Holidays are those little windows of sunshine in our lives- lives that for most people consist of a pretty uncheerful nine to five toiling and slaving and ordering the cents off, submitted to extreme deadlines and the whims and fancies of moody chiefs. They are the three weeks of the year when office bodies the world over morph into the individual, free brave person they always supposed themselves to be- a time to kicking back, a time to let loose and a time to raise above the mediocrity of average.



Its the little singultus that can laying waste a holiday. We've all had them before- they happen very well, yet have hurtful results. You forgot to check the time zones and neglected the flight by an hour. The reference number for your tour has mysteriously melted. You didn't sustain your booking, the flight is overbooked and because you got there so late you've been bumped and settled on alternate. You forgot which hotel you engaged into. The hotel has no record of you... did you even book at all? Its a planning thing really- a well thought out and well planned holiday will run smoothly nine times out of ten so long as you remember the small details.

Of course there are some things that go wrong which we have no control over. Lost baggage is the scourge of air travellers everywhere, and is tied to happen to you at least once in your lifetime. In fact there is a 1 in 150 chance that when you travel internationally your luggage is going to be missing. So try to pack anything valued or releasing in your hand luggage and keep it on you. Medication is a no brainer, no one wants to be seperated from that. If your luggage does get lost, let the airline know straight away, but don't be too hopeful about getting any compensation.

When seeing poorer third world countries the issue of theft rears its fearful head. It encounters everywhere of course, but is more common in these places. We are all on a budget when we journey, and to have that interrupted by the loss of a wad of cash or a pocketbook can be miserable to the trip, as can the theft of travel documents like passports. The best way to keep off cutpurses is to try not to look like a tourist, because tourists always take cash. Avoid those stupid 'bum handbags,' choose alternatively for an invisible money belt or large pockets on your pants with zips on. Carrying cash altogether is a bad idea- this is the new millennium and ATM's are everyplace.

The quickest ticket to a wrecked holiday is you or someone in your family getting terrible.Try to head off urgently dodgy looking restaurants, and especially in third world countries stay away from water not served in a bottle. Ask for your soft drinks to be served without ice, as ice can still harbour the bugs that was in the water. Do your homework on wherever you are inspecting and find out what the average illnesses there are, and what preventative medicine to take. Prevention is better than heal, especially if you are in remote regions.

Just a bit of concern and carefulness and a lot of planning can go a long way to ensuring your holiday doesn't drop into a perfect nightmare. Lets present it, you deserve to enjoy a winning break and so should do everything in your power to make sure you get one. A gadget like the Travel Planner can help give you peace of mind when you travel, and peace of mind can go a long way to easing travel tensities. If factors out of your control destroy your vacation, dont be too despondent... chances are they wont occur twice in a row, so gear up and get ready for your next.