Travelling is exciting whether you are travelling within or outside the country. No matter how often you travel, there are three things every traveller is prone to, which should be avoided. Such as
1. Have a Fully Booked Travel Itinerary
It takes a load off you to know exactly how your vacation days will be spent when you travel. But sometimes, having a fully booked itinerary might not be in your best interest. It closes the door on opportunities for spontaneity. E.g. taking an off-book trip to visit certain places recommended by the locals in that region. It also makes it hard to relax during your vacation. When your schedule is fully booked, you only have time for sleep and dress up to go out. You won’t have time to enjoy the facilities at the hotel or the comfort of your hotel room. You end up doing too many activities within a short time and returning home fatigued rather than relaxed. Adventure activities such as climbing up Agbele rock, boat cruising around the confluence at Lokoja or zip lining at Lekki Leisure resort is great, but vacations are meant for leisure and relaxation. Make sure you take time out to create free days for rejuvenation and spontaneous activities that may come up when you network with new people in a new environment.
2. Panicking
Don’t panic. Panicking is the worst thing you can do when embarking on a trip. That sudden overwhelming fear that things will go wrong even before you leave your house can force you to make terrible decisions. For instance, if you are frightened of running out of what to wear or things you’ll need, you will end up parking more clothes and things that you need. Sometimes it will make you go on a shopping spree buying things you don’t need. Ideally, a week’s worth of clothing and underwear is enough for any trip and carrying a light small travel bag is better than lugging around a huge suitcase. Another example of how panicking can mess up your trip while is freaking out when things go wrong. Not only does it steal your joy at that moment, but it also ruins your experience thus far. Make up your mind that when things go wrong, there is an alternative solution and focus your mind on those options. If you feel yourself panicking before after or during a trip, remember to calm down, take things slowly, be solution-oriented (i.e. analyse the problem to remove the extraneous circumstances around it and focus on alternative ways to solve it).
3. Underestimating Expenses
There are many ways we underestimate expenses and end up spending more than necessary. You might think it is cheaper to roam with a data plan but sometimes, it is more expensive. Sometimes it is better to get a local sim card for intra-city calls and high speed data than to make calls or browse roaming with your current network. Also relying on Apps that function without an internet connection can also save you extra expense on data like Google maps. Lugging into a secure personal MiFi or free WiFi network at secure hotspots is also a good way to keep in touch with family and friends via apps at a cheaper cost than international phone calls. You can make audio or video calls and share pictures on WhatsApp. You can also go live on Facebook or share photos via Instagram. Also, book your tickets months in advance, waiting till the week you travel will cost you more. Research for discounts at hotels of your choice, it might surprise you the sweet deals you may land. It might seem convenient to lodge at a hotel near the airport but sometimes they are more expensive than those farther away.
Do you have suggestions on things travellers should avoid based on your experience? Tell us in the comments below.
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