Four of us are planning an Easter getaway to Phuket. We managed to get good deals on accommodation and air tickets, so the only thing left is to plan out what to do for the weekend. What is there to be done in Phuket anyway? Night life, spa, massage, beach, water sports? Cruise to the various outlying islands? Hopefully by the time we are leaving, we can come up with a nice plan on spending our time in Phuket!

1. Unless you have frequent flyer points to redeem, otherwise source for the cheapest flight and take economy class all the way.

2. Travel free and easy instead of in a package so as to go just the places you really like to.

3. Make use of public transport like bus and trains instead of taxis.

4. Find a hotel that is both economical and yet in a convenient location.

5. Book a hotel that gives good rates per night, yet provides breakfast, dinner and shuttle services at the same time.

6. Carry and move your own luggages instead of asking for pick-up services.

7. Bargain, bargain, bargain, whenever you have things to buy.

8. Decide on a theme for your holiday, then prioritise by maximizing on the theme and cutting down on other things.

9. As much as possible, go to the cheapest (or free) sight-seeing tourist attractions.

10. Get recommendations from locals on the best and most economical eating places instead of “commercialized” popular tourist spots.

11. Make out a budget on how much cash and how much credit you are willing to use. Then stick to it.

12. Keep all receipts of expenditure and tally them at the end of everyday. Then plan how much you need to cut back the remaining days and how much you can afford for the remaining days.

13. Buy only what is necessary (for yourself) and value-for-money gifts for people back home.

Planning a trip is not as easy as it seems. One has to decide on the places to go, the route to take, the type of accommodation, the budget. In fact, the budget comes first, then the number of days, and then everything else has to work around it. So at times you are able to plan the route properly without going around in circles, but unforeseen circumstances occur. Or you are not able to book the kind of accommodation desired and has to go a little out of the way.

Planning a trip for a family is even more tedious. At least for just one or two persons, we can just book a simple room somewhere, or backpack, or hitch hike. But a family trip is different. We have to book a car to be able to take in all of us and all the luggage, at the same time not too expensive. And then there is the problem of accommodation. It is difficult to find a place to cater for a family yet inexpensive at the same time.

Despite all these, the planning process is fun! One gets to learn a lot as well, by researching and discovering the places intended, brainstorming and sourcing for nice places to go and cosy places to stay. Travelling is fun indeed!