Travel Tips from my Dad.

By Mia Durano

Hello from Surigao del Sur!! It’s been awesome here so far! One of the best family vacations I’ve been on. I’ve spent countless hours at the beach and the tan is perfect! I’ve just come off a boat from the Britannia islands and now I’m on my way to the famed Enchanted River. (If you wanna check out my leg of this trip, it’s all on Instagram @itsmiadurano)

Traveling has always been a major passion of mine. I have my dad to thank for that, he’s a major beach bum but is just as happy in the mountains and in multicultural lands. So, because he’s my main travel guy. I’m sharing his top travel tips with you!

1. Pack your own things.

This is so whatever you pack will suit your planned activities. Pack for an extra day cause you never know when there’s a cancelled flight or you might just extend your stay

2. Wake up with the sunrise and have a cold bottle of beer with the sunset.

When you’re in a new place, you’ll obviously want to spend as much time exploring as possible, so wake up early and strap on some comfortable shoes and take a walk, see what’s around you and know what the locals have for breakfast.

3. Chat with the locals.

Never be afraid to start a conversation. Talk to the people around you and try and figure out the rhythm of day to day life where you are. You’ll know what to eat, where to go, what to experience and so much more! This tip from my dad has always been a favorite. I always end up leaving a place knowing so much more about it compared to just knowing about tourist spots and full service restaurants. We (girlfriends and I) talked to some high school girls in Tokyo once. Without them, we wouldn’t have known that there was a Starbucks (how incredibly basic of us) and a department store (on sale) really near our hotel! We made new friends, and got new outfits and coffee to boot!

4. Be in the moment

being in the moment means resisting the urge to post. It’s about resisting the urge to post or to take too many selfies. Enjoy the view. Enjoy the experience as its happening. Not when you’re home and looking at the photos. Enrich your experience by actually being there. (I’m so guilty of this. Sorry dad. I’m a blogger. Photos are a thing. LOL)

5. Take a day off from your vacation.

The point of a big vacation is to unwind and relax. But most people report for work right after their trips. Leaving you more tired than you were before you left. Not because you didn’t have fun, but because you had too much fun. So if you can, try and take a day off before going back to your old routine. Catch up on sleep, relax at home. It’s usually then that you feel the positive effects of your time off.
Enjoy your trips!