How to plan your trip a year in advance

If you think a year is a bit excessive to plan a trip, it's not. It's always a good idea to sort out every little detail of your trip ahead of time. Given how unpredictable life can be and how hectic our daily schedules get, you can never be safe. There are bound to be last-minute hiccups.

Of course, spontaneous trips are altogether a different topic and are exempted. We also will not be counting trips within Bangladesh as even the most meticulously crafted plan should not take more than a few months. We have divided the planning into four phases, each comprised of three months. 

Month 1-3: Laying the foundations, and making the budget 

Obviously, you need to pick a destination first and do the necessary primary research on the country. What cities you want to visit, the duration of your stay, the sites to see, the cuisine, best hotels, and so on. Next, you need to make a checklist of everything, that way you can keep track over the next few months. And finally, and this is the most important phase one, you need to calculate and formulate your budget so that over the course of the year, you can save up sufficiently and have a handsome budget to work with. 

Month 4-6: Making reservations 

Now that you have a rough idea about your trip, this phase will be about booking and reservations. It's always a good idea to book your tickets beforehand since prices fluctuate on the regular and availability can also be an issue. The same goes for hotels, last minute reservations can often lead you into settling for bad options. In short, the earlier you book, the better deals you get. However, we will ask you not to book any tours or site-seeing as they can be much more reasonable on-site.

Month 7-9: Enriching the experience 

 Things got real. Your plan is pretty much coming together now and you will need to double down on your initial research. Watch travel vlogs on YouTube to see how others have done it. Join Facebook communities and engage in discussions, reach out to locals if possible. Learn about cultural shocks and differences, and learn a few words that will come in handy. Get to know the place better so that once you get there, you do not have to waste time on deciding. The fun begins as soon as you reach. 

Month 10-12: Home stretch! 

We are now entering the final phase. This is where you need to do the final touch-ups. Get your visa and even if it gets rejected, you will have plenty of time to apply again. Get some shopping done and buy the essentials you need for the trip. Check in on the list you made and see if anything is left. Once everything gets sorted out, use the final few days to rest and conserve energy so that you can have the time of your life when you get there. 

 Enjoy!