I decided to write this advice article because 1. I am having major withdrawal symptoms from going to Croatia with all my really amazing friends this year; and 2. I realised we all went on our first lads holiday fairly young, when it seemed like only yesterday my Mother wouldn’t let me stay out past 10pm. Though going on holiday for the first time without your parents can seem like the most exciting thing in the world, there is a lot of planning and fears that go into it; such as where to go and how much money to bring and health insurance and all that fun stuff you get to figure out on your own because no one taught us. But above all, it’s a holiday you’ll never ever forget for the rest of your life, so here is my advice on how to make sure that your first lad’s holiday was just as great as mine!
Who
Our holiday idea was formed by three of us sat in the common room one day discussing how amazing it would be to go on holiday at the end of our last year in our secondary school (when this original conversation occurred we had just under a year to pull this all together, which seems like a lot of time, but don’t take it for advantage.) One of the first things we discussed, which may not seem like the most important thing, but seriously it is – who to ask to come. This may seem so fickle like, hey just bring everyone! But we had to make sure we were asking a group of people who were all friends to avoid fights, who could all survive living with each other for a week and most importantly – people who were going to be reliable in terms of deposits, paying money overall and ensuring they were going to come on the holiday once that money was put down. In the end, we did end up having a lot of trouble with people wanting to drop out and people being invited that couldn’t come and we felt that it was important to not replace people that dropped out, despite upsetting others; because money would be to complex and it wouldn’t be a secure and confident list of people attending. So, though it does seem like a very fickle thing that shouldn’t be worried about – it definitely is. Choose a group of people that are reliable and all friends, ask them about the idea originally, get a few opinions in – then go ahead and make a group chat or Facebook page to discuss payments and travel etc. Keep it secure, even if numbers go down, this is important.
Our holiday idea was formed by three of us sat in the common room one day discussing how amazing it would be to go on holiday at the end of our last year in our secondary school (when this original conversation occurred we had just under a year to pull this all together, which seems like a lot of time, but don’t take it for advantage.) One of the first things we discussed, which may not seem like the most important thing, but seriously it is – who to ask to come. This may seem so fickle like, hey just bring everyone! But we had to make sure we were asking a group of people who were all friends to avoid fights, who could all survive living with each other for a week and most importantly – people who were going to be reliable in terms of deposits, paying money overall and ensuring they were going to come on the holiday once that money was put down. In the end, we did end up having a lot of trouble with people wanting to drop out and people being invited that couldn’t come and we felt that it was important to not replace people that dropped out, despite upsetting others; because money would be to complex and it wouldn’t be a secure and confident list of people attending. So, though it does seem like a very fickle thing that shouldn’t be worried about – it definitely is. Choose a group of people that are reliable and all friends, ask them about the idea originally, get a few opinions in – then go ahead and make a group chat or Facebook page to discuss payments and travel etc. Keep it secure, even if numbers go down, this is important.
Planning
Once you have your lads, you can now go ahead and choose your lad destination! Typically at this age you would want to go somewhere that was a party central but just keep in mind that maybe not everyone in the group would want to do this, so maybe choose a place that can engage all members of the trip. We ended up choosing…*drum roll*, Croatia! It was a perfect choice for us, it was hot, had amazing scenery, a party scene for the drinkers, urbexing for the explorers; and of course Kings Landing for pretty much everyone! Once a place is chosen, stick with it! Like the friends invited, do not sway, keep it secure so that you can move on with the planning. Remember, a year to organise 18 teenagers going on holiday isn’t actually that easy. In terms of choosing a place to stay, a villa was the most logical answer. If there is less of you it may be cheaper to choose a hotel, but it worked out that we could all be closer and spend less money if we were in a villa. Benefits, our own pool, our own meals, our own noise boundaries, our own timings. We had one person choose a villa and organise putting down deposits and the dates that we could all go. (Thank you to our dedicated villa organiser!) This worked out best rather than 18 of us all emailing different places, try to keep it to one or two at best. When picking dates to go, you all have a year in advance, so choose a month and keep that open. KEEP IT OPEN. Remember, we are trying to keep things secure, so don’t go complicating things.
Once you have your lads, you can now go ahead and choose your lad destination! Typically at this age you would want to go somewhere that was a party central but just keep in mind that maybe not everyone in the group would want to do this, so maybe choose a place that can engage all members of the trip. We ended up choosing…*drum roll*, Croatia! It was a perfect choice for us, it was hot, had amazing scenery, a party scene for the drinkers, urbexing for the explorers; and of course Kings Landing for pretty much everyone! Once a place is chosen, stick with it! Like the friends invited, do not sway, keep it secure so that you can move on with the planning. Remember, a year to organise 18 teenagers going on holiday isn’t actually that easy. In terms of choosing a place to stay, a villa was the most logical answer. If there is less of you it may be cheaper to choose a hotel, but it worked out that we could all be closer and spend less money if we were in a villa. Benefits, our own pool, our own meals, our own noise boundaries, our own timings. We had one person choose a villa and organise putting down deposits and the dates that we could all go. (Thank you to our dedicated villa organiser!) This worked out best rather than 18 of us all emailing different places, try to keep it to one or two at best. When picking dates to go, you all have a year in advance, so choose a month and keep that open. KEEP IT OPEN. Remember, we are trying to keep things secure, so don’t go complicating things.
Deposits
Normally, you’ll have to put down a deposit for the villa or hotel. This should not be a big section that I have to write. All of you send your money to the dedicated villa organiser, on the date that they ask, no questions asked. Our group took a while to do this and it was so frustrating for that one person, which we need to try and avoid. Obviously, if you do not have the money on time, speak to them personally. Do not leave it to the last minute. Easy.
Normally, you’ll have to put down a deposit for the villa or hotel. This should not be a big section that I have to write. All of you send your money to the dedicated villa organiser, on the date that they ask, no questions asked. Our group took a while to do this and it was so frustrating for that one person, which we need to try and avoid. Obviously, if you do not have the money on time, speak to them personally. Do not leave it to the last minute. Easy.
Flights
So now you have the people, the place, the villa, the deposit – you now need to book the flights. We all did this at different times because of people not having money or people simply being lazy (me.) The only advice I can really give is to get yourself in a pair with someone from your group and book your flights together. Try and get the whole group of the same flights, (obviously prices will differ in terms of when you are booking), but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t. We had 4 people on different flights and they arrived and left safely, but for your own peace of mind to avoid stress, try and get on the same flight as everyone else.
So now you have the people, the place, the villa, the deposit – you now need to book the flights. We all did this at different times because of people not having money or people simply being lazy (me.) The only advice I can really give is to get yourself in a pair with someone from your group and book your flights together. Try and get the whole group of the same flights, (obviously prices will differ in terms of when you are booking), but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t. We had 4 people on different flights and they arrived and left safely, but for your own peace of mind to avoid stress, try and get on the same flight as everyone else.
Airport
I thought this was going to be a really stressful part of the holiday, as I personally know nothing about airports and my common sense is pretty much non-existent. But luckily for me, there were members of our holiday who knew exactly what they were doing and the airport experience was ridiculously easy and actually very enjoyable. I can guarantee there will be someone who knows what they are doing, so if you are a bit of a colander like me, you’ll be just fine. The only advice I really have is if you have a layover, have currency for that place because I have never seen a group of teenagers hungrier than getting off a flight.
I thought this was going to be a really stressful part of the holiday, as I personally know nothing about airports and my common sense is pretty much non-existent. But luckily for me, there were members of our holiday who knew exactly what they were doing and the airport experience was ridiculously easy and actually very enjoyable. I can guarantee there will be someone who knows what they are doing, so if you are a bit of a colander like me, you’ll be just fine. The only advice I really have is if you have a layover, have currency for that place because I have never seen a group of teenagers hungrier than getting off a flight.
Money
The most stressful part of our journey was paying for the villa, as some people decided to pay in different currencies (Croatia accepts Kuna and Euros) and along with the exchange rate it was super difficult to make sure we had the correct amount. A group of girls spent over an hour collecting, counting and recounting money to make sure we had enough. In the end, it was all sorted without explaining all the difficult parts. But, please, please, please make sure that you have the correct amount requested to pay for the villa and that if the group has agreed to pay in one currency (if that is applicable) that you do that. It doesn’t hurt either to bring slightly extra money just in case something does go wrong, like the exchange rate (screw Brexit) just to avoid stress on the first day. In terms of spending money, maybe just ask around your friends to see how much they are bringing, don’t bring hundreds obviously, but also don’t bring just a tenner. I actually put my money together with a friend as we bought food together and did the same activities and it was surprisingly so much easier, so you can try that. Or think about how much money you would spend in a week in English money (or your normal currency) if you were holidaying in your hometown and take that much converted.
The most stressful part of our journey was paying for the villa, as some people decided to pay in different currencies (Croatia accepts Kuna and Euros) and along with the exchange rate it was super difficult to make sure we had the correct amount. A group of girls spent over an hour collecting, counting and recounting money to make sure we had enough. In the end, it was all sorted without explaining all the difficult parts. But, please, please, please make sure that you have the correct amount requested to pay for the villa and that if the group has agreed to pay in one currency (if that is applicable) that you do that. It doesn’t hurt either to bring slightly extra money just in case something does go wrong, like the exchange rate (screw Brexit) just to avoid stress on the first day. In terms of spending money, maybe just ask around your friends to see how much they are bringing, don’t bring hundreds obviously, but also don’t bring just a tenner. I actually put my money together with a friend as we bought food together and did the same activities and it was surprisingly so much easier, so you can try that. Or think about how much money you would spend in a week in English money (or your normal currency) if you were holidaying in your hometown and take that much converted.
Rooms
Obviously, if you are in a hotel you may not have the situation of choosing which rooms people are allocated. But in the villa we had 6 apartments, two with 2 people and four with 4 people. Surprisingly, it was super easy to choose who was in which room as before the holiday we had all paired up so it was just a matter of finding another pair. At the end of the day, we were all galloping through each other’s apartments anyway (and they all got trashed) so it doesn’t really matter.
Obviously, if you are in a hotel you may not have the situation of choosing which rooms people are allocated. But in the villa we had 6 apartments, two with 2 people and four with 4 people. Surprisingly, it was super easy to choose who was in which room as before the holiday we had all paired up so it was just a matter of finding another pair. At the end of the day, we were all galloping through each other’s apartments anyway (and they all got trashed) so it doesn’t really matter.
Day trips
On our holiday we decided we wanted to do a different thing every day, such as a beach day or going to Dubrovnik. Normally, we just had one person decide this and let others know and there were next to no issues. Obviously, if you don’t want to do that, no one is forcing you – but we had a better time when everyone went along and participated. There were some days I couldn’t go the beach due to some injuries (see next sub-header), but normally someone would stay and we’d sunbathe and still have an amazing time. So, just remember to really make the most of the days as the week went by so, so quickly and I would have surely regretted not going on a banana boat and seeing kings landing! If you want to do something also, just suggest it – we had a lot of people go urbexing, which wasn’t everyone’s idea of fun, but they had an amazing time. It’s your holiday too.
On our holiday we decided we wanted to do a different thing every day, such as a beach day or going to Dubrovnik. Normally, we just had one person decide this and let others know and there were next to no issues. Obviously, if you don’t want to do that, no one is forcing you – but we had a better time when everyone went along and participated. There were some days I couldn’t go the beach due to some injuries (see next sub-header), but normally someone would stay and we’d sunbathe and still have an amazing time. So, just remember to really make the most of the days as the week went by so, so quickly and I would have surely regretted not going on a banana boat and seeing kings landing! If you want to do something also, just suggest it – we had a lot of people go urbexing, which wasn’t everyone’s idea of fun, but they had an amazing time. It’s your holiday too.
Drinking
Ah, of course, the sub-heading we have all been waiting for. ALCOHOL. WHERE THE MEMORIES ARE MADE, BUT FORGOTTON. We bought most of our alcohol at duty-free from the airport to save money and in order to stick to brands that we know are safe – this I cannot advise enough. Stick to safe brands. We, as a group, had a lot of fun drinking, we went for cocktails, and we had villa parties and played drinking games. It was honestly so much fun and it was everything we hoped we could get out of our lads holiday in terms of partying. Obviously, there are some downsides. Two of us really injured ourselves (yes, one of which was me) and being drunk there was not much we could do about it. I will forever owe everything to the people who helped me when I injured myself because I am 100% sure it would’ve been a lot worse than it is now if they hadn’t have been there. (Make sure you have health insurance for situations like this – I didn’t need it, but I am sure it ran through someone’s head when they saw all the blood.) Also, do not let drunk people swim. But overall, drinking was so much fun as long as you know how to deal with it correctly and be safe – which our group was 100% which was what made it such a great holiday. BRING CARDS.
Ah, of course, the sub-heading we have all been waiting for. ALCOHOL. WHERE THE MEMORIES ARE MADE, BUT FORGOTTON. We bought most of our alcohol at duty-free from the airport to save money and in order to stick to brands that we know are safe – this I cannot advise enough. Stick to safe brands. We, as a group, had a lot of fun drinking, we went for cocktails, and we had villa parties and played drinking games. It was honestly so much fun and it was everything we hoped we could get out of our lads holiday in terms of partying. Obviously, there are some downsides. Two of us really injured ourselves (yes, one of which was me) and being drunk there was not much we could do about it. I will forever owe everything to the people who helped me when I injured myself because I am 100% sure it would’ve been a lot worse than it is now if they hadn’t have been there. (Make sure you have health insurance for situations like this – I didn’t need it, but I am sure it ran through someone’s head when they saw all the blood.) Also, do not let drunk people swim. But overall, drinking was so much fun as long as you know how to deal with it correctly and be safe – which our group was 100% which was what made it such a great holiday. BRING CARDS.
Cleaning
When the week is up, make sure you do your fair share of cleaning. One of the most annoying things was people leaving their dirty plates outside our apartment, or people socks swimming around in the pool. Remember you are technically an adult, so just clean up to keep it easier for everyone. Try and put the villa back in the same condition as remember – someone risked letting nearly 20 teenagers prance around in it for a week, so it is only fair you keep it nice so another group of teenagers just like you can do the same in the future.
When the week is up, make sure you do your fair share of cleaning. One of the most annoying things was people leaving their dirty plates outside our apartment, or people socks swimming around in the pool. Remember you are technically an adult, so just clean up to keep it easier for everyone. Try and put the villa back in the same condition as remember – someone risked letting nearly 20 teenagers prance around in it for a week, so it is only fair you keep it nice so another group of teenagers just like you can do the same in the future.
Forever Memories
There were so many things that I didn’t include in this article like making food and what clothes to bring and how many pictures you should take. But the most important thing that I can advise anyone going on their first lads holiday is this: memories are going to be created here that you are never ever going to forget in your entire life. They are stories you are going to repeat over and over again, they are going to be catalysts for all the giggles in the pub and the songs you want to listen to on nights out. It’s going to be what you’ll remember as the start of your freedom as a young adult. There are going to be pictures you’ll look at over and over again and every time you watch GoT you’ll think, I’ve been there and all my friends were there and I had an amazing time.
There were so many things that I didn’t include in this article like making food and what clothes to bring and how many pictures you should take. But the most important thing that I can advise anyone going on their first lads holiday is this: memories are going to be created here that you are never ever going to forget in your entire life. They are stories you are going to repeat over and over again, they are going to be catalysts for all the giggles in the pub and the songs you want to listen to on nights out. It’s going to be what you’ll remember as the start of your freedom as a young adult. There are going to be pictures you’ll look at over and over again and every time you watch GoT you’ll think, I’ve been there and all my friends were there and I had an amazing time.
We were swimming in the ocean, with the stars above us and the people we love surrounding us. We said that ‘this is the moment we are going to look back at in a week, a month, a year and just a few more years beyond that; and we are going to miss it.’ And oh how right we were. So don’t take your first holiday for granted, go absolutely wild and don’t regret a single moment. It’s a time to leave all your pain and worries behind. It’s time to be surrounded by the people you love and to not stop laughing. I would do anything to be back on holiday with friends I have made since Year 7. I can only hope that it was as much fun for them as it was for me.
So I wish you good luck on your first lad’s holiday and I wish you the very best time. For these are the memories that are going to be with you forever.
#Croatia2016 #SnakePit #ILoveYouGuys
Go Nuts Guys
#Croatia2016 #SnakePit #ILoveYouGuys
Go Nuts Guys