents or mom and dad ask, souvenirs cost money (and space in your bag).
You may also like:
4 Tips to Stay Safe While Travelling Abroad
This is what you have to prepare before you hunt Sunrise
