I’m going to Dubai!!!!

I’m exactly one week away from the most amazing all girls’ trip ever! Since I started travelling I’ve yet to take my favorite girls along with me, but when the opportunity came for my sister and one of my best friends to join me in Dubai…we seized it! As you all know I’m a contributing writer for the travel website Hardly Home and when I learned they were planning a group trip to the UAE I had to be there! After screaming and going ballistic after making the decision to join the group…we bought our tickets and got to planning for Dubai!!!!!!

But with major trips like this you have to really prepare yourselves for the journey. So I put together a little guide for you travellers out there to help you plan your next adventure!

2 to 3 months before 

• Check the dates of all visas and passports and book all flight and hotel reservations
• Check the dates you’ll be at your destination and see what’s happening there during the time. You might want to stay away from elections and other big events in some locations
• Look into getting vaccinations for your trip. Some countries actually require them and wont let you in if you haven’t had your shots!

3 to 4 weeks before 

• Keep a record of all hotel, flight and ticket confirmation numbers
• Book tickets/reservations to all tourist attractions, tours and sightseeing adventures that might require advance purchase
• Research, research, research. Get familiar with time differences, currency changes, weather forecasts
• Make sure connecting flights are booked and properly timed. Give yourself enough time to get to and through the airports
• Set up a meeting with the girls to go over everything above and confirm that you’re all on the same page with things to see and do, come up with an emergency plan and exchange emergency contacts. The girls’ night is also a sure fire way to have a wine and pizza night  🙂

1 week before 

• Contact your credit card company to inform them of your travel plans. Get the costs of those international transactions and decide what your main method of payment will be on your trip. Cash or charge? Trust me, MAKE THE CALL!
• Identify clothing items to take. In fact I’d say start packing now. Fling special items into a basket or suitcase so you won’t forget them. Buy a few new pieces if needed (that’s the shopaholic in me talking)
• Purchase electronic adapters. When I travelled to Barcelona, Spain I needed them and will need them in Dubai. The sockets around the world are different
• Make and leave copies of passports, visas, hotel info and other important documents at home. Also save these copies electronically
• Check in with your country’s embassy in your exotic destination…just to let them know you’ll be in their neck of the woods
• Familiarize yourself with the rules, laws and restrictions of the place you’re visiting. While you want to have fun, you want to be respectful and safe…

1 to 2 days before 

• Get to packing! Pack well, but pack lightly. My carry on luggage is my best friend when taking long flights because I pack all of my “just in cases” there. “Just in case my checked luggage gets lost…” I have shoes, clothes, my electronics and “just in case” underwear with me!
• Pack entertainment and snacks…and loads of them! Take magazines, books, music and a neck pillow!
• Go over your checklist and make sure you’ve packed all the essentials: passports, visas, cards and cash!
• Get some rest! Sure you’ll be excited but you don’t want to be sleep deprived and weirded out on a long flight.

I am sooooooooo excited to be going to Dubai, you guys! The clock is ticking closer and closer to me visiting souks and mosques, riding camels in the desert and maybe taking a hot air balloon ride! Stay tuned for some amazing photos, a blog, videos and everything else to help you share in my experience! I hope this list helps you for your next adventure or better yet, spurs you to book one now!

FOR GOD’S SAKE DO NOT LEAVE THE PASSPORT AT HOME!

Check out some of my travel adventures below!

Dubai, UAE

Barcelona, Spain 

Macau, China 

San Juan, Puerto Rico 

Washington, D.C., USA

Miami, Florida, USA 

Toronto, Canada

Cat Island, Bahamas