5 Types of Vacations To Take At Least Once in Your Lifetime — Once the World Opens Again
Planning trips can be difficult. Especially If you don’t have the time or don’t particularly enjoy planning. If your favorite travel agent, The Black Expat, isn’t available to guide you (he always is) then you should certainly try one of these vacations styles at least once in your lifetime.
ALL OR NOTHING
All inclusive experiences provide you with the luxury of not having to plan extensively, coupled with all of your meals and activities laid out for you in one location. Though most times you’ll have to pay a little extra for the top shelf or even mediocrely good adult beverages, there’s still something to be said for not having to prepare or even think about much while on vacation.
If you’re dog tired from work, life, or school, and need a quick getaway, this is certainly the route to choose. A stint of this nature in the Caribbean or other islands will lend you some great destinations to choose from that are a little on the pricey side. However, having a low maintenance, thoughtless, yet pampered experience that you deserve makes it all worth it.
RIDE OR DIE
What are best friends for if not to, at least once, handle everything for an international trip so that all you need to worry about is making sure you pack shower shoes and travel pillow. At least once afford yourself this luxury with your bestie(s) and have them plan an adventure of a lifetime in a new place for you. Have them take full responsibility for every aspect of the trip while you kick back, relax, and take it all in.
I know what you’re thinking, why would you do that? Here’s why. All inclusive experiences leave little to the imagination, and an element of culture is missing. Things are planned, but only food, drinks, and in your face entertainment that doesn’t give you the all important authentic cultural experiences that comes with self exploration. For a truly new and adventurous experience minus the labor of looking for and organizing the event itself, have your closest confidants fully plan and accompany you on an adventure in foreign land. After all, they know you best and would surely be able to put together the trip of a lifetime. It also opens the door for you to Pay it Forward and provide them with a similar opportunity when they’re in need as well. Tried this for my 25th birthday in Hong Kong, and was not disappointed. The bros held it down.
SOLO DOLO
Have you ever thought of traveling to a new place on your own? Not to stay in a secluded all inclusive resort, but really immerse yourself in a new place, the culture, the people, and everything else in between.
At least once in your life, you certainly should. There are few better ways to get lost in a place and find yourself along the way. We all deserve and need to be pampered every once in a while. We also need time to learn about ourselves and explore new things on our own just as much. Traveling in groups or even with one other person often prohibits the ability to actively search for interactions with others, and shifts the focus from being solely on the place and culture you’re in, and more toward insuring whomever you’re traveling with is having a good time.
Free yourself from that worry and become immersed fully in a new cultural destination. When a new job or hobby that you’ll most likely quit in a few months doesn’t suffice, an unforgettable experience filled with memories for self will certainly fit the bill.
LET A GOOD AGENT WHO CARES GET YOU THERE
When you’re looking to plan a meaningful vacation, whether it be action and adventure based, strictly cultural, or a combination of both, get a good travel agent and one that cares.
Some are out to make a buck. Some have been doing one location for a long time and are really putting you in the best possible place for you to be. And others go above and beyond to make sure you have all you need to maximize your travel experience. So how can you tell? A few quick tips:
1. Ask them questions about the location. Like tough ones. If they don’t know what they’re talking about and why they would go, they shouldn’t be sending you there either.
2. Check the turnaround time. If it’s within hours and you’re spending a pretty penny on a trip out of the country, you want to be sure they’re investing a fair amount of time since you’ll be investing a substantial amount of money.
3. Lastly, do they follow up with you after your trip? This matters. If they’re continuously trying to get better and they show it, that means you can and should probably not only utilize but recommend their services to others in the future.
Travel agents exist for a very good reason. As much as google helps, there’s still nothing like talking to an actual person to help make sense of a trip to another place in the world. So get a good one. And know, The Black Expat is always here for you.
ROAD TRIP
A road trip is often talked about, but is difficult to plan with other people due to schedules and other commitments. My advice, find one or two good friends that you KNOW you wouldn’t mind being in close proximity with for hours on end and make it happen with them. Schedules be damned, get er done. Proper vetting is needed especially when it comes to music and making sandwiches in the car, but after that crucial information is confirmed, pack your bags and get on your way. Give yourselves enough flexibility in your schedule so that you’re never in a hurry, you’re free to stop and go as you please, and most importantly you’re able to make the most of your experience by doing what you want, when you want while road tripping.
If you can only squeeze in seven days and three states, do it. You won’t regret it. There’s just something enlightening about being on the open road driving without having the stress and pressure of time and punctuality weighing heavily on your spirit. Being in traffic and it being “ok”. Eating all the snacks as you drive because the car is a rental and cleaning will be someone else’s problem.
Be open to exploring an area just because it looks or seems interesting. Turn your cell phone off and just look out the window. Really, just look out the window. You’ll be surprised what you’ve been missing because you’re usually so deep in thought that you miss out of gems that have been right before you all along. What are you waiting for? You can always make more money…but you certainly can not make more time.
Carl Junior
