Going on a vacation soon? If you are, it’s time to plan. Your few weeks of retreat should be special. You need a place that’ll reenergize you for another year of productivity. This is something we’ll help you with. Below are 7 tips on planning a smooth vacation. Follow them for the retreat of a lifetime!
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1. Make it International
A vacation should make you feel refreshed. And to do so, you need to go far away from home. You must get as far away as possible from your local culture.
Why? Because you need a different environment to distract you. You want something that helps you forget your responsibilities at home. And you do so by visiting a foreign culture. Just Make Sure it isn’t Too Foreign.
We’re not saying you should retreat into the wilderness.
Just go somewhere that’s “tourist receptive”. ”Make sure the standard of living there is good, and that English is a commonly spoken language. If English is your only language make sure that it is commonly spoken in the destination.
With all the strife around the world, it’s a good plan to check the safety alert for the destination you might like to travel to. If you are not certain; search the Internet for travel advisories to make sure there are no alerts you should know about. As they say “conditions can change rapidly in a country at any time.” You can also sign up with travel.state.gov to receive updated Travel Advisories and Alerts for any country.
In fact, speaking of living standards…
2. Stick to Developed Countries
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3rd world countries can make you feel more depressed than refreshed.
There’s poverty, high populations, and environmental pollution to deal with. This combination can seriously mess up your mood.
You want good living standards. It doesn’t have to be luxurious. Just make sure that it’s relaxing and clean.
How to Pick a Developed Country.
Check the GDP per Capita and the HDI ranking of that country.
This gives you an idea into how well off the place is. And if it’s well off, then you know it’s a good place to be.
Of course, if you care and want to help, then, by all means, there is much you can do by volunteering to work in regions that are desperately in need of help. Volunteer tourism is a popular travel activity for those who want to “do good.” Yet, its ability to alleviate poverty and change systems is actually minimal. Well-meaning travellers can help in individual situations, but many do not have the skills to fundamentally change things.
Volunteering is very ethical tourism. It’s just not your everyday vacation as you will work and that may be just what you are tying to get a break from
3. Avoid High Population Countries
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Not all developed countries make good vacation spots. Some are highly populated. And as a rule, a high-population country tends to have a noisy public life.
That’s not something most vacationers want. After all, you don’t go on vacation for noisy traffic and constant noise out of your condo. Unless you really like crows and want to go city shopping, this is not the relaxation we know vacationers are looking for. If that is your pleasure choose New York City, Paris or any big city in China.
If crowds are not your preference, pick a small island or a small city with a population of less than a million. A top trending city that fits the criteria of a great travel destination is Halifax in Nova Scotia Canada. It’s a seaside city that feels like a village and has many things to do including gourmet restaurants, fantastic seafood, a vibrant local music community and theatre.
One of our favorite recommendations for the best of both worlds is the Caribbean. Its always summer there and the perfect place to relax and chill out on a beach.
4. Pick a Country Where it’s Summer all Year
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By now, you should have seriously narrowed down your countries list. You should have 10 countries at most because few countries will fit the requirements listed in this article.
Now, you need a place where it’s summer all year. You want a country whose climate isn’t too cold or too hot.
You want something that’s tropical. Those countries tend to be near the equatorial line. And many of those countries make excellent vacation spots.
Example.
Some countries in the SEA are highly developed – like Singapore. And the low population makes it good for vacation. Then you have a more convenient option, like the Caribbean countries.
You have countries like Barbados, which are highly developed with a low population. And the culture is quite amiable and refreshing. It’s relaxing with fun friendly people and miles of pure white sand. Yet it also has world-class restaurant, excellent duty-free shopping and top rated hotel. Places to stay include all-inclusive resorts, beach villas and vacation rentals that range from small Bed & Breakfast Guest Houses to five start accommodation like Sandy Lane Hotel and The Crane.
Options like those should be on your list.
5. Pick a Country With Many Tourist Activities
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As a vacationer, you don’t go on a retreat to lock yourself in a hotel…
You go on a retreat to try out relaxing activities. This could be anything from marine activities (like snorkeling or scuba diving)…
Or, it could be an attendance of festivals. Heck, it can even be to try out new food or to try a different type of climate.
The point is, you need a list of activities because it’s all about distracting yourself from the stress of your work at home.
Research – Write Down What You Want to Do. Try to envision the vacation that best appeals to your personality.
What do you want to do? Which activities appeal best to you?
Write everything down. Then structure that into a to-do list that you’d like to try out!
6. Journey to Discover
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Travel is a journey of discovery and vacations are a chance to learn about the culture, history, people and lifestyles in many different parts unknown and known. Travel opens ones mind to the world and can even help you see into your own soul and character. It also can shine a spotlight on your own background and heritage and the excesses of the past. Sometimes the journey can bring you face to face with the painful past of human suffering and recovery.
Traveling is an amazing way to learn and experience the world. So often we lose sight of this aspect of a vacation. It can be far more than adventure or relaxation as the world of travel is a classroom for us all. Think about it in terms of history, heritage, culture, lifestyles, architecture living and experiencing. It is a Journey to discover, and you will find out a lot about yourself as you learn about others.
Learn More at Thrive
This website looks at traveling as a journey that opens eyes and minds to wonders of the world.
7. Structure Travel to Match Your Personality
Img source: fluentin3months.com
There’s so much you can tweak in your vacation planning.
There’s the accommodation to take care of. You can find accommodation that suits your personality and temperament.
You can structure your activities, which was our previous point. You can pick from a variety of environments and locations. And you should pick what makes you feel comfortable.
But…
Finding options is usually the job of your travel agent or an online service like Tripadvisor and booking sites. And as you know, many don’t supply the ideal options that match who you are. You need a system that can analyze your personality accurately – while finding your options tailor-fit for you!
There are a growing number of Artificial Intelligent systems that are beginning to do this quite well. They work by interpreting every click you make, the pictures you like and the options you choose. It is just common sense really, but it’s clever and insightful to make inferences based on behavior – It’s a new trend in tourism where travelers and destination experiences and accommodation are matched together using psychology. It is being pioneered by innovative technology likeTravelsify and Matchmaker. Travel. it is being adopted in destinations like Barbados and used in new technology like PersonaHolidays.
