A little planning goes a long way

PLANNING a holiday isn’t as straightforward as it seems – book a tour, pack your bags and fly away.

There are a myriad of nitty-gritty details to see to but you should be able to get everything in order without much undue stress if you are aware of the pitfalls to avoid.

It should fit your budget nicely

Even if you’ve managed to nab a great travel deal, don’t be too happy – yet. Get your calculator out and start adding up all the other “hidden costs” such as travel insurance, spending money, travel necessities like warm clothing and trekking shoes, tips for guides, drivers and porters, car rental fees and optional tours.

All these could add up to quite a tidy sum, especially if everything’s multiplied several times over.

there’s still plenty of time to…

Never procrastinate. Somehow, many of us never learn and therefore suffer the consequences of getting things done at the last minute. There’s always 1,001 things to do before a trip, especially if you are busy with work as well. It’s never too early to get your passport renewed, apply for that visa, book the hotels, pack your luggage, get that jab and so on.

Even if you make use of a packing list, there will be at least a couple of things you will need to shop around for. Get everything out of the way as soon as possible so that you can have a worry-free start to your holiday.

It would be more romantic to go it on your own

Obviously, most honeymooning couples would rather travel on their own than with a busload of strangers. But if you think backpacking around Europe for a few weeks as a twosome is romantic, think again.

Being “on your own” means having to make countless decisions every step of your journey – and that is stressful if you don’t see eye-to-eye because you have yet to learn more about each other.

And this could very well make for a tumultuous start to your relationship instead of the relaxing, lovey-dovey time you’ve hoped for. – The Straits Times / Asia News Network