travel planner - Create your post-vacation high





Remember the days leading up to your vacation? A month to go, two weeks to go, one week to go... Never ending deadlines do not seem difficult to meet and todo lists suddenly become fun. “Anticipation of travel includes obsessive planning, reading up hotel reviews online, looking at pictures of places we intend to visit, reading about the culture, food or simply imagining ourselves enjoying there. This creates a feeling of `want' which makes us happy,“ says Vikram Ahuja, founder of an experience-focused travel start-up.

The only problem with any holiday is that like all good things, it eventually comes to an end. And then comes the dreaded post-vacation blues ­ dullness, stress of returning to pile of work, irritability, anxiety, inability to focus on work and lack of motivation. “All the happiness and sense of peace that was kicking within you seems like a far-off memory. All in all, it's a battle between your left brain, that wants you to accept reality and the right, that loves dreaming on,“ says avid traveller Rahul D Narang. But what's the point of taking out all that time to go to beautiful places and spending a bomb on your vacation if it fails to keep you happy even for a week after the trip?

PLAN A STRESS-FREE VACATION
A study, published in the journal Applied Research in Qualit of Life revealed that a simple act of planning a vacation gives a boost to happiness that quickly drops back to baseline levels once the vacation is over. “Also, when your vacation is stressful and poorly-planned, you end up experiencing `zero' post-trip benefit. Hence, make sure everything is in place ­ find out in advance about good places to eat local food, buses to take within the city, best place for currency ex change etc. This way you wouldn't have to go through last-minute hassles and you'll return with more energy at work and more meaning in your life,“ says Ahuja. Avid traveller Upkar S Sharma feels the level of postvacation happiness is dependent on the likes one re ceives on sharing photos or statuses while travelling. He says, “It's important to be mindful of absorbing your surroundings and not become overly engrossed in `sharing' them.“

SET A LIMIT
You're certainly obligated to return to work after a good holiday, but that doesn't mean it's all work, no play. “Since you've missed out on a lot of stuff, an overload of email and social media can be stressful. Be conscious of how many hours you wish to be plugged in, and set a boundary.For example, decide that you will not check your emails post din ner ­ that means no work before going to bed. Switch off your cellphone for a couple of hours post 6 pm. This will make you feel more in control,“ says travel blogger Sachin Bhandary. Also, stay away from mindless internet surfing. If you don't do it when you're on vacation, why do it at home? Continue with the media curfew by not watching TV. Take time out in the evening to read a book, call a friend or go for a walk.

ORGANISE YOUR PHOTOS
While you may find it hard to accept that you are indeed back to the daily grind, the positive aspect of it is that you now have new memories with you. Relive the time you spent away and experience the positive feeling you had during your travel. “Before you forget the rich details of your trip, spare some time to unload, organise, edit and share your snaps. Buy yourself a digital pho to frame and let your photos play in the form of a slideshow that you can watch whenever you feel a bit low,“ says Matthew Am roliwala, BBC World news presenter.

EXPLORE YOUR CITY
You may be driving to work every day, but have you really noticed that old fort? Chances are that you aren't familiar with your own city. Set out to explore it.

FLAUNT YOUR SOUVENIRS
One of the important strategies for holding onto the just-back-from-va cation glow is the smart placement of all your vacation momentos to let the vibe of the place surround you. “If you've bought yourself any souvenirs like fridge magnets, crafty diaries, coffee maker, or just a pen-stand, start incorporating these items in your daily life. Pin the boarding passes or the movie tick ets from Berlin on the softboard of your work desk,“ says tea connoisseur Sumit Shah. Wearing clothes acquired on vacation also helps a lot. Got a rustic, wooden bangle from Rajasthan or a boho hippie skirt from Goa? Wear it and you'll feel like you are wearing the memories.

PLAN THE NEXT ONE
Don't wait for exhaustion to weigh you down before you start planning your next trip. In fact, start your research rightaway.The earlier you start looking, the better deals you get, both in terms of flight tickets and accommodation. Businesswoman Sana Chopra says, “A lot of people meet strangers who become close friends. If you are among them, plan a reunion with them.“ Right after you come back from a vacation is also a good time to make mental notes of all the mistakes you may have made and wouldn't want to repeat while planning future trips. And lastly, remember that if you were always on a vacation, there'd be nothing to look forward to!

Carry a journal
A well-planned holiday is an accomplishment, even though all you probably did was laze around the pool of your hotel. Hence, instead of being discontent, it's important to be ready to set new goals and take on new challenges after a trip. “Personally, I am a big believer in travel's ability to facilitate personal growth. You are often more creative and imaginative when you are travelling. Carry a journal to note down your ideas and career goals for life. This way your trip gifts you a vision for the future. So rather than feeling sad and nostalgic post the holiday, you will look forward to putting your new ideas into action,“ says travel blogger Sachin Bhandary.





From skating rinks and a kiddies’ zoo to mazes and exotic plants

Glorious Gardens

From skating rinks and a kiddies’ zoo to mazes and exotic plants, Gustasp and Jeroo Irani take you through some of the world’s most luxurious gardens

Timeless splendours A girl, set in stone, sits on a boulder and gazes out at the Pacific Ocean venting its fury on a rocky coastline in Vancouver’s 1,001-acre Stanley Park. An open-sided horse-drawn carriage filled with smiling faces trundles by. A shaggy dog, with its owners in tow, struggles to break free of its leash and give chase to the gaggle of Canadian geese that that has congregated on the lawns in front of a fountain-spouting pond. In the heart of this green oasis is a restaurant-café; nature pours in through its glass walls and keeps the guests dining here company. Elegance in simplicity As you climb up a stairway that ducks under an archway in a bamboo forest at the Kodai-ji Temple Gardens in Kyoto, Japan, you get a sense of entering a sacred space. At one of the oldest and holiest shrines in Japan, you’ll find lawns of raked sand, rather than grass; reflections of trees in water bodies; scattered rocks and more. Even the postures of the pagoda roof shrines are muted, in keeping with the quiet divinity of the temple complex. Nestled in the complex is a teahouse, where it is said the shogun who financed the building of the shrine would conduct tea ceremonies. Year-round paradise The percussion of horse hooves pounding the paved pathway blends with the buzz of a city of skyscrapers. In spring, cherry blossoms paint the green lawns with licks of pink. A little girl befriends a statue of a founding father as her indulgent grandfather looks on. Seals frolic in a pond at the entrance of a kiddies’ zoo. Central Park, the 843-acre nature reserve, is studded with lakes and ponds in the heart of New York’s bustling Manhattan district. In summer, it provides a stage for open-air theatre groups and world-famous orchestras. In autumn, the trees are aflame with fall colours, while in winter the park is transformed into a snowy wonderland complete with an ice-skating rink. Sun-kissed gardens A country squire would feel at home strolling through the lawns of the 1,000-acre Tatton Park near Chester, UK. He would nod approvingly at the maze that is so much a part of traditional English gardens; stop to admire sculpted bushes; pluck a plump tomato from the kitchen garden... Memories of his overseas posting would flood in as he strolled through a tropical forest re-created in a glasshouse. Tucked behind a cluster of trees that stud the rolling meadows, is the Tudor home of the Egerton family. Enjoy a cuppa on the pillared veranda or a fine-dining experience at The Stables. Exotic oasis While Ooty, the Queen of the Hills, has suffered from random unplanned development, the Botanical Gardens have managed to remain an oasis of sanity. Though relatively small—55 acres—the botanical garden is home to numerous species of trees, plants and herbs. Its lawns are studded with ancient trees whose twisted trunks betray their age. Hot houses explode with the colour of exotic flowering plants in bloom. The fossilised stump of a tree (believed to be 20 million years old), in front of a flowering clock, reminds visitors that the river of time connects the past with the present.