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“The last time I visited the hills, which was my dream holiday destination, became a horrible experience.”
“I did not know the climb was going to be that steep. I was wearing heels.”
“I slipped, fell, and had a swollen foot.”
“I was traveling solo, so it was awkward requesting strangers to put me in the car.”
“I kept looking for medical help, but that took another 2 hours.”
“By the time I got back to my hotel, it was late at night. That meant sleeping with an empty stomach.”
“I slept on an empty stomach, only to regret my decision to wear heels later.”
Complaints like these are common. You must have met at least one such person who has had a terrible travel experience in the last few months.
Bad travel experiences do not necessarily have a generic face. They can range from something as basic as booking a hotel room full of bedbugs to something more severe like having a fall and breaking a bone or two.
However, it is not ideal to be stuck with unhappy memories. Quickly remind yourself of Mary Balogh’s quote, “The bad part is life continues. The good part is that the pain goes away.”
Let us use this opportunity to use some tips used by seasoned travelers so that you have a memorable travel experience in the future.
You love snow, don’t you? To fulfill your desire to do a little happy dance in the snow, you must have decided to visit the quaint town of Chatpal in Kashmir. The “We will figure it out” attitude must have pushed you into going all-in without the necessary bookings.
You land in Chatpal only to realize there are minimal stay facilities.
You hop between hotels and hostels, only to find the least appealing option.
You have no option but to check-in in a dingy, questionable place.
How does the night look? In one word? Challenging!
The bed would be uncomfortable. Every time you turn sides, you fear a hard fall, or it may make odd sounds. Or a peculiar stench coming out of the washroom would fill your room. You would witness some insects that you may have never seen before hovering over your head. Your sleep would go for a toss, which means the next day, all you will be is a tired, sleepy head.
Avoid finding yourself in such tricky situations by online checking the place and booking a facility that seemingly looks comfortable and has some positive reviews by previous customers before reaching the place.
Did you miss a flight because you reached the airport 2 hours after the flight time?
Oops, the sightseeing tour bus did not give in to your demands of delaying other tourists by another hour.
Well, you cannot just blame these service providers for your ignorance. Before and during your travel expedition, it would help to be mindful of the time.
Set the alarm 15 minutes earlier than your desired schedule. Plan your commute considering the traffic your city witnesses. Start early/reach before time because you do not want to hurl curses at random people for spoiling your plan.
I started from my homestay in Goa wearing my happy yellow dress, going zoom-zoom on my scooty. I had plans to visit the less traversed beaches in the interiors of Goa. Of course, Google Maps were going to come to my rescue. I began my ride leaving behind trails of greens, a cool breeze knocking on my helmet, and passerby’s quickly checking me out.
It was all going great till I lost network. Google Maps went blank, and I got stranded at a place with no one visible in the vicinity.
To avoid finding yourself in a spot, you can use public transportation service. If budget isn’t a problem, hire a local driver/car. Lastly, understand the route from a local and do not keep riding/driving mindlessly until you hit a dead end. Be particularly careful if you are traveling solo.
Sickness isn’t in your control, and many a time, something random can make you sick- jet lag, insect bites, food poisoning, etc. Remember the last time you gulped down a bowl full of noodles in Thailand and had diarrhea and hence, missed the last relaxing Thai Massage before your flight. That for sure must have felt disheartening!
However, sickness is a part of travel, more specifically life. You may be cautious throughout your trip but may still fall sick.
Do not waste time lying on the hotel bed cribbing. Seek medical care. Dig into your first-aid bag if it’s something minor like a headache or a foot sprain. Always keep a well-stocked first-aid bag while traveling.
Keep reminding yourself that you are traveling to vacation places to have fun and to feel happy from within. Remind yourself how it would feel to lie down and watch the night stars, get playful with the butterflies, gather warmth from the bonfire, and observe the stream flowing calmly and peacefully. This is enough trigger to boost you up and get going.
Travel is expensive.
I am going to lose all my savings on luxuries.
I am going to be broke after my travel expedition.
These are common myths that need to be broken. Remember reading people’s stories about their travel plans going upside down due to the sudden demonetization in India. In one night, people’s cash turned into mere paper. They could not use their money even to buy mineral water.
Such situations are unavoidable. Stop worrying about the worst-case scenario. Instead, make alternate arrangements. Create a travel contingency fund and do not touch it except for emergencies. Carry your debit and credit cards. Go packed with gift cards, discount coupons, or vouchers that can come in handy if you are short of cash.
Above all, plan your entire travel itinerary so that you don’t overshoot your budget.
Travel expeditions are a mix of exposure, new connections, introspection, rejuvenation, and fun. You might head to a beach or trek up the mountains with up-to-date planning only to face sudden hurdles out of the blue.
Don’t give in to these empty limitations. Make the most of your trip. Enjoy every single moment to the fullest.How about you pre-plan your entire trip? Maybe you can head to Cleartrip and get your flight, hotel, and work bookings done. With premium services within your reach, there is every possibility that bad experiences will stay miles away from you.
Ans: Research states that travel makes individuals more creative, open-minded, and trusting. You do not want to lose this side of you, so a few bad experiences should not deter your love for travel.
Ans: There is a rare possibility of you getting lost during your travels. Get to know the route beforehand to avoid finding yourself in a spot. Do not wander in places where you do not see people. Be extra careful when traveling solo. Travel with a local you can trust to avoid losing your way in a new place.
Ans: You can learn from the mistakes you made in your past travel experiences. Say you reached the airport late and missed your flight. Next time around, wake up before time, book your cab a little early, foresee worst-case travel scenarios, and reach the airport 2 hours ahead of your flight time. Be careful with your planning, and you will have no regrets.
Ans: While it may seem easier to gather information from locals, precisely strangers, that cannot always be your only medium of collecting data. You must have heard about scary instances wherein tourists were misguided and looted of cash and valuables. To avoid finding yourself in a similar situation, base your research on reliable sources. Speak to someone you trust, surf the internet, and even read reviews.
While you may like to believe that you are the only one with bad travel experiences, in reality, every traveler at some point or the other has had their hands burnt. See bad travel experiences as a learning experience and avoid making the same mistakes on your next outing.
