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.