One of the amazing things about travel is the ability to follow your feet and jump in the direction of all that inspires. Whether you’re joining in with friends you’ve met at the hostel or making a last minute decision to extend your stay in a country of particular interest, it’s important to keep a flexible schedule in order to get the most out of any travel experience.
If it’s your first time traveling solo-overseas, it can be tempting to book everything beforehand: from flights to hotel to transport on the ground, it’s comforting to know that everything is taken care of prior to take-off. Keep in mind that this will seriously limit your ability to move around once you touch down (take the advice of someone who watched a pre-booked flight to Vietnam take off from Bangkok because of a romantic encounter that re-routed her in favour of Cambodia). While last minute travel plans and cancellations happen to the best of backpackers and elite travelers alike, it’s best to keep your options open in order to get the most out of your time abroad.
Great tip! I completely agree. Some of my favourite memories are from completely spontaneous plans with strangers.