A HOLIDAY - "The best laid plans of mice and men"

A "Holiday" It means - a time when someone does not go to work or school but is free to do what they want, such as travel or relax – as per the Cambridge dictionary.

For me when I select a holiday I select on the basis of what I want to experience and I select a hotel which will provide me with the ability to enjoy that holiday. A few years back I travelled to Argentina and Chile to experience wine and culture, the hotels I chose were small on technology and intense on experiences. I went in September so it was the end of winter and I was travelling from the Caribbean, I had to plan So that I had a holiday of a lifetime see what I want and doing a majority of what I had ambition to do. TV was not on the list as I wanted to be out, Electronic door access was not needed as I was not staying in my room or on the resort all the time. A quaint reliable and trustworthy hotel was key. 

Of course I planned as much as I could, but I planned on the premise of selecting things for me (I travelled alone) I wanted to experience as much local items as I could which I would not get a abroad, but on some parts of the holiday I wanted to spoil myself so I stayed at a Relain & Chateau hotel (Cavas wine lodge - spoilt rotten). No TV, no electronic key cards, the only major electronics (apart from lights etc) was speaker system and Nespresso machine. But I had a roof top day bed with fire place, Outdoor pool, between the vineyards, local products, Rooms built with Argentinian wares. It was what I needed to enjoy my time as I was out exploring (As driving open roads relaxes me as well)

If I selected a hotel with all these special gadgets and accessibilities then I would have literally wasted my money or lost out on experiences and I had all the experiences because I made time and selected a place that provided it. The most advance technology I needed was my smart phone!

We rely on technology so much in this day and age, it is used to make life easier on us and make day to day matters simpler. Yes, I can agree on that for many things but when it comes to tourism and holidays the more technology we use while on holiday the less you can actually relax!

Preparing to go on holiday with the mindset of living it like you live you do at home then you need to really think about where you want to take your vacation and the type of property you will stay at. 

If you think about it when you go away you are going away to put your mind at ease, detox and unwind (PLUS PLENTY MORE). You need to pick an environment that will suit what you plan to do and aim to do. For example, going to Belize, it is a third world country, it doesn’t have the options a NY, London or LA will have, so if you are expecting this then you are going to be very disappointed this will affect how you feel after the Vacation. But if you go somewhere like Cancun where you have a wider variety of services then you are likely to find the lifestyle you live in similar environments. 

Tourist industry supplies a large variety of places to spend your holiday from inns, motels, B&B, hotels, Boutique, luxury hotels, Airbnb and private villas. 

Firstly, you have to have that solid date and work to make that time frame, then you have to know what you want from this holiday, is it to either relax, remember, talk about or simply enjoy you need to have a plan! That plan being “what do I want to achieve” on this holiday? 

-       Is this holiday a once in a life time event? 

-       Will I return to this location?

-       Am I going to indulge my senses? 

-       What is the aim of this vacation?

o   Education, adventure, relax, etc.

Am I going to explore, pamper myself, indulge, stay on the property, a bit of everything or learn and experience. Once you have this in mind then you can start to break down your holiday essentials. 

-       How much do I want to spend? 

-       What percentage of my time do I want to stay on the property 

-       Does the property have plenty to keep me occupied?

-       Is there a good amount of options surrounding the hotel to give variety? 

-       Will this hotel satisfy my needs mentally, socially and physically?

-       Do I want to be spoilt in a unique way?

By putting all of these on the table you can plan ahead of the event and actually have a holiday to remember! Yes, not everyone can afford everything but if you make that plan instead of all these last-minute details. 

During the course of planning I am sure that you will overload your itinerary and probably end up confusing yourself. So, go back to the plan “what do I want to achieve” and pick the main items you want to do! Then reserve them (but not back to back) if they come in an all-day adventure then so be it. REMEMBER IT’S A HOLIDAY, it’s not a rush around experience so talk to the people who are literally in the place you are going to visit. Thats where you will get true advice, visiting sites who give advice on what they experienced can actually do more harm to the holiday than help because their holiday was created on their terms and influences, yes by all means use it as a guide but remember "IT IS YOUR HOLIDAY.

To make an everlasting memory on a holiday it is no different than planning a birthday surprise or dinner with friend. Yes, it may involve far more detail but when all is said and done are you happy with what you have prepared. Don't be side tracked if you see something the last minute as that could put your adventure into turmoil. When you get to your destination you will find a way to set it in to the trip, because you have been planning already and your destination is set on that plan.

Holidays are great when you know what you want, where you want to go and what you want to do, fitting in changes while on holiday are great to because it adds the dimension of experience to the holiday.

Don't be forced into making options for your holiday, really take the time to plan and aim for it, Benjamin Franklin's quotes: “By failing to plan, you are preparing to fail”. It is also similar to what Winston Churchill said: “He who fails to plan is planning to fail”. Two great world leaders who knew a lot about success against adversity.