Since 2014, I travel in backpack mode often for 2 weeks to a month. However, since my trip to Thailand in 2016, the idea of leaving for a longer trip to discover Asia was bothering me. The project finally materialized, but preparing for this long trip was much more demanding than when you want to organize your month-long trip. Preparing for your trip when you leave for a long period is essential and avoids many hassles when you arrive at your destination!
Prepare for your trip: start thinking before a long trip
When you decide to leave for a long trip , the first step to prepare yourself well is to think about the project that you want to set up. These reflections do not necessarily happen in a linear way, but rather in an evolutionary way throughout your preparation. Some people know the intended destination from the start and others simply know that they want to leave without a fixed destination. Whether or not you know your destination, one of the first questions to ask when planning your trip is what is the purpose of it. The answer to this question will guide your future choices in organizing your trip. Do you just want to travel and discover the world? Do you want to volunteer? Do you want to travel with a view to starting a blog or doing reports for example. Or even, do you want to work to finance your trip and to immerse yourself in the daily culture of the country visited? By knowing the purpose of your long trip, you can already ask yourself about the necessary budget, the duration, the steps to take, and even the destination(s). Personally, the purpose of my trip was to visit, but the option of working to extend the duration of my trip imposed itself on me after reflection.
Just as the creation of Tanzania Safari Packages involves planning to offer travellers an adventure to remember, your journey requires careful consideration. Your travel reflections may not follow a linear path but rather evolve gradually. Whether you already have a specific destination in mind or are open to an exploratory journey without a fixed endpoint, defining the purpose of your trip, much like the curation of Tanzania Safari Packages, shapes your choices. Will you go on a quest to explore the world’s marvels, engage in volunteer work, or immerse yourself in the local culture? Your trip’s purpose influences decisions regarding budget, itinerary, and even the selection of a destination.
The mode: How to travel for a long time?
Another consideration to have, before starting to prepare for your trip, is the mode of travel you want. Often it goes hand in hand with the purpose you have found. Here, it is a question of considering whether you wish to travel on a small, medium or large budget, if you wish to see as much as possible in the allotted time or if you prefer to travel in “slow travel”. As I wanted to work and travel, the “slow travel” mode imposed itself on me. Several options are available to you depending on the purpose determined. For example, if you want to work and travel during your long trip, you can woof, be an Au Pair with a family, find a job in the country or even, depending on your job, keep your job and do it. from a distance.
This is why reflection is important regarding the purpose and the mode since it can determine several aspects of your trip and will lead you to have to read and research the different possible options. Personally, after making these thoughts, I opted for an additional 6 months in Australia before my 6 months in Asia to work and travel and I chose to do “house sitting” to reduce the cost of my accommodation in Australia .
Preparing for your trip: the administrative aspect of a long trip
Obviously, when you want to organize your long-term trip, several steps have to be taken . It can get overwhelming with so much to think about. I strongly suggest that you read travel-related web magazines (like ours on women’s travel ), travel blogs and travel Facebook pages to help you find your way around. This is what I did by reading several publications on the Quebec group in Australia (there are some for quite a few destinations in fact!) and on the group Les voyageuses du Québecin view of my 6 months in Australia and my 6 months in Asia. Personally, the administrative part of the organization of my long trip was the one that discouraged me the most, to the point of sometimes wanting to give up everything.
Passport: make sure it’s up to date
Organizing your trip must first and foremost start with validating on the Government of Canada website that your passport is up-to-date and that it will be for each of the countries you are going to visit, until the end of your long journey. You wouldn’t want to be denied entry to a country because your passport expires within the next 3 months.
Visa: check if they are necessary
Depending on your purpose, your mode and your destinations, it is important to find out on the Government of Canada website about the specific country or countries as well as the visas necessary or not to enter them. For example, if you want to travel and work, a working holiday visa through the Canadian federal government’s International Experience Canada program might be right for you. In my case, I was too old (32) to get a working holiday visa in Australia. We were thinking of changing our plans (like I said, planning your trip is not necessarily a linear process!) to take the PVT in New Zealand. Then, as a sign of fate, the agreement between Canada and Australia changed and the age was raised to 35. Phew! I suggest that you do not wait until the last minute to do this since sometimes the authorities of the country may request medical tests, proof of identity to be provided, proof of income, etc. And, wait for the answer for your visa before buying your tickets!