GET INSPIRED

Once a postcard from a travelling friend or a picture in a travel magazine was the inspiration to explore a new destination. That changed with the advent of Facebook. From the Sutongpe bamboo bridge in Mae Hong Son to camel trekking in India, today finding travel ideas is as easy as logging into your Facebook account. Thanks to social network friends – and a computer algorithm that allows for the posting of holiday photos on Facebook pages – technology is changing the way we discover new places. Virtual reality too is playing a bigger role in influencing our travel choices. So sign up, get chatting with friends and other like-minded folks, and discover a brave new world of culture, food and sights.

GRAB A BED

When you’re on the road, accommodation costs often take up more than half your budget. Here too, technology has changed the way we live away from home. Airbnb.com is today the preferred tool for finding a room at your destination anywhere in the world for a fraction of the hassle. Based on the concept of “sharing”, Airbnb allows people to share their spare rooms and lodging with visitors for a small charge. Airbnb.com helps you find a cheap room to rent. One night in a decent hotel in Prague could cost you around Bt5,000, but a private room from Airbnb.com can be Bt800 per night. And not only do you end up with more money in your pocket, you also have a much better opportunity to immerse yourself in another culture.

GO SOLO

Solo travel is becoming popular, and it has nothing to do with the stigma of sad singletons. You might be surprised to find out that not all solo travellers are dreadlocked students on a journey of self discovery but professionals who want to experience the world their way. And while it starts as a solo adventure, you get to meet plenty of interesting fellow singletons at your destination. There is, of course, an app for that. Solo Traveller connects travellers wanting to see and do the same things within a specific location. The app also has a practical side as travellers can connect to share costs for taxis, tours, or anything else that’s cheaper when organised in a large group.

VISIT INDIA

Forget South Korea. India is destination that counts in 2017. Thai Smile Airways knows this and is now operating direct flights from Bangkok to Gaya, Lucknow, Jaipur and Varanasi. The direct flight from Bangkok makes travelling to India’s ancient cities more convenient and cheaper than a transit in India. A flight to Jaipur, Rajasthan’s capital, for example, starts from just Bt4,910. So whether you fancy riding camels in the Rajasthan desert or dipping in the Ganges at Varanasi, check out the airfares today.

SEE IRAN

For those who have never been to Iran, the Islamic republic tends to invoke images of a dark, dangerous place full of fundamentalists. Travel is the best way to shake off such notions. The Iranian kebab is excellent, and choices of herbal teas and spices are unlimited. Iran is one of the most rewarding destinations on earth, and the Iranians are very friendly. Walking around the sublime, turquoise-tiled domes and minarets of Esfahan’s Naqsh-e Jahan Square is quite an experience, as is being dazzled by a kaleidoscope of colours at Nasir Al-Mulk Mosque in Shiraz. Iran has become a popular destination for the Europeans over the past few years. This trend is expected to make its way to this part of the world in 2017, thanks to new direct flights to Tehran offered by Thai Airways International and AirAsia.

ACTION CAMERA

Forget the selfie. With adventure travel being more popular than ever, it’s no surprise that people are also looking for creative ways to document their experiences. The Samsung Gear 360 is now on the market for 360-degree video and photos. It produces some of the best spherical video you can get from a consumer-grade 360-degree camera at the moment. It is easy to use on its own or with its full-feature mobile app. The camera can be used as a single-lens wide-angle video camera. Clips can be transferred, trimmed and shared with your Galaxy phone or edited on a computer before sharing on social media platforms.

GO LOCAL

Most trips and/or vacations planned and booked are extravagant, taking you someplace far away and undeniably foreign. While there is nothing wrong with that, the trend recently has been to stay close to home. In 2017, people will treat travel as a lifestyle instead of a luxury treat and so a short ride to a new destination becomes a simple pleasure and rewarding experience. With creativity and internet connectivity, many more local destinations are making themselves known. Just take Jaboo, a noodle stand with a panoramic view in Mae Hong Son, which has seen a major rise in trade since photos were posted to the social media.

GO GREEN 

United Nations has declared 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. Both travellers and accommodation owners have chosen to become more environmentally friendly and sustainably aware in recent times. This mirrors the way in which people are increasingly finding ways to fulfil their aesthetic travel needs while maintaining cultural and environmental integrity by taking longer, more scenic routes and modes of transport. Eco-friendly stays are no longer the preserve of the few, but an expectation of the many.