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How to become a globetrotter - and the envy of all

Dreaming of a life of travel? You don't need a heap of cash or a hiatus from work to start checking off those must-see destinations from your bucket list

On most gorgeous snaps of some far-flung destination wrapped in natural beauty (think azure skies and rolling vistas), the commentary is the same: everyone will be ooh-ing and aah-ing and inevitably bemoaning their life that is not more footloose and fancy-free. Travel bloggers and frequent fliers are looked upon with much envy; theirs are lives that can only be aspired to, never attained - at least, that's the underlying POV. But while jetsetting may be a luxury only the wealthy and fashionable enjoy, globetrotting is not. And with a fair few long weekends coming up, we speak to the UAE's own 'nomads' to find out how you too can give in to wanderlust and make travel a much bigger part of your life.

Plan, plan, plan

Self-confessed travel addict Veathika J is on a personal mission to visit 120 countries in her lifetime. Currently planning #60, her desire to "explore every corner of the world" stems from her childhood in India, when her folks would "put mattresses in the back of their Maruti Suzuki van", pick her up from school on Fridays and go exploring. "I've seen almost all of India - except the north-east regions - because of that," she says.

Today, she makes it a point to visit 5-6 countries a year - whether with her husband and kids, solo or even with groups of women through organisations like World At Her Feet - and all it takes is time management and planning. "You've got to utilise your leaves very prudently," points out the 37-year-old mum, whose friends have now taken to begging her to plan their trips for them. "If you combine five days with two weekends, you've got a nine-day trip. Throw in two long weekends, and that's three places covered in a year - with only five days of annual leave covered!" You can still go home to visit family with the remaining days, she adds - since the obligation to do so seems to be a key reason why many put travel plans to other destinations on the backburner.

Veathika recommends making these plans right at the beginning of the year - or chances are you'll just end up wasting all your vacation days. Start with one new country a year, she suggests. "And if you're travel-phobic, try places that are just 3-4 hours away. Just promise yourself you will travel, because it honestly is the best form of education - one that will help you form your own worldview, instead of developing ideas or attitudes based on other people's experiences."

TRAVEL JUNKIES: (from left to right) Kenneth Ephraim Surat in Hong Kong, Thuymi Do and Mitch Hyde in Egypt, and Caterina Ciacatani in Amsterdam

Find inspiration

With the world as your veritable oyster, how do you figure out where to go? For interior stylist Kenneth Ephraim Surat, social media plays a big role in determining where he'll find himself next: he likes to follow travel influencers and find inspiration in their posts. "My trip to Iceland was one such jaunt," he recalls - a place that left him with experiences he will never forget. "We went hunting for the famous Northern Lights. I was there for a month, but we never saw those dancing lights for the first three weeks of my stay. Then, just a few days before my flight, we went driving south of Iceland - without any expectations - when, boom, there it was! I almost cried."

At times, however, his itinerary is also shaped by new friends he meets along the way. "Norway was never on my list of countries to visit, but after staying with a Norwegian roommate at a Los Angeles hostel, I changed my mind," says Kenneth, who has been to 34 countries so far and started blogging about his experiences early last year (www.kennethsurat.com). "To date, it definitely ranks as one of my most memorable trips."

And if you're tight on budget, he says, the UAE gives you plenty of reasons to appreciate where you are. "Being in the Middle East, we already have a big advantage in terms of location. Everything seems so close, and since Dubai is a hub, you can even visit several countries through stopover flights."

Pick up travel hacks

If you're looking to leverage maximum bang for your buck, you'll do well to take your tips from the co-founders of online travel platform AdventureFaktory (www.adventurefaktory.com). Mitchell Hyde and Thuymi Do have been travelling as a duo for nearly four years. Mitchell teaches physical education at an international school and Thuymi recently quit her job to turn freelance consultant. Their mission? Escape the sandpit every weekend or so. Last year, they saw 18 countries; this year, they are on track for over 20. "Travelling is our passion," says Mitchell. "We plan everything we do around our holidays and take every chance we get to hop on a plane and visit a brand-new country."

Naturally, sustaining such a lifestyle comes with choices - but for the couple, these choices aren't tough; they are a given. "Our policy has been to cut expenses in some places, so we can splurge on others," says Thuymi. "When we did a week-long road trip along the California west coast, we slept in our car for three days - which is part of the fun of a road trip, really - and then splurged on a hotel for the remaining days with the money saved." Even in Dubai, they are quite conscious of their lifestyle. "We don't brunch, for example - the way we see it, four brunches in Dubai is enough money for us to take a trip somewhere. So, we prefer to eat at home or use options like The Entertainer app when we do dine out because, for us, that's money saved."

There are other ways to get the best prices, even with flights, such as booking tickets during public holidays early on, before airlines hike up prices, and opting for all-inclusive packages offered by tour companies at competitive prices. "Many connecting flights come through Dubai and the last leg of the flight is usually cheaper; try and find these to save a heap of cash," suggests Mitchell. "Also, sign up for all frequent flyer programmes. They will not only get you points that you can use for upgrades, but also give you access to promotions before the general public. Following these companies on social media is also a great way to find out in advance if a price drop is happening."

Choose your lifestyle

Eventually, you may discover your need to travel defines the very lifestyle you lead. It was a family game that caused Greek expat Caterina Ciacatani to first get bitten by the travel bug at the age of 13. The way the family decided where they'd travel was by setting a bet: whoever could raise the most money in a given period could pick their next destination. "It was just a way for my parents to encourage us kids to save our pocket money, instead of spending it on silly things," says the 29-year-old. "I saved everything I earned in those days and I've never regretted it."

Caterina tries to travel at least four times a year these days. She's got Madagascar and Greece on her radar this year, and already has four trips planned for 2018. But while her travel plans does depend on the budget she has in hand at the time, it's the nature of her work that gives her the freedom to travel as much as she can - a lifestyle she consciously sought out.

As co-founder and creative director of her own marketing agency Square Motion, she can take her work anywhere in the world. So, although it's not advice for everyone, if you're really keen about making travel a bigger part of your life,

Caterina's recommendation would be to find a job that would give you the opportunity to work remotely from any part of the world. "In today's world, it's actually not that difficult," she says. "There are plenty of professions that are going digital - nothing illegal, of course! - but even though it means I can never turn my phone off, it also means that I can keep earning a living, no matter where I am in the world." And if you're a travel junkie like Caterina, you already know that kind of flexibility means everything.

karen@khaleejtimes.com