With the sun simmering down by late October, winter becomes the best time to go on vacations especially in India where summers are prohibitively hot and spring is nothing more than a cursory nod of the weather gods that hardly lasts a few weeks! So, winter is the best time to get on with your pending vacations. Since time is at a premium for everybody, going on a vacation might seem like achieving a corporate goal, which can get stressful, here are some practical tips to minimize the stress and maximize fun on your trip.
Book accommodations very early
It’s October now, start looking for good hotel rooms if you are planning to go on the trip within November. The best hotels are booked several weeks in advance and therefore, you can’t expect to get good accommodations at the last minute. Accommodations in winter vacation destinations get sold out at least 2 months in advance. The sooner you start planning for your accommodation, the better chance you have of finding a good place for your family.
Check out camping grounds
Camping in winter can be a great experience for kids. If you have children below the age of 16, camping might be a very practical and affordable alternative to hotel rooms that will make for great memories later on. There are very few camping grounds in North India. There are a few good places where you can set up camp and spend some quiet time in nature. Make sure to get to the best facilities as early as possible, because the more delay you make, the less chance you have at getting a good place to camp. If you are arriving by a motorcycle, look for a place that gives you the necessary space to park your bike safely.
Always have a positive attitude, no matter what
The biggest reason behind stress in most people is because they fail to keep a positive attitude when faced with a challenging situation. Always stay positive no matter what challenges you come across on your vacation. Know that there will be a solution as long as you keep calm and stay positive. Look for solutions rather than focusing on the problem that way you will get to the answer without fretting over the problem.
Avoid tourist hotspots and traps
Don’t go to the popular places where everybody goes. Those are quite likely to be crowded and therefore stressful. Discover places that are less travelled and relative unexplored where you can spend some calm and quiet time with your family. A good way to identify tourist traps is if you see no local people in the spot. These spots are quite likely to be very expensive and low in terms of quality of service or experience. Be local and discover spots that are popular with the local people. Don’t wear or behave in any way that gives you away as a traveler, that is when you attract touts which can then get stressful.
Always leave some wiggle-room for unplanned changes
Never plan your trip with no room for accommodating sudden changes. That can lead to undue stress if you happen to face an unplanned situation. When you are on a long road trip, there can be situations where you may have to cancel a hotel room at the last moment or forced to take a detour. If you face such a situation, you will need some wiggle room to accommodate that and stay stress-free. If you plan everything end-to-end with no room in between, it will lead to an extremely stressful situation, and you don’t want that!
Prep your family (travel companion)
Your stress levels are directly connected with the overall stress levels of your family. If your family can learn to manage their collective stress, they won’t let it roll over to you and that will keep your stress levels low. Teach them the virtue of staying calm and managing small problems on their own. A pre-tour meeting is the best time to teach them about staying safe on the road, following all safety protocols, and managing nature’s call.
Don’t pack anything you can’t afford to lose (and pack light!)
Keep your packing very light. Do not pack anything that you do not absolutely need during the trip. This is applicable for car travelers, but more so for motorcycle travelers. Check the weather before packing your luggage for the trip. Don’t make the mistake of carrying everything with you. There will be things that you can get from local stores at your destination. And be absolutely sure not to carry anything costly because you do not want the stress of losing something valuable during the trip.
Play safe, take it slow
Winter means loss of traction on the road and to avoid that you need specially designed winter tires. You would also need the best quality branded motorcycle helmet for better weather protection and comfort against the chilling wind. If you are travelling by a car, you need to upgrade the tires as well as the fluids. Is your battery older than 4 years? It might be time to replace it with a new dry battery. Invest some money in getting the best quality battery to ensure that your vehicle starts at the first attempt! You can make both of these upgrades at your nearest motorcycle accessories shop.
