HAPPY NEW YEAR!

One of my favorite things about the beginning of the year is that mood that you get into. You know the one that I’m talking about: when you’re inspired, motivated, and have stars in your eyes from the world of possibilities that can happen in the New Year. Take advantage of this time to write down your dreams and goals into resolutions.

A lot of people have resolutions for their health, studies, career, and relationships, but how many people actually set travel resolutions? Let’s change that!

My main goal for this year is to inspire others to travel — so let’s kick it off with 20 unique travel resolutions that will fuel your wanderlust and make you want to hop on the next plane!

Whether it’s something simple (like going to one new destination), or requires more planning (like booking an error fare or doing an ancestry trip), each of these resolutions will inspire you to travel more, to travel far, and to travel with intention.

I hope it’ll inspire you to put one (or a few!) of these travel resolutions on your list. Let’s check them out :)

—

Go to One New Destination This Year

You’ve all probably seen a photo on Pinterest with the quote, “once a year, go someplace you’ve never been” — isn’t it time you put it into action? ;)

For some people, figuring out where they want to go is as easy as looking at their bucket list and picking a country from there. For other people, it’s a little harder – like my friend once asked, “What if you want to go everywhere? 😅”

In that case, try asking yourself a few questions to narrow it down: Do you want to do a city break or a beach vacation? How far do you want to travel? Which month(s) do you want to travel? Which continent do you want to visit? What activities do you want to do? And so on. Then when you’re ready, start by looking through any resources that you have (I’ve outlined some below!) and get to planning.

TRY IT OUT: Look for travel inspiration wherever you go, whether it’s Pinterest, Instagram, travel magazines, travel books, travel shows, and so on. Make a master list on your phone or notebook and refer to it when you’re ready to pick a place!

–

Book a Flight Deal or Error Fare

It’s no secret that everybody loves to save money on traveling, so let’s take it up a notch and save hundreds of dollars.

If you’re on a budget, make one of your new years travel resolutions to book a deeply-discounted flight deal, which is also sometimes called an error fare.

How does it work? Sometimes airline companies accidentally add a typo to their tickets, making them extremely cheap. For example, a round-trip ticket from Los Angeles to Singapore might cost around $700, but an employee accidentally hit the ‘2’ button and not the ‘7’ – making the ticket only $200. In fact, some error fares are even rumored to be intentional to sell tickets for underrated destinations or for new routes!

Over the years, some of my most successful error fares were a trip from San Francisco to Singapore for $200 round trip, San Francisco to New Zealand for $350 roundtrip, San Francisco to Fiji for $400 roundtrip, and Stockholm to Seoul for $200 one way.

The main key to booking error fares is to be extremely flexible (since a lot of the dates are set in stone) and to be very fast (most error fares tend to sell out within an hour after being posted!)

TRY IT OUT: My two favorite sites for flight deals and error fares are SecretFlying and Scott’s Cheap Flights. To take it even further, you can add a notification on Twitter so you’ll be notified every time that SecretFlying posts a deal.

–

Ditch the Airplane and Travel By Train

2019 was the year that Greta Thunberg challenged the world to find alternate means of transportation. In fact, she only took sustainable transport – including swimming across the Atlantic in an eco-friendly yacht! Thanks to Greta’s influence, there was even a trend called flygskram (flight shaming) that urged more people to shun plane travel and take trains instead.

If you haven’t tried it yet, make your next trip interesting by doing a bit of train travel! The first experience that really opened my eyes was when I took the Ella to Kandy train, which, coincidentally, is one of the most beautiful train rides in the world. From there, it was so much easier to book trains in Ukraine, Europe, and so on because I knew what to expect and how much more of the landscape I could see from being on the ground.

TRY IT OUT: The next time you travel, check out and see if there are any routes that you can cover by train. For example, there is a flight from Oslo to Bergen that takes one hour, but there’s also a train (which I also highly recommend – the scenery outside your window is gorgeous!). In many cases, you can even save money because train travel is cheaper – and you’ll be saving the environment as well. ;)

–

Try Solo Traveling…

There’s just something so freeing when you travel solo and do whatever the heck you want.

McDonalds chicken nuggets for dinner in bed? Waking up at 6AM to see the sunrise on Taiwan’s Elephant Mountain? Going skydiving just for fun? The choice is yours!

TRY IT OUT: Start slow. For your first solo trip, I recommend planning everything in advance (down to the hotel reservation and activities) so that you have structure and aren’t left wondering “wtf do I do today??” Make sure to also check in with friends and family regularly; be street smart; and, most importantly, enjoy.

–

… Or Take Your Family on a Trip

Some of my favorite memories were from trips that I’ve taken with my parents and aunt (you can read more about Favorite Aunt’s surprise here – it’s under May!) 

There’s just something so fun and bonding when you travel with your family, whether it’s a beach vacation with your sisters, exploring museums with your grandparents, or surprising your parents with a cruise. Heck, why not include the whole family and take a trip to Europe? ;) 

TRY IT OUT: Make a list of people you want to take on the family trip — Grandparents? Parents? Sibling? Children? — and go from there. Make sure that each member is available to actually go on the trip; ask for input from everyone about what they want to do (a spreadsheet helps keep track of this!); and be sure to include activities that everyone will love.

–

Start Packing Ahead of Time

Procrastinators, put your hands up!

… *raises hand* 😅

This year, make it a goal for yourself to start packing your luggage earlier. That means opening up your luggage and setting it somewhere where you can see it — at least one week in advance! — so that you can simply throw in the clothes and items that you’ll need. Two days before your trip, start to neatly organize the items by category.
Finally, the day before you travel, add in the final toiletry items and shoes. Voila!

TRY IT OUT: Start by buying one of these packing checklist notepads, which has everything that you need, and check ’em off as soon as you add it to your luggage. I also recommend this How To Pack book (yes, there’s actually a book on how to pack!) – I bought it for one of my organizationally-challenged friends and she loved the simple and easy-to-follow tips.

–

Grab the Keys And Go on a Road Trip

Whether it’s a weekend getaway in your home country or a once-in-a-lifetime trip across Italy, there’s nothing like throwing your luggage in the car and embarking on a fun-filled road trip.

One of my favorite road trip memories was renting a car and making the 400-mile round-trip journey from Izmir to see the blue and white pools of Pamukkale by car. Although it was done in one day (which I don’t recommend!), we had so much fun because we stopped at a little farm, saw the ruins of Ephesus on the way back, and saw Turkey from the ground. 

To make your road trip even better, create a playlist of your favorite songs beforehand, stop every hour or two to stretch (or to check out that interesting town by the side of the road!), and switch drivers if it’s a longer road trip.

TRY IT OUT: Before renting a car for your road trip, be sure to choose the car that’s best for you (Are you fine with a compact car or do you need an SUV? Gas or diesel? Automatic or Manual?), compare the best prices, and narrow down your choices by looking at reviews of car companies. I usually book my trips with Hertz or Sixt. 

–

Visit a New Continent

As a traveler, we all have preferences, including continents we travel to.

For example, my mom loves the culture of the Middle East; my dad likes the history of Europe; and I personally love the atmosphere of Asia. This year, break out of your ordinary routine and travel to a new continent!

And if you’ve been to all six, then I guess this is the sign you’re looking for to visit Antarctica ;)

–

Make an Itinerary…

If you’re usually the person who wings their entire trip, why not practice creating an itinerary this year?

Before any major trip (heck, even small weekend breaks), I like to create a Google Sheet with the entire week on the top row and every hour on the left side. That way I get to see the entire trip and can easily add where I’m staying every evening, activities I’m doing on that day, restaurants/cafes that I want to check out, and transportation.

If you prefer traditional pen and paper, there are also tons of travel planning notebooks (like this cute Erin Condren one!) that will organize your trip details in one place. 

–

…Or Be Spontaneous

If you’re on the other end of the stick and plan everything in advance, I officially give you permission to throw all your planning out the window and be spontaneous. In fact, this is one of my travel resolutions this year as well! ;)

If you’re up for the challenge, then I dare you to book a trip to a destination without planning anything except your airplane tickets (and maybe the first night at a hotel).

No transfers, no activities, nothing — be spontaneous and see where the winds take you! Maybe you’ll discover a cool new cafe in Istanbul that’s not listed in any guide book, meet a new friend in Peru, or even become a background actor in a Bollywood film.

–

Learn a New Skill (Abroad!)

You may have graduated from school a long time ago, but it’s never too late to learn something new. 😜

If you’re looking to add some fun and learning into your next trip, schedule a class for something you’ve always wanted to do. Cooking tacos in Mexico? Painting authentic Venetian masks in Italy? Learning how to dig for artifacts in the Philippines? There are so many interesting things do you – and you’ll have knowledge that’ll stay with you long after you come back from vacation!

TRY IT OUT: This really depends on which country you’re visiting, but here are a few ideas to start with:
Photography Class in Puerto Rico
Ramen Cooking Class in Japan
Scuba Diving in Bali 
Snowboarding Class in Bulgaria
Digging for Ruins in Rome
Painting Venetian Masks in Venice, Italy 
Learn Muay Thai in Thailand 

–

Write About Your Adventures In a Travel Journal

My friends and I like to joke that our journals are primitive travel blogs, but there’s something so soothing about taking a pencil (or pen) and writing down everything that happened on your trip! To add a bit of color, you can also buy stickers in local grocery stores, use some washi tape to add ticket stubs or map cut-outs, or just doodle some things that you saw while you were eating a croissant at that little cafe somewhere in France. 

TRY IT OUT: You can buy a simple notebook and customize it, or buy a pre-made travel journal like one of these – 

You Are Here: A Mindful Travel Journal Diary
I Was Here: A Travel Journal for the Curious Minded
Wander Always: Travel Notebook and Vacation Journal 

–

Volunteer & Make The World Better

Traveling and doing something good – what could be better?

For your next trip, why not donate some of your time and volunteer? It can be something simple as donating clothes or school supplies to local kids to something bigger like helping build homes or cleaning an animal shelter. When you feel generous, the possibilities are endless!

TRY IT OUT: I recommend starting your search on Workaway or HelpX for volunteer opportunities across the globe. You can also try contacting your hotel or hostel, as they might know a local organization that needs help. 

–

Learn a New Language

If you fell in love with a country (or are planning to go there!), why not learn the local language? You’ll learn more about the country’s history, it’ll be easier to get around, and maybe you’ll even make a few new friends :)

TRY IT OUT:  I’m currently learning Chinese through Udemy, but there are so many language-learning resources out there, such as books on Amazon, free (Youtube) and paid (Udemy) courses, and even language meet-ups in most major cities.

–

Eat Like a Local

What better way to travel around a country than by eating their food?
(At least I like to think so… 😋)

The next time you travel to a country, start out your trip by booking a food tour. There are thousands of food tours around the world, and you’ll get to try delicious local delicacies and learn more about the dish. Whether it’s trying salmorejo in Spain, vareniki in Ukraine, or touring through the best xiao long bao restaurants in Hong Kong, there’s something for everyone.

TRY IT OUT: I like to book cooking tours and food tours on Viator, GetYourGuide, or Klook.

–

Relax and Recuperate at a Wellness Retreat

If the stress of 2019 has made you feel burned out and lethargic, it’s time to add a wellness retreat to your travel resolutions ;)

Wellness retreats are a recent trend where travelers stay at a resort and undergo various wellness procedures, such as massages, meditation, healthy eating, group classes, saunas, and more.

Some of the countries that are known for wellness retreats include Thailand, Portugal, Indonesia, Costa Rica, and even the United States.

TRY IT OUT: If you’re looking to add a little more zen to your new year, here are a few places to check out:

Fivelements Retreat Bali (Indonesia)
Aelia Wellness Retreat (Cyprus)
Kaivalyam Wellness Retreat (India)
The Retreat Costa Rica (Costa Rica)

–

Get Extreme

After a relaxing wellness retreat, do something on the other end of the spectrum and get your heart pumping. Skydiving in Dubai? Off-roading in Morocco? Flyboarding in Mexico? There are so many ways to get your heart racing – just check out some ideas below!

TRY IT OUT: If you’ve always wanted to have some adventure on your travels, there’s no better way than to book an extreme activity:
Offroading in Morocco
Cave exploring in Budapest (I highly recommend it!)
Paragliding in Turkey
Skydiving in Dubai 

–

Find Your Roots With an Ancestry Trip

Have you always wondered where your family tree came from?

Make this the year you find out!

A popular trend this year is ancestry trips. This is when you look at your family’s history and travel to the place(s) where they came from. It usually works in two ways:

First, you can do it yourself by buying a genetics kit (such as 23AndMe) and get the results of your heritage. The website has a special map that shows which regions of the world your ancestors came from, which you can then use to learn more information and plan a trip.

The other option is for a professional to do the research for you. Many companies do tours where they pair you with a genealogist that tracks your family’s history (sometimes down to that tiny house in that tiny village in that tiny country of Monaco!) and then takes you on a tour to that area.

TRY IT OUT: There are tons of tours available – People who have Italian heritage can discover their family history on a fully-researched and fully guided tour on the Day Trip from Rome: Ancestors Tour – Discovering Your Italian Family History tour, while those with Latvian roots can choose the Latvian Genealogical Ancestry Tour. 

–

Talk To a Stranger

Remember what your mom told you as a kid? It’s time to take that advice and reconsider it :)

One of my favorite experiences of talking to a stranger happened when I was visiting Taiwan with my family. We were finishing up our evening in Taichung and ordered an Uber back to our hotel. The driver was pretty friendly and genuinely curious about why we were visiting his hometown, so we started asking him questions about the city, he asked about us, and we became instant friends. The next day he gave us a ride to Sun Moon Lake, helped us get tickets on the bus back, and even invited us for tea at his friend’s place (which, btw, was all for free!). We still keep in touch to this day on Facebook – and none of this would have happened if we just kept quiet on our Uber ride! 

TRY IT OUT: Try out this tip in a low-stress situation, like on a free walking tour, hostel, on the street, or at a cafe. Ask for advice (“Excuse me, how can I get to X?”) and try to use a few words in their native language. If the person seems open to communication, go from there!

–

Try Out Groupon Travel

Groupon is a website that lists thousands of discounted activities, restaurants, hotels, services, and so on. Most people see it as a place to buy discounted massages or yoga classes, but it’s actually so much more than that — in fact, you can save hundreds of dollars on your next trip!

Whether it’s booking a hotel for a staycation (that same hotel you’ve been eyeing — but 35% off) or an entire trip (China for $400 round-trip?! Seriously!), there’s a Groupon for that.

It’s not just for super-complicated trips either – I’ve personally used Groupon when I lived in San Francisco to save money on regular activities like bike rentals, meals at sushi restaurants, and even buying luggage.

TRY IT OUT: If you want to learn how to use Groupon to save money on travel, I wrote a quick and easy guide :)

You can check it out here – How To Save Money On Travel With Groupon: Save Hundreds On Hotels, Activities, Food, Getaway Packages, And More.

—

That’s all for this post! What are your travel resolutions for this year? Let me know in the comments below!

 

 

Would you like to pin this post? :)

PHOTO CREDITS – New destination: Deanna Ritchie / Flight deal: Margo Brodowicz / Train: TaeWoo Kim / Solo trip: Sasha • Stories / Family trip: Matheus Ferrero / Packing: Pinterest / Road trip: Dino Reichmuth / New continent: henrique setim / Itinerary: Element5 Digital / Spontaneous: Atlas Green / New Skill: Marco Xu / Travel Journal: Emma Dau / Volunteer: Larm Rmah / Language: Soner Eker / Food: Pavan Trikutam / Relax:  Alena Ozerova / Extreme: Pinterest / Ancestry: Roman Kraft / Stranger: Priscilla Du Preez / Groupon: Pinterest