Tips 0001-0020
Tip 0020 Services come with a cost
Be aware that going to anyone offering a service, may have an ulterior motive.
Of course people want to sell you their product, sadly very few are unbiased.
If you want to go to say an average hotel, package, or resort in a well know area, then the chances are a company would have done a deal with the resort and prices will be fixed and probably even dearer if you try to book direct. These offer great deals and these should not be disregarded.
Fortunately each company needs to spread themselves far and wide and won't have the monopoly on all the hotels and quite often will try to put you off other hotels saying they are not as nice, unsuitable or just inferior to what they are promoting.
This is not necessarily the case. Often there might be an equally nice or even nicer place right next door. So look around and do a bit of work yourself. Not only could you find a better place but it could be a whole lot cheaper.
Tip 0001 What you want from travel.
Firstly it's important to realise what you actually want from travel. If you GetOutGoTravel and have a bad experience, you've either been very unlucky or the chances are you haven't researched and planned properly.
Look for things you are likely to want whilst travelling and this could be from just some peace and quiet, to a full on adventure travel experience.
It is essential to be constructive and pro-active at every stage of the process and none more than before you've even set off.
Make a decision on what you initially want and plan around this. It's easy to get carried away when researching and start wandering from what it was initially you actually wanted from travel.
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You might want a laid back relaxing time, come across a great location and then find that there is so much to do there and start planning excursions. Before you know it you've selected a travel trip that you will need a vacation to recover from afterwards!
You may also decide you want to travel for a year and set off full of excitement, only to find that you are missing home after 3 months and spend the next 9 months not as excited as you first set out or cut your trip short and possibly waste money or more importantly your time.
Tip 0002 Travel in the right frame of mind.
Travel is something that should be done in a positive way which makes for a full on enjoyable experience all round.
Be mindful of why you're travelling. Are you running away from a situation be it a failed relationship, unsatisfying profession, or even a life crisis period? You could be thinking of travelling because you're bored of the humdrum life you are experiencing at the moment or it just seems like a good idea at the time.
Most importantly it is generally best to travel once you have sorted, or can completely close your mind to "back home" issues, so you can fully immerse yourself in the moment. Having said that, there is nothinng wrong with giving yourselves a well earned break from day to day life and it could be just the tonic needed at the time.
Tip 0003 It may not be for you!
Let's face it you may not even be the travelling type. Not much we can say here other than, we strongly recommend you try it, you're only here once.
You could be of the anxious type not comfortable outside your own circle and this is fine too but if you have an inclination to try and spread your wings a little, we recommend little steps first. Maybe a local day trip first, then further and longer at each stage getting more comfortable, until you're ready for the next stage.
Are you in a relationship with differing ideas on what you both want to get out of a travel experience? Does one need a break from work with travel in mind and the other not quite ready to leave a possible promotion opportunity at work. Compromise is the key and or flexibility. Be aware of each other's circumstances or wants and wishes.
You may live in the perfect place and never want to leave. Cool bananas but remember to much of a good thing sometimes needs to be appreciated by absence.
The simple fact is, we are all different and have many ideas on life and how much or little "travel" has a part in it.
Tip 0005 Travel alone or with someone
Without sitting on the fence here, having both personally travelled as single people and in a relationship, we thoroughly recommend both. Don't be scared either way.
Of course there are pros and cons for each and this is an important decision for a lot of you.
Travelling alone has many great points equally for both male and female travellers and the main point is that you're not answerable to anyone but yourself. You can getupgotravel whenever, wherever and however you please. You don't have to worry about anyone else, be it if they're happy doing, going, being anywhere and you don't have anyone's back to worry about apart from your own.
Flip side of this is "and this is a big one" you also cant share those perfect, special moments that somehow a camera or video will never capture. Walking hand in hand alone, that desolate beach with the sun setting on the horizon, countless pods of dolphins migrating south causing the sea to erupt out of the calm waters or just that soft and gentle squeeze of the hand when you spot something extraordinary that need no words to explain.
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You also have no one to watch your back and guide you from your not often but sometimes misguided intuition.
Tip 0004 Enjoy going it alone
You may be single or a couple that is happy to go their own way when it comes to travel. It can be a little intimidating and sometimes it's like going to a restaurant on your own, you feel that everyone is looking at you and they all feel sorry for you. Not the case at all and if you've ever been out there alone, you'll know that so many people go it alone nowadays and often the singles far out way the couples and families.
We talk also about the dangers of travelling alone as a single and refer you to the section on Male and Females "GetOutGoTravel" alone.
For couples and the like, some of you are more than happy to go their different ways in travel. Like the guy wanting time out with his mates on a golfing holiday or skiing trip and the lady who needs her girlie weekends or pamper week at the sanctuary all to themselves.
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This is great when you're both not in sync at the time but remember to have plans to get away together in the future. You can always tailor most travel to accommodate all tastes, even together.
Tip 0007 Moving reminder notes.
This is closely related to Tip 0006
Now this may sound silly but post it notes are a great reminder. Firstly if you write something down it stays in the memory better. Any professional memory expert will tell you this.
Secondly and the main tip here is where you put the post it note?
Has anyone bought a picture and a clock and put them on the wall. Which one do you look at the most? The picture you will look at for up to two or three months, then it becomes part of the wall and you look at it once in a blue moon. The clock, you will look at probably every day of your life.
This is because you use and need the clock, the picture you don't. This is the same as a post it note. If you place it somewhere that you have to physically move it, like in front of your clock, on the fridge opening, on the front door handle, on your pillow, seat, car steering wheel or even in your shoe, where you have to keep moving it, you will keep on track for achieving your goal.
Writing down your bucket list or travel ideas on a notice board, journal, on a word doc or any static place, is better than memory but will become a painting on the wall after time. Writing at least just a few words, let's say "getoutgotravel," on a post it note and place it somewhere you have to move it each day, will keep you on track to actually getting it done.
This actually works for all areas of life. Give it a go and see!
Tip 0008 There is never enough time in the day!
Hogwash. Sorry but you simply are finding an excuse!
Get up an hour earlier, go to bed an hour later. give up a daily soap you watch on telly. Stop procrastinating and time manage yourself.
Some of us come home from work and say "well we've done our bit, worked our buts off all day and this is our down time", we do what we want and promptly put the television on and chillax and that's cool.
You have to remember that travel is chill time also and the effort you put into research and planning is "down time" too and should be as exciting as watching TV, cooking, reading a book or any other past times you enjoy.
Now we're not saying that what you do on your own time is not worthy of doing but most people can always find time to dedicate in an extra half hour or more toward actually starting to achieve your bucket list, which is what we are all working towards! Right?
Tip 0006 Live life to the full, time is short
We all think we will live forever, or certainly a long time hopefully and of course we're not in the business of scaring or shocking people but the simple fact is "Time is short." There never seems be the right time to "ANYTHING." If we really stop and think about it, we are all too busy with our lives and anything extra than the annual vacation seems to be a chore or an unneeded stress from the norm and an extra expense.
If you actually costed out all the hidden financial and social burdens of having say a pet, new car or even a baby, we probably would never do it. They say the average pet dog in its lifetime would cost you over $100,000. Having a vehicle for your lifetime of driving would be over $2,000,000 and a baby, well let's not even go there. The simple fact is we do it out of want, need and happiness. The consequences are immaterial.
Sadly we have evolved our society into basically two dimensions in life. From childhood we acquire our initial education from schooling and university. We may have a gap year somewhere in the mix, then off to work we go until we retire anywhere from 60 to 67 and rising.
Why should we not then travel more during this age of 20 to 67? We all sit there planning our bucket lists and forget them until sadly usually only after a tragedy in life or a mortality shock, we get that drive and push to actually start completing some of the items on our lists.
On average most people take a 2 week main vacation per year where they travel. Over a 47 year period, that's less than 2 years of your 47 years working life. This is why time is short because we're all busy working. If life is all about working then we certainly have mastered this down to a fine art!
Of course we all need a balance but our tip on time being short is, there may be never a good time or the right time, just try and find time to tilt the scales a little in your favour and getoutgotravel more.
Tip 0010 Research is free
These days with the power of internet and social media there are so many additional ways of finding information. There are many forms of free research and of course most of you have access to the internet but word of mouth, literature in the form of books, maps and brochures are also great sources and easily available from friends, neighbours and from local travel agents and are all free.
We go into this in more detail in the research and planning section of this website.
Remember one thing your own research is free, or at least on your own time.
True, any time spent other than working could be classed as not free, as you could be working earning even more money. If it's more economical to work and pay for someone else to do all the research, planning and such, then by all means work. Will you get what you want out of travel, it's your call!
Personally, we class travel as an enjoyable past time which is rapidly becoming more a full time way of life and enjoy every part, including the research and planning as all part of the experience. We also get more excited the longer we travel and most importantly, we learn more and more each time we GetOutGoTravel.
Some people are afraid of going into say the local travel agent because they feel they are, or will get tied into buying a package.
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This is so far from the truth and in fact we thoroughly recommend you to use travel agents as either a source of valuable research and or for some great deals.
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Generally most, if not all travel agents are very happy to offer free advice on the hope that you will frequent them another time.
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High pressure sales are not normally practiced here, although we must say that some of the deals they offer may seem at the time to be a bargain of a lifetime, that may not be available much longer and you may get tempted to go for the deal there and then.
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Personally we advise to step out of the shop, go have a coffee (or glass of vino), think about it and maybe do a little more research before you buy. We rarely have had a situation where the deal of the day isn't there when you've gone back.
Remember, you can browse for free and are not tied into anything. If you went into the local supermarket to shop and come out with nothing, no one twists your arm on the way out and this is the same with travel agents.
Tip 0009 Time management and discipline.
Why do we need 8 hours of sleep per night. We don't! We have been conditioned and follow what everyone thinks.
Now we're not advocating you to go giving up you're lovely bedtime at all, this is just one way of finding a little time in your "down time" for travel research or planning. Other ways would be to imagine it's a trip to the gym, a coffee break, a Saturday morning stroll or an hour off of facebook heaven forbid!
It only needs to be a once a week of discipline to break the cycle from your normal activities and you will be surprised how much more time you will have. This is basically a tip that works in all walks of life.
Tip 0011 Research is the Key
Most of you will want to take control and this is where research is the key.
Without research you run the risk of disappointment somewhere along the line.
You wouldn't buy a house without knowing if it had enough bedrooms, or it had a roof, or finding out if a new motorway was planned to run along your fence line and in the same way, you wouldn't go travelling without knowing that you had suitable accommodation, or the mode of transport got you to your destination, or go snorkelling if you can't swim.
Make the research become part of your travelling experience too. As you research more and more, the more excited you become when you realise that there is so much more to see, do and experience when you get there, or on the way there.
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Invariably you will always miss something but basically the more research you carry out the better your chances of travelling success.
We will be putting together some key points in research on this website soon. For example:- Always check out the surrounding areas to where you intend travelling, you may need a "plan B!" You never know what might happen and this is the exciting part of travelling. If you have done your research well and an issue or problem arises familiarisation always takes the stress out of the situation.
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Your accommodation may not be adequate, the route you plan to take the next day may be flooded or you may need to find a local medic. The list is endless. Good research will stop you putting up with the poor accommodation, staying put until the flooding subsides or panicking as to which direction it is to the local hospital. New link coming soon.
Tip 0013 Everyone's Different.
Just as you think you've found your dream travel time, you find out someone else has been there, done it, read the book you name it they've done it and it "aint no good"!!!
Have you ever gone and watched a movie that everyone raves about and sit in disbelief that you sat 3 hours through that load of old rubbish? Or been to a restaurant that has been recommended, only to walk out after the hors d'oeuvres?
Try not to go on someone else's opinion, there are so many things that happen to you whilst travelling that make the whole experience unique and special.
Just meeting someone whilst away travelling can be special. You are highly unlikely to meet the same people, have the same weather, get the same sunset or see the same dolphin on the horizon as your friends who had a bad experience at the same location.
Tip 0012 Get the Specialists in.
There are some of us who love to travel and leave it all up to the so called "Specialists" and that is cool by us. Each to their own and no one way is necessarily the best way. Also you may be "cash rich, time poor" and this is fine too.
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Sometimes the surprise element of an unknown travel destination or accommodation can be very exciting too but be aware, not all is what it seems.
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You can pay a premium for someone else's opinion on what's fair and they have all the flexibility. You could get shoved somewhere that ordinarily can't get the bookings that time of year, or even worse are having renovations done, or nearby.
Package travel is exactly what it says it is. "A package" by this it means that someone has put together a series of interests with a similar type profile that might attract someone to purchase. Obviously a business exists to make money. Undoubtedly you pay for someone's time, effort, hard work and more importantly, for their in depth knowledge and this is fair enough. Just beware they will tailor it not only for your best interest but for what they have available at the time.
We have often heard, "you can't get there from here, have this for that price." or "you need this to get that."
So basically the specialists are great for putting travel together but if you want flexibility more than they can give, you may have to consider doing it yourself. The savings might surprise you.
Tip 0015 Differing Seasons.
Somewhere that is hot, humid and arid in the dry season, could be lush and tropical during the wet season. Now this would be obvious to many but we use this as a typical example.
A waterfall over brimming to the max from the rains last night one day, could be a finger trickle the next with an exposed expanse of rock formation not seen before.
The affect of a sunset over a monolithic indigneous rock face, that has change due to the axial tilt of the earth.
There are many examples of changes to one place. Could be that you've snorkelled on a reef for years and seen nothing but the odd sea cucumber, a few trigger fish and the odd parrot fish, then one year along comes a whopping great Manta Ray, gliding the oceans depths, that comes up to feed on the abundance of krill at the surface and starts to circle you time and time again and plays with you gently letting its giant wing slide over you as it appears to stroke your back with tenderness.
The amazing differences to the night skies in the southern hemisphere compared to the northern hemisphere.
Tip 0014 What's good for the goose, isn't necessary good for the gander!
Well trust us, "Everyone's different" and what's good for the goose, isn't necessary good for the gander!
There is no difference to travel than anything else in the world, "it is what it is." Apart from the fact that some people's expectations are another's disappointments, with travel there are also a lot of variations that make one place so different every time you go there.
We've heard many stories like "If only I kept on going this way instead of joining up with so and so back at their room," and then find out that just over the hill was a magical bar overlooking a desolate palm swept beach or "the food we ate at this restaurant was horrible!" and avoided the best local fresh fish eatery in the town because they were non fish lovers.
Be an individual and try everything yourselves. This is not to say ignore everything you hear but listen carefully and make your own informed decisions.
Tip 0016 Photos in sunlight.
A lagoon in cloudy conditions is to us still beautiful but for some may be a little disappointing after all the brochures showing it what it could be. Suddenly becoming a magical kaleidoscope of colours as the sun comes out to play and glistens from the ripples caused from the distant capturing reef, makes for an altogether different experience.
Taking an underwater picture can be amazing if you know how to capture the sunlight reflecting off the vibrant colours off say a loggerhead turtle as it comes up to the surface for that brief moment of air intake. You need to be taking the shot from underneath with the glare of the sun shining through the surface.
We take you to another section later on this website for loads of useful tips in photography, like try and take two cameras with you where ever you go.
We also urge you also to join in the forum and send some of your pictures in for inclusion here at getoutgotravel.
Tip 0017 Is a glass half empty?
There are always some types of people that never seem to be happy wherever they go and sometimes these people find their enjoyment picking holes in everything.
If you travel with disappointment right from the beginning, then it will be hard to break that cycle. Learn to let things go or you will ruin the time you have. You can always turn a negative into a positive, if you know how.
You probably won't get any sympathy here from us. Remember the glass is half full, not half empty. We believe you can find enjoyment out of most of your travels and have yet to have a really unmemorable travel experience and trust me we have been in some really sticky situations.
Try to have a positive mental attitude and a real expectation of what you want and what you get. So many people try to get the top places for half the cost and then complain that they're hard done by. Be realistic people!
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Be pleasantly surprised if you get the deal of a lifetime and not too disappointed if your cheaper version of luxury isn't quiet the ticket.
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If you adopt the philosophy that, "this is what it is" and enjoy it for what it is, your half way there.
There is reason to complain sometimes of course but don't let it become the reason you ruin your travel experience. The amount of people we have met, that inwardly complain and not talk to the people they need to. Stories of "my room is dirty, next to the lift, hasn't a bathroom or the bus didn't take me the whole way, the train didn't run today or my plane is delayed.
Please don't complain to us, complain to the manager, authorities, companies, reps or anyone but us.
Story 20 Majorca accommodates if you ask
Seriously though, you need to go through the proper channels. I went to a hotel in Majorca many moons ago. I wasn't happy with my room on arrival and promptly went down and spoke with the hotel manager who was very accommodating, resulting in a quick move to another room and had an awesome holiday.
Nearing the end of a lovely two week stay, I came across a couple who were obviously very upset with their room as they continually complained to me during the whole of my evening meal. I asked them what they had done about it, whereupon their response was "nothing!" I called over the manager, who was mortified of their disappointment and arranged for them to be relocated.
The moral of the story is, this couple had spent 10 days of disappointment out of a 14 day vacation that could have been sorted out immediately had they just expressed their concerns to the right person in the beginning.
It's not rocket science people. There will be times when nothing can be done about an issue you may have. Basically if nothing can be done then why let it spoil the rest of your travelling.
If you can do something about it then do it and move on. You may not like for example your accommodation and feel you've not got what you paid for. Always try to sort the issue at source first, then contact who booked it for you. If you have definitely had a difference to your booking which is a contract, you might have some recourse later. Find an alternative closely matching your contract and look for reimbursement when you get back rather than let it ruin your travel.
If you find yourselves trying to sleep next to a night club, go join in and dance the night away. You're on holiday. Either your research was rubbish or you picked the wrong destination. Don't blame the owner of the night club.
Tip 0018 Get the most from travel
As previously mentioned the more you research the more you will enjoy your travels.
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There are many areas of research and all dependant on your specific set of circumstances. From finding location/s booking transportation, accommodation, finding the best routes, or economical ways of going about travel, to name but a few and we start with, do it yourself.
Again we recommend going to our "Reasons for Travel" and "Planning" sections on our main menu header.
Tip 0019 Do a bit of work yourself.
The more you do yourself the more you save and learn. You will save a lot! You will learn a lot.
The simple fact is the more you do the more you save. It's like anything else in life. Shop around, you now have travel agents, specialist shops, internet and literature. Use all of these for gaining information and advice. You don't always have to book direct and if you book yourself you'll have more choice and are more likely to get exactly what you want rather than what's on offer.
Most travel you find can be booked direct with the company itself and or via agents direct. A lot of packages have set dates which may not suit your timings. Gone is the era of having to travel when your told. Pick when and where you want to go and book what suits you. There is still a place for travel agents and often they can beat some of your research costings.
Where you save the most is on location. Try and travel out of westernised seasons, i.e. school holidays, bank holidays and weather seasons. If you travel out of season there usually is an abundance of flights and accommodation easily found and we have yet "not" to find somewhere to stay even in high season. Look out for out of season events though. Have been caught out once and had to drive out of a city to find somewhere for the night when a V8 race was on in Melbourne.
Tips 0001-0020
