How do I decide where I'm going?
How do I decide where I'm going?
Bangalore, India
When I was visiting my friend Anu and her family in Malleswaram, Bangalore, two weeks ago, she asked me:
"How do I decide where I'm going?"
She also said she thought it was remarkable just that I was traveling around India, getting from place to place, finding hotel rooms, and so on.
When she asked me this, I remembered that not many people in the States go travelling as I have done. I have met some, but not very many. It was a big deal when I told my friends and family that I was going to take this time to travel, for me as well as for them. For people from other places, such as Europe, South Africa, Australia, Israel, and New Zealand, traveling for a long time is not a big deal and they are probably not as reflective about it.
How do I decide where I'm going?
The first thing that I use is my imagination and preconceptions about a place. If for some reason in my head it sounds like an interesting place to go, then I start thinking about it.
Then I might start reading about it. I look at books, the internet, newspapers, and magazines.
I talk to people and ask them where they've been and how they liked it.
To actually nail out the details of specific places to go, I rely heavily on guidebooks. In India I have used mostly Lonely Planet India
India has a pretty good government tourism office. There are national tourism offices and then each state also has tourism offices. So when I arrive at a place, I can get some good information that may not be in the guidebook. The offices also run hotels and tourism buses. For example, here in Bangalore I've been to the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) and the Government tourism office and got some good pamphlets and maps.
In the end I gather information from different people and other sources. Then I try to forget everything I've heard and go with my gut. I find I end up doing the kinds of things I like to do.
How do I decide where I'm going?
