{"id":21230,"date":"2023-11-13T03:26:29","date_gmt":"2023-11-13T03:26:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/?p=21230"},"modified":"2023-11-17T11:57:21","modified_gmt":"2023-11-17T11:57:21","slug":"our-top-travel-planning-secrets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/our-top-travel-planning-secrets\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Top Travel Planning Secrets for 2024 | Compiled by Asia Travel Specialists"},"content":{"rendered":"

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We were having our weekly office lunchtime catch up, talking about the best places to eat Asian food in London, when Becky asked a million-dollar question: \u201cLowest room category at the best hotel, or highest room category at lower-end hotel?\u201d<\/p>\n

About three hours later, when pandora\u2019s box had been well and truly opened and we had discussed a whole range of top travel planning secrets, we decided it was about time we share some of these gems with you, rather than just keeping them to ourselves.<\/p>\n

We hope that sharing our thoughts below might help answer some of your burning questions, or just get you thinking about planning your next holiday in a slightly different way…<\/p>\n

Feel free to fire more questions in the comments section and we\u2019ll try out best to get back to you.<\/p>\n

The ETG Team<\/p>\n

P.s Don\u2019t forget, we\u2019re Asia specialists, so all of these are based around that region of the world.<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][vc_single_image image=”10834″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Top Travel Planning Secrets Involving Flights<\/h2>\n

Flight times. <\/strong>Those in the know pick flights to Asia that leave the UK at night and arrive in Asia in the afternoon. Arriving late is always best; flights that arrive in Asia in the morning can look like they\u2019ll maximise your time, but the jet lag is much worse, and you\u2019ll be struggling by noon. If your only option is a morning arrival, make sure you have arranged an early check in at your hotel so you can sleep for a few hours and wake up refreshed in the afternoon. People often talk about \u2018losing\u2019 or \u2018gaining\u2019 days depending on when they fly, but remember you\u2019re not gaining anything if you land and can barely keep your eyes open. Sometimes it\u2019s completely unavoidable and we get that \u2013 but proceed with caution and awareness of the implications.<\/p>\n

Aircraft Choice Matters:<\/strong> Scrutinise your aircraft options. With British Airways’ Delhi route, the difference is stark: an older 777 versus a 787 Dreamliner. Opting for the Dreamliner means stepping into a realm of superior comfort in Premium Classes.<\/p>\n

Domestic flights.<\/strong> Not many people know that you can sometimes get free domestic flights in Asia if you travel to your destination with its national airline (e.g., Thai Airways or Vietnam Airlines). Whilst Qatar Airways or Emirates no doubt offer the best product and service, if you travel with the likes of Vietnam Airlines, Thai Airways or Malaysian Airlines, a tour operator like us will be able to help you maximise the benefits of their associated domestic flight networks, which can make for significant savings overall. If booking yourself, always take a look at the country\u2019s main carrier and see if you can \u2018construct\u2019 a ticket with all the flights you need. It can be tricky doing it yourself, but it\u2019s definitely a possibility.<\/p>\n

Reward flights<\/strong>. Reward flights booked with BA can be both a blessing and curse. Obviously post-pandemic things are going to be a little different, but over the years we have found clients having to compromise so much in order to take advantage of their hard-earned reward flights. Sometimes they end up spending a fortune on extra nights, other times they can\u2019t connect at the airport because the timings are off – and all the additional costs start to add up. Yes, you get to fly Business Class, but don\u2019t underestimate how much of a faff it can be… which can start to negate the benefits of that lie-flat seat. Using your miles to go to the Caribbean or the USA is much more straightforward.<\/p>\n

Upgrades<\/strong>. What do you have to do to up your chance of getting an upgrade? It\u2019s more of a science than most people would think and is often quite tricky \u2013 but definitely possible. Want to fly Business Class at Economy prices? Here are a few tips<\/a> to get your started.<\/p>\n

Smart Upgrade Strategy for Flights:<\/strong> Think strategically about your flight upgrades. When jetting off from the UK, choosing to upgrade your return leg instead of the outbound one avoids the hefty departure tax on premium cabins (over \u00a3100 extra if you’re travelling in Premium Economy, Business or First Class), making your return journey more comfortable and more wallet-friendly.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_single_image image=”14321″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Top Travel Planning Secrets Involving Hotels<\/h2>\n

Arrival times.<\/strong> Think long and hard about flight times, early check ins and late checkouts. Just telling yourself \u2018it will be fine\u2019 when you are thinking about costs during the planning stage is one thing, but landing at 6am, getting to your hotel at 8.30am and not being able to check in until 2pm, (after little to no sleep) isn\u2019t much fun in practice. Even when travelling during off season (e.g., monsoon time in many Asian countries) hotels can be very busy \u2013 because now most destinations have thriving domestic markets. In our book, it\u2019s not a risk worth taking. You\u2019ve been warned!<\/p>\n

Hotel booking sites. <\/strong>When sites like Booking.com say \u2018one room left\u2019 this is most likely the one room left of their allocation given to them by the hotel; it doesn\u2019t actually mean the hotel is nearly full, it\u2019s just a tactic to try and get you to book. We can normally find you availability even if Booking.com shows everything is sold out. And, if you\u2019re not booking with a tour operator, then why not book directly with the hotel? Hotels pay serious commission to booking sites, so always appreciate you getting in touch.<\/p>\n

Family rooms. <\/strong>Sharing rooms as a family? Before booking ask yourselves a few questions about what the reality of all staying together will look like. Will you have to tip toe around each other? How many people will be sharing a bathroom? Will you wake everyone else up when heading to the pool early in the morning? Will everyone get on each other\u2019s nerves? Family rooms have lots of benefits but, generally speaking, we find clients get a bit caught out after a few nights of group living.<\/p>\n

Before committing ask yourselves if you’d be happy living like this is at home. This is a holiday after all \u2013 you might save on that extra room but it might end up negatively impacting your trip overall. Something to think about!<\/p>\n

A great option is to invest in a multi-bedroom suite or villa. We often get asked why two bedrooms are so much more expensive than one. This is usually because you get a living area and a larger overall footprint which makes a family stay that much more comfortable \u2013 so it can be worth the additional cost.<\/p>\n

Also, by thinking outside the box, we\u2019ve got some great options up our sleeves. For example, renting a villa in Sri Lanka can be really cost-effective, especially when offsetting with food and beverage prices \u2013 e.g. staff going to the market and buying all your drinks at local prices.<\/p>\n

Room categories. <\/strong>The ETG team is actually divided on this next one; whether it\u2019s better to pick the top room in a lower category hotel or the lowest category room in a better hotel (sometimes there\u2019s not a huge different in price).<\/p>\n

When it comes to our clients, we present the options and see what they believe is the best way to go. But we think it\u2019s worth challenging the way you always do things. Ask yourselves the crucial questions; how much time are you actually going to spend in your room? Are the hotel facilities more important to you or the comfort of the room itself? If you go for the lower-priced hotel, will you be rewarded with cheaper food and drink during your stay? Or, conversely, if you stay somewhere more luxe will there be loads more stuff thrown in for free (like drinks, water sports equipment, snacks by the pool, wifi, Afternoon Tea etc)? You may end up surprised!<\/p>\n

Sometimes having the nicest room in a hotel can be brilliant \u2013 you could get the<\/em> view, a beautiful bathtub facing the ocean and loads of extra amenities like club room access. But then again, put the same amount of money into a high-end hotel and go for the \u2018lead-in\u2019 room and you might get an overall better location, higher levels of service, but a small room, obstructed views and located further away from the facilities.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s definitely no right or wrong answer to this one; it\u2019s dependent on location, what\u2019s available and, of course, personal choice. Places where there\u2019s a huge range of hotels (think Hoi An in Vietnam) is where it\u2019s worth taking your time to mull over what\u2019s most important to you.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_single_image image=”13631″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Top Travel Planning Secrets for Bookings\/ Logistics<\/h2>\n

Lola’s Savvy e-SIM Hack:<\/strong> Don’t fall for airport price traps! Order your e-SIM from Boots (or similar) online and collect it airside. This move secures you online bargains, bypassing inflated airport rates.<\/p>\n

Travel Light, Shop Smart:<\/strong> Navigate UK airport security with just hand luggage by ordering from Boots.com in advance and picking up your liquids in-store post-security. Keep an eye out \u2013 this process will soon change with the introduction of new scanners aimed at easing liquid restrictions.<\/p>\n

The best time to travel. <\/strong>Each destination has that sweet spot that perfectly combines being a great time of year to go yet offering great value. This won\u2019t be around any of their major festivals or key holiday periods and will exclude the UK\u2019s key travelling periods. It\u2019s normally just at the point where prices drop as the destination moves into \u2018shoulder season\u2019 – yet still offers great weather. Our favourite is Sri Lanka in September<\/a>. But we also love Kerala in April, Vietnam in May, Indonesia in June and Bhutan in December.<\/p>\n

Pick your travel dates carefully. <\/strong>Be clever with your itinerary; avoid long transfers on weekends when roads are busier, steer clear of big sites (and those popular with locals) on weekends or at certain times of the day and make sure to be in big cities on weekends when they’re at their most lively. Knowing the difference that these \u2018small\u2019 (read actually quite important) details can make to an overall holiday is our bread and butter.<\/p>\n

Start slow.<\/strong> Ideally, spend two nights at your arrival destination. It\u2019s so tempting to just \u201cget going\u201d, but this can often mean starting your trip on the back foot and then never fully recovering from the long journey, different time zone and culture shock (different foods and climates can take getting used to). This is particularly important for somewhere like Sri Lanka where you don\u2019t actually land in the capital (Colombo is at least an hour\u2019s drive from the airport, and that\u2019s when there\u2019s no traffic). Talking of Sri Lanka \u2013 we\u2019ve complied some options for the best places to stay on arrival<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Pace yourselves. <\/strong>Start slow (as mentioned above). Here at ETG we\u2019re firm believers in picking up the pace gradually as you travel. Start on the beach or somewhere totally relaxing where you have time to get into holiday mode; refresh, recharge, get your bearings and get a sense of the local culture. The next stop should be slightly more energetic, and, ideally the next one even more so. This kind of schedule eases people in to their trip, and generally gives them the chance to gain a deeper appreciation of the country. It also works well with those heading straight on holiday from a stressful last week at the office, as you\u2019re never that relaxed the first few days of a trip \u2013 and running around sites can feel that bit too much.<\/p>\n

Go out on a high. <\/strong>We\u2019re big believers in finishing a trip with a bang to maximise your time off. This isn\u2019t for everyone, but hear us out! We say ditch the usual ‘finish on the beach’ route which seems the norm (see our earlier point) and instead go out on a high in a buzzing cosmopolitan city.<\/p>\n

This is because, if the beach is your final destination, you\u2019ll be more likely to be sitting on your sun lounger dwelling on the fact that your holiday is coming to an end and thinking about the chores that await you back home rather than enjoying every last minute. Whereas, if you have 1-2 days in a lively city before heading home, you\u2019ll fully relax at the beach because you’re still looking forward to that last stop! Your city stop-off then feels like a weekend break – when there’s no time to dwell on going home because you’re busy stocking up on sarongs and clinking glasses at a rooftop bar!<\/p>\n

Travelling during family holidays.<\/strong> If you’ve got kids, always book as far ahead as you possibly can. There is such concentrated demand for flights around school holidays that they\u2019ll never be cheaper than the day they go on sale. Yes, flights have dynamic pricing and there can be sales, but these pretty much always have \u2018black-outs\u2019 over holidays. We pinpoint the exact dates when flight prices surge due to school holidays. Flying just a day earlier or later can slash prices drastically. Leave right after school on Friday instead of Saturday to snag lower fares. Additionally, post-15th August departures often offer sweeter deals. To catch these bargains, early booking is key. Remember that, as tour operators, we can often hold flights for much longer \u2013 locking in that initial price. It\u2019s a little trick that some of our repeat families know very well.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_single_image image=”11829″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Top Travel Planning Secrets Involving Experiences<\/h2>\n

Rise early.<\/strong> We can\u2019t say this enough, but rising early when travelling in Asia reaps rewards. You\u2019ll be amazed at how much life there is out on the streets, even at 6.00 am. Also, for photographers (or those looking to up their Insta game), the light is often amazing at this time of day and results in super special shots. In places like Hanoi you\u2019ll see people doing Tai-Chi, jogging or shopping for food at local markets; in other words, real life, but not the way you know it. In Cambodia you\u2019ll catch boats coming back from fishing<\/a> or the kids rowing to school on Tonle Sap Lake \u2013 absolutely magical stuff.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_single_image image=”18726″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Top Travel Planning Secrets about, well, travel<\/h2>\n

Take a step back.<\/strong> Ever thought about Travelling with Intention? Matt (ETG\u2019s Head of Marketing and Brand) went on a journey of discovery to look deeper at why we travel and understand the intentions behind the trips we go on. He found it to be a wonderful experience. If you feel inspired to do the same, you can read up on his journey here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mobile phones<\/strong> \u2013 both a blessing and a curse. Now we wonder how we ever travelled without them, but equally we feel things have gotten a bit out of control. We\u2019ve thought a lot about this and wonder whether mobiles are in fact destroying the way we travel<\/a>. Something to think about next time you post that photo on Instagram or share it with friends.<\/p>\n

Make a difference.<\/strong> A hot topic at the moment – and rightly so – travelling \u2018sustainably\u2019 can feel overwhelming. However, there are small and easy ways that you can make a difference, starting with your packing habits. To help, we put together a sustainable packing checklist<\/a>. It all adds up after all.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_single_image image=”5181″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Top Travel Planning Secrets,\u00a0Best of the Rest<\/h2>\n

Multi-country Box-Ticking. <\/strong>We often get the \u201cwe\u2019d like to go to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos and we\u2019ve got 12 days including flights\u201d soundbite when we start talking to clients about a trip to Asia. We\u2019re always hesitant to organise this kind of tour because we just know it\u2019s going to be so full on that you won\u2019t actually know what\u2019s hit you, and you probably won\u2019t enjoy it. Dipping your toes in three countries might seem like a good idea \u2013 because, you know, you may never go back \u2013 but it\u2019s a bit like going to Portugal, Spain and France in 12 days \u2013 not many (sane) people would do this. So, slow things down and just go to one destination. It\u2019s a more rewarding experience.<\/p>\n

The Maldives. <\/strong>We could probably write about 20 tips on the Maldives alone, but the most important is board basis \u2013 something to carefully consider in advance. Balking at an \u2018All Inclusive\u2019 price is definitely a normal reaction, but a lot better than doing it every time you order a $6 coke and $10 beer while on holiday, which can quickly add up, especially when you\u2019re travelling as a family. In our view it\u2019s got to be half board minimum, so that after a lovely day, you can relax at dinner without the stress of worrying about the bill. We\u2019ve got loads more FAQ\u2019s on planning a holiday to the Maldives.<\/a> Definitely check them out before you start planning your trip.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_single_image image=”21241″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Well, there you have it, our top travel tips… we\u2019ve spilt the beans and shared our now not-so-secret insider knowledge with you. Now that that\u2019s done, it\u2019s time for us to sit back, relax and have a well-earned gin and tonic \u2013 all in the name of research of course.<\/p>\n

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CURIOUS ABOUT EXPERIENCE TRAVEL GROUP?<\/h2>\n

Head to our website<\/a> to learn more about our award-winning boutique holidays for curious travellers.<\/p>\n

Or if you’re ready to get planning, then get in touch on 020 7924 7133<\/span>\r\n \t.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, fill out an online enquiry form to start your journey<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Having organised 1000’s of holidays; team ETG are lifting the lid on all those planning secrets we use to create trips of a lifetime. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":21231,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1344],"tags":[71],"coauthors":[912],"class_list":["post-21230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-etg-take-on-travel","tag-tips-and-tricks"],"aioseo_notices":[],"views":2519,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21230"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21230\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21230"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=21230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}