"How did you find out about...?"
"Where did you find the hotel / restaurant / idea?"
Well, first I have to say I am just curious, interested in pretty much everything. As a kid, I heard names like Timbuktu (it's in Mali, Africa) and Constantinople (Istanbul); I saw photos of the Moai on Easter Island and the Torii in Japan.
Second, I read a lot, which leads to new ideas and places.
Third, I just like to explore.
So I have like a million places I want to go, and some background information in my head. (Often my background info is a random mix of worthless information, preconceived ideas and just plain stereotypes.)
The internet is a wonderful thing, and not just for the ability to set up your own trips and save money. Just the sheer volume of information alone is amazing. Try this: think of a place, just any place you would like to visit.
Bhutan.
Type the name into Google. If you look at the images search, you will find places that you must see.
Tiger Monastery.
Click over to maps and look around.
Hey! Lhasa, Tibet is not that far away...
There we go, the basic outline of a trip.
So, start reading. I keep a MS Word document open to drag over interesting paragraphs or photos. I will also set up a bookmark folder and start bookmarking any interesting sites. Maybe a trip to Barnes and Nobles to see if they have any books to flip through. Look through photos on google search or Pinterest or Flikr, and see if there are any blogs specific to the area.
Gotta think about a time frame: One week? Three? Two months?
Get a rough price on airfare, and just look at any random hotel or guesthouse websites for a rough price. Make a really rough budget and add 20% to it.
Now, refine your search. There are certain websites I use to look for information on countries, like Lonely Planet, or official visitor web sites for specific cities, countries, states or attractions.
*Note - there are a lot of "visitor" pages that are tied to a specific tour agency, hotel or advertising. Look carefully for the "official" page.
Thinking about places to stay, I look at TripAdvisor, read Rick Steves' books (for Europe) and go through the "Graffiti Wall" link on his website, other guides, tourism websites (noted above) and so on. I am looking for smaller, family run places. They usually have warm hosts, cozy rooms, extra services (bikes for loan, help securing bus tickets, beach towels) often serve great food or can tell you where to get it, and they do not break the budget. Plus, I like supporting a local family rather than a corporation. Other options are couch surfing and AirBNB. Sometimes I just run across a place mentioned in a blog post.
BUT:
I always figure out how to contact the owner directly, through their website or email, as opposed to going through a third-party website like a link to a hostel website, from an ad on Lonely Planet.
For example: I read about a place in Lhasa, on TripAdvisor, under the B&B tab. I read the comments, look at photos, figure out my top 3 choices and then search for the places themselves on google so I can contact them directly.
This seems like a lot, but once you establish your own list of bookmarked web sites and resources, it is pretty fast and easy to find places to visit, stay, and things to do.