Staying in a Villa for the first time?

Decided to book a villa as accommodation for this years summer holiday? If you have never stayed in a villa before or even been on holiday self catering before it is likely you may be stressing out about how the holiday is going to turn out. But, chill. Villas and self catering holidays are great and I can assure you once you get back from this one you will never want to go all inclusive again.

Some tips for staying in a villa would be not to pack so many clothes, you’re in a villa, it is likely there will be facilities for you to clean clothes, yes this may not be something you want to do on holiday however, I’m sure you’d much rather bring back lots of souvenirs right!?

Buy several disposable BBQ’s, they’re always great for bring the family together, easy to set up and can save you from doing a lot of work in the kitchen preparing a meal. Plus who doesn’t love a good BBQ?! Sitting outside your villa, beside the pool enjoying a lovely burger that has just been cooked on the BBQ whilst sipping cocktails.

Make sure you know what facilities will be available in your villa before you go so you know what to bring along. If you’re going with children and there is no television in the villa then think about what gadgets and toys you could bring along to make sure the kids are constantly occupied and not always bugging you.

Last tip, enjoy yourself! Self catering is great, it allows you to visit different restaurants in the evening to try out some of the local cuisine. You’re not waiting around for dinner time like you would be at all inclusive, you can do what you want and at any time you wish.

 

 

Travelling alone

Always dreamed to go travelling, but no one else shares this same dream? Well fear not, travelling solo could be great! Here are some great tips to help you when travelling alone: 

1. Plan in advance; although the excitement of not knowing where you’re going or what you’re doing does sound great, but it may not always end well. Who knows where you could end up.. So doing a little advance planning won’t hurt, you don’t need a detailed plan but for the first night at least, make sure you know where you’re staying and perhaps book your hostel/hotel before you leave.

2. Pack light; carrying massive bags that way a ton around whilst travelling will be tiring and could quite possibly ruin the whole experience for you, so just bring the essentials but enough to last you for however long you plan to be travelling for.  

3. Try to arrive during the day; being in an unfamiliar city and not knowing where you are going can be some what hard, so make sure you try and arrive during the daylight so you can see exactly where you’re going, and don’t risk getting lost.

4. Mix with others; see other travellers? Why not try and start a conversation with them, in the hostel lounges is a great place to meet short-term friends, and could also help you pick up some excellent travel advice.

5. Watch the world around you; whilst sitting in a cafe sipping on a warm hot chocolate watch what others do, how they act and react to certain things, this could help you learn how things are done in that country. 

6. Open up; learn to talk to strangers (even though we’re told not to when we’re younger), smile and start a conversation, making a few friends, short-term, can’t hurt.

7. Go out and enjoy yourself; do as much as you can, visit pubs, clubs, concerts and theatres. You’re travelling alone so you can do what you want so why not make the most of it!

8. Don’t be put off by dining alone; a lot of people actually do this, enjoy it! Perhaps go to restaurants with communal tables or counters, this could make it easier to make conversation with people and then you may not end up dining alone!

9. Sign up for courses; depending on how long you’re planning to stay in one place why not join several courses, language? Why not actually learn the language of the place you’re staying, this could help you make conversation with the locals! 

10. Go on organised tours; going on tours will enable you to meet other people and will give you a chance to relax, let someone else take care of all the details for you.

11. Always have the essentials; when travelling alone it is best to be a lot safer, meaning you’ll need to make sure you remember where you’re staying, so write it down on a piece of paper and make sure you pack it in your bag for the day, have a copy of emergency contacts just incase and any important documents you may need.

12. Save on phone charges; think about buying an unlocked phone and then buy a SIM card for the phone in each country as you travel, as this will save you heaps! 

13; Skype; when you find free wi-fi why not use Skype, its free and will allow you to keep in contact with family and friends whilst you’re away, and will also ensure them that you’re safe. 

14; Be safe; steer clear of dark alleys, being seen and in a public place is always safer than a private place.

 

 

Top Tips on how to Stay Safe Abroad

Firstly, decide where you’re going on holiday and then get it booked! Perhaps you decided to stay in a luxury villa or just fancy going all inclusive at a hotel with water slides perfect for children, whatever takes your fancy, once you have booked your holiday you’ll need to think about what it is going to be like abroad…

Being abroad is completely different to the UK (but don’t worry about any of this, just safety precautions to ensure you enjoy your holiday!), so here are top tips on how to stay safe abroad:

1) Keep an eye on your possessions- make sure that you are not displaying anything valuable, as this will attract unwanted attention.

2) Plan routes to and from where you are staying so it is easier to find where you are looking for and avoids mistakes, therefore less wrong turns will be made, which could potentially lead to danger.

3) Know local customs There are many gestures that you may be accustomed to, but are frowned upon in other countries where they may be seen as offensive.

4) Dress appropriately- learn how the locals dress. If the locals are dressed in a moderate way, you should dress the same, as you do not want to cause offense to the local community and culture.

5) Before leaving for your travels, you should make copies of everything before you leave, such as; your passport, travel tickets, driver’s license, and any other important documents. If anything unfortunate were to happen, having additional copies can make it easier for you need to recover any of your documents if they were to be stolen.

5) Make sure that you get the addresses and phone numbers of your country’s embassy before your arrival to the foreign country as this can help you if you end up in trouble with the law or if you have any important documents stolen.

6) Check if you can drink the tap water- you want to be safe and healthy whilst on holiday; not in bed and unwell because you didn’t know that the water was undrinkable!

Making sure that you prepare for your holiday is a crucial aspect of the planning process before leaving to go abroad! Being safe is usually taken for granted and people over look the idea of being in a situation abroad where they are not safe, however being prepared for worst case scenarios has many benefits which are hugely important if anything bad was to happen.