The Nitty-Gritty of Planning a Family Getaway

So many people and families hold back from going on vacations with the idea that it will be expensive and if you are one of those people, my siblings (Nolwazi and Mhlengi) and I are here to tell you that there’s no need to stress because we have put together challenges you might face, helpful tips and ideas on what to do on your trip.

Planning a trip with your family is indeed very exciting and pretty much essential but it’s also not a walk in the park. We went on a weekend getaway on the last weekend of January and that might sound a bit bold considering that January is well-known as a long month of being broke but hopefully our tips and advice will help you and your family understand that this is possible for you too.

Challenges

As mentioned above, planning the trip is no walk in the park. We faced a number of challenges throughout our getaway preparations – budget restrictions and having everyone on the same boat about which accommodation to go for was the trickiest part. Also, our times and moods clashed, when we got a chance to talk about the trip one person was either watching their TV show, someone else was sleepy and like one person was enthusiastic then the next day it would be the other way ‘round. Another challenge that came up was how much each one can contribute although this was solved quite quickly.

Ideas

• During our search for accommodation, we prioritized a place with a swimming pool on the premises and beach access – it’s a great idea to have one or the other wherever you decide to go because it will allow you to go out together for some fresh air or a swim.

• Bring some board games on the trip, this is a good way to get together and unplug from all the electronic devices that we are so glued to on a daily basis. Have game-night one of the nights while having some snacks on the side.

• Take plenty of pictures and videos. It’s a family getaway afterall, everyone would’ve left their troubles and stresses behind so you are bound to capture smiles and happiness that you will refer to at a later stage if you ever find yourself feeling down a couple of days or weeks after your trip – these pictures will make for a good #Thowback post on those days.

• If there is something you need to cook, prepare the meal together as a family.

• Make sure you make a booking where there are activities to do and if there aren’t any activities to do, consider having a picnic at the beach during the day.

6 Practical Tips

We have also put together a bunch of tips that will be useful when you are planning your trip and when you are actually there:

1. Read reviews about the accommodation before booking it
2. Save money by bringing your own food fromhome – juice, eggs, bread etc.
3. Find a safe location that will also provide safe parking
4. Be close to at least one shopping centre just in case you need something
5. Get a place that will have cooking basics, dishes and silverware
6. Book your trip with Airbnb

We hope our tips and ideas inspired you and your family to book out soon and we hope you have yourselves a good weekend. If you haven’t yet signed up with Airbnb, use the referral link below and you will get R600/$44 off your first trip with Airbnb if the trip is R1 100/$81 or more – sign up here

That’s it for now💫