5 Ways to Have the Best Vacation Ever

You might think any time off work and away from home makes for a great vacation and while that is definitely the first step, we know some ways to ensure you have the best vacation. Being in the travel industry, we see our share of vacation fails so we put together a list of things to do, or not do, so you can have your best trip yet. 

1 – Pack less. Packing lightly saves you a lot of stress. If you start with the essentials and add just a few more items, you won’t have to cringe when they weigh your luggage at the airport. No one wants to pay those fees for being two pounds over the weight limit. We are tempted to pack something for each scenario we come across but most likely, you won’t wear 50% of what you wanted to bring. You also want to leave room to bring back any purchases or souvenirs you made. 

2 – Leave your work at home. Sometimes we can only take a trip if we do a little work while we are there. If you can’t get out of it, that’s fine! But set aside time just for work. Try making your work time early in the trip so you can relax the rest of the time. That goes for all online time. You don’t want to miss anything because your face is inches from your phone. Make a plan ahead of time to have allotted screen time. Get your social media, emails, or keeping tabs on everyone else out of the way and put your phone away. Enjoy the moment! 

3 – Apply sunscreen often. One of the biggest vacation fails is getting sunburnt. This can ruin anyone’s trip. Everyone is excited to get to the beach so you run down there but you don’t have any sunblock on and you haven’t been in the sun in months. You’re so relaxed you take a nap and wake up burnt to a crisp. This little mistake will cost you. It hurts to put your clothes back on, you can’t sleep because you’re so uncomfortable, forget about hot tubs, and you either can’t go back to the beach with your friends or you do but are stuck under an umbrella the whole day while everyone else is in the water. WEAR SUNSCREEN! Apply it before you go down to the beach to get full coverage and keep applying it throughout the day for full protection. 

4 – Treat yourself. Most of us don’t get to take several vacations throughout the year so when we do get to take one, it’s a big deal. You’ve been saving up so you can have a great time and looking forward to fine dining, maybe a spa day, and total relaxation. When you take a look at the menus you suddenly second guess yourself and think about all the bills you have to pay when you get home. We’re here to tell you to treat yourself! You work hard all year and this is your time to put worries aside. One massage at the spa isn’t going to break you. A sailing lesson isn’t something you can take just anywhere. And you probably don’t splurge on dinner every night at home. So live a little and don’t feel guilty about it!

5 – Go with the flow. Everyone wants to make the most of their vacation. You have a limited amount of time to see and do everything and that takes planning. However, a strict itinerary takes the fun out of it! And when you get a wrench in your plan, it can cause unnecessary stress. Try picking one or two things out that you really want to do (and let the rest of your crew choose theirs) and go with the flow the rest of the time. Lowering your expectations and being flexible will make your trip much more enjoyable. 

There really is no wrong way to take on a Bald Head Island vacation but these are a few tips that can help you avoid some bumps in the road. Now you just have to choose from our luxury properties and we’ll see you soon! 

Published on Wednesday, July 5, 2017