Travel Tips
Tailor-Made or DIY Travel?
Have you explored countries like Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines? Did you use a travel agent or did you plan it yourself? Were these tailor-made for you, was it an organised tour travelling in a group or did you Do-It-Yourself (DIY Travel)? Have you used a Holiday Cost of Enjoyment Index before you travelled?
We’ve now completed several long trips in South East Asia and Costa Rica, all without local guides and where we’ve booked the hotels, transport, activities, tours and sightseeing ourselves.
There seems to be a lack of information easily available online for people with similar plans. Consequently, we plan on sharing our detailed trip itineraries so that you can see if they fit your goals. What did we skip? Did we miss anything we should have made a detour to see? Where do you want to go and what Travel Tips do you need?
Why not reach out and connect using our contact form below?
What about a Self-Drive or Self-Guided Tour?
If you’ve ever thought about doing a self-drive or self-guided tour, but were nervous about doing it or don’t know where to start, then why not read our blog on the subject.
Our Self-Drive Tour of Costa Rica, which we did in January 2024, was one on the most exhilarating travel experiences we have ever undertaken.
Why?
Well, we’d never been to Costa Rica before. We don’t speak Spanish. And everyone said you needed a guide.
This was the absolute best tailor-made tour we have done. Read more here!
And the answer is YOU DON”T NEED A GUIDE – until you get to a National Park. Then, if you want to make the most of the experience, and actually see some wildlife, then absolutely, book a tour guide for that.
But for the rest of the trip, Google Maps is your friend! You could also try Maps.Me, which is a free app, but remember to download the area map while you’re in wifi first. The good news is this app allows you to plan a journey without using data (you just need a GPS signal), so can be invaluable for off the beaten track adventures. I’ve used it on boats and planes too to record our journey.
Want to Maximise the Cost of your Holiday?
Holiday Cost of Enjoyment Index
There’s nothing worse than booking an expensive hotel, or worse, paying for an upgrade, and then finding out either someone else paid less or got more than you did!
There’s also nothing more galling than when you get back home and realise it really wasn’t worth the cost at all.
That’s where our FREE tool can help!
We’ve created the Holiday Cost of Enjoyment Index that allows you to rate all aspects of your vacation IN ADVANCE. Or you can compare hotels where you’ve stayed before to find the sweet spot between 5* luxury and something that’s really good value.
Examples of how you can use the tool
Here are two examples to illustrate how the scoring works:
Example 1: Accommodation
- Comfort: Score 5 (Loved the room and premium bathroom products!)
- Location & Accessibility: Score 3 (Far from the beach and dining options.
- Room Category Value: Score 3 (Overpriced for what it offered.)
Example 2: Cost of Doing It
- Hotel Cost: Score 1 (Extremely expensive, saved for special occasions.)
- F&B Cost: Score 2 (Costly food and beverages.)
- Cost of Getting There: Score 1 (Took 24 hours to reach!)
You can also score more affordable or inclusive options:
– Hotel Cost: 5 (Great value, budget-friendly.)
– F&B Cost: 5 (All-inclusive package.)
– Cost of Getting There: 5 (Cheap flights made it an easy decision.)
Travel Tips: It's Time to Start Your Adventures
Want some travel tips before you start your adventures?
Before you decide to go, do you have all the information you need about your destination, when to go, how best to get there, what to see and how to plan your itinerary? We’ve got some travel tips to help.
Maybe you have more? If so, please let us know using the form below and then we can share them with other travellers.
Where’s the best beach you’ve seen? The view above is at Cancun’s Secrets Maroma Beach. Incredible sand, surfing waves. What an adventure that was! So regret not trying Kite Surfing!
Coming soon, I’ll be updating my journeys on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HindlesWorld/
For more inspiration on DIY Travel, why not join the blog?
Going for a hike?
What to pack, what to leave behind and what to buy when you get there.
Are you going to be exploring cross-country?
What are the best shoes, boots and gear to take with you?
Hill walking?
How safe is it where you're going? What does it cost? Can you park? Can you trust the operator?
Drones
Can you take one? Where can you use one? What are the best shots?
Why Outdoor Adventure?
Want to get the full experience or do you have a fear of what comes out in the dark? What sprays and lotions can you use to prevent insect bites, without harming the environment?
- Experience:
- Reputation:
- Guide Experience:
What You Get
Apart from mosquito bites? Where’s the best place for star-gazing? Can you hear the noises of crickets and other night animals?
- Private Hike:
- Transportation:
- Great Facilities:
