Vacations are for you to relax. But there can be many things about planning a trip that turn out stressful. It’s easy to let the stress of planning a vacation overwhelm you. Busy hotels, long rides and delays can take the joy out of the beautiful holidays. Whether you are travelling to Africa for the first time or you’re a local looking forward to a vacation with your family, proper planning is important.
Know what to pack, how to pack it, the documents you need and the plans you need to make ahead of time. We always advise travellers to start planning for their vacation as early they can, months prior to the day of travel. But the reality is that most people don’t. You only start running around and trying to keep things together a day before the holiday begins!
We’ll share with you a simple travel guide that can help those who travel alone or as a group to make the process less stressful.
Tips when travelling anywhere in Kenya
To avoid vacation stress, you need to understand some of the aspects of the trip that may catch you off guard. While it can be difficult to prevent every situation that can ruin your trip, you can anticipate some issues and travel with peace of mind. Read on for solutions on how to enjoy your travel in Kenya.
Step 1: What to do before travel
Visit your doctor
Get the necessary vaccinations and medical checkups before you travel. This is especially important if you are travelling with kids or sickly individuals. Know where you can seek medical attention in case of any issues. Speak to your doctor and you’ll get recommendations on which hospitals to visit while on your holiday.
Have a brief discussion with your family/friends
When travelling with your family or friends, it’s good to have a brief discussion to ensure everyone is on the same page. You can discuss how the expenses will be handled and the itineraries you’ve planned for. Find out from them what they’d like to do so you can plan together. That way it will be more fun. Invite them to help you with different aspects of planning and share what you expect from each person during the trip.
Research on transport
Do a little research on how you are going to move around the place you are visiting. You should have an idea of how long each trip will take so that you know what to carry. Use your smartphone to track expected routes and if you’ll be using a cab, know the average costs and check for the quickest routes.
Figure out how you’ll get there
Always prepare the directions of the place you’ll be visiting beforehand. Research about alternative routes just in case you get traffic. Check the weather and traffic reports of the area and any construction projects along the way that can cause delays. Most importantly, choose when to travel and avoid peak hours because most roads will be congested then.
Keep a list of items you’ll need
Work out a list of items that are necessary for you to carry on your trip. This will help to prevent over packing. Once you’re done writing the list, take a good look at it and think of the items you really need. Chances are that you included a lot of items that you don’t need. The important stuff like medication, toiletries, passport and other travel documents should top this list.
Step 2: What to do during travel
Start early
Start early so that you have plenty of time to spare on your day of travel. When you are running late, there’s a high chance that you’ll end up forgetting important things you’ll need on your trip. It’s okay to show up a few hours ahead of your flight time or pick-up.
Keep healthy
The easiest way to ruin your vacation is getting sick. To avoid this, get plenty of rest and stay hydrated when travelling. Keep your hands clean and practice the basic hygienic habits. Carry some antibacterial wipes and be wary of the food you eat while on your trip.
Get super organized
If you want to avoid losing items on your trip, then have them stored in a good bag where they can’t easily get lost. You can have one big bag to keep all your items and smaller ones for the sensitive stuff. Make it a routine to upload your photos on a cloud service like Google Drive at the end of the day so that you don’t lose them. Store items like your digital camera separately from your hard drive just in case one gets lost.
Don’t get lost
Stay calm because Kenyans are friendly people who will be happy to help. But to avoid getting lost, make sure you know your way around based on the research you did prior to starting the trip. You can also learn how to speak the basic words in the local language. A map of the city and a smartphone with GPS can come in handy. It’s also a good idea to make a note of landmarks wherever you go. They come in handy when one is lost.
Step 3: What to do when you get home
You’ll finally have to return home after that long awaited trip. For some people, it takes a lot to get back to the routine of work, school or just day-to-day life. To make it easier for you to settle back in, think of the lessons you learnt from the vacation, take your time to relax and take good care of yourself and your family. Reflect on the things you did differently while on vacation. It could be a sign that your life needs a change.