1. You need to move quickly. To the mall!
Okay, you are ready for adventure – but even the most adventurous of us may need a few important items to pack in our suitcases. The easiest and fastest way to get these items is to drop by a shopping mall. With a wide range of stores under one roof, you can buy everything you need, quickly, from personal care products to clothing, from technological devices to books.
2. No need to generate a detailed analysis; just take our suggestions for comprehensive packing.
You can take our recommendations without thinking twice, and get this stage out of the way. We say health comes first! Go to the mall’s pharmacy or drugstore and ask for sunscreen and a vitamin C supplement. If you’re taking a last-minute trip, these two items cover two important bases: sun or no sun. And if no sun, then, possibly, a cold. After your successful pharmacy visit, it is time to hit the tech store for a power bank! You’ve now solved your power issues; you can reward yourself with wireless headphones or earbuds. There’s nothing like the background music of your choice while watching the landscape – it’s as if you have your own movie soundtrack. Last, buy a book before you leave the mall. First, it’s always good to support bookstores. Second, an excellent travel book – whether fiction or non-fiction – can set the stage for your own adventure.
3. Do you have a friend who has been there before? It’s time to call them!
Because you are moving quickly, you haven’t had time to research your destination. And, anyway, you believe in learning through experience. We appreciate this perspective, but we still recommend consulting a professional; which can include a friend who’s been there before. In a 10-minute conversation, you can collect many useful suggestions. Whether you use them is up to you, but it’s always good to have a back-up plan – and you might get unexpectedly fabulous tips!
4. Do make a hotel reservation for at least the first night.
You still have time to arrange your accommodation, and it’s a good idea to do so. For at least the first night, consider looking at a hotel in the city center. Staying in a central location allows you to shape your adventure as you wish: the city center usually features restaurants and markets, as well as easy access to public transportation. Once you’ve narrowed down a few hotel choices, examine the website and Google maps photos. Then, read the comments left by other travelers. This can be critical: pictures tell a story but sometimes that story is pure fiction! Keep in mind that it is important, once you decide on a place, to confirm your reservation. Seriously, even the most inveterate adventurer may not appreciate spending their first night in a new city looking for a place to sleep.
5. Now, the question to answer – what kind of adventure do you seek?
Are you curious about the culture of the city you’re visiting? If so, your first action item will be to take a stroll, walk into some regular shops or head to the city bazaar. Check out the street food options, stop into a local coffee shop or café.
If art is what’s drawing you, then get the details on that scene. Find an event calendar for the city: check out museums, and event venues such as art galleries, theaters and concert halls. Maybe there’s an event or show that you’ve been longing to see – and here it is!
Whether or not you consider yourself a ‘foodie’, your friends and family are going to want to know what you ate. Learn about the notable foods and drinks of the city and the country. Find restaurants or cafes that offer those and take yourself on a sampling tour. Remember: you can have an appetizer at one place, a main dish at another, and finish with dessert or a nightcap somewhere else!
6. Explore the transportation network for the optimal adventure guide.
So, you bought a ticket and you’re departing the next day. An excellent strategy for low-key adventure travel is to get a sense of the local transportation network. In most major cities, there are buses or trains that can take the adventurous traveler out of the center and into uncharted territories. Camp at a lake, hike on a mountain, or head to a coast for some snorkeling.
In short, it doesn’t matter if you bought your ticket six months ago or yesterday: with a few minor adjustments and by making good use of the time you have, you won’t miss a thing!
