travelblogging Archives • Page 2 of 11 • Wanderlust Advocate

Finding decently priced all-inclusives and beach cruises.

Posted in the worry free traveler

Dreaming of a vacation without thinking? All-inclusives and cruises are the way to go for you. I’ve done my share of these and I can guarantee you, you can do this with a middle-class budget!

You probably have a week to spare and dreaming of the warm beach-y weather. Let’s get you there!

First, let’s choose between an all-inclusive resort or a cruise.

All-Inclusive Pros: All food and drink are included in the price for each night. You can have as much guacamole as you can possibly imagine while laying by the pool or on the beach, reading trashy books.

Cruise Pros: All day onboard entertainment, formal dinners, buffets (note: alcoholic beverages and soft drinks are usually not included). If you like a little movement, cruises will port at a couple of locations for you to get out, walk around, and explore new countries.

I guess it is mainly between whether you want to do absolutely nothing, or prefer to have a mix of exploration and relaxation. Either way, when you get home from this vacation, you will be so relaxed that you will need a vacation from your vacation!

Here is how I traveled like this affordably (check out the links below to schedule your trip!):

Cruise Information

I went cruising in the Caribbean for $350 for 5 days, not including flights.

Cruise: Carnival DESTINY Cruise

Date: Mid-March

Destination: Turks & Caicos, Nassau, Half Moon Cay Bahamas

Booking date: Early October

Booking site: http://www.cheapcruises.com/

All-Inclusive Resort

I relaxed at an All-Inclusive for $818.50 for 6 days, including flights.

Resort: Riu Sante Fe

Date: Early May

Destination: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Booking date: Early January

Booking site: http://www.cheapcaribbean.com/

Peak tourist season sans stress.

Posted in the worry free traveler

Peak travel season, oh boy, so fun. Of course top peak season is during the best seasons of the year, which makes traveling much more expensive and challenging.

I also know, that this is the easiest time of year to travel, and I am obviously a huge advocate for travel any time of year.

So, now that you are going somewhere cool during a peak tourist season, what can you do to make the touristy things less touristy? Here is a list of ways you can prepare for your trip during peak season.

Take a walking tour – First things first, and this might be slightly more touristy, but is a super helpful way for you to get to know the city through the eyes of a local – take a walking tour. You can find some wonderful free walking tours, guides working for a tip. When you take a walking tour, you can get to know the areas of the city, learn a little history, fun facts, great stories, and see places you would like to go back to and dig deeper later. These guides are the BEST way to learn of some awesome local cuisines, great museums, local pubs/bars, and are happy to answer any of your questions.
Take the city, and break it into areas – one area for each day you are there. Even though you are probably eager to see it all, if you break down the city and spend an entire day in one area, you will find that you will get more out of the city with less crows and less time in transit between destinations.
Research – look at opening hours for all of the things you want to see. The first half hour of opening for most museums and monuments will have the least amount of crowds. You may find another lull a couple of hours after lunch. Don’t wait to the last minute, it will likely be packed!
Don’t research too much – too much research will be stressful, which in a crowded city during peak tourist season, the less stress the better. One of the beautiful things about having a little money in a city is being able to stop when you see a restaurant with a long wait. Clearly, that restaurant is probably worth it. Or you may hear a band playing in a local pub, stop in and have a pint, listen to some live music.
Accommodation – Look through AirBnB if you will be staying at the location for more than 3 days. If not, hotel it is! This is primarily because key exchange can be slightly challenging, and sometimes is not stress free. Longer stays always make AirBnB very worth it! Look for accommodation at least 0.7 miles away from city center. It is close enough to get to all the good stuff, but far enough away so you will not suffocate. It is always better to stay a little outside anyway, mainly because you can explore a couple more areas in route to city center!
Don’t rush – When stressed, slip into a local cafe and take a short break. No need to rush through the city!

When in doubt, remember where you are and enjoy every moment! Also, please make sure to watch your pockets and purses. No need to stress about it, but just be aware during peak tourist season!