Rewarding experiences come in bundles in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In fact, the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, is home to many world-renowned destinations that make for a memorable vacation.
A rewarding journey to the city consists of three things: savings, time, and value. The following eight hacks will help ensure that you get a rewarding experience and get the most out of your next excursion.
1. Come up with a budget.
A travel budget is one of the most useful planning tools you need to make your trip much more rewarding. Besides helping you not break the bank for the trip, it also serves as your guide to how much you can spend to maximise the experience.
That said, make sure you consider the following major expenses first when computing for a travel budget:
- Transportation
- Accommodation
- Experiences
Of course, you shouldn’t forget to leave room for the extras. This includes other details of your trip, such as souvenir shopping and unexpected-but-welcome invitations to local shows and events.
2. Plan as early as possible.
“The early bird gets the worm.”
As cliché as the statement may be, this rings very true for planning a trip to Abu Dhabi.
If you prepare ahead of time, you get to accomplish a number of things, including:
- Get the first pick among the best hotels in Abu Dhabi.
- Find better ticket prices for your desired destinations and experiences.
- Have more time to seek out promos and deals for airfare and other aspects of the trip.
According to avid travellers, you should book your trip on a Sunday, around six to 10 weeks before you plan to go on the trip. Do this using your travel credit cards, and they swear by the huge amount of savings you’ll get in return.
There is a certain truth to this hack, especially since many travel agencies tend to plan their packages and adjust their prices around this time.
3. Compare airfares across the board.
Never book without comparing plane ticket prices, particularly between direct airline websites and online travel agencies.
Besides looking into airfares from several airlines, you should also scour online travel agencies that may have better deals for the particular trip you are planning.
These platforms serve as a one-stop-shop for everything related to travel and flights. Some even offer travel insurance and guided tour packages for specific areas.
Pro Tip: If you prefer a more personalised travel experience, it would be best to plan every detail of the trip yourself. You can just use any promos from travel agencies to reduce the cost of airfare.
4. Turn on your email notification.
Another great way to learn about better deals for the trip you’re planning is to sign up for email notifications and newsletters of the airline, hotels, destination, and online travel agencies. This way, you can monitor the prices of your desired provider for the trip and have the chance to reserve first.
You see, finding an affordable hotel or flight sometimes calls for a stock trader’s skills. They keep watch of the prices and know the exact moment to buy, striking gold every single time. You can do this, too, especially if you’re using travel credit cards.
5. Schedule your trip on the off-peak season and low-travel days.
If you’re a seasoned traveller, you already know that there are certain days and dates when prices for plane tickets, hotel rooms, theme parks, and other travel expenses are at their lowest, like:
- On weekdays, particularly in the middle of the week (Tuesdays and Wednesdays) when people are at work or school.
- During off-peak season, which includes dates outside summer and holiday vacations.
Try to be as flexible as you can when choosing travel dates. Not only will this help you save your hard-earned vacation fund, but it also ensures that you experience more from your trip than you would during the busier, more crowded days.
6. Make the most out of offers.
Although plenty of deals and promos out there focus on saving cash, there are a couple that provide more value for your money.
For example, some credit or debit cards offer travel rewards you can use to buy plane tickets using those so-called “miles rewards.”
Think of it like this: You buy luggage and other essentials for your trip using your cards and get a plane ticket for free.
Of course, there are more offers out there that are worth considering. Look for travel-accommodation-destination packages, like the Stay and Play bundles offered by Yas Island Abu Dhabi. You can also opt for theme park promos in the entertainment hub like the Ferrari World buy-one-get-one package.
7. Convert your cash to the local currency.
Did you know that you can also get more out of your cash when you convert it to local currency?
While there are certain perks to using cards in the UAE, some stores only accept cash, like those in the local souks. But instead of exchanging money for local currency in airports with high mark-ups, travel experts recommend you look for better conversion rates before you go on your trip.
Carrying local currency reduces the hassle of finding a place to exchange your cash in, not to mention it grants you the opportunity to shop around for the best conversion rates.
It also pays to know the current dirham exchange rate beforehand.
8. Schedule an overnight flight.
Overnight flights allow you to reserve your time during the day to get the most out of the experiences included in your itinerary. Plus, they’re much cheaper than the other commonly travelled hours.
That is, of course, if you can sleep and get enough rest during the flight.
If you’re an enthusiastic young traveller with more than enough energy for it, you’ll have nothing to worry about. But if it’s your first time to take advantage of this hack, consider the following science-backed tips that make sleeping on an overnight flight easier:
- Keep yourself at the right temperature. Some studies found that temperature in plane cabins swings by as much as 50 degrees. Others suggest that cooling head temperature helps people with insomnia to get a good night’s rest. To make sure you sleep soundly in a plane, use a cooling cap to create a sleep-ready environment.
- Wear bed socks. Besides having a blanket, you should also remove your shoes and wear your bed socks to create an ideal sleeping situation.
- Use an eye mask. Light-blocking eye masks prevent both natural and artificial light from delaying or interrupting your sleep.
- Don’t forget your noise-cancelling headphones. Scientists found that aeroplanes can be as loud as a vacuum, especially at cruising altitude. To still get some shuteye despite this, make sure you wear noise-cancelling headphones to block out the noise.
Get More from Your Abu Dhabi Trip
Make travelling to Abu Dhabi more rewarding by planning every aspect of the trip carefully. From saving cash to getting better value for your money, follow the hacks presented here and get more from your Abu Dhabi trip.
