Do you remember what you did on that trip two years ago? Stuff and had fun are not good answers. Next time you plan on taking that trip or family vacation here are a few tips to make it a little more memorable.
1. Plan ahead and save money for your trip. Don’t use credit cards or go in debt. The last thing you want is to worry about how you are going to pay for the trip. When it is over you don’t want to be stressed out with paying a huge bill for the trip you just took.
2. You don’t have to plan out every detail of your trip but have an idea of one or two things you definitely want to see or do. Stagger them out and plan for the one thing you really want to do close to the last day. If you are going to the Caribbean plan a snorkeling trip or fishing trip the last day or two. If your headed to Europe, plan to see that Castle that is on your list, camping then go on that rafting trip on the river. Things towards the end of your trip tend stay with you and give you something to anticipate during the trip.
3. Don’t spend all your time at the hotel or resort. It is easy to lie around the pool and order room service, especially at an all-inclusive resort. Get out and take a day to see the area. I don’t mean the big tourist sites but after you have seen them. Go to an outdoor market, visit an out of the way café or bakery and enjoy a cup of coffee or a drink where the locals hang out.
4. Buy one nice souvenir. You will look back and remember the trip a lot more than if you bought cheap trinkets and key chains with the name of some place on it. A piece of handmade pottery, local craft or something the place is known for will make a better souvenir in the long run than a T-shirt or bottle of sand.
5. Take photos, lots of them. Don’t be shy, no one cares that you are taking photos of everything. Take photos not only of the family and tourist attractions but the sales person you bought the souvenir from. Take photos of the people that you interact with and the out of the way places you visited. When you get back arrange them into a slideshow and use for your computer desktop or get one of those digital photo frames and upload some of the best photos.
Derek says
Excellent tips! Although I’m currently selling all my possession to backpack the world, the one exception is my foreign souvenirs. Luckily I’ve practiced #4 for a while now and thankfully don’t have an obscene amount but still a very poignant and memory-invoking collection nonetheless. And although I have never really done #5 for fear of looking like a tourist (like being the only white guy in the market isn’t enough of a sign already LOL) I am about to start!
Keep in mind as I say all this I am completing ignoring rule #1. I mean I’ll be set for a while…but certainly not four years, especially the way I throw money around when I travel. No, I’m going to have to learn to budget travel and learn to respect rule #1 apparently…this should be interesting 😉
thetravellingfool says
Looking forward to hearing all of your RTW adventures. Something tells me there is a part time stint as a bartender in SE Asia in your future.
Carol B says
Great tips! I’m a big photo-taker. I’ve been known to take upwards of a 1000 shots or more on a weeklong trip. I also take photos of signs of where we are at. Great for later on when you are trying to remember just where you were. lol Also great for albums and slide shows – as they say, a picture tells a story.
thetravellingfool says
The wonders of digital photography, if you don’t like it or it turns out bad just delete. I take lots of photos also and usually wind up deleting about a third of them when I start reviewing them.
Maria says
You’re right it is the little things. Souvenirs can be anything… a shirt you’ll wear it’s thread bare or a hat/scarf, flip flops. I often go with just photos but you can also get postcards or just grab a business card on the way out of a shop/restaurant. Even in Cambodia I found everyone had business cards. Have a few from tuk-tuk and moto taxi drivers.
Jo @CasaVersa says
Great tips! I totally agree with #3 – staying in hotels and resorts gives you so little idea of the place you’re actually visiting, and most of the time you could be anywhere in the world! A home exchange is a great alternative – you save on accommodation costs and you get an authentic holiday somewhere that is actually different!
#4 – I like buying jewelry as a souvenir because it’s so easy to pack and every time someone comments on it you get to say the name of a far off place and remember your travels 🙂
Jason Piz says
Good read Bob! I really enjoyed the part about the memorable souvenir. Ever since my first trip years ago, I’ve made it a point to venture out in search of an interesting artifact native to that country. This can be more challenging than one might think, particularly when you are searching for something native to Korea and everything is “Made in China” haha. Now I have a large collection of unique arts from all over, and they are so nice to look at.
thetravellingfool says
Finding that unique item is difficult but the search is half the fun.
Jemma says
Thanks for the tips! I think one of the best ways to make trips memorable is to blog about the places we’ve traveled. It’s like an online diary plus we get to share our experiences to many people. 😉
Cecille says
Oh! But there are some people who are not born to be a writer. In my case, I like to do the talking more. And when I giggle, you know how much I enjoyed my trip. LoL
Cecille says
Wow! Thanks for the tips. I do ’em all. For #1, yes plan ahead and save for the trip. I even prepare spreadsheet of expenses for my travel. But that’s just a guide for I do not want to limit myself when traveling. For #2, I always have a goal when going to a certain place. After doing that, I will just go where my instinct will drag me. One time, I had to separate from my friends to go to another prefecture in my list before heading back to Tokyo. It was a fulfillment.. 🙂 Hmm… But one thing is, I am shy to interact with the locals or at least break the ice unless they do first. I always end up exchanging conversations with the other travelers in the hostel though…
Raffaella says
Terrific and solid pieces of advice. I made mistake #1 6 years ago and it definitely made the trip more stressful, but at least I’ve learned from it. I occasionally buy tchotchkes for friends or family, but I agree that choosing something unique to the place – and made there – makes for a wonderful memento. I have a small collection of items, and each takes me back for just a little while.