Tell Me What You Want.

The devil is in the details so . . . 

Tell me what you want!

When we travel, whether we like to have expectations or not, we have them. Somewhere deep in our psyche, we have imagined how our destination, hotel and experiences will be. We fantasize about how we will feel when we finally arrive but sometimes, what we arrive at isn't remotely close to what we were expecting. As a travel agent, there is NOTHING worse than having unhappy clients, so I do everything in my power to prepare the clients for their trip by asking a lot of questions. Sometimes, because I am human and am prone to errors just like everyone else,  I have made oversights in travel planning and let me tell you, it sucks ~ not just for the traveler but for me, the travel agent.

Just like in any line of work, we master our craft as we go along, and working in the travel industry is no exception to that rule. That being said, here are some questions that I want you the traveler to consider when planning your vacation.

The Destination:

*Do you want to go somewhere you will need your passport? Do you HAVE a passport and is it  valid? 

* What type of weather are you looking at immersing yourself in? Do you enjoy heat and humidity or   do you prefer a dry heat? Or do you like a cold weather vacation?

* Do you want turquoise waters when you look for a beach  vacation?

* Do you want mountains around you? 

* Do you like crowds or do you prefer a more secluded location? 

* Are you an active and adventurous type of traveler? Is it important to be able to hike, snorkel, scuba, golf, fish, zipline, etc? Do you plan on immersing yourself in the landscape of the destination by being active?

* Do you prefer to go to new destinations or stick to the ones that you know and are comfortable with?

* How important is cultural exploration and immersion to you? Do you enjoy being with the local scene and immersing yourself in the culture?

* Are you a foodie? Does eating local cuisine matter to you?

* Are you okay taking connecting flights to get to your destination or do you like a direct flight? How are you in small airplanes? 

The Hotel Experience:

* Are you an all-inclusive kind of traveler or do you prefer to dine and drink off property whenever you can?

* Do you enjoy large or mid-sized  resorts or more intimate boutique hotels?

* Do you want to stay in a resort where there is onsite entertainment and a nightclub?

* Do you prefer a family friendly resort or an adults only resort?

* Do you need a childcare facility on site? 

* How important are cocktails to you? Are you a top shelf drinker or a "whatever" goes kind of drinker?

* Are you okay with making dining reservations ahead of time to secure your space for dinner or do you like to wing it?

* What kind of amenities do you prefer in a hotel? In your room, do you need a : Coffee pot, mini-fridge, in room liquor dispenser, jacuzzi, king size bed, balcony, room service, a butler? 

* In your resort/ hotel, do you need a fitness center and spa services? 

* Would you like your hotel to be centrally located to town or are you okay being mostly removed from the action?

* Do you need a room with a view?

 

Important Considerations: 

* How much can you afford to pay for your vacation? 

* What are you wanting from your vacation? How do you expect to feel on vacation? 

* Are you looking to lay on the beach, relax with a cocktail and not do much?

* Are you looking to feel renewed and revitalized?

* How immersed in local culture do you want to be?

* Are you looking to connect with nature?

* Do you want it to be a romantic vacation?

* Do you want adventure and to try new things?

* Do you want to travel solo? 

* Do you want to join a group of travelers and meet new people?

* How busy do you want to be? 

* Do you prefer guided excursions or to venture out on your own?

*  Do you want to rent a car? Are you comfortable using public transportation?

* Do you want to purchase travel insurance? 

A few more words . . .

There are a bazillion questions that are probably not on this list but these are many of  my go to questions when planning travel for others as well as for myself.  More often than not, people don't really have a clear view of what they want from their travels nor do they understand the planning complexities of having a trip go well, that's why I am here; to get to the bottom line of why you are traveling and to learn about what you really WANT from your travels.

All that being said, travel in it's nature is a spontaneous beast. Weather happens. Traffic jams happen. Seaweed on the beach happens. Noisy neighbors happen. A crabby tour guide happens. Not everything goes as planned all the time but if your trip is thoughtfully planned out and the groundwork for a great vacation is in place, the rest of it is up to you and how you choose to roll with the unexpected moments that occur, both good and bad. 

Travel is just more than taking a flight and renting a hotel. It's more than just winging it and hoping for the best. It's a total investment into our hard earned vacation hours as well as into ourselves and it's not to be taken lightly. 

I try not to be offended when travelers walk away from their trip feeling less than satisfied ( which by the way has happened maybe once) but truth be told, I wonder where I went wrong and what I ought to have done differently ~ that is where the learning curve comes in to play. I am in a constant state of learning and mastering the craft and do everything in my power to ensure that your vacation exceeds your expectations.  God forbid  I  mess up,  but if I do, I'll own it and make it right. 

My last tidbit for you is this: 

In the end, you are still who you are and how you function on vacation will determine how you are able to enjoy the trip. Little snafu's and awkward moments happen, both in vacation and in real life.  Be open to the lessons you learn in travel. Be prepared. Talk to me. Share your hopes and fears with me so that I can be better equipped to give you what you want in your vacation. Lastly, communicate openly and respectfully,  not only with me, your travel agent, but with your travel partners, your hotel staff, your tour guides. Remember how you enjoy being spoken to and interacted with because what we put out is what we get back. 

Our free day in Cusco, Peru just so happened to be during the city's LARGEST street parade. Thousands and thousands of people swarmed the streets . . . and we were some of them. Admittedly, we were  a bit overwhelmed at first but after learning how to maneuver the crowds, we became one with the masses. Going with the flow at it's finest.


Viva la Vida Travel