Travel Planning Tips: Travelling is Unpredictable

Planning a RTW or once-(in my case fifth)-in-a-lifetime trip can be a daunting and nerve-jangling experience, and was a major worry for me on my first independent backpacking trip abroad back in 2011 (jeez, that’s a long time ago now!). But it really shouldn’t be enough to put anyone off, and so I thought I’d share a few tips and ideas (now over several posts as I am a wordy moron) that I am currently putting into practise whilst planning my next trip.

I should start by admitting that I am a habitual worrier and anxious mess most of the time, and fuss most over the small stuff. Only last week, I couldn’t sleep for over an hour because the following day I was going to be learning how to use a coffee machine at work. A stupid, simple coffee machine! I wasn’t at all thinking that I still haven’t got a place confirmed for my masters course, nor that global warming may flood London before 2100. Nope, I worried about whether I’d remember what a Flat White is and how to make it (still don’t know the answer to either question).

Bear with me, this does have a point, and that point is that I am not one of those chilled, cool cat sorts that breeze through life like it’s Super Mario Bros. Level 1-1; I worry, obsessively. I plan, obsessively. However, this anxiety does not apply when it comes to travelling, because of these tips, and especially:

Just a small selection of the travel books I use to plan my trips...I may not plan obsessively anyone, but not by much ;)

Travelling is unpredictable

Almost by definition, you cannot 100% plan your travelling trip. Your flight may be cancelled because of a volcano somewhere in the Atlantic decides to shut down European airspace. The ferry that you were relying on to transport you on Wednesday afternoon at 3pm may have since you read about it moved to Thursday at 3pm because the ferry captain now plays lawn tennis on Wednesday. That owned of the hostel in Ho Chi Minh City which you painstakingly selected from among thousands may when you arrive say ‘Sorry, we’re full, but my wife’s cousin’s dog groomer has a really good hotel, let me call you a taxi to take you there.’ You may be forced to spend two days worth of budget repairing a £2.50 haircut, leaving your budget in ruins and your scalp scalped.

This is why you do not accept haircuts from the same man that you turned down for a camel tour.

All of these examples have happened to me (loosely, I confess to artistic license with the lawn tennis) over the last few years, and the lesson to take away from them is: shit happens. You can never plan for every eventuality, and part of the fun of travelling is that it is unpredictable, and you nearly never actually do what you planned to do four months ago when you were sat shivering in front on a computer in mid-January. That’s not to say don’t plan at all; allow a little extra time and money in case of cancellation or changes in plans. If you’re reliant on a single bus or ferry, have a look at what’s nearby in advance in case you are stranded.

Part of the fun, especially for a worrier like me, is that because travelling is unpredictable, it is also to an extent unplannable (yes, that word is made up, MS Word is angry with me). Over several trips I have realised this, and it has freed me from the stress and allowed me to enjoy my trips much more.

Finally, to the negative unpredictable examples of travel above, I should add several positive ones I or my friends have experienced. You could mispronounce your hostel to your taxi driver, and end up at a hostel not found in the guide books where you meet some of the most fun people on your trip. You could in Victoria Falls, having dismissed it as being too expensive, find an alligator diving experience for half the price LP suggests. Or you could, as my friend experienced, book onto an amazing package tour whilst in the UK, and turn up to discover your group is full of the kind of people who only want McDonalds even though there are in Thailand. You end up bailing from the trour halfway through, make your way to a beautiful Thai island, where you meet some amazing German guys who you tag along with and explore Thailand together. A holiday romance ensues with one, and you end up cancelling more of your plans, and having more fun in those two weeks than you have all trip.

An unplanned personal party with a crocodile ;)

So my first tip is: travelling is not something that can be mapped out or planned, and so shouldn't be worried about. It's unpredictable, and you should ensure that that is part of the fun.