EB hanging around in Halong Bay, Vietnam
Who doesn’t love Fridays? As the work day winds down, everything seems possible and that delicious sound of your computer trilling its way to ‘off’ – well, it’s the call of the wild, isn’t it?
Speaking of wild, here are our ‘five for Friday’ travel tips – the things we love to do and definitely want to do more of when we get away…
- Be flexible – it seems easier to have everything booked, but what you pick up in security and certainty, you can lose in fresh perspectives – like being taken for a ride (literally) and picking up some brilliant and slightly weird travel memories in Ho Chi Minh city or getting lost and eating at a back-street trattoria owned by two elderly (and fiesty) sisters. And, of course, certainty isn’t always guaranteed even when you pre-book – like a friend who booked a hotel online only to discover, on arrival, that it was closed for renovation (aka indefinitely)
- Be flâneurs – and hit the streets when you arrive (so make sure you’re fit enough to do it before you go). It’s definitely the best way to see places, meet people, get lost and find yourself…
There’s nothing shy about these kids on the streets of Sapa… priceless
- Immerse yourself – there’s nothing wrong with getting a taste test of countries, but it’s so much better to base yourself somewhere for a week or more and really immerse yourself in the culture. After ten days in Sarlat-la-Canéda in France, we were on nodding (and sometimes hugging) terms with the locals, which just goes to show that a smile and a laugh is the universal language
- Book into apartments – when you’re travelling for longer than a couple of weeks, you really get tired of eating out (no matter how fabulous the food is!). Being able to make your own breakfast or buy local produce to whip up a fabulous dinner is just bliss. It makes you feel at home in the world…
- Say YES – because travelling isn’t all happy snaps. It’s a human drive to seek safety (and avoid feeling anxious, uncertain, uncomfortable, scared). It’s easier to stick to the tourist spots when you could go slightly off-piste and discover amazing places and people. Easier to drive when you could cycle or paddle or walk. Easier to take a cruise than experiment with indi-travel. But, now that you’ve said yes to travel, why not embrace the strange encounters and breathtaking experiences along the way…
Happy travels…
Flight path 