We have all seen the tour itineraries where a beautiful map excites us about all the places you get to visit. Then you realise that, somehow, you’ve managed to squeeze 16 destinations into 14 days and travelled half way to the moon and back. These tours are great if you want to get a brief overview of everywhere. Despite the allure of ticking of your bucket list, these aren’t the best if you want experience destinations. A bucket list should only get a tick if you’ve actually experienced the place, not merely passed by. In this article we expose our secrets to why multiple night stays are the key to great holidays, and perhaps even greater happiness!
Less logistical hassles
Our first secret is really all about logistics. Getting from place to place takes time – there is no escaping that! Even if your destinations are relatively close together, you’re looking at a few hours at least between destinations. By the time you pack your bag, meet your guide at a reasonable hour and get to your next stop, the morning is almost gone. Then you need to unpack again only to repack the following morning. While living out of a suitcase can be exciting (said no-one ever), its much nicer to be able to unpack a few shirts, hang some pants and unpack your toiletries. A multiple night stay saves you time, and allows your handpicked hotel room to be something more than just a transit point.
No running late stress
Having more time to experience a destination on multiple night stays is pretty much a given. The more nights you have, the more you can explore and the more you can experience – it’s not rocket science. You’ll also not be as stressed or rushed between activities and attractions as you know you have more time. It’s always frustrating to travel with one eye on your watch to make sure you don’t miss the next activity. It’s even more frustrating when a great activity runs over time, you rush across town afterwards and still miss the next activity. You’re able to slow the pace down with a multiple night stay and reduce your stress – it’s a holiday after all.
Diversity vs Prioritisation
There are often a diverse range of activities or attraction in a destination that need to compete against each other for your time. With longer stays and more time to devote to a destination, you get a more diverse holiday. Instead of prioritising one or two activities, you might be able to add four or five. With an extra night you’ve seen twice as much of the city, or spent twice as long on some activities. The extra diversity gives you a better perspective of a place, which generates a more complete picture.
Siestas (sleep equals happiness)
Did you know that there is a correlation between sleep, rest and happiness? A study of people’s holiday habits and sleep was conducted which showed that well rested holidays resulted in happier people. It also found that shorter holidays more often were better than longer holidays. We often try and pack as much as possible into a holiday and get back to work exhausted. While this is sometimes great, it’s also nice to be able to enjoy an afternoon siesta without feeling like you’re missing out. A secret to making longer holidays more enjoyable to to string together many multiple night stays. This way it’s like taking a few mini breaks together and keeps both the excitement and happiness indexes high.
Some of the best holiday’s our team have experienced involved an action packed morning, great lunch, quiet afternoon siesta followed by an exciting evening. Tours shouldn’t just be about sightseeing – they should focus expanding your horizons and looking after yourself. A rested body and mind is much more open to trying new things. A multiple night stay allows time for those well earned afternoon naps.
The bucket list trap
Life isn’t a bucket list to be ticked off, it’s something to experience. We’ve all heard people talk about how much they loved visiting somewhere. We also often hear the all too common: “I’d love to have had more time in …” straight afterwards. Multiple night stays allow you to really experience a destination, not merely take a photo and move on. You might still have loved to spend more time there, but at least you’re basing that assessment on more than a fly in fly out visit.
Multiple Night Stays Wrap Up
While this sounds pretty straight forward and logical, the temptation to see it all now is often too great for many. While we strongly recommend multiple sets of multiple night stays in every travel plan, it’s ok to break it up with a few one night stays in your itinerary too. Many of our itineraries include a great mix of multiple night and short stays. When you’re planning your next trip, be sure to include a good mix so you too can experience happier holidays.
