I’ve often been asked about my vacation site selection process given the varied places in the world I’ve chosen to visit. Generally, I subscribe to the following: if money isn’t an issue, I let my passion do the picking, but if I’m on a tight budget, I choose a destination that’s relatively close to home, yet still has a lot to offer. It’s important to me to select a vacation site that best suits my interests and needs because I want to make the most of my time away from home. In this post, I will outline my thought process on how I choose where to vacation. If you’re in need of a vacation site selection method, then give mine a try!

(1) Purpose of the Vacation

From the outset, I determine the purpose of my vacation. Sometimes I am so worn out from life that I desperately need to dive headlong into a place where I can recline on a beach chair, read a good book, and listen to the ocean waves crash along the shoreline. Other times, my love of anthropology, archaeology, and history overtakes me and propels me to a place where I can be immersed in a world that is drastically different from the one in which I reside. Either way, I seldom decide on a place to visit until I know exactly what it is I hope to get out of my vacation.

(2) Budget

After I’ve determined the purpose of my vacation, I begin thinking about how much money I can devote to trip costs. I’ve been blessed with a few opportunities to take some lavish trips to idyllic places such as Bora Bora, French Polynesia. Yet, I’ve also managed to visit a few noteworthy places on a smaller budget. Puerto Rico is one such place. Before I traveled to Puerto Rico in July 2011, I was in dire need of a vacation and wanted to explore a place I hadn’t previously visited, but I had a trip budget of less than $1,000. After purchasing the cheapest airline ticket I could find, which amounted to just under $600, I secured hotel accommodations by redeeming credit card points for a 5-night stay at the Sheraton Old San Juan Hotel & Casino. Redeeming credit card points for my hotel stay enabled me to use the last few hundred dollars in my budget to pay for transportation, meals, tourist attraction entrance fees, and entertainment expenses (including a couple of nights at the famed Puerto Rico Salsa Congress). Although being subject to a tight budget can limit your vacation options, a small budget need not translate into an unsatisfactory vacation! I have plenty of pictures and happy memories of Puerto Rico to prove it!

(3) New Site vs. Previously Visited Site

Finally, once I know what it is I hope to accomplish during a vacation and how much money I can afford to spend on the trip, then I can start brainstorming places that I believe will help me to fulfill my trip purpose. I’m usually partial to checking out new places over ones I’ve previously visited, but occasionally, I’ll return to the same city over and over again if doing so helps me to carry out my trip purpose. Miami Beach, Florida is one such place. Over the course of a decade, I scampered off to the historic Miami Beach neighborhood of South Beach to escape the rigors of my daily existence and to seek solace. The Loews Miami Beach Hotel (https://www.loewshotels.com/Miami-Beach-Hotel) stood at the epicenter of the South Beach experience that I craved. The hotel is an oceanfront property situated in a quieter part of South Beach and located near the scores of shops and restaurants of Lincoln Road. The Loews is the consummate luxury hotel replete with stylish and comfortable rooms, direct beach access, multiple on-site dining options (including an ice cream parlor), and 4 nights of live entertainment in the lounge (2 nights poolside). Don’t just take my word for it; check out the hotel for yourself!

Bottom line: Selecting a vacation destination doesn’t have to be difficult or stressful. My method of determining the purpose of my vacation, setting an appropriate budget, and considering new and previously visited places as potential sites helps me to select a destination that meets my interests and needs. Now that summer is almost upon us, get out there, enjoy your vacation, and drop me a line or two about your favorite destinations!

Need help choosing your next destination? Contact me at theknowledgeabletourist@gmail.com!