Guide to Planning a Trip with your Girlfriends

When planning a trip with your girlfriends, here are the general guidelines (and in blue, what we have done so far in our “planning”):

1. Decide how many of you are going, best travel in pairs, especially when booking rooms. Cheech saw cheap fares and forced persuaded AB3 and me to go. She even offered to pay for the fares as my birthday pressie. So yeah, three of us.

2. Agree on a destination – preferably somewhere none of you have been before. Or you might have some people yawning away with the “been there, done that” look on their face whilst the others go “wow, look at that!”
Bali. Because of the cheap fares beautiful beaches, culture, wonderful people.

3. Budget – it might be a tad difficult if some decide they are gonna pitch tents by the beach while the rest sleep in king-sized beds with down-feather pillows, with butler service.
Cheech and AB3 are more of the down-feather-pillows type whilst I am the roll-your-sweater-into-a-pillow type. They kindly agreed to roll their sweaters as well.

4. Decide if you will get a tour package or book everything yourselves and decide on the itinerary. The former is easier but lacks flexibility and you are usually herded like cows from one destination to another. The latter provides flexibility and you decide on what you want to do/see. Requires a LOT of planning.
We have decided on free and easy (did I say that this requires a LOT of planning?) Have we started planning the itinerary yet. Err… NO.

5. Refer to No 3 and book the tour package or accommodation/transportation/etc.
(Skip to No. 9 if you choose the tour package)
We have narrowed down to 2 hotels with different budgets. Have we booked the hotels yet? Err… NO.

6. Arrange for transportation – you can choose to hire a car/van with a driver (usually acting as a semi-guide). If you choose to take trains/buses, make sure you get a map with the bus/train routes.
All 3 of us know someone who knows someone who knows a good driver. Have we contacted any drivers yet? Errr… NO.

7. Plan your itinerary.
All 3 of us know someone and/or someone who knows someone who knows the not-to-be-missed sights/places/restaurants. Do we know what the sights/places/restaurants are? Err… NO.

8. Get a packing list done so that you do not forget important items like condoms passport.
DONE!

9. Enjoy yourselves!
Abso-f*cking-lutely!

Since the only noteworthy thing we have done so far is this (even that was something leftover from our trip to Cambodia in 2006), allow me to share with you, gentle readers, our wonderful packing list:

(P/S: Did I tell you that our trip is 9 days away and all we have is this measly wonderful packing list?)