Organizing Journey

to Bizarre Destinations

Organizing Journey to Bizarre Destinations

So, you decided to take a long journey to an exotic destination, to know places with natural environment, history, culture, civilization, mores and customs, different from what you have already known.

The chief prerequisite for a successful journey is that ...you love journeys! Besides, to love people and to want to explore their lives, to want to know diversity and to be the kind of person that seeks adventure.

Here are a few basic tips for organizing a better and cost-effective journey. With some self-confidence, trust and effort you can do it!

Selecting a destination

It is common that many travelers do not know exactly where they are going. They do not know the peculiarities of the places of their destination; they are impressed by descriptions of other travelers or travel agents and they get disappointed when they discover that the destination they chose was not what they desired and expected. Try to learn as much as possible about your intended destination, from travel journals, from websites. Special editions of journals can be very informative, if you come across such. Talking with friends who traveled to the same destination can produce a wealth of information. Try to decide whether the information you gathered matches your expectations and desires.

Just some examples: It would not be wise to travel to India if you cannot come to terms with the particular conditions of cleanliness and hygiene and the poverty of the country; or to Myanmar if you are indifferent towards Buddhist culture. Bolivia or Peru would not be good destinations if you have breathing problems; neither would be Africa if you have negative feelings about its culture or if the sight of extreme poverty makes you suffer.

You should also consider, very seriously, yours and your company's limits and weaknesses with regard to food and accommodation available in your intended destination. In some exotic places, such as India, Indonesia or Mexico, etc. you may have problems if you don't like spicy, unfamiliar cuisine.

Safety is of prime importance for everyone. Collect as much information as possible in this regard, mainly through the web, and avoid perilous destinations. Watch out for travel directives issued primarily by the governments of the U.S.A. and the U.K. and, possibly, by the Ministry of foreign affairs of your own country; if they warn you against going there, just don't go.

Finally, you should remember that you must be patient when it comes to being served. In many countries no concessions will be made in the interest of tourism and no favors should be expected just because you are a foreigner. In some countries locals are unusually strict with tourists. In other places where hospitality is one of the local values, it is imperative that you respect the government system, even if you disagree with it; of course the same goes for their religion. In most Muslim or Buddhist places of worship, you must remove your shoes (or even your socks) if you wish to visit their inside. Of course visitors' attire should be decent and according to the rules; for example wearing a headscarf or even hijab or niqab (for women). It is best to keep your views and opinions for yourselves and to remember that you are just visitors, whereas the locals are at home!

The right company

See to it that friends that will join you are well informed about your destination, the difficulties and the special requirements of the journey; they should be independent and self-sufficient travelers. The lack of foreign language skills and insecurity that may beset many people when they are in a foreign country, can really ruin your trip. If you travel with an organized group insecurity is greatly reduced, as most things will be taken care of by the travel agency staff. If you travel "solo" a basic knowledge of the English language is necessary. Don't worry if your English is not perfect; in third world, exotic destinations almost nobody speaks English better than you!

Compatible travel partners, sharing the same interests with you will make your journey a wonderful experience. Incompatible partners can turn it into a nightmare! Just imagine that you are in Cartagena, Colombia, without a good company to explore the old town, because your partners prefer a relaxing swim and spa at a seaside resort!

With company you can also share some expenses, such as accommodation costs or costs of a rented car, if you travel solo; however you need to first check the compatibility of whoever you plan to travel with.

Preparing for a trip

Most travelers agree that one of the joys of a journey lies in the preparation stage. The most important aspect is correct planning. First you select your destination and the people you travel with. Then you decide whether you travel with an organized group or alone.

In the first case things are simple. Among the travel programs available by the travel agency of your country (or the country of your destination) you select the one that is closest to your interests, based on the information provided by your travel agency and the information you gathered from other sources; also the time of year, the length of time you wish to spend, and, finally, the price. Try to gather information on the reliability of the travel agency you chose and let everything else to be taken care of by its staff. If you select a plan of an agency of your destination you will have to decide how to get there; usually by an airline. I will revert later to this issue and the ticketing issues involved!

If you decide to travel alone, based on information from the Internet, organize your trip by gathering as much information as possible, on the culture, history, customs and mores, tradition, sights, maps, accommodation, transport facilities, etc.

After you have made up your mind on all aspects involved, proceed to drawing up an outline of your plan regarding the places to visit and the time you intend to spend in each one. Continue by booking airplane seats and your accommodation, all through the internet.

When is the best time to travel?

It would be wise to choose the time of your travel, based on weather conditions at your destination. For example you'd better avoid going to India during summer time, when the temperature hits red; the same applies for Southeast Asia, where monsoons cause frequent floods.

This is valid too for a country's special local events, (festivals, religious ceremonies or parades such as Catholic Easter, Rio Carnival, cherry trees' blossoming in Japan, etc.).

No doubt, during special events you cannot expect to be serviced as you would be during regular times. However, if you wish to attend e.g. the Timkat Christmas celebration in Lalibela, Ethiopia you will have to tolerate crowded places, poor service, etc.

Check your passport's expiry date

If you are you to travel abroad, obviously you need a valid passport. Check the date your passport expires well in advance of your planned trip. In case you need to renew your passport it may take several weeks. In some countries it may take even as long as six months; and your passport should be ready before you book your tickets!

Choosing transportation

In case you travel solo or with a travel agency of your destination, you will have to make your own arrangements for airline tickets. Prices differ among airlines and usually differences are significant. Airlines make attractive offers for selected destinations, from time to time. Naturally, the best offers occur about the end of the tourist season, either at your end or at your destination.

When choosing an airline you should not only look at its prices, but also its safety record and its reliability. Also, how many stopovers and connections your ticket involves; too many flight delays can disrupt your plan. You should also know that, during peak tourist seasons, many airlines overbook, in the hope that either a higher capacity plane may be made available, or some passengers may not show up. If none of the above occurs, some passengers may be left out, if they failed to reconfirm their flights. Reconfirmation should be your first concern as you arrive at your destination. One more little secret of smart airline ticket purchase is the "last moment" purchase; in case you like adventure, that is. Arriving at the airport the very last moment you may find (if you are lucky enough) unsold tickets at generously discounted prices.

Till the day you pack up

Continue gathering information. Learn as much as possible about the destination of your choice. Keep notes about everything interesting and store them in your smart phone or tablet, if you intend to take any of these with you!

You will need maps. Download and store them in your smart phone or tablet, so you can use them anywhere, even if you have no connection, or even if you run out of Megabytes.

Finally, try to prepare all you photographic gear in time. Check your camera to make sure it doesn't have any of the usual problems (e.g. dust or technical issues), so you can make service arrangements. Also check your lenses, batteries, memory cards (making sure they have adequate storage space depending on your journey's duration).

You are ready...

You have found your dream destination, the best travel partners, you have jointly prepared details; now pack up and off you go! Don't be scared if your journey seems unusual;

The faraway places of the world await you to explore them…. experience the different!

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