HOW TO FEED YOUR TRAVEL ADDICTION

I'm often asked, 'how do you travel so much?' Yes, it's true I do get to go on holidays quite regularly, probably more than the average person. In fact, this year I've been lucky enough to holiday every month. But to be honest, this doesn't come down to 'being lucky', and I'm going to share with you a few things that have helped make it possible.

1) Plan, plan, plan

First week of January each year, I sit down with a calendar showing all the public holidays and work out my ideal holiday plans for that year. 

We are lucky in HK as we celebrate both the Chinese and British national holidays meaning we are spoilt with 17 days each year.

I break it down into:

- visiting family breaks

- long weekend breaks

- holidays with my partner

- holidays with friends

Basically, I try to split my holidays between family catch up, beach/city/cultural/ski trip, romantic or girls weekend away, and at least one detox retreat. This way it gives you something different to always look forward to and memories shared with the important people in your life. 

When choosing your destinations don't forget to take into consideration the season, and if there's any national holidays or events in that country which would affect your holiday (eg. shops, restaurants and some tourist attractions may be closed for Ramadan in some Muslim countries; hotel prices will sky rocket if you're visiting when there's an international event being held like the Grand Prix)....so make sure you check what's going on in that destination for your dates.

In real terms (and as someone who has worked in the travel industry for almost 5 years), 'last minute' deals and 'standby cheap flights' for the general public are a thing of the past. On the rare occasion, you may get lucky, but the general rule of thumb is the earlier you book, the cheaper it'll be (within reason, 4-6 months I'd say is ideal). 

2) Next, get your annual leave approved for the year if you can. Even if you end up changing the dates slightly or destination, or cancelling all together, at least you know roughly when you can commit to being away. I find once you have the annual leave approved, that commitment in itself makes a holiday daydream more likely to become a reality.

3) Be in the know

Sign up to your favourite airline and hotel group newsletter, so you're the first to know when their Earlybird deals come out or they have a promotion.

For example;

- Earlybird flights to Europe come out Jan/Feb each year usually; if you book earlier or later than this you'll probably end up paying more

- Cathay Fanfares are released early Tuesday morning and often sell out by mid morning
- seasonal holidays, like ski trips sell out much farther in advance (ie. 8-10 months in advance is a good idea to get deals)

4) Understand how a travel agent can be used to your advantage

Depending on the fare, they can often hold seats / rooms / space on a tour with a deposit so you can atleast secure a spot if you can't afford to pay everything upfront. They have access to various Pay/Stay deals, promotions and blocked seat packages not available to the general public or online, exclusive to agents. Which means, not only saving you money but they will have availability over peak periods like Chinese New Year, Easter and Christmas which when you check online, the dates look fully sold out. They can also advise you if you're booking too far in advance, and look out for deals to certain destinations you tell them you're interested in going. Furthermore, for certain festivals (eg. Oktoberfest, music festivals) they can pre-book with a deposit, or participation/spectator sporting events (eg. Grand Prix, London marathon, Rugby 7s) they have access to ticket  allotment even when the event is seemingly sold out.

5) Sacrifice 

We all work hard, and how we spend our hard-earned money is a choice. I've mentioned it before in an earlier blog; "for some people, exploring the world from the comfort of their couch on the Discovery channel suffices. For others, their priorities don't allow them the time or funds to travel". As I don't have any children, I can still be selfish in how I spend my money and I am, for I know one day (hopefully) this won't be the case. I don't have a mortgage, which some may argue isn't a good thing at my age, and I probably go shopping for clothes only once a year, if that, and always in the sales. Whilst I'm living in HK, such a central hub for travel, and am childless and mortgage-less, I happily sacrifice the small things on a week-to-week basis so I can afford this travel-focused lifestyle. This won't last forever. The mortgage will come, the kids and nesting to follow shortly after...

One of my favourite quotes

6) Join a mileage program or hotel group rewards scheme
Especially if you travel frequently for work. Try and always travel with one alliance for work-paid trips, then use the points for redemption tickets, upgrades, status benefits for your personal trips. Make sure the program you join is relevant to your region.
http://www.oneworld.com/member-airlines/overview;jsessionid=026BA324514AA9E706AA30E3A78AC916 or http://www.staralliance.com/en/

This isn't just about ticking destinations off a list for me. In fact, to be honest this is mostly about good food (hence why I keep going back to Thailand a few times a year), making memories and getting a break from the rat race and routine. For my HK readers, I'm sure you agree with me when I say how important getting away for short breaks is for your sanity. We live on top of each other in matchboxes, work long hours, and have constant work and social commitments 7 days a week! After a few weeks of this routine, feeling exhausted worryingly becomes a normal level to operate every day. This is one of the main reasons I make a point of getting away every month or so - to recharge, to relax and for me breaking up this routine makes me feel alive again. You come back feeling more positive, with the ability to be more productive and focused at work.

Another of my favourite travel quotes

As it comes to the end of another year, I urge you to take the time and think about what your 2014 looks like. With a little planning, strategy, prioritising and sacrifice hopefully you get to do all those things you've wanted to do.

ONE OF THE GREATEST DISPLAYS OF LOVE

Don't worry, this next post isn't a a monologue about my feelings, or something cheesy that Nds has done for me. This is about a trip I did one summer, to a place I always wanted to visit but didn't really know much about. This place is India.

When I think of India, I think of crowds, traffic jams dictated by a wandering cow, frequent trips to the bathroom due to Delhi belly, cricket, their history of the British colonial rule, Kharma Sutra, Gandhi, extreme poverty and extreme wealth, curry, henna tattoo's, more crowds and of course the Taj Mahal. It was all of these things but magnified, and more amazing than I could have imagined. The saying goes, you either love it or hate it, and I loved it!

A good introduction to this country is to follow the Golden Triangle path - Delhi, Agra and Jaipar. Experience the chaos of the capital, Delhi, then down to Agra to visit the Agra Fort and the incredible Taj Mahal. Across to the 'pink city' of Jaipur to ride elephants to the well preserved Amber Fort, and enjoy the splendour of a Rajasthan palaces.

What road rules!?

After a long 5-hr drive, some serious traffic jams and interesting overtaking, we arrived at the Trader's hotel in Agra. After a quick dip in the hotel pool and a curry dinner we opted for an early night as it would be a 4am start the following day.

We could hardly sleep in fear we'd sleep in and miss this daybreak opportunity. After a short drive (FYI: the Trader's hotel is a great location - close proximity to the Taj) we switched over to the battery-run buggy's which were the only vehicles permitted within 500m of the Taj to minimise pollution. Surprisingly there were only a handful of others arriving at the same time, so no queueing and no one photo-bombing your holiday snaps.

Walking through the gates and into the huge courtyard garden area, as the sun was rising, was truly breathtaking. Certainly pictures don't do it justice.

The grandeur of this complex is one thing, from the great gate, to the immaculate and extensive gardens to the impressive architecture of the mausoleum itself...but the story behind it, is another thing entirely.

After taking the typical 'jumping' and 'pinching' photos, our guide sat us underneath a shady tree in full view of the Taj Mahal and in a hushed voice, drew us back to 17th century when Maharajah's ruled India. 

Like other love stories, it begins with a boy meeting a girl. Unlike other love stories, the boy in this story is Shah Jahan, the son of the fourth Mughal emperor of India and the grandson of Akbar the Great. During a visit to the Meena Bazar in his royal complex, he spots a girl hawking silk and glass beads. Her name was Arjumand Banu Begum and she was to change everything. The story goes, they fell in love at first sight. You know how hormones go wild at the tender age of 14 and 15. They married, and although she was not the only wife, she was his favourite given the title Mumtaz Mahal which meant 'Jewel of the Palace'. During the birth of their 14th child, she sadly passed away due to complications and he vowed to never remarry and promised to build the richest mausoleum over her grave. 

The legend goes, for two years the court mourned, no celebrations and no parties. Then he started building the most beautiful monument in memory of his beloved. Taking inspiration from the idea of Heaven and the Koran, it took 22,000 labourers 22 years to complete. The white marble to construct the domes were brought by 1000 elephants from Makrana in Rajasthan. The crystal from China, the turquoise from Tibet, the sapphires from Sri Lanka and various other precious and semi-precious stones were sourced from all over Asia. The estimated cost back then was 32 million Rupees, which relative to today's value would be unimaginable. 

Now knowing not only the factual how's and what's behind this wonder of the world before me, but the why, cemented this experience as one of my most memorable.

My tips:

- sacrifice some sleep to get up well before sunset to beat the crowds and experience the sunrise over these marble domes

- pay for a high-end tour company (eg. Luxe India) whose guides are some of the most experienced and knowledgable with such a genuine passion in their story-telling; we were lucky enough to have the same guide who took President Obama around the Taj, a large and larger than life, sweating Indian gentlemen who was born in Agra, schooled in the UK, and remembers when he was a young boy and he would play football with his school friends in the gardens here, before it became all bordered off for tourists

- do not go during the summer months (June - Sept), I went in August (lol apparently I work in travel!?) and the heat was unrelentless

Another long drive through more traffic jams, we arrived in Jaipur, also known as the 'pink city' due to the pinkish fortresses, palaces and temples. After all this talk of Mughals and Shah's, it was time to get our own taste of Indian royal hospitality.

For anyone visiting India, if budget permits treat yourself to any of the Taj properties. From the Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai to the Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur, they know how to do luxury and oppulance, in a non-gawdy way.

Rambagh Palace (5*) ~ approx USD$1500 / night in a Historical Suite including breakfast
http://www.tajhotels.com/Luxury/Grand-Palaces-And-Iconic-Hotels/Rambagh-Palace-Jaipur/Overview.html
Rambagh Palace was built in 1835 and remained the home of Jaipur's royalty until 1957. This was later converted into a stunning hotel by the Taj group. From the moment you step foot onto the property, you are treated like royalty. Entering in a Rolls Royce, top down of course, with peacocks roaming the vast grounds, you are met with a showering of flower-petals, a chorus of welcome's and then a brief history of the palace.

The decor although completely OTT, is fitting for royalty and decorated with luxurious taste. 

This is just a snapshot of some of what "Incredible India" has to offer. I have since visited Mumbai which was a completely different cultural experience in itself, showcasing the modern India with dreams of Bollywood stardom, and the resourcefulness of such an overpopulated area in the Dharavi slums. I definitely plan on going back to visit South India's  beautiful beaches in Goa, as I hear the food is much spicier than in the north which I love! Will I ever go back to the Taj Mahal? Probably not, but I will never forget the story of Shah Jahan and his eternal love of Mumtaz.

WHAT IS TRAVEL REALLY ALL ABOUT?

For me, the people. 

I truly believe to travel, is to understand humanity. The more people we meet from all walks of life and background, the better we understand what differentiates us and appreciate what makes us all the same.

Those that know me well, know my genuine fascination of the Arabic and Muslim world. It's something so foreign to me, that my inquisitive nature keeps leading me back here.

The road to Petra

After hiring donkeys on a whim with the intent of 'discovering Petra' we wandered aimlessly for a few hours through some dusty and rocky terrain thinking at every turn and cavernous rock formation, that 'now we'd found Petra', until we resided to the fact we were well and truly lost.

Just in the nick of time we stumbled across a local family enjoying some cooked tomatoes over a small fire. From my understanding Bedouin hospitality often involves sweet tea, and one should always graciously accept, even in the middle of the nowhere.

After a few more hours in the blistering sun on this quest to find Petra, we were about to give up and then...around the corner...

...a whole city carved into the stone! Nothing quite like I had ever seen! After picking our jaws up from off the floor, we quickly realised we had taken the very 'scenic' route around as there were souvenior shops and buses full of tourist driving up the road (yes there was an actual road lol) right up to the main city area. 

Noticing a sign to "The end of world" of course we followed it. Which led us to....

...our two new friends, Abraham and Ahmed aka Jack Sparrow (because he looked like the Arabic version of Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean). They quickly befriended us with sweet tea, and stories and songs of their beduoin life and before we knew it we were both on their donkey's being led up to their home. After a quick pittstop to meet the family and for supplies we headed out for a night under the stars surrounded by the caves they were born and raised in.

Here is a short clip of some bedouin kids and the friends we made, very much amused to see themselves on video

Everyone loves a bit of Bob Marley

It's memories like this that make me hungry to travel again, and not just holiday. 

Day two, now all the best of friends, they wanted to show us the natural beauty of their homeland, and took us through vast canyons and landscape so beautifully barren, until we reached a small oasis to stop for lunch. 

Further and further out we went into the dessert, singing along enthusiastically to popular Arabic songs and taking in the rolling dunes. As if there were invisible road signs we took one last left and pulled up at the base of a dune. This would be our camp for the night. 

No guide, no tents and no phone signal....definitely one of those don't-tell-my-mother moments!

Living in Hong Kong it's easy to forgot that stars even exist. Out here, in the Wadi Araba dessert the blanket of stars is almost blinding. In the far distance, you could see the glow of the lights from Jerusalem, but other than that, just silence and blackness. We danced, we ate without a piece of cutlery in sight, and shared stories of how different our lives were until the fire died out and we had all drifted off.

This trip to Jordan really showed me that as cliche as it sounds, everyone smiles in the same language, and I love how traveling reminds me of this.

FALLING IN LOVE WITH THE INDIAN OCEAN

Keeping in the 'overwater villa' theme, let's rewind to a few years ago when I was lucky enough to visit the quintessential honeymoon destination, the Maldives. Made up of 26 atolls that are composed of live coral reefs and sand bars, the Maldives offers those picture perfect moments where the water is strikingly clear and blue, and the sand is chalky white.

Now Cathay and Hong Kong Airlines both fly direct from HK to Male, it's much more convenient for us in the 852. Although, the arrival time is quite late at night which means if you're staying in a resort which can only be accessed by seaplane you must stay the first night in Male (suggest the Traders Hotel, 5*, near airport) or if your resort is only a boat ride away, often you can arrange a late night pick-up at an extra surcharge if it's outside of their regular schedule. 

Where I stayed:

Gili Lankanfushi (5*) ~ approx USD$1400 / overwater villa / night  (breakfast is extra)

http://www.gili-lankanfushi.com

This stunning property was the former Six Senses Gili Island (no secret, this is my favourite beach resort brand) when I was there but has since changed owner. A hotel representative greets you at the airport which is a short walk to the pier, where you are taken to your luxury speedboat transfer. You swap your shoes with a refreshing welcome drink and sit back to enjoy the 20 min transfer to the resort. From here on in it's "No news, no shoes"...

(on a side note, for those who have partners with crackberry's they can't get great reception out here, WINNING!!)

Upon arriving at the resort, there's no 'front desk' check-in procedure, instead you're carted straight to your overwater villa, and you're checked in from there. It's this attention-to-detail that you pay that extra for.

At the front of every door was this lil' guy, to brush the sand off your feet

Don't miss the small white-tip reef sharks, stingrays and colourful fish that swim all around the villas. This caused me quite a fright as I had been swimming without any mask unknowingly amongst all this marine life. Once they brought the snorkelling equipment to the villa and I saw who I was swimming with, I was in for quite a surprise! So long as you are respectful of them and their environment, you shouldn't have any problems. For keen divers, day trips to some of the best dive spots in the world can be arranged through the resorts' Padi Dive centre.

The good:

- these overwater villas are HUGE, with a private outdoor tanning area on both levels, a spacious living room area with a day bed, outdoor shower, a heavenly four-poster bed, and the bathroom floor is made of glass so you can see the marine life below 

Believe it or not, this is a picture of the lowest room type! 

- they ask you to complete a pre-arrival questionnaire, that is so detailed you can request the pillow type (eg. hard or soft, allergy or 50% duck feathers) and the scent (eg. sandal wood, rose, lavender) and of course whether you're celebrating a special occasion so they can add extra touches to make it even more memorable.

Room for improvement:

- there are no private pool overwater villas; arguably you would want to swim in the ocean anyway, and there is the main pool for guests who prefer to swim in fresh water, but still for some people, a private pool is a deal breaker

My tips (no matter where you stay):

- if it's feasible upgrade to an overwater villa, it's the Maldives, you didn't come all this way for a beach villa!?

- and whilst we're talking about upgrades, choose the half-board option (rather than just breakfast daily) as you are confined to eat at the resort restaurants anyway as there's nothing else on the island. Purchasing a la carte will really add up, as these restaurants are anything but cheap. Full board I didn't think was really necessary as at lunchtime you'll be out and about snorkelling, diving or on day trips so you don't really need a big lunch buffet every day.

- remember, this is a muslim country so any alcohol you have (even sealed duty free bottles; they scan your check-in luggage also) will be confiscated temporarily and can be collected when you clear customs on your journey home

- visit from Oct --> June, the middle of the year is monsoon season and will really put a damper on your trip if you're confined to indoors because of the sideways rain

- often if you are on your honeymoon, send your marriage certificate ahead of time to ensure you get any honeymoon bonus offers (eg. welcome champagne and chocolates, discounts on a romantic destination dinner, discounts on couple's spa treatments)

The view from my spa bed

For the foodies, when in the Maldives stick to seafood, deliciously fresh!

There's no denying the Maldives is a beautiful part of the world, which is why so many of us want to visit it, but there's a lot more to it than villas over turquoise water. The country's capital Male, is a far cry from these luxurious islands, revealing the true poverty and income disparity which is the reality for the Maldivians. With tourism being the largest industry for these islands, natural events like tsunami's or the sea level rising from global warming, and unnatural events like over-fishing and unsustainable development really threaten these islands' very existence and the aquatic life that makes this place such a desirable destination in the first place. So please try and keep this in mind when choosing where to stay, and support a property like Gili Lankanfushi which works within environmentally and socially responsible management every day.

The property's organic garden  

The Maldives really is your very own slice of paradise. Take me back!