Travel Featured
Top 12 travel Tips for the
summer holidays
By Alona Ballard
T
he teachers in the UAE are
some of the luckiest educators
in the world. In most cases, high
salaries, accommodations paid
for and zero tax liability, have left many
teachers with the ability to indulge in
every desire their wanderlust can take
them.
For many, summer vacation provides
yet another opportunity to cross
another country off the bucket list and
perhaps reconnect with family back
home.
However, summer break can quickly
change to summer ‘broke’ if one does
not exercise some restraint.
In an effort to make sure you don’t
return to work in August on a much
tighter budget than you would like,
here are 12 useful tips to keep you
sorted in the spending department.
Don’t keep up with the Jones’s
For teachers who include colleagues
in their social network, every break
in the school calendar makes your
timeline look like a travel brochure. If
seeing your friends enjoy first class,
five-star hotels and fine dining makes
you green with envy, just remember
how much “green” it takes to live up
to that. If your budget is more along
the lines of ‘couch surfing’ than wind
surfing - just stick to it. You’ll thank me
later when you retire 10 years before
the Jones’s do.
Get the best deals on
accommodations
There are many ways to save on your
stay. Coupon sites offer many great
deals on all-inclusive trips to many
popular destinations. Hotels are not
your only option when choosing a
place to stay. If you’re really trying to
save, Air BnB is a site where locals offer
their own empty homes or just a room
in their place at a low price. Sometimes
a home cooked meal or tour around
town is included. Check the person’s
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reviews before booking with them.
Travel insurance is important
When your travel budget is already
starting to reach the limit, ignoring
travel insurance is certainly tempting
... but don’t do it. Travel insurance
protects
you
from
unforeseen
circumstances such as cancellations,
lost luggage, illness abroad and other
emergencies. As anyone who has had
to whip out the credit card in a foreign
hospital can tell you, travelling is a
mature undertaking and grown-ups
protect themselves against accidents.
Pack light
Fees for additional bags on most major
airlines can start at 75 USD/Dhs 275
and go on up in charges. Do you want
to start chipping away at your travel
budget before you even take off?
Pay with cash
While it isn’t always the best idea to
carry loads of money on your person
(more on that in the next tip) using
credit and debit cards on vacation
will most likely incur an extra fee.
Additionally, there will be instances
where it is simply easier to use cash
instead of your credit card.
Keep cash in various places
When you do carry cash while
travelling do not put it all in one place.
Should the worst happen and you’re
the victim of theft, it’s better if you’re
not left destitute.
Keep your guard up
While hiking off the beaten path
can result in some awesome stories,
pictures and videos, it could also result
in robbery, assault or kidnapping. Do
adequate research on the areas that
you visit. Participate in group tours
and stay in well-lit public places.
Live like a local
It’s no secret that many shops and
After The Bell
restaurants near hotels and major
landmarks are known ‘tourist traps’
that offer prices severely marked up
to take advantage of the not-so-savvy
traveller. Don’t be ripped off. Ask
where the locals go to dine and shop
and get a reasonable deal on fixed
price meals and items.
A little haggling never hurt
nobody
Now, if there isn’t a fixed price posted,
its time to exercise your bargaining
skills. Those working in open-air
markets and craft bazaars are masters
of the haggling dance, so enlist the
help o