ADAPT & THRIVE IN TRAVEL

My travel superpower is an ability to adapt and thrive. Being able to adapt it is an essential skill, for life, work and of course for travel. I’ve got such happy and varied memories from adapting my travels as a result.

I love a luxury getaway as much as the next person… But thankfully I can get by (almost) equally (as) well on a campsite or walking the coastal paths. Sure I’m not a big fan of a tent, but I’ve done my fair share of wild camping! Similarly I can quite happily sail offshore for a few days without creature comforts or privacy.

Business travel to some interesting places has always come easy to me as well, the learning and confidence that comes from jetting off alone to a far flung place is inspiring. And in this last year running our new ‘baby can travel’ programme has been the biggest test yet of adaptability! Long gone are the whimsical hand luggage only weekends away. Replaced now by family trips that are months in the planning with an awful lot more luggage! We can definitely adapt!

We strive for somewhere laid back or near the sea. It’s about knowing your own must haves and adapting the rest.

Thankfully our travel type is very adaptable and so it’s easy to find somewhere to relax for a few days or a few hours, near or far, even as life’s goalposts move. Here’s my tips to adapt your travel for each new place and adventure…

See where airmiles can take you. Jamaica, Dubai, Tel Aviv – we might not have picked these places had we not spotted first class seats available on airmiles when we were looking to redeem some miles. But because they popped up, we took the opportunity and explored places not on our radar and, actually for 2 of the 3, probably not on everyone’s and so less touristy as a result.

Choose a destination before a hotel. Because let’s be honest, it’s the place and not the hotel that is the why we travel. This is apart from two places – to Greece to stay at The Kinsterna and to Oman to stay at The Chedi. Normally we choose a region or a city first and then find ourselves somewhere to stay. Portugal is a classic example where with flights booked, I found us a tiny former palace in Lisbon, a sleepy villa in the Algarve and in Maderia (thanks to Mr P’s network) two luscious Quintas.

Have a tick list of non-negotiables. The things that really matter. To me they are space, peace and privacy. And fizz. And now, a dark bedroom for the baby. If I have that, I could be anywhere really – a cottage in Dorset, a villa in Crete, in sleepy Goa or at my Gran’s house!

Remember what you are travelling for. To relax, to experience a new culture, for a babymoon, to visit somewhere beautiful and to take in the view. I think it is all too easy to get stuck on finding the perfect accommodation. But how much time do you actually spend there? Our trip to Abu Dhabi this winter was the first time we had no plans to leave the hotel and just wanted an easy life – but that’s a rarity, normally I don’t see the point of leaving home if I don’t want to explore somewhere properly!

Try something new. Actually I’ve been to some of the most interesting and random places due to business travel. It forces you to travel alone to some interesting places… India alone was daunting but I loved it so much we went back on holiday. I revelled at the Smithsonian museums in Washington. LA was a real work treat, somewhere that wasn’t on my visit list so was good to see on someone else’s cost! And then going to places like Sinagpore, Tallinn and Milan to latch onto Mr P’s trips – equally as valuable.

Plan ahead. Not in minute detail, but so that you pack what you need and know the basics when you arrive. Or if you need vaccination or a visa for entry. This is far more important with a baby in tow (so far just the 65 tips) or with self catering accommodation. As the saying goes, proper planning and preparation prevents p**s poor performance. It’s the same with travel as it is with work, be ready to adapt but plan in advance first.

Don’t sweat the small stuff. Like when you find out you are pregnant and realise on the same day the upcoming holiday that was months in planning was to a zika hotspot… India can wait, there are bigger things in life! Just reverse your way out when things go wrong and find something better.

Take the rough with the smooth. Travel isn’t always going to be easy. Having my first miscarriage on holiday was probably the worst thing that has ever happened to me. Thankfully we were with local dignitaries so I was blue-lighted to hospital without issue and straight into good care. It meant the next day as rubbish as we both were feeling, we still made ourselves get up and get out and keep moving forward.

Find real guests. Hotel photos distort reality and so do sponsored or gifted stays and Instagram photos and reviews. Do your homework if you aren’t sure about somewhere and have your list of wishes. If I am not sure of somewhere that I might want to stay at I stalk the photos that other guests are uploading to a location in Instagram and ask people direct questions. That’s where I’ve got the best advice and support from when it comes to choosing somewhere to stay.

Be open to trying something new. Like an all-inclusive holiday! Goodness it has been a few years since we even contemplated such a holiday, but for our first long haul holiday with the baby we wanted somewhere hassle free that also delivered enough of our type of luxury to be enjoyable. Times they are a changing and there’s a new breed of high end all-inclusive hotels in town!

Don’t get bogged down in research. I could happily scroll through hotels or Airbnb for days trying to pick the perfect place. It’s just not worth it. Everything is always what you make it, something might not be perfect but it’s worth remember just how lucky we are to be able to travel in the first place.

Broaden your mind. Leave the hotel, experience the culture, go somewhere new, eat local, follow your nose rather than a guide book.

There’s space in the city. Look hard and you can find a rural idyll in a bustling place. In Stockholm I found a hotel a ferry ride out of town and it felt like we were truly in the country. In Jaipur we found the most incredible resort hotel with rented villas and peacocks. The feel was rural yet the city hum could be heard in the distance!

Baby can travel too. I am so glad that we have the means to travel often and in comfort. But more so I am grateful we just got on with it. When he was 10 weeks old I took him into London to meet my colleagues. When he was 12 weeks old we stayed in London. When he was 3 months old we went to Vienna… Getting on with it gave me the confidence to continue with my passion for travel but it also showed me just how resilient my little baby is. He can adapt and so can we! If we stick to his routine, even if we’re in a different place or climate, he’s happy as can be!

Enjoy it all. A luxury treat should really be just that. A treat. If it’s always you’re brand of luxury then it isn’t a treat to stay somewhere special. Of course I enjoy a stay at somewhere like the Chewton Glen or Cliveden House immensely. That used to be the sort of thing I planned towards. But actually it is the quiet times squirrelled away somewhere simple that have brought us the best times and best memories!

Just go. Adapt and thrive.

Once again I’m linking up with the travel blogging ladies and this month we’re all sharing all things travel superpowers. Can you pack for every possible situation (do your friends call you the Mary Poppins of Heathrow?), are you a whizz at balancing schedules, or can you sniff out boutique coffee shops in 23 capital cities? Or, what travel superpower would you like to have?

Pop your post up over the first week of the month (the 1st – 7th June 2019), using the link up widget found on Binny’s Food and Travel Diaries, Silverspoon London, Adventures of a London Kiwi, or Endless Distances. There are no rules – just check out some of the other cool bloggers that are involved in that months travel link up; make a few comments here and there and tweet a few of the posts out to your followers that you think they will love. It’s a great way to meet some new travel bloggers and share some blogging joy!