It is always a good idea in theory, but in practice? When we are traveling with the family, and we find somewhere that’s perfect on paper, and we’ve got time to spare, we could choose to turn a modest two-week venture into a lengthy extended vacation. For a lot of people, this is impossible, but if you love the idea of spending a few weeks or even a couple of months somewhere, what do you need to think about?
Choosing The Right Accommodation
Picking somewhere like a hotel can seem like the obvious option, but if you’re going to spend a few weeks in one location, the costs of eating out (as well as that very tempting minibar) will soon add up. It’s far better for you to find somewhere that you can rent for a decent cost, and it gives you the opportunity to experience the place like a real local. Looking at apartments in Alila Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, you get a taste of luxury, but with all of the benefits of a place that is, for the time being, yours. Yes, renting a property can be easier, but it also gives you that opportunity to make the place your own. There’s nothing quite so frustrating as having a hotel room to yourself, but not really feeling like you can truly relax. And, of course, the great thing about having your own place is that you can save so much money by cooking meals there, rather than going out. Of course, it’s important to get a feel for the place and get as much of the local food in as you can, but we all have budgetary restrictions.
Don’t Pack Your Schedule Full
Instead of scheduling something for every half day, why don’t you use this opportunity to spread the itinerary further? When you have a lengthy stay somewhere, it gives you the opportunity to experience the place like a local, but also, if you over schedule, and things overlap or overrun, you can find you’re doing too much, but also, you can find that you may spend more time on public transport. Instead of trying to cram in as much, especially if you are using one location as a base camp for you to travel further out and back each day, you could find that the vast majority of your time will be spent on buses and trains. Instead, keep it all to a minimum, and focus on one area at a time. Remember, this is a vacation, so keep your downtime up! There’s no need to race around with such speed, and just go at a decent pace.
Don’t Pack Your Suitcase Too Full!
If you plan on navigating so many different areas to make the most of your time there, the temptation could be to overpack, so you have enough supplies. But this means that we could end up transporting a very bulky suitcase, which will weigh us down. Instead, take only what you need. Ultimately, when we’re staying in one place, and we have rented accommodation, we can buy the essential supplies and store them there, so you don’t necessarily have to feel like a nomad. Vacation time is downtime, so give yourself that luxury of not having to think about your suitcase or feeling that your arms are aching by having to haul this heavy hand luggage around.
Giving Everybody An Opportunity
If you’re traveling with your family, the extended vacation gives everyone an opportunity to do something that they want. And this means that there’s a lot less bickering, especially if there are siblings fighting about where to go! Everybody gets an opportunity to spread their wings a little. And this can mean that it’s a less stressful vacation for everyone. When we go on a condensed two-week vacation, it can mean that we’re trying to cram so much in, someone will inevitably feel left out, or they haven’t got their fair share of enjoyment out of the place. And you can actually build this into your itinerary. You can make it a very democratic process, and ensure that one child does something they want to do on one day, so the other has exactly the same amount of time. It’s also a great way for you all to spend some time apart if necessary. The two-week family vacation is a pressure cooker of sorts, and being held in one place, or having to move as a unit because you’re on a tight schedule, can mean a very stressful return home.
Take The Opportunity To Calm Down
Again, we can feel that we got to make the most out of somewhere, by over scheduling, and taking in as many of the sights as humanly possible. But have you ever been on vacation and found that when you came back, you needed an extra week off in which to recuperate? This is because we can feel that temptation to make the most of our chosen destination that we very easily burn out. Instead, make the most of what a lengthy vacation stay entails, and build in appropriate downtime naturally. You could do this by not over scheduling, but also giving yourself the opportunity to laze around. The great thing about experiencing a foreign country is that you can make the most of wandering at a slower pace because you have the time. So don’t think about having to go on every expedition necessary, or wander through every museum. Instead, get a newspaper, sit at a local cafe, and watch the world go by. Besides, you would be incredibly surprised as to how much you will learn by just sitting there and engage in people watching. It’s a very underrated pastime.
Get Involved In Local Activities
You’re on vacation, but if you don’t want to do the touristy things, and would rather experience the place like everybody else does, getting involved in the community in one way or another is a great way to get the most out of the place. Community service gives you that chance to connect, and so you could go volunteering, or just seeing what you can do on a local level that benefits the community. Some people go volunteering in countries like Namibia, but also give them the opportunity to combine this with making the most of the local culture, as well as the beautiful sights. In countries like Namibia, there are very expansive wildlife parks. And if you spend the morning volunteering somewhere, you can take the afternoon to go and see what your chosen location has to offer as far as the cultural highlights are concerned.
An extended vacation can mean you are spending a bit more money, but if you do it right, you should only be spending a little bit more. The great thing about an extended vacation isn’t just about giving yourself the opportunity to really delve into somewhere, but it’s something that you can all do as a family unit, or as individuals, to get what you really want out of the place. And as such, there is no pressure to get everything done right away. Staying somewhere for three or four weeks, or even longer, gives you that chance to go at your own pace, to explore what you want, when you want, and ensuring that the whole family feels rested and rejuvenated. And, after all, isn’t this what a vacation should be about? Instead of going for a condensed vacation where you need to cram in all sorts of fun and frolics, why don’t you extend it by a couple of weeks and just go at a slower pace?
This was collaborative content.
