The ‘summer,’ holidays are here. In Nigeria, we like to call this period the long holidays because this is when academic sessions end for about two months plus. At the time, the kids are looking forward to some serious fun and relaxing. Unfortunately, many people may not have the funds to do something unique this period or travel anywhere special yet. That, or life had got you so busy, you forgot to plan towards a vacation for you and the children this holiday. If you can’t go anywhere special during this long hols’ with the kids, you can still save the year by making
plans towards a Christmas/end-of-year vacation.
For those who don’t have children, it’s possible you would like to travel to mark a milestone in your life. Often, a dream vacation is one you have fantasied about, that once an opportunity comes along, you would quickly want to ride on that train. But so far, no miraculous large sum of money has fallen in your lap recently to make that fantasy a reality. Now you are feeling gloomy.
The truth about vacations is that you have to plan them months in advance.
Sometimes you may not even know where you want to go, but if you start stock piling funds early, it becomes easy to jump on any vacation deal that comes along at your most convenient time.
There are 3 ways you can turn your dream vacation into a reality. We shall take our time in exploring these three ways in this and a subsequent article.
The three ways are:
- Place vacations high on your priority list
- Count the cost/do your research
- Designate income to travel
Place Vacations High On Your Priority List
To place a value on vacations such that it rates high on your priority list, you have to first define it. The concept of going for vacations is to get away from your daily routine or your ‘mundane’. Going a vacation is good for your health and makes you more productive in your career. The plan is to enjoy quality alone time or quality time with those you love; a chance to forget about work worries and enjoy the fruit of your efforts. If this is important to you, then you need to plan for it. Make it part of your annual to-do list. It can be once a year or multiple times in a year. Having a vacation doesn’t have to be elaborate.
It could be a:
Staycation/weekend getaway – For busy people who hardly spend time at home, a trip to a resort like Inagbe Grand resort in Lagos could be a dream vacation. For others, a stay at a fancy 3 or 4-star hotel like Four Points by Sheraton Lagos would do. You could also drive to the nearest beach or holiday spot within your city rather than travelling. The aim of this vacation is strictly for relaxation and a bit of food tourism.
Daycation – This could be a one-day trip to somewhere nice where you can spend the day doing something new or viewing an unusual sight. An example would be the Paintballing in daylight at the beach organised by @tripaholics on the 11
th August 2018 for N7,000/person. The aim of this vacation is usually for sightseeing/adventure, excitement or a thrilling new experience.
A few days/weeks – Here you get to travel very far from home and do things you aren’t privy to in your state or country. An example would be the 9 days/8 nights, four state tour organised by Centrepoint Nigeria travel agency this summer , from 11
th -19
th of August and costs N158,999/person on a sharing basis and N94,999 per child. The aim of this vacation is a mix of relaxation, sightseeing/adventure, excitement, learning new things, tasting new foods, or an overall thrilling new experience.
The dream vacations all depends on what you want to get out of the vacation. Your funds will determine the frequency in a year and duration per trip. Once you prioritise going on vacations, it becomes easier to plan towards one every year. You won’t wait till a huge
sum of money comes your way before embarking on one.
Feature Image: saudiatimes.co.uk
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This article was first published on 10th August 2018
ann
Ann Esievoadje is a freelance writer who is passionate about encouraging a reading culture and personal development. She has authored two books, The Quilt (fiction) and Being Mummy and Me (non-fiction). She manages Pulchra Publishing which offers a content creation/editing, transcription, different forms of writing (including Ghostwriting) service and her blog, Life Love and Anything Goes at annesievoadje.blogspot.com.ng. You can reach her at annesievoadje@gmail.com
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