The Joy of Creating Travel Itinerary

The joy of creating my own travel itinerary started when I first joined a barkada trip to Caramoan last 2008 when my co-worker planned and took care of everything . I enjoyed the trip so much that I decided to try it on my own.

Are you fond of traveling around Philippines or in Asia, and you're on a tight budget but wanted to maximize your time on a place ? Why not create your own travel itinerary? I know, some people might think it would be a big hassle to research and plot schedules on your own, and some people think it would be more fun to have a spontaneous travel without any plan at all. First of all,it's practical for people traveling with a tight budget not to pre-plan their trip. More likely they would end up wasting most of their time and money. The second thing, if you have a travel agency arranged the itinerary for you, as per my experience, you can't really maximize your time on the places you want to be-- this is referring to a joint travel group. Lastly, you would be very proud of yourself once you it became a successful trip!

Well, it's not that hard planning your itinerary. You just have to allot a little of your time and effort for research. It has a advantages, and it can be a source of fun learning too, so I would suggest start it now.

So where would you start? Just turn on your computer with an internet connection, get your pen and papers. And voila! You're good to go!

It would be a great advantage to have your own credit card for booking to avoid the hassle of depositing on banks.

1. First , plan the date of your trip. Usually, for a domestic trip at-least allot 3-4 days.
2. If you're not in a hurry, wait for promo fares that would fall on your planned date trip. Usually 3-5 months before the date.
3. When done booking your flight/bus ride, start researching on the place to visit on your picked location. Google search and map is a very useful tool. You have to know their locations and the details like is there an entrance fee to get there? Is the place always open to public? and other related information.
4. After-which, if you now know the locations, group the places that are close to each other.
5. When done grouping the places, you can now look for a cheap hotel that is near your listed destinations. You can book directly at their website or through trusted booking site-   www.agoda.com, www.asiarooms.com . When researching for a place to stay, it's also a must to read on the reviews of other travelers who stayed at that hotel.
    You can visit www.tripadvisor.com if you're looking for a reliable review site.

   Things to consider in booking a hotel:

   a. worth the price to pay
   b. nearby your destinations
   c. nearby restaurants, convenient stores and shopping areas
   d. ameniteis and facilites included according to your own personal needs
   e. a lot of good reviews on the internet
   f.  a free airport hotel transfer would be a good addition

6. Once you're settled on the hotel, research on how to get to your destination from your booked hotel. Either thru a public transport like train, jeepneys (philippines), cab, ferry boat and other means of transpo. You may find that some destinations are not reachable through public transportation. Another option is to directly contact the hotel that you'll be stayin' to help you with private van or car rental. Pretty much all of them provides that service.

7. When you found all the information mentioned, you can now plot your travel itinerary from the time, to places, where to ride through the expenses you need.

Here's an example Itinerary guide I made for my solo trip in Hongkong. You can create one and will serve as your template for every trip you wish to arrange on your own. :)

Notes for traveling on your own without the help of a travel coordinator:

1. Always bring extra money. It makes you more comfortable even if you get lost or something unexpected happen. Good to have something to pull out on your pocket.
2. Get the hotel's front desk number. They know more about the place and they will surely good to assist you.
3. Avoid talking to strangers if not necessary. Follow your instinct on people whether they  look someone you can trust or not.
4. Always take care of your important belongings. For international, you may opt to bring your passport with you or leave it on your hotel (inside the safety box) but be sure to have a photocopy with you when you go out.
5. Of course, don't forget to smile and enjoy the rest of your trip! If you're worried you're trip might end up a mis-adventure, you can first try arranging your own trip with a partner or involve them in planning. And if you have a plan A, be sure to have plan B-Z in case there's something wrong with your initial plan. :)

~Life is too short to stay at home! Go out and explore the world! ~