How to plan the best trip of your life? 7 tips that you will not forget!

A lot of us love to travel and explore different places. We book tickets, visit the place and come back with a lot of memories. But for most of us, there are very few trips that stay with us forever. How do you plan a trip that would stay with you forever?

Let me spill some of my secret sauce here!

While planning for a vacation or long trip, once you have shortlisted on the location and mode of transportation (need help here? Read this article 2 mins ), here are some tips to help you make your planning quick and better:

Select places to visit such that your average time spent at each location is atleast 2 nights. Less than that and you might end up spend most of your time just juggling between places. (unless you're on a road trip and that's the only objective)
Identify the top 10 things tourists do in these places. Skip all of them. Ok wait. Don't skip all of them, but skip 6 of them. Why do I say so? While a lot of these places might have the popular vote, the experiences are generally poorer than the hype around it. Select 3-4 of these depending on your area of interest.
If you are going to a remote location or internationally, download the offline google maps into your phone and don't worry about no internet or losing your way! Don't know how? Click Here.
Book a combination of hotels and airbnbs, luxury and budget options.
- Stick to a budget hotel if you are in a city (e.g. Bangkok) where you'll spend most of your time on the streets.
- Prefer premium options in beaches, jungles and isolated places to avoid the hassle of looking for good food and also have things to do handy.

**Make sure to read AirBnB reviews so that you are not surprised with "Spectacular City Skyline View" like this one on check-in!**

5. Try out airbnbs in atleast a couple of places. Read the airbnb options carefully (must read all reviews!) or you might end up booking a hotel in disguise. Pro-tip: Try to look for superhosts.

6. If you are visiting a relatively remote location/village, homestays are a good option more often than not.

7. Explore food cuisines available there and check if you have any dietary restrictions that you might have to be wary of (e.g. being a vegetarian or allergic to dairy/gluten). This might also be a blessing in disguise if you research a bit (e.g. see what happened in Turkey)

Since you've reached upto here, 2 bonus tips for you:

★ In case you are new to the local tongue of the place, note down 10 basic phrases that you can use in that location and try speaking them for a few days before the trip. This gesture is highly appreciated by the local folks and they might go an extra mile to help you. Yes, ok! Also keep Google Translate handy.

★ What might be a norm to do in your city/country of residence, might be a cultural nightmare/looked upon in bad light in another place. Check if there is anything that you should not be doing. E.g. You might offend a polite waiter in Japan if you tip him.