My Travel Trifecta

"All you've got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go!" - Tony & Maureen Wheeler, founders of Lonely Planet

Since moving to Singapore, I've spent a significant amount of time researching and planning for upcoming travels. It started with our 2013 Resolution - to travel outside Singapore once a month. So far, some of these  travels have been bigger trips, while others are quick weekend getaways. We've traveled as a couple, with family, and on our own - and have gotten to see many beautiful parts of Southeast Asia. And we're looking forward to the next half of the year as we continue to plot our adventures.

If you've ever taken the lead on planning a trip, you know that it can be a bit exhausting. There is so much to think about. And if you've ever wanted to plan a budget-friendly trip, you know that it will take about 3x as long. But I do believe I'm growing attached - even addicted - to the process. I've been finding many great resources for trip planning. And I'm going to share my favorites with you. Here you have my (Asian) Travel Trifecta:

Getting There - SkyScanner

Jacob and I have spent a lot - A LOT - of time searching for flights. Sometimes we're searching with the intention to buy, other times we're just gaming out possibilities for later. Our first stop is always SkyScanner - and it is usually our final destination as well. We're both signed up to receive all the special offer emails from the FOUR budget airlines operating in SE Asia, but more often than not, SkyScanner still finds us better deals. In addition, SkyScanner often takes you through to bookings on Expedia or CheapTickets, which might help you avoid credit card use fees (Air Asia has a particularly nasty policy of charging up to $32 to use a credit card for purchasing tickets - and what else are you supposed to use?!).

Hm, $80 round trip to Medan, Sumatra...

SkyScanner gives you lots of options, from viewing monthly flight cost charts and schedules, to detailed result filters, and to suggestions for ways to save money (Can you travel from a different nearby airport? Can you travel on different days?). Sometimes the suggestions make me laugh - as when I was searching for flights to Seoul and I clicked on the 'Flexible?' tab, where SkyScanner suggested I save $154 by flying to Taipei instead. Thanks SkyScanner, but I'm not THAT flexible! You can easily flip back an forth between dates without a lot of extra loading time as well. I also really appreciate that, 99% of the time, what you see is what you pay. The fare prices shown include taxes and fees and sneaky other stuff (though not luggage, which varies so much) and you can view prices in several different currencies. You can even choose to view SkyScanner from different countries, which will occasionally find you a better deal through some special offer from the Expedia or equivalent in that country. But for the rare exception (I can't think of any off the top of my head, but it may have happened), SkyScanner finds you the lowest prices and searches a huge range of airlines. We love SkyScanner, and I'm thinking that by now it should be starting to love us too.

Staying There - Agoda

A hotel booking site started in Asia, Agoda is my go-to website for daydreaming. You can search hundreds of cities all over the world, though I've only used them for hotels in Asia. Agoda does a ton of the leg-work for you, and while I can't say for sure they always get the best prices, apart from one or two hostel bookings through HostelWorld, every hotel we've stayed at this year was booked through Agoda. Like SkyScanner, the filter tools are great. Filters include: target price, neighborhoods, amenities, star ratings and more. You can sort results by Agoda Recommened, star ratings, review scores, hotel name or (if you're signed in) Insider Deals. You can easily pull up maps to show the hotel's location, and once you click on a hotel to view it in more depth, you can see a range of room type offerings, from 'double with no window,' to 'club floor executive suite with breakfast.' Most hotels include many pictures (though of course pictures can be misleading).

You can book your chosen hotel directly through the Agoda site, meaning you don't have to struggle with hotel websites in other languages or be concerned about just who is getting your credit card info. And you get Agoda points for booking through them - this year alone we've racked up $75usd worth of points (some of which we are spending on a splurge hotel in Johor for our anniversary!).

Agoda encourages a rigorous review system by awarding you points for reviewing the hotels you book through them. Now, user reviews are a double edged sword - sometimes you learn valuable information about the hotel, while other times you really only learn about the picky, snotty standards of the reviewer! The thing to remember about reviews and reviews scores is that it is all about expectations. You often find 2 star hotels receiving ratings higher than fancy hotels - and that is because while an enthusiastic backpacker might find their room 'charming and cozy,' the less budget-conscious traveler may be appalled that the shower occasionally leaks water on the floor. So my advice is to read the reviews with a grain of salt (or not at all) - and if the same issues keep popping up, maybe reconsider that hotel. But don't let one bad review scare you away. Side note - I find it hilarious that a large portion of reviewers feel it is important to mention whether or not the hotel is near 'good shopping' and that such proximity seems to genuinely make-or-break a hotel experience!

Overall, we've found some true gems through Agoda - my favorites being Grand Istana Ratna in Jogjakarta, Java and Alas Petulu Cottages in Ubud, Bali. 

Being There - Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet travel guides are fantastic. You probably know this. They come in varying degrees of specificity; that is, you can get regional, country, or city guides. We have the "Southeast Asia on a Shoestring" guide (incidentally, the first guide developed by founders Tony and Maureen) and the "Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei" guide. You can also get pocket guides and phrasebooks, as well as more coffee-table style Discover books with lots of pictures. They also have a great website where you can find a lot of the same information.

Recently, we purchased the PDF of the Hong Kong guide. As backpackers and travelers are increasingly using tablets and smartphones as their all-purpose travel tool, LP has started offering PDF versions of their books, meaning you no longer need to lug around the sometimes ponderous tomes. You can purchase books as a whole, or purchase individual chapters, and you can download each purchase on up to 5 devices. When Jacob went to Hong Kong, we ended up printing out the relevant chapters, since we don't have a tablet. That may sound round-a-bout, but we discovered that purchasing LP books in Singapore is WAY more expensive than getting them in the US, so the PDF option was much more affordable. The PDF versions don't do much in terms of brightening up a bookshelf and it isn't as easy to make notes about your travels and discoveries, but for information delivery, LP PDFs are great.

The LP guides have a range of sections and include helpful information about prices, hours of operation, local transport, culture and customs, and how to avoid scams. These books are unabashedly budget conscious, which is nice for those of us who want to be as well. They provide info on budget, mid-range and 'splurge' accommodations, restaurants, drinks, nightlife, tours, historical sites, activities, getting around - you name it! They even include sections about LGBT hangouts (and safety) and about the legalities of drinking (and sometimes drugs) - I've even seen advice on what to do if you end up in jail! Visa requirements, best times to go, schedules of yearly festivals, and how to plan for a trip of 3 days or 3 months. What to bring - what NOT to bring. These books are the best. (I already checked, and LP is not hiring right now...) Their on-line site is also helpful, providing some of the overview info found in the books, as well as a hotel/hostel-booking platform AND a range of forums and articles for discussions and ideas about travel.

And if you're at a point in time when travel isn't an option, these books are so well written that you can curl up with one of them and travel-dream.

And of course, if you happen to book tickets to Singapore, you won't need to be searching for hotels - we'll be your hosts, guides and fellow-adventures any day of the week! (Well, ok, I work Mon-Fri, but weekends are good, cool?)

So go!

*I don't have endorsement deals with any of these travel tools - but I'd welcome one!