Seven foolproof formulas for a better holiday

Familiar with the expression ‘too many cooks’? The same could be said for travel. Cram your trip full of experiences and it could spoil it. It’s tempting to over-plan, of course, as a new place demands to be explored. However, if you accept that you simply can’t do every museum, beach or restaurant, then you’ll swerve the decision fatigue, not to mention the exhaustion of schlepping from A to B to C – on repeat.

Instead of always thinking about what to do next, choose one central activity per day and wrap it around with swimming, sunbathing and siestas. Do less, do better and breathe!

Whether you’re holidaying solo or en masse, meals are a high point. Sitting down to a sun-ripened salad or fragrant curry isn’t just a chance to savour local tastes and traditions, but an opportunity to slow down, swap stories and break some rules (desserts on holiday don’t count, right?).

But whether you’re eating at a street food market, family-run taverna or in the hotel buffet, put a meal framework in place to save time, money and stress. Sandwich activity days with a quick breakfast and an early dinner. Planning a ‘slow day’? That calls for a leisurely brunch and a late-into-the-night feast. Lunch? Keep that ad hoc.

A holiday is as much about restoring energy as it is about first-time adventuring. But how do you combine the wind-down with expanding your world view? Easy. Adopt the 50 per cent buffer zone so you only plan for half of your trip, leaving the remainder for flexibility, contingency and even a little spontaneity.

To make life easier, do this on a day-to-day basis – mornings you see the sights, afternoons are for piña coladas poolside, massages in the spa or simply embracing the stillness. This way, if you suddenly have a whim for gelato in the piazza or a spin on water-skis, you can. Go halves and you’ll reap the rewards.

You glance at Google Maps to check on the day’s sightseeing route. Woah! Whoever organised the itinerary had ambitious plans – you won’t be smashing your daily step count, more likely your weekly target. With a multi-generation group/hot weather/crowds, instead of going here, there and everywhere, beat the blisters and cortisol spike by geographic clustering – essentially spotlighting one specific area per outing.

Not only can you get beneath the skin of that neighbourhood but you’ll be cutting back on travel time. After all, no one wants to feel so tired that they prioritise bed over end-of-the-day cocktails.

Meet your new holiday mantra: ‘short activities, big impact’. If you stick to micro-adventuring – aka keeping pursuits, sessions and excursions to sub-two hours – it’s a surefire way to get the maximum from your trip. By timetabling shorter windows, you’ll be fully in the moment rather than wondering when it’s all going to an end. Plus, if your day isn’t filled to the brim, it’ll leave room for any spur-of-the-moment fun.

All that said, rules are made to be broken. If everyone is having a blast, then you don’t need to kill the joy by clock-watching. Just let the good times roll…

Theme parks, water sports centres, kids’ clubs, biking, hiking, exploring… Hotels, resorts and holiday destinations are a playground for those with get up and go, and the energetic could easily fill every waking hour. But while it is entirely possible – and tempting in an unfamiliar environment – to be active 24-7, rest matters. Enjoy the high-octane days, but balance them out with gentle-energy time.

These quieter moments – reading on your terrace, sunrise beach yoga – allow you to process the new memories you’ve made, as well as help your mind and body to reset, so you’ll go home feeling replenished.

It might be hard to believe, but sometimes you can have too much of a good thing on holiday. Weave every exhilarating experience into your week and the overflowing itinerary will mean all those colourful new sights, sounds and tastes will flood your brain. The result? It’ll likely merge into one big blur and you’ll find it hard to remember the highlights.

Instead of a chock-full checklist, avoid sensory overload by going slow and scheduling one completely novel escapade per day, keeping the rest of the time for routine activities or repeat visits. Holiday burnout? Not something you want to write home about.