Choosing The Best Holiday Destination
By Rhiannon Williamson, Thu Dec 8th
Working 9 – 5, raising a family, worrying about the mortgage andtrying to make time for all the people, pressures and demands inyour life can take its toll. You need a break from time to timeand because it is so essential that you use your holiday timefor completely unwinding and de-stressing it is absolutelycritical that you pick out the best holiday destination eachtime and avoid wasting your days away, your hard earned cash andyour quality time with loved ones. This guide to choosing the best holiday destination for youcovers the top ten points you should consider when planning thatnext getaway. 1)The Time Of The Year – when are you planning on taking yournext holiday? Certain destinations are only attractive toholidaymakers at a given time of the year because of climaticconditions. Think carefully about when you’ll be travelling andthen examine the rainfall and temperature charts for yourshortlist of destinations and make sure it will be neitherextremely too hot or cold or wet or windy when you plan toholiday.
2)Your Budget – your budget will have a major bearing on whereyou travel to and also when you can travel. Travelling out ofseason on a last minute package holiday will of course save youlots of money, but there are other ways to make your money gofurther. Travel agents nowadays offer early bird bookingdiscounts for example, alternatively you could book each stageof the holiday separately and possibly save more by callingairlines, hotels and hire car companies direct and asking aboutany special offers or discounts they offer and maybe you couldeven consider a house swap to save on accommodation costs. 3)Distance – long haul flights are no fun unless you can travelbusiness class! And what’s more, having to travel to your idealdestination over a 12 or even 24 hour period and then sufferingjetlag when you arrive and upon your return will maybe eat up asmuch as half of your holiday in real terms. Think about thedistance you would like to travel in terms of hours sat on aplane, in departures, on a bus, in the car or even on atrain…and then research destinations accordingly. 4)Travelling Parents – if you have children and you’re planninga family holiday a whole load of new criteria come into theplanning. If you have young pre-school children you may be ableto travel out of the peak school holiday times and thus saveyourself thousands…but you will have the added hassle of havingto travel with half a tonne of baby paraphernalia! Research yourairline and resort in terms of the facilities they offerparents. Also, you must consider the heat, sun and humidityfactors when travelling as children suffer more and also tend tovocalise more than us when uncomfortable for long periods oftime! 5)Facilities – what facilities are in or around the resortsyou’re considering and what facilities to you require? If youcan’t be more than a day away from the internet make surethere’s access from your hotel, if you’re travelling withchildren is there a laundry service offered – or better still ifyou’re on a budget, do they have a laundry room in the hotelthat you can access? Do you need
to carry an iron, a hair dryer,a carry cot or even a child’s car seat with you or will yourhotel and hire car company be able to supply you with all thebulky items you need? Ask, don’t assume! 6)Amenities – if you want to keep fit when away is there a hotelgym, what about a spa so that you can make the most of your timeaway? Is there an onsite bar and restaurant, what about giftshops and a mini market? Think about all the amenities you wouldlike to have access to before you begin your research and thenwhen you find an attractive destination tick off your list ofdesirable amenities against what it offers. 7)Entertainment – when it comes to your idea of a good time doesthat include wild night life or easy access to sites of historicor cultural interest? Are you after pubs, clubs, bars andrestaurants for a 24 hour party or would you like to be able todrive to a stunning castle, take a boat trip out to sea, wanderaway from the crowds and find entertainment in tranquillity? Youwill have a good idea of the entertainment requirements you andtravelling companions require – just make sure you pick a resortthat fits in with those requirements! 8)Beach Flop Or Activity Holiday – are you happy to flop on thesand and soak up the sun or would you be happier hiking in theHimalayas? Think carefully about what exactly would bring youthe most pleasure from your time away. Don’t go with the flowand copy the crowds if your idea of a nice time is simplyrelaxing in your garden at home for two weeks then do that! Yourholiday time is your own so make of it what you can and what youwant. 9)Health Requirements – if you or your family have anyparticular health issues from asthma to diabetes, from aphysical handicap to even a fear of flying you should take allof these factors into the planning. Certain destinations areless sophisticated in terms of medical facilities available andeven in terms of access to prescription drugs, some are moreinaccessible in terms of travelling to or even getting aroundthan others. Also, some destinations carry disease warnings andrequire you to have inoculations before you travel or to takemalaria drugs when on the ground for example. Consider yourpreferred destination in terms of the health aspects for yourwhole family. 10)Take Recommendations – listen to family, friends andcolleagues when they tell you about where they’ve been that wasgood and where they’ve been that was terrible; learn from theirexperiences and disaster stories and take any recommendationsfrom trusted and like minded sources. Such recommendations canbe a great place to begin your research and if you find that thedestination likely suits you to a tee you will be able to findout about the best places to eat, the must see sights and thefriendliest staff before you head out which will give you anextra confidence boost and get your holiday off to a flyingstart. Above all – make sure you have fun! About the author:Rhiannon Williamson is a freelance writer whose articles abouttraveling and living abroad have appeared in many major traveland expatriate publications throughout the world. You can find more of her articles at:- www.AboutNorthCyprus.com |
