Perfect vacation = beautiful destination + good planning + great company

I am a little explorer! 
I love traveling, discovering new places and other cultures, eat good food and meet new different people. If you are like me you might want to read this.
 

I’ve had some great vacations so far thanks to a series of factors. I’ve also had some bad experiences as well. There might be people that might suggest you different places to visit because they liked it there, but if your gut says no, I can tell you from experience that you should follow your instinct. It knows you and your preferences. People have different tastes, different expectations and different understanding of a good vacation.  So here are a few things you need to consider when planning the perfect vacation for your own taste and without an agency’s help.

1. Choose your destination. Make sure you have a clear view on what you want to do there. Do you want to visit museums? Do you want shopping? Do you want to eat great food? Do you want to go clubbing? Do you want to sit, relax and enjoy the view? Do you want adventure? …
2. After you decide on a place for your vacation, pick people that are similar to you and that want from that vacation the same things that you want. Like in a relationship here as well you need to be compatible so it goes smooth. You don’t want to argue in a vacation that was meant to be relaxing. Make sure you don’t have too many people in the group. It is difficult to please everyone and you don’t want to babysit a bunch of grown-ups, hoping that they are grown-ups.
3.  Set a vacation budget.
4. Choose your traveling dates and check the weather in the corresponding period in the place of your destination.
5. Decide unanimously on the daily activities. Check websites on the activities you can have there and gather information on the culture and history of the area you are visiting (for example: TripAdvisor, tourism agencies recommendations, information websites and GOOGLE!).
6.  Choose your hotel according to your needs and expected comfort. Make sure it is also placed strategically so you save time and transport money. If you also want a great view then it is OK to pay a little more from my experience. It will make your vacation brighter. Check the reviews and pay attention to details, like comfort, cleanliness, location, transport and more important the food served. I used Booking.com so often that I have now a Genius account.
7. Buy plane tickets after investigating the price at various airline companies. Make sure you buy it at least 1-2 months before your holiday.
8.  Before the due date if you feel it is needed contact the hotel to give you more information on what you can do during your stay and if they can help you with the transfer from the airport to the hotel and back.
9.  A few more advices: don’t be a cheapskate or you won’t enjoy your vacation, follow your instinct, don’t be afraid to try new things, listen to the other people in your group because you are not alone and not always right, don’t be lazy, stick to the plan but spare yourself enough time to relax and enjoy. 

I hope I was able to help with my recommendations and I wish you have a great holiday!!

P.S.: Here are some pictures from two of my best vacations so far and a funny video of me paragliding (my face turned from smiley face to white face during the turns in the air):

Ölüdeniz (Blue Lagoon) - Fethiye, Turkey

Göreme - Kapadokya, Turkey