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Ever wanted to plan for your perfect holiday but don’t know where to look or start? Following your hiredpersonal travel guide for days is going to be costly, and the experience may not entirely suit your preferences. Here’s a simple hack for you that’ll turn Instagram into your personal travel guide app!
All you need to start is a personal Instagram account, your mobile phone (ideally, most features are not available on the desktop app), a notebook and pen to jot down your plans and ideas.
Search for Location Tags
Say you’re going to Tokyo, Japan over the spring holidays. Start by entering “Tokyo” under the “Places” tab. You should see a list ofInstagram places popping up closest to it. Tapping on Tokyo, Japan will give you the map of the location, and the top posts tagged to the area.
Start looking at the places you’ll like to visit – temples, shopping malls, landmarks, types of food etc. This should give you a general idea of what to do and the things you can expect while you’re there.
Then, tapping on the pin allows you to explore the location further on Maps. Here you can save bookmarks and see nearby places as well.
#Hashtags
When you’re done with places, start looking into hashtags for ideas. Since we’re in Japan during spring, let’s plan to witness the sakura blossom for ourselves first hand. Start by typing in #tokyosakura, and the results should give you top posts for it. Entering location specific typically gives more accurate results.
If you’re not sure what hashtags to search for, the autocomplete feature will give you suggestions on the best alternatives. The alternative #sakurajapan gives us more than 60,000 posts, and even better posts! You can also look at what other hashtags others are using within their posts and get even more ideas.
Food!
During your research, you may come across reviews over mouth watering food photos. Tap on the name of the place and you’ll find more posts related to the location. Look for user reviews and tips on what to order, or what to avoid!
Caramel nut soufflé pancakes oh my! A photo posted by Joyce Lee (@candyandlou) on
For our muslim travellers, looking at #halal or #halalfoodtokyo will give you food places that are halal too!
Follow Personal Accounts
Non-branded, personalInstagram travel accounts of travellers often make the best peer reviewers. Look out for their personal tips and reviews of places to go and food to eat. Again, remember to check out the hashtags to discover new ideas and places too. Some travellers enjoying going to more obscure, “tough-to-reach” places, such as the 10-hour Gotenba Route of Mount Fuji. Look out for these accounts and you’ll find yourself going to places where the road is less travelled.
Instagram opens up a whole new world for those who are looking to travel and see places based on their preferences. You’ll get to itemise every item on your itinerary based your travel budget, while indulging the beauty the world at your own sweet time.
