The Art of Travelling

Travelling is an art. It’s not just “let’s pack and go.” No. It’s way more than that.  

The beauty of travelling starts from the very inception of the thought of you deciding to go somewhere. Then the planning begins, then comes the preparation, and finally the execution.

Everything from the packing, to the ride to the airport, to the airport experience itself –

checking in your luggage, going through security, exploring the duty free area, waiting to board at your gate, boarding the plane, settling into you seat and preparing for the flight –

to the flight to your destination, eating on the plane while watching a movie, arriving at your destination, exploring the city or relaxing at the beach/resort etc.

Every single aspect of your trip, no matter how small, is to be thoroughly enjoyed. Now most people don’t like packing and preparing for a vacation.

That’s where I thrive. In fact, I might like so much that I almost prefer it more than the trip itself. Almost. 

I operate on structure & order, in every facet of my life. So allow me use my natural sense of organization, order, planning and preparation to help you with your upcoming travel plans.

Future you will be grateful that you put in all that effort to plan and prepare. You’ll feel so proud of yourself, that you will want to apply the same structure and order to other areas of your life.

So, let’s start at the very beginning: The inception. You’ve decided that you want to travel. Good. Then comes you making the decision of where you want to go. You’ve got that too? Perfect.

Sit down at your computer, create a folder on your desktop and label it “[Destination] [Year]”. So for example: “Cape Town 2025”.

Once that’s done, open the folder and create the following folders: Flight, Accommodation, Transportation, Activities & Phone

Get a physical folder and label it the same as the digital one. Get some paper clips and sticky notes too.

Now you must book your flight to your destination. Start to look early, at least 3 months in advance. Write down prices on a piece of paper cleanly and neatly. Compare the different options offered by to keep track of things.

I suggest Trip.com and Aviasales for flight bookings. Remember, the earlier you start, no matter how small it is, the less you’ll find yourself rushing at the last minute. Preparation is key.

Accommodation - This is the most important after securing your plane ticket. There are endless options on the internet today. Literally. From Airbnb to Hostels to Hotels. Trip.com, Aviasales and Hotellook can help you in that regard.

Hotellook will help you compare hotel prices, saving you a ton of time on research.

As you’re doing all of this, always be doing two things: download and save all copies of your documents in the appropriate folders. Save them on a USB as well, and print physical copies of the documents to put in the your physical folder.

Scan all your documents and send them to your email. Create appropriate folders in your email and store them in there as well. I got you!

Now on to Transportation - If you have your driver’s license and want to do so, you can rent a car. Getrentacar.com can help you find the right car, using it’s price-bidding engine. 

If you are going to a sunny place and want to have a completely different (and in my opinion better) experience moving around, forget renting a car. Go for a motorcycle or a scooter/vespa instead. Try BikesBooking.com

The freedom of motorcycle riding is unmatched. They take up less space, cost less, even in terms of fuel and you are faster than public transit.

If you don’t want to rent a car or a motorcycle and would rather use public transit, that’s fine too. What I would suggest is this: Google the city you’re arriving in.

Find out how public transit works there, how much it costs, how and where to get a ticket. 

Read up on the city (Wikipedia), read up on the airport you’ll be landing in, and how to get from there to the city centre. The more information you have, the better, preparation really is everything.

Have some local currency on hand beforehand. You should do this before you depart. Look for a currency exchange place in your city. Never do it at the airport.

For your phone, save yourself the nightmare of roaming charges, and get an eSIM before or after you arrive. Do some research to find out the plan for you and have it ready upon arrival. Yesim is a good option for that.

Last but not least, activities -  As you’re reading / researching your destination on Wikipedia, take note of the cultural attractions as well. Write them down, and get advanced tickets!

Download the Tiqets app, see what they’re offering for the place you’re going to, and have your passes ready beforehand. Digitally and printed. Preparation is everything.

And that’s it! Enjoy your trip, rinse and repeat the process for your future adventures. Always remember, start ahead of time. Even when it comes to packing.

Open your suitcase and put it to the side, and slowly start putting your clothes in it, you’ll be surprised at the result.

Set a few hours aside aside to also get my recommended list of essentials, it'll make your trip that much better.

You’re welcome! Safe travels and until next time!