If you’re looking for creative birthday ideas but feel like you have done it all at home, there’s only one other solution. A birthday vacation is a great way to celebrate those special occasions, especially if you have a milestone birthday on the horizon.
But if you thought planning a party at home was a lot of work, you might think planning an overseas celebration would be even more demanding. However, while it can take a little more to plan the perfect travel experience, it’s always worth it. If you feel you deserve to celebrate your birthday somewhere else, here is some advice to plan the perfect birthday vacation.
Why Go Overseas For Your Birthday?
Everyone loves taking trips but why not just stay at home for your birthday and save a vacation for another time? Here are some of the best benefits when celebrating a birthday overseas.
You Get to Travel
For those who love to travel, celebrating your birthday abroad is a no-brainer. You can see places you’ve never been before and finally get those snaps you’ve seen on social media.
You can explore new cities, do activities you’ll only find there, and enjoy authentic food that you’ll think about for months afterward. What’s more, you can scratch your travel itch, especially if you haven’t had the chance to get away for a few years.
You Need a Break
Everyone needs a break and there’s no better time to enjoy this break than on your birthday. Whether you travel for a couple of weeks or do a weekend getaway, you can take the time to recharge so you’re ready for anything when you get back.
People have different ways of recharging. Some want to lay on the sand and listen to the waves while others prefer to do as much as possible because they don’t know when they’ll get the chance. Whatever you prefer, birthday travel can make it happen.
It’s Something Different
It’s easy to get bogged down in the monotony of everyday life. You wake up, you go to work, you come home. You’re getting by, but you also wish you could do something exciting.
Traveling for your birthday means you can do just that. You can go surfing on the Caribbean coast or trek into the jungles of Sumatra to see orangutans. Traveling means you can do something you’ll never be able to do elsewhere, so take the chance while you can.
You Can Catch Up With Friends and Family
Whether you go to visit friends and family or bring your nearest and dearest along for the ride, travel gives you the best chance to catch up. You aren’t distracted by other responsibilities and you can give all your attention to people you wish you could see more of.
Furthermore, you can all get together and embrace these positive experiences you only get from traveling, meaning you can make even more memories.
You Can Revisit Places You Used to Live
If you’ve spent time in other countries living, working, or studying, returning to these spots for your birthday celebrations lets you reconnect with places that helped shape you. If you have the time, you can visit your old haunts, such as your apartment or your favorite bars and restaurants. You can reminisce on how far you’ve come since you were last here and feel thankful for the experiences you gained.
Birthday Vacation Planning
Whether you have something big planned or want to enjoy a chilled time by the pool, these tips will help you plan the right vacation for you and your family to ensure everyone makes the most of their time away.
Pick the Perfect Destination
There are so many places to go but not enough time to see them all. Picking the perfect destination can be stressful enough and that’s before you get anywhere. The good news is that there’s a destination for every need, whether you love visiting capital cities or spending your days on the beach.
No matter where you go, you will find someplace that works for you and lets you enjoy your birthday the way you want.
Think About What You Want to Do
If you’re unsure which place to pick, consider what you would love to do when you’re there to narrow down your options. Are you looking for baking hot weather and lazy days or do you prefer to be on your feet all day to see as much as possible?
Again, there’s something for everyone so finding the best city breaks or beach vacations (and everything in between) will help you identify the right vacation options to help you make the most of it.
Send Out Invites
You don’t want to celebrate your birthday alone, so it could be worth sending out invites to your nearest and dearest. These could be family or friends or both, and you can turn your vacation into a birthday to remember.
However, remember that everyone has their lives, so you can’t expect them to drop everything just to celebrate your birthday. Those who want to come–and can afford to–will come, and you’ll still have a great time regardless of who’s there with you.
Plan A Special Day
While you want to make the entire trip special, you may want to reserve something for your actual birthday. Organizing t-shirt printing with your face and age (if you’re okay with that) can be the first step to making your birthday vacation special.
Once you’ve gotten the basics down, look at different activities you can try, such as boat trips, paintball, ATV rides, or perhaps something more relaxed if you don’t think you can handle a high-octane party lifestyle anymore.
Choose Your Activities
You can also look at different activities to fill your days while you’re away. If you’re only going for a quick weekend trip, you may want to do as much as possible without burning out. On the other hand, longer trips aren’t as demanding but you can still check out a few activities along the way if you don’t want to spend all your time by the pool.
Don’t Feel Pressured to Do Everything
Despite this, your vacation should be a chance to relax and unwind, so don’t feel like you have to do things just because you’re away. Many people feel guilty going to a different country and spending all their time lounging around but sometimes that’s just what they need.
You can feel less guilty by booking an all-inclusive resort rather than a place that expects you to do something every day. These resorts are more relaxed and allow you to pick and choose when you want to do something, that’s if you want to do anything at all, of course.
Research Hotels
The last thing you want to do is wait too long to get a hostel or resort and discover the prices have gone up too much. So, the moment you’ve decided to go away is the same moment you should look into hotels.
You should be able to find plenty of accommodation options if you check as early as possible. But don’t just focus on the cost. You should think about the location and ease of access. There’s no point in paying for a cheap hotel room on the outskirts of town if you’re going to spend money on taxis getting to and from places every day.
Look for Affordable Flights
At the same time, you can check out affordable flights. Many people might even look at the flights before deciding where to go. If you can find somewhere cheap and cheerful, book the flight and worry about everything else later. This is the kind of attitude that normally leads to an adventure of a lifetime.
Look Into Visas
While most places will welcome you with open arms if you’re only staying for a few days or weeks, it’s still worth checking check whether you need a visa to visit certain places. At the very least, you may need to ask for sponsorship to get into the country or have evidence that you’re going to leave to avoid the wrath of the immigration officials.
Choose the Right Time to Go
Anytime is the right time to travel but weather, festivals, holidays, and other factors can also affect how enjoyable and successful your trip is. If you’ve always wanted to visit Thailand, finding out the best time to visit Thailand in terms of the rainy season should be a priority. Likewise, you may not want to travel during elections, government holidays, or religious events in case restaurants and activities are closed the entire time you’re there.
Let’s Celebrate
Everyone deserves to celebrate their birthday in their own way. If you love to make a big fuss over a special occasion, taking a trip and celebrating overseas is a great chance to see the world, experience new things, and give yourself a much-needed vacation. Whether you take a trip across the country or visit somewhere you’ve always wanted to see, make sure you make it the best experience of your life, at least until next year.
