Researching a Location: How to Plan a Trip
Plan Your Adventure
Planning a trip is a fair amount of work, but researching a location is grand fun. It builds anticipation, generates interest and makes an upcoming trip proceed smoothly
Once you’ve selected a location which interests you, research comes next. There are many resources available for in-depth research to make your journey as compelling as possible.
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Culture Rules
One of the first things to look at when doing research are cultural rules and norms. This can help avoid embarrassment when visiting a country and latch onto other culture icons.
For example, standing chopsticks upright in food is considered incredibly rude, as it’s reminiscent of incense used during funerals. It is wise to avoid this if you’re visiting Asia..
On the other hand, you might visit Inle Lake in Myanmar. There, boatmen perform the snake-foot-paddle to propel their canoes forward with nothing but a foot’s swerving motion. Though this isn’t commonly used on the lake anymore, seeing this culturally iconic method of boating is interesting.
Having foreknowledge about cultures greatly enhances the visiting experience.
Location Necessities
After researching the general culture of a location, it’s important to look at the necessary gear. Almost every country in the world uses different power outlets, so a universal adapter is necessary for most travelers. If you’re heading to a wet, cold or rainy area, certain attire is probably required.
Sometimes, extremely specialized gear is necessary. Snow-glasses are vital in areas where the sun reflecting can cause snow blindness. Lifestraws might be exceptionally handy in places where potable water sources need extra purification.
When researching a location, pay special attention to the environment, weather, natural settings and local habits.
Online Forums
Once you’ve ensured you have everything needed for your trip, it’s a great idea to pick the brains of the people who have gone before you.
Go to online forums to see what other travelers have done in an area and ask for advice when necessary. There are many forums out there, from social media sites, to applications, to communities on Quora or Reddit.
One of the best online forum resources comes from the English Teaching Community in a location. ESL teachers have a lot of experience with new arrivals thanks to the nature of hiring in the ESL industry. They’re also typically very patient and informative as a group.
Putting Together a Points of Interest List
When initially putting together a Points of Interest List, simply Googling a city’s name gives a fair number of popular results.
One of the best aspects about traveling is the novelty. The world is wild and varied. There are many unusual things everywhere, often tucked away in interesting places.
Do a Google search with keywords such as “unique/interesting/strange things to do in __________.” The search results will lead to dozens of websites from other travelers.
Atlas Obscura, in particular, has a lot of very interesting, strange and unusual information. It is also useful to look at websites like Tripadvisor or Lonely Planet. Additionally, briefly looking over Google Maps, Apple Maps or Maps.me can help you find map markers that point out popular photo locations or historical sites that are hard to find in web results. Other great resources include travel vlogs and blogs.
Food and Activities
Once you’ve finished researching a location, run the same searches, but with a focus on foods and activities.
Whenever you find a location you’re interested in, be sure to input said location into a saved document with an accurate description. This is useful for your own reference and to share with other travelers in an area.
Finally, check to make sure your points of interests are opened and available during your visiting time. (For example, a large chunk of Yellowstone is closed off during the winter and entry is only possible through a couple of directions.)
Surplus Time
One of the biggest mistakes travelers make in a new land is trying to do everything.
Breath for a moment. Odds are, you won’t get to every item on your list. Or if you do, you’ll breeze through them far too quickly to enjoy them.
When planning a trip, understand that not everything will be visited, eaten or experienced. That’s alright, as it gives you something to look forward to if you ever return.
Give yourself plenty of downtime. Traveling involves a lot of new stimuli, and you’ll tire out more swiftly than expected most days.
Map Markers
Once you’ve finally finished your list, open your map application, such as Google Maps. Make sure to download offline maps in case your internet is disconnected or not working for any reason. Maps.me and Google Maps both have functioning offline features.
Go down your list of points of interest and save them as map markers. This makes navigation far easier and possible even without WIFI or data. This also helps you visually catalog the geographic location of Points of Interest, allowing you to visit nearby sites in a single day.
Also make sure to put in the address of your hotel or lodging, so you can show it to a taxi driver if necessary.
Budget
Finally, the last step is to go through your new list and write in the cost of visiting each location. This will help you prioritize your money for the features which interest you most.
Adventure-Ready
Researching a location is quite enjoyable. It shows a person what’s in store regarding their upcoming adventure and does a splendid job planning for the places that are the most interesting.
Enjoy your entire journey, including the planning and discovery portion.