How to Negotiate Travel Package - On The Spot

Before start, let’s separate Travelling into 3 categories.

1. Holiday - Go for pure relaxation. Good hotel, free n easy time. Sleep, chill, not much of move around.
2. Travel - Relaxation + Side Seeing. 1 or 2 start hotel. Chill with bit of travel around.
3. Explore - Pure back pack style. Cover as many locations in available time and budget.

 This article is more suitable for travel type 2 and 3. Who are traveling in small group. Less than 6 people.

And with no senior citizens.

Negotiate Travel Package - On The Spot

Most of the time when it comes to travelling or going on a vacation, we want to all the arrangement well prepared before we arrive in out holiday location. This article going to propose the steps to arrive on your holiday location than start to look for your ground package.

Example: tourist guide, transportation, water/sea activity, local theater/performance tickets.

Sounds risky? Whoever with adequate level of risk appetite, this is worth the risk. Why? I personally have traveled few counties in South East Asia. What I found is, the packages from the tour agencies in my home country is always expensive than buying direct with tour organizers in visiting country. Tour agencies MOSTLY are middle Man. Business, this how it works. Middle man gets their cut/income with commission. So we are trying to skip the middle man by buying directly to the tour organizers in the visiting location/country.

The method have been tested & proven in tourist/travelers famous places like Krabi & Phuket.

How to negotiate travel package on the spot?

1) Buy flight ticket
    During airlines promotion time. SAVE MONEY. Example, AirAsia Free Seat, etc.

2) Research all the location

    You are planning to visit. Example, Top 10 Attractions in Phuket.

3) Spot middle & most happening location
     Which is convenient/near to all you place you are planning to visit and within your
     BUDGET. Example, Patong Beach in Phuket

4) Compare Price/Rating of the accommodations

    In the spotted location. Good if accommodation comes with Hotel transfer, both ways
    from Airport. Save transportation cost.

    Note : Book accommodation soon as possible, after Step 1,2,3 as above

5) First day, free & easy

    After arrive in your hotel, rest. And start to walk on the most happening street of your
    location. Example, Patong Beach Road in Phuket.

7) Buy a local SIM

8) Start window shopping

    ASK for same package in all the booths you come across in the street. SAME question
    in ALL the travel booth.

   Example,

   1) tour guide

   2) transportation

   3) snoorkeling package

   4) Local theater ticket

In the tourist attraction location, easily you will find more than 10 tour package booths. Collect all the info. Sit in a nice chill restaurant facing nice view like beach and compile all your information. It will look something like below. Can write it down or just do mind map through discussions with your buddies.

Bingo, you just found the best deal in town, booth F. Highlighted in yellow. Or if you are good in handling few different tour peoples for few days, than buy your needs in separated booths, highlighted in red.

Below are the photo of me & my friend in finding the best travel package and arrangements in Krabi and Phuket once reach there.

Krabi, rainy tropical evening. Walking + finding the best deal

Famous Patong Beach Road, Phuket

Was a good experience. By passing by 4th or 5th booth, we our self have become a travel package experts in Phuket and Krabi. Price and package details was in our finger tips. We even went back and negotiated for a better price.

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