Planning you trip

The necessary boxes to tick

Planning a trip can be overwhelming sometimes. And somehow, failing to plan is equivalent to planning to fail. In this post, I will share some of the key points to consider/tick while planning your trip so as to make sure you don't miss anything

1. Decide on the destination 

This should be the first question to ask yourself as you are planning your trip. To make a decision on where you want to go you may need to search and explore various destinations, from the web or by asking people around. This may depend on your interests and the nature of trip you may want to have. I have written about some of the destinations and activities on the Destinations page of this website

“Often any decision, even the wrong decision, is better than no decision."

― Ben Horowitz

tanzip, arusha
2. Decide on the number of days

Are you traveling for a weekend, a week, a month, or a year?

It's important to know the number of days that you have in your bag while planning your trip. This will help you determine how fast you should move, how far you should go, what activities can be realistically done within your timeframe, and how much you may spend. 

“Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.”

― Malcolm Gladwell 

3. Plan your itinerary

itinerary
/ʌɪˈtɪn(ə)(rə)ri,ɪˈtɪn(ə)(rə)ri/

noun

1. a planned route or journey.
"his itinerary included an official visit to Canada"

2. a travel document recording a route or journey.
"we will send you an itinerary"

For the sake of making the most out of your trip and schedule, know exactly when are you going where? Plan your entire movements and key activities so as to be sure that you tick every "must-do" and "must-see" activity off your checklist. This may involve knowing how long it takes to move between points and how are you going to get there from the preceding point

“All you need to know is that it's possible”

― Wolf

4. Sort transport logistics

Flight, train, car, bus, or boat?

Transport logistics can be messy sometimes, especially when you use public means. Either way, decide beforehand on the means that you'll use for your trip depending on how fitting they're with your itinerary. You need to be smart on this so it doesn't ruin your trip. Think of how you'll get to your destination city or region then think of how you'll navigate through your itinerary. E.g, because it was a rainy season, the roads aren't tarmacked, and my mini Cooper didn't have 4WD, we knew we had to arrange for transport from Karatu to Serengeti for us to enjoy the trip. We got a 70-series Land Cruiser for that

“The line between disorder and order lies in logistics.”

― Sun Tzu

lake manyara viewpoint
5. Sort your accommodation

Hotel, Airbnb, hostel, lodge, guest house?

Accommodation can be tricky in Tanzania, especially if you're looking for high-quality, cozy ones. Not every region has good accommodation options as how some of the major cities do. And even the few that are available, everyone else is probably looking at them, To stay ahead of the curve, you are better off planning and sorting your accommodation needs before you travel. Well, unless you are me -  "we'll cross the river when we get there" typa guy

“Blessed are the curious for they shall have adventures.”

― Lovelle Drachman

slow leopards
6. Budget and save

This can either come first or somewhere last depending on your preference. You may plan all the above by considering your budget or you may just set your budget by considering what you want from the above points - rich people problem 'wink'. Either way, it's very very important to have enough money to cover your whole round trip and some for contingency (I recommend about 10% of the budget). A lot may happen - accidents, health emergencies, overflow rivers so you may need to add another night (yes, it happened to me in Serengeti), car breakdown, and many more

“You don't have to be rich to travel well.”

― Eugene Fodor

7. Pack - just the essentials - and go

That's it. Have all the above been sorted, or somehow sorted? You're good to go. Just take your bag, pack your stuff, just the essentials one really, then go. I cannot stress enough the importance of packing lightly/minimally. Don't take a lot with you, just take the absolute essentials for travel so they do not turn into a burden for you

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

― Andre Gide

week-long trip