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It’s funny how going traveling is the only way of reminding oneself why traveling is fun in the first place. We recently wrote a post on how to travel safely, but this post will focus on making the most of your travels. And the secret to making the most of your travels is far simpler than you likely think. Read on for our tips for those who choose to travel smart.

Go somewhere you want to go

It’s amazing how many people go to certain places because they are popular holiday destinations, even if they do not want to go to those countries themselves. If you want to travel smart, go where you want to go. Or go somewhere off the grid. It’s your holiday, not the whole world’s. And conformity is a disease that sucks the life out of creativity. So the next time friends are talking about Ibiza, and you would rather mission to Guam, mission to Guam.

Go somewhere that has people you know

Few things are more exciting than landing up in a place you’ve never been to , while having an open mind and a deep desire to learn as much about your destination and its people as possible. While the ‘lonely adventurer’ makes for great storytelling and introspection, visiting somewhere that has people you know inhabiting the place is even better. This will let you be a quasi-tourist come quasi-local, since your solo journeys will be of a tourist nature, while your expat friends will teach you all about local culture and how things work out there. This is how you travel smart.

Go prepared

A handheld GPS device with ‘points of interest’ software is a must have. You’ll be pleasantly surprised how many great places you happen upon just from seeing what your satnav device overlays on-screen. Also having a semi-open and semi-planned itinerary is critical. If you want to travel smart, while having a good time, creating an artificial routine for yourself is not the way to go about it. You want the trip to surprise you while you go about checking your list of things to see.

Remember, as important as being safe is when you’re traveling, having fun is equally as important. A little preparation meets flexibility and impulse is the best way to travel.

Tags: holiday, travelling