To travel is a bit like being in love. Your senses are heightened, and it makes you feel like sunshine. The dimness of being in your daily routine grind falls away. It also causes an upsurge of new hopes, dreams and aspirations. Travel has the power to transform you, as love does, and your journeys give you a renewed perspective on many important things about your life.
This transformation starts when you begin planning your trip or vacation and is completed when you return. Just like life itself, the choices you make during your trip define the kind of experiences you will have. These travel choices are usually an extension of your personality. Sometimes these choices are made deliberately to move away from your comfort zone and proactively bring new learnings & experiences into your life.
Let us now check out some options such as transport, accommodation, fashion, food, transfers & activities and why we pick one as our ‘choice’ which in turn influence our travel experiences.
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What Transport do you choose to get to your destination?
There are many factors in choosing the mode of transport to get to any destination depending on the availability, time, comfort etc. We tend to adhere to one or two of our favourite ones most of the time. Which one do you usually choose?
Is it Air Travel or a Cruise Ship?
Oh, to take to the skies and the bliss of flying to your destination in a short time is the joy of Air travel. The sound of the flight speeding out of the runway and slowly ascending above the clouds makes you anticipate the thrill your trip will bring you.
On the other hand, you may be like many people out there who love to glide over the seas on a lovely cruise ship and enjoy the waves as they get them to their destination. The charming entertainment, good food, and indulging activities complement the sea breeze on the deck, making it a super-duper experience.
A Train Journey or a Road Trip is perhaps what suits you best
Train journeys get you to your destination one station at a time. It lets you savour the changing landscapes as it chugs along at varying speeds. Until you reach your station, you experience different sights, sounds, and scents of every station. This is especially so in a place like India, with so much diversity as you move away every few miles. One also gets to sample the local snacks and delicacies that are a speciality of that place, with vendors entering the compartments to hand them to you at every junction. A light banter with your fellow travellers makes the journey even more pleasant.
Whereas, when you take to the road, the wind on your face and hair takes the exhilaration of travel to another level. It frees your mind of all things prosaic as it rushes you into a spirited zone. The straight roads put you in a contemplative mood, whereas the twists and turns get you curious about what lies ahead. The scenery around is a bonus, and the stopovers for meals are the trip’s high points.
What type of accommodation do you prefer?
As soon as you reach your destination, you look forward to checking into your choice of accommodation, which will be your home away from home. You obviously have a preference for that too.
Would you like to stay in a Luxury Hotel, Resort or Chain Hotel?
When you are away from home, nothing but the best will do for you, so you choose a Luxury Hotel. You like being pampered and being surrounded by indulgences coupled with excellent aesthetics. To live like royalty, you are willing to pay for all the fine things to make your stay most memorable and comfortable. Live life king size!
Being in a resort is like being in a man-made paradise of sorts. Everything is well laid out with all the facilities for you to enjoy the place in every possible way. The curated foliage, lawns, fountains, swimming pools, gyms, cycling tracks and warm hospitality may leave you wanting to stay there forever.
If you stay in a chain hotel, you have the promise of a certain standard of service and facilities being made available to you no matter where you travel around the world. You like that and have your own preferred brand of a hotel chain that you can rely on. You know you will get your comfortable sleep there at night, and that’s saying something!
If not, then are Boutique Hotels, Glamping or Homestays your thing?
If you are the type who seeks out new experiences, then boutique hotels may be your thing. These hotels are unique or quirky in their design, service and food. Never a dull moment for you on your vacation.
Do you love the outdoors but are not okay with roughing it out completely? Then Glamping or Glamorous Camping is for you. Here you get to enjoy locations tucked away in remote corners and away from the usual touristy places. These campsites are situated amidst breathtakingly beautiful areas that let you soak in all that nature offers and still have the creature comforts you are used to.
When you choose homestays, there is a huge comfort in being in someone’s house as their house guest. All your home-style amenities are made available, usually including a kitchenette. It also gives you a glimpse of how your hosts like to live and get a tip or two regarding home management and decoration.
Do you enjoy being fashionably clothed when you travel?
On vacations, you want to feel alive; sometimes, changing the outside can bring about an inner change too. For example, what clothing you wear and accessories you carry can become a vital part of your travel.
Do you indulge in Expensive Designer Wear or like Branded Trendy Clothes?
Where can you flaunt your pricey outfits or your favourite ultra-expensive labels if not on vacation? You like wearing a head-to-toe designer outfit carrying your impressive French luxury fashion house bags or even a statement purse you got custom-made by a famous Italian designer. You enjoy that instant confidence boost as you step out into a foreign land it gives you. You feel like you’re straight off the cover of Vogue in your best clothes and living your best life in a beautiful city.
Or perhaps the trendy but sophisticated brands are your go-to’s, and thus we know your closet is straight out of a Pinterest board. Pastels and neutrals or bright, bold colours- your outfits are always the most aesthetic. So often when you go sightseeing, you’re the real sight to see!
Else a Cool Casual, Bohemian or Athleisure is your kinda style
Tassels, prints and flowy outfits are your thing. You like to keep it simple but chic. Your skill in making a minimalistic outfit look fantastic is unparalleled, and your accessory game is on point. You make it look so effortless; everyone is envious of you!
Walking, jogging, or biking; are so many fun activities on vacation and even more opportunities to look good while doing it. Comfortable leggings or cute yoga pants, a bralette and a hoodie jacket make for the perfect recipe for your athleisure fantasies to live out when you travel.
What type of food makes you want more?
No trip or vacation is complete without filling the good ol’ tummy with delicious food and pampering your taste buds to the hilt.
Is it Indian Food, Pan Asian or Continental?
When people stick to Indian food, they actually choose to eat a wide variety of cuisines. Indian food can be North Indian, South Indian, Rajasthani, Marathi, Bihari, or Assamese. The list goes on, with each having its own distinct flavour. So, it is not as simplistic as the British, who just put all Indian food in a single bracket and called it ‘curry’.
When noodles make you slurp, and if you prefer ginseng over the ginger, you know you are into Pan Asian cuisine. You relish a mix of cultures, items and flavours with these yummy foods that offer the opportunity to try great new things using superfoods as they are grilled, steamed, stewed, fermented and more.
You could be Asian-born, but if your stomach craves all foods from western Europe, you will always pick continental as your preferred menu. You dream of polishing off Aubergine Au Gratin, Pizzas over woodfire ovens, portions of baked Pesto Pasta followed by Crème Brûlée as dessert and then wake up to a breakfast of Croissants and coffee.
Maybe you prefer Exotic/Fusion or like tasting Regional Flavors
You are brave & experimental kind and hence are never happy with the usual foods when travelling to explore new places. Your curious mind wants to taste new things and can happily dig into foods that are a fusion of two different cuisines. Or you have a need to try various exotic dishes from all corners of the world.
Or, you could be someone who chooses a destination just to try out their regional food specialities and flavours. For example, you can go to Japan to taste the best Sushi made there or visit Kerala to eat a mean Meen Moilee in the backwaters of Alappuzha.
Once at your destination, how do you travel about?
Once we land at our destination, we still need to move around the place for sightseeing and explore the area. Here too, we have to choose how we will move around.
As an exercise buff, do you go Walking or Cycling?
Strolling, fast walking or jogging, you love using your legs to get from one place to the other. The exercise is good for you, and you can enjoy the scenery along the way. You can stop to smell the roses whenever you like.
Getting somewhere in a short time is essential, but so is sweating it out to maintain your healthy lifestyle. Cycling is an excellent choice to have the best of both. Great for conserving the environment too.
Do you take public transport like Bus, a Metro or even a Ferry Boat?
If the town planners and administrators of the place you are visiting are good enough to provide super convenient public transit systems, then you have no qualms using these to get from one point to another. It is so light on the pocket and hassle-free.
If there are two ways to get from place A to B, one is by road, and the other is by a ferry boat, you will always choose the boat. So you think there’s something cool about taking a boat, which is usually the faster route too. And if it is a speed boat, it’s even more fun.
Maybe you hire a Scooter, Motorcycle or simply hail a Taxi!
You could be a biking aficionado or a scooter buff, so anyplace you visit, you hire them and move about. Nothing can be more fun than painting the town red as you zip from place to place in no time.
Taxi! The most commonly hailed term you get to hear when you are travelling. Of course, everyone usually uses it one way or the other, but given a choice, will you always prefer travelling by Taxi if there are plenty of other good options?
What activities do you like to enjoy when on vacation?
Is it solely for Relaxing or for adrenalin-pumping Adventure Activities?
When working hard at our jobs, we often daydream of going off to some remote location and just lazing our days away. Some people do make it happen and do just that. They get their batteries recharged and are back at work as powerhouse dynamites.
You have ants in your pants, and your way of relaxing is to go out and indulge in adventure activities. It could be jumping off a cliff using a bungee, sky diving or snorkelling. It gets the adrenalin pumping and makes you feel alive.
Would you rather prefer to go Sightseeing, Shopping or Exploring?
So many fascinating places to see in this world, and you want to cover as many as you can and marvel at each. Luckily for you, the earth is far and wide with many fantastic vistas, historical places, hidden spots, architectural wonders and marvellous people to meet. The world is your oyster.
And then, who says money cannot buy you happiness? Shopping is retail therapy for the soul for you. When you travel, a small curio or a big-ticket item catches your attention, making them a must-buy. So you go home happy that you sealed the deal and made it yours.
For some, the agenda is to explore the place at their own pace and in the way they want. Your itinerary is usually not dictated by anyone, and you visit sites when you fancy going there. You are keen on knowing the shopkeeper’s story, how a particular plant flourishes in that specific region or learning a recipe to prepare a special dish.
Let us know your preferences by responding to a quick poll
We are curious to know the choices you make when you travel. Please share your answers to a short Aertrip questionnaire by clicking on this link – I want to answer the questionnaire.
We promise it will not take more than 2-3 minutes of your time, and it will help us in making our services better for you.
Thank you!
