A friend of mine recently booked a holiday to Thailand, she was attracted to the idea of blue sky, white sand and turquoise sea. So without researching the destination properly she booked her holiday. She had not seen the new coverage about the riots in Bangkok, she had no idea about the political upheaval or the curfews that were currently in place. As soon as she told us where she was going me and my friends looked horrified so she quickly asked what was wrong, we then directed her to all the stories online about the problems in Thailand, she still went on the holiday and had an amazing time. The main point to learn from my friend is that you need to research your holiday destination before you go.

Last weekend one of my best friends came back from Borneo, she had been over there for 4 weeks as an extended holiday. But this wasn’t your usual holiday; she went over there to help the endangered orangutans by building walk ways, cleaning the enclosures and feeding the animals too. This was the type of holiday where you experience the amazing culture of Borneo whilst making a difference to an endangered species. Borneo is located just north of Australia and is the third largest island in the world. After seeing my best friends photos of the jungle, the orangutans and how she helped make their struggling existence a better place it certainly does look like a more exciting holiday than just sitting on the beach in Spain!

Once you are on that sun lounger, with a drink in one hand and your favourite book in the other. Do not forget the dangers of lying in the sun for too long.

I know plenty of people who have over indulged on holiday, after lots of great food and a tipple or four!…there is a danger of falling asleep in the sun. Make sure you apply plenty of sun cream in regular intervals. In between alcoholic beverages,  I would recommend drinking plenty of water to keep you hydrated also.

If you spend some time in the sea, always remember to reapply your sun cream.  It can be beneficial to wear a hat and sun glasses as well.

Another tip is to put on an old T-shirt whilst you are on the water and then you have less chance of being burnt. Once back on the beach an umbrella can be used to make sure you have some shade during the hottest parts of the day.

Planning is key to a successful holiday. If you leave everything to the last minute travelling can be very stressful. It is essential to plan ahead and get organised with plenty of time to spare, enabling you to enjoy the experience you have proabably waited along time for.

A few tips with regards to having a stress free start to your holiday. Make sure you organiase your holiday insurance and your currency exchange well in advance of the date you are due to leave. If you are flying, ensure you get to the airport with plenty of tiem to spare, and also arrange how you will be getting home after your return flight. It can be useful to do some research on your destination prior to leaving as a little bit of local knowledge can go along way!

If you are a frequent traveller then no doubt at some point you have suffered the effects of Jetlag. Obviously the length of your journey will determine how severe of minor your jet lag will be. You may be lucky enough not to suffer from it, but if you are one of the unlucky ones it can make journeys abroad difficult. It is important to know how to minimise the impact allowing you to enjoy your holiday or trip, particularly if you are taking a long haul flight and only staying for a few days at your destination.
Airlines are continually striving to make your journey as comfortable as possible, with the introduction of “seat beds” which can be pushed flat once you are in flight. Along with this, pillows and duvets are also offered to help travellers feel refreshed once they get off the flight. Advice suggests you should avoid drinking on the flight and consume water instead. Moving around can also help improve circulation.