Travel enthusiasts have been affected with the looming coronavirus. With closed borders and limited travel abroad, planning for luxurious vacations out of the country is more complicated than ever.
Regardless of the complex circumstances, however, it is still possible to enjoy time away from home as you revel in an awesome get away from your daily life, and one can do this by embarking on a fun-filled staycation.
A staycation is a holiday spent in one’s home country rather than abroad, or one spent in one’s home area engaging in day trips to local attractions.
Moreover, this costs less money and time compared to a regular vacation.
Embark on this new escapade by exploring your home country in a new light. Here are some of the ways one can plan for this perfect holiday;
Prepare
Just like you would plan for any other vacation, a staycation calls for ample preparation. Choose what activities you will want to engage in that will help you make the most of your time. Visit that museum you have been meaning to check out but never really got around to doing. Plan to attend various events among others. Utilise the chance to chart out what you want your days off to look like and what you have to do to make that happen.
Create a budget
According to Dorcas Uwera, an avid traveller, the beautiful thing about staycations is that one doesn’t have to spend as much as they would on a typical vacation.
With travel expenses and fancy hotels out of the picture, one is bound to enjoy their time off without the struggle of spending too much money, she says.
Make a budget for your staycation, or try out something new like cycling. Net photos
Either way, you will want to budget wisely for your staycation. Be realistic and figure out how much you can comfortably spend. This will require to draft a budget early enough to get estimates of how much money you will have to spend.
Set the mood
Having a vacation within your home area or country doesn’t mean it has to be boring.
Richard Migambi says he and the wife have always preferred getaways that are not far away, partly because of the expenditure but also because they couldn’t afford to be that far away from their kids.
He says that regardless of where they were, they made it a point to engage in different activities that would make their time off together fun.
They would hit the spa together, choose to make dinner for each other, camp out or watch movies together. Among activities one can engage in on a staycation are; taking a road trip, going for a hike, enjoying evening walks in the neighbourhood. All of these can be really be helpful to relax and unwind.
Try something new
Make good use of this time to engage in activities that you wouldn’t normally do. Go camping, try canoeing or if you love notable sites you can visit historic sites you have never been to.
Rent a cottage
For one to fully enjoy their time off the world or their busy schedule, it’s important to stay somewhere new. It’s incredible how getting away from your normal to a new place can bring new perspectives and leave you feeling so refreshed.
If you’re one to prefer dynamic places, you can get a condo in the heart of the city or a nice rental in a secluded neighbourhood if you prefer quiet places.
Make it special
Interrupting your routine is crucial, in fact it is one of the main purposes of this staycation. Go out of your way to ensure that this time away from your daily routine is indeed different from the rest of your days. Organise a movie night with loved ones on a balcony, spend your evenings watching stars together, among other things.
Relax
Let go of your schedule and allow yourself to relax. Uwera points out that when out on a getaway, it’s good to let go and enjoy this time away.
She says it’s important to note that one doesn’t have to always engage in exciting activities.
"Sometimes, you just need the peace and quiet. Wine and dine and enjoy your time alone. At this point, you can even choose to completely unplug from the real world, switch off the phone, stay off social media,” she says.