15 Travel Planning Tips Based on our Recent Trip

 Our trip was one year in the making. You can just imagine the anticipation and excitement we all felt when the actual day arrived. All the planning and researching will be finally put to a test.

All of us had assignments of our own. Some booked for the flights, hotels and car rentals. Others planned for the daily activities and places to visit. While some researched for the recommended places to eat.



As a traveler, I do believe that planning is half the fun but it entails shedding precious time and efforts, as well as cash. The planning stage of our trip followed a format. Date of availability - flight - activities and hotel

We went to 3 different countries, 5 different cities and numerous towns in a span of 2 weeks. Flew 4 different airlines, visited 5 airports and rode almost all type of possible transportations and even drove more than 1000 kilometers  -- most of them having an amazing race type timeline if I may say so.

Same with all trips, we also experienced hiccups, lost things but nevertheless, we learned valuable lessons and got to enjoy! To sum it all up, it was a very great trip full of learning and new experiences.

I will be blogging about our trip here and hopefully, I can share insights, tips and experiences with you at the comfort of wherever you are. Below are some trip planning tips.

15 tips on planning your trip:
- To save money on flights, check out the budget airlines available in your country of destination. (Airasia, Jetstar, Tiger etc)

- For hotels, go to Trip Advisor to read reviews

- To book hotels, go to booking.com (Why booking.com? They offer bookings without downpayment which you can even cancel 24hours before)

- For car rentals, make sure that the car rental company you are getting your car with can rent you with a GPS navigator (Also, search for coupons online)

- Prior to leaving, check out local laws (e.g. driving law)

- Do not schedule an activity close to your arrival. Leave some time for flight delays whether on a budget airline or not.

- Always bring extra cash. This is very basic and important.

- If you like taking photos, 36gb of memory cards is enough. Otherwise, half of that is ok. (based on a 2-week trip)

- Better to bring memory cards in 4gb or 8gb capacities. This way, you can change every two to three days and keep the other cards in a safe place.

- Invest in a portable luggage scale. I bought mine for less than 400 pesos. (China made). Take note of the weight limit restrictions on your flights and if you really need additional weight, pre-purchase them as this is cheaper by 20-50%

- Weather can affect everything. Check out Accuweather for a 15-day forecast.

- Research on how to put your mobile phone in international roaming mode

- Turn off your data roaming or simply remove the APN from the settings to prevent unwanted charges or..

- If you really need internet, check out Globe Telecom's Bridge Data Unlimited Plans. (For a small amount, you can use your data roaming to check mail, surf the web, update twitter and browse facebook. 5 days for only $40 USD. More information here)

- Portable power packs are a need. You'll never know when you're gonna run out of power.

- Basic travel needs depending on where you're going: Jacket, raincoat, umbrella, shades, extra contact lens/ solution, extra battery and an open heart.


In the next few days, I'll be posting here almost all the places and restaurants we visited. That's it for now. Hope this helped you plan your current/ next trip!
Cheftonio