Imagine this: you are walking along the beach, sand and seawater between your toes. A fresh whiff of wind breezes across your sun-kissed skin. You take shelter under a red-and-white striped umbrella and take a sip of your morning piña colada. As you close your eyes, the sounds of waves crashing and seagulls chime in your ears.
Reality Check
But, you have to come crashing back to reality eventually: you’re not alone in this tropical paradise. To your left, you see children screaming atop their lungs over the iPad that they’ve dropped. To your right, you witness a group of tourists throwing their empty soda bottles on the ground. Beyond the shoreline, you see the strong winds making the water impossible to swim. Behind you, teenagers blast house music at ear splitting levels and volume.
The disappointment ensues. After planning so rigorously and carefully for this supposedly relaxing trip, you are met with even more stress than you did while making a checklist and booking flights. You are stuck for days in a getaway place that is bound to torment you until your flight home.
Incredible Opportunities Await
There is a way to avoid this! Plan less. Book only the first few days, and let spontaneity take over. Once you are done resting for the first few days, after check out, you can take a road trip across the city your in or explore new hotel on a different beach.
Around the world, fantastic opportunities and adventures are waiting to be experienced. The place you visited is no different: every place has its hidden gems. You can check online for amazing things to do (or visit) in the country or place, and let your heart decide where to go.
Flexibility is Key
In essence, practicing flexibility means being okay with potential disappointment and appreciate the uncertainty. It means accepting let-downs and being hopeful of the unknown.
It is crucial to be able to be flexible in each travel. Perhaps the hotel is fully booked, or there is no more room for the go-to hostel. It can be a tad bit frustrating at first, but not having your heart set out at a specific lodging would lead you to options you have not considered before.
Maybe you will find an even better deal at an exciting boutique hotel. You can try traveling off the beaten path to a non-touristy area of the city you’re visiting. Chat with locals, leave your plans open for exciting events that aren’t on the internet.
Plan as You Go
To make everything about this work, you have to plan as you walk and talk. The first thing you would need is a smartphone running on a full battery, with spare energy stored in a portable power bank. Next, a data subscription for this phone running on minimal fees; alternatively, a portable WiFi that runs on a flexible data package.
Next, find travel websites and blogs with a more local focus which will help you discover places to visit.
Airbnb lets you stay at a local bed and breakfast hosted by heartwarming people from a safe and tight online community. Here you can live at a relaxing home and rest at a comfortable bed without the usual and all-too-familiar hotel experience.
More so, Rome2Rio, another traveling application, can you figure out how to get where and more specifically, every transportation method immediately available.
Take a Chance
Travel blogger Geoffrey Morrison reported that planning less has opened a lot of doors for his traveling adventures. He recalled a time he got dragged across Melbourne with a group of incredible individuals while he has pre-booked lodging in Asia, wishing he’d never booked those in the first place.
With that in mind, the uncertainty and spontaneity will feel more exciting when you’re there. Leaving things to chance might make one anxious and worried, but it promises more glory and happiness than one might think. It only takes a vast amount of courage and willpower, less planning, and a trusted mobile phone.
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