The summer vacations are almost over. Some of us have returned from sojourns within or outside India. After dreaming endlessly of a break from the dreary home-workplace-home routine, you were finally on a vacation. Only to discover that after changing currencies and running from monument to museum, you’re dead tired and longing for your own bedroom. So, ask yourself.why is ‘taking it easy’ such hard work?“The pressure to do everything just kills it,” says Anshu Khanna, an entrepreneurwho shudders at the recollectionof a whirlwind trip to Europe with her three children. Khanna decided to visit Paris,London,DublinandVienna in just 20 days. “We were constantly rushing from airports to hotels to airports ,” a harried Khanna recalls. She then adds with a firmness that borders on the fervent: “My kids were jetlagged, cranky and screaming for dal chawal. Neveragain.”Most of us have fallen victim to the Khanna holiday routine. Our vacations, especially those outside the country, have planned itineraries with every minute accounted for. We don’t wake up at home at 7 am, but we do on holidays because we have to cram in all the sites listed in Lonely Planet. Whichever part of the world we’re in, we shop and spend our days lugging bags in some stifling mall. Kicking up your heels and chilling is just not part of the holiday plan.“Indians are just not conditioned to relax,” says Gauri Malhana, a travel planner with makemytrip.com. Malhana suggests half-day sightseeing expeditions to combat fatigue. “Surprisingly, even the mature Indian traveller wants non-stop activity,” she says.Businessman Sanjay Gupta spent months planning the perfect vacation to Egypt. High expectations made the let-down especially hard to bear. Gupta spent most of his holiday standing in never-ending queues under the blazing sun to buy tickets to Egypt’s famed historical sights. “Touts climbed on the bonnet of the taxi at the airport itself,” says Gupta gloomily. “I felt I never left India.”The killer is when you book a hotel on the Internet and it’s nothing like the photograph in reality. Disappointment is part of the vacation package. You might as well be philosophical about the cabbie taking you on a ride the first day. So, wise up and make some enquiries on the rates.Of course, if you really want to test your nerves, try a holiday with a bunch of friends. And their kids. Unless they’re all perfectly behaved angels, it’s unlikely you’ll manage to have any fun at all. Finding activities that suit everyone’s budgets is an exercise in itself. It becomes tough to take time out to genuinely appreciate the beauty around you. So, remember to sit back and soak in the atmosphere.Arjun Sawhney, who runs a public relations firm, went to Phuket with a gang of 40 people. “It was one big party,” he says. “But after a few days, you’re desperate to be on your own.” Thetrickistobeflexible.If you’re enjoying your time at the flea market, don’t leave it because you’re determined not to tick things off your to-do list. If you’re travelling with kids, work out a compromise on what they want to do. Since most of us have a budget, a couple of impulsive purchases will stress you out. Leave the shopping for the last day.Since regular vacations are filled with frenetic activity, vacationers find that they don’t help one recharge and rejuvenate. So, weekend travel is growing rapidly. Now, people like to go for quick breaks to yoga retreats and spas, which are specifically geared towards relaxing. A three-day holiday to unwind somewhere is hugely popular with the stressed out executive. No major planning, you know what to expect, and mercifully, there’s nothing to see.Of course, there’s nothing like a holiday. But for that, throw away the straitjacket.
