Thursday, February 26, 2015

How to Choose Your Next Travel Destination



It’s often a tough decision to choose where to travel to.  There are so many awesome places all around the world to visit and I want to see them all.  I don’t have any real specific rhyme or reason for why I choose where I go or in what order.  My first backpacking trip ever was to Western Europe, a typical backpacking choice.  I chose to fly in and out of Ireland for a few reasons.  When I played around with flight prices to Europe, I came to learn that some of the cheapest cities to fly to and from are Dublin, Amsterdam, and Brussels.  I chose Dublin, Ireland because it was cheaper and it was further west so I could then travel my way eastward.  I chose to fly into Costa Rica when I went backpacking to Central America so I could travel upward which made it cheaper to fly back to the states.  When backpacking Southeast Asia, I chose to fly into Japan and then work my way westward across Southeast Asia, India, the Middle East, Eastern and Southern Europe and then to Morocco.  When you get to one country, you can find an affordable way to get to a nearby country whether it is via bus, train, or a short flight.  For instance, most flights in Southeast Asia from one country or island to another cost between $50 and $80 via plane, and bus and train rides to another country are less than $25.  In Western Europe, a train ride to a neighboring country can cost around $50 or a bus ride in Eastern Europe/the Mediterranean region cost around $20 to $40, sometimes cheaper depending on the season.  To get from Singapore to India, I paid less than $250, from India to Dubai I paid less than $$, and from Austria to Morocco I paid around $$.  Flights to another country are so much more reasonable when you are closer to the region already and connecting countries make it really easy to visit multiple countries in one trip.  These are some ways that I have been able to visit as many countries as I have.

The type of country or area that I visit depends on what I am looking to experience.  Sometimes, usually most of the time, I want to go somewhere with beautiful beaches and warm weather.  Central America, South America, Southeast Asia, Southern India, the Middle East, Australia, and the Caribbean islands are great areas for stunning beaches.  When I want to sight-see, explore big cities, be around lots of other tourists, and visit many countries in one trip, Western Europe is a great choice.  Although I am a beach bum at heart, I really love scenery, landscapes, mountains, and nature.  If that sounds intriguing to you, then areas like Northern Europe, Canada, New Zealand’s southern island, and scattered countries throughout the rest of Europe such as Ireland, England, the south of France, and the Mediterranean countries like Macedonia, Montenegro, and Croatia, are all great choices.  If you desire to experience a lot of culture then I’d recommend countries like Panama, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, India, and Fiji.  Make sure to check the climate and the season for countries that you are interested in visiting so that you know what to expect and what to pack.

If you have a few months to travel, I’d recommend backpacking multiple countries like in Central America, South America, Europe, or Southeast Asia.  My travel lengths have varied from one month up to almost 6 months.  If you are limited on time due to work or other purposes, I’d recommend visiting a larger country that would require more time spent there anyways such as Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina, India, South Africa, or others.  If your budget is a factor for choosing where to travel, keep in mind which countries or regions are more budget-friendly than others.  The underdeveloped and developing countries such as those in South America, Central America, India, Africa, and Southeast Asia are very budget-friendly.  Developed countries such as the United States, Australia, New Zealand, European countries, Canada, and some others make it harder to stretch your dollar.   There are different things to take into consideration when choosing where to travel to; weather, desires activities or scenery, budget, time, and more. 

No comments:

Post a Comment