March 6, 2018
If you have ever planned a vacation before, you know there is a lot that goes into booking your resort, flights, and tours/activities. Sometimes you can become so overwhelmed that it can take the actual excitement away from going on vacay with your husband, boyfriend, friends, or family.
I want to give you some simple tips that have helped us get the most out of our vacations.
For the purposes of this post were going to assume that you’ve already done all the research on picking a great resort/hotel. I can do an entire post on how we have picked our resorts when going on vacation and what we look for.
1st tip: Pay attention to your flight arrival time & departure time
We love to take the red eye flight and arrive bright and early to our destination. We do this so we can take full advantage of our first day on vacation. For the departure time we try to pick something in the evening so we have plenty of time on our final day to pack. By the end of our trip we are also super exhausted and its great because we get to sleep in. It may be extra to get a later flight going home but we would much rather do this and be completely relaxed. Some people overlook these simple details and it can honestly help things go so much smoother.
2nd tip: Do research on the types of things you want to do while on vacation.
We usually include something like sightseeing or historical, something active or adventurous, something that is refreshing or relaxing, and something that involves DANCING & DRINKING. We call it the SEE, DO, RELAX, and Party.
For example: Our Recent trip to Playa del Carmen in December 2017
SEE: We went to Tulum to see the Mayan Ruins and learned about the history of the pyramids.
DO: We also went snorkeling with the turtles, explored underwater caves, and went to Xcaret, a water park.
RELAX: We planned a spa day at the resort along with strictly pool hangout days.
PARTY: We went to COCO BONGO, a show & club atmosphere, and a wooden gondola cruise filled with food, booze, and music.
A good mixture of activities makes it a well-rounded trip.
3rd tip: Now that you’ve done the research, plan your activities, tours, sightseeing, before you are on the actual trip.
When you are on vacation you can get caught up on just relaxing at the resort and time just slips away. You may not have enough time to do everything, or things may get booked if you don’t do it in advance. Also, plan smart. If you are going to a club on a Monday, don’t plan an early full day sightseeing tour on Tuesday morning. Anticipate rest days and rest times to hang out at the resort in between your activities. This is key for recovery and to actually enjoy what you have planned.
4th tip: If you are staying at an all-inclusive resort the question is always, Do I still need to tip?
Depending on the resort you are staying at they may have a “no tipping policy,” like Sandals Resorts. I would call your resort and ask so you can come prepared with Tip Money if they don’t have a policy in place. Most all-inclusive resorts have excellent service and tipping may not make a difference. However, tipping may be the extra cash resort staff may need to support their family. We always tip the staff and we always get amazing service.
5th tip: Embrace other people at your hotel/resort.
It’s always amazing starting friendships with people that live in a different part of the world than you. You may want to cling to who you came with but meeting new people can be fun and insightful. We’ve made friends with people in Europe, Canada, and all over the U.S.
That concludes my 5 tips to get the most out of your vacation!But before even following these tips it’s really important to decide what you want to get out of your vacation before you even pick your destination. This will make planning so much easier.
Do you want to relax & do nothing, do you want to party the whole time, or do you want your trip to be filled with activities. Once you determine what you want, picking the location is much easier because you know what to look for.
Are you planning a vacation right now? Are you having trouble picking a destination? Do you feel like you get the most out of your vacations?
I want to hear from you! Let me know your thoughts/comments below!
Of course, if you have any questions or want any advice, please reach out to me via the Contact Me tab.
Thank you for reading!
It’s been real.
xoxo,
Liz-laugh-love
