Unless we live by the beach already (if so, how lucky are you?) then most of us envisage some kind of water involved in our vacation, whether that’s spending two weeks lying by a pool with a book in your hand or hurtling down a mountain at a million miles an hour. But there are a number of different watery vacations – how do you figure out which one you should go for?
A Beach Vacation
Pros: If you need to relax and destress then there is absolutely nothing better than a beach vacation. We all have busy lives, from our families to our jobs to our relationships – and some time to relax in the sun is welcomed by pretty much everyone. If you really want to chill out and catch up on your reading and spend some great quality family time together then a beach vacation is right for you.
Cons: If you get easily bored then a beach vacation might not be for you unless you make sure that you plan fun activities most days so that you have plenty to do. In addition, if you have kids then they might end up getting a little restless if your main plans are to spend a lot of time at the beach or by the pool.
A Water Sports Vacation
Pros: If you love a little adrenaline getting your heart pumping fast then there’s nothing better than a water sports vacation. You could learn to surf, practise your waterskiing or try going kayaking or canoeing – if you want to find out more about the basics then check out GetKayak.com for more information. Water sports can be great fun for your whole family – your kids will love it and throw themselves into it.
Cons: If you aren’t the strongest swimmer in the world, then water sports probably aren’t for you. Even if you’re wearing a life jacket, you might not feel particularly confident in the water, so your enjoyment of what you’re doing will be considerably lessened. This is a lot easier to deal with if you’ve taken a beach vacation where you can choose to lie in the sun all day instead – but if your family wants to spend a week by a lake water-skiing and kayaking then it might not be the right vacation fit for you.
A Skiing Vacation
Pros: The mountains are some of the most gorgeous landscapes in the world. From the snowy peaks to the bright blue skies, you’ll spend just as much time wanting to take photographs as you will skiing. If you love the cold weather and you’re into the idea of a sporty, active vacation then skiing or snowboarding might just be for you. Remember that it’s addictive so you’ll probably find yourself coming back next winter too!
Cons: If you’ve never skied or snowboarded before, the first day of a winter sports vacation might not be the best time to start, so you should always make sure that you go to a dry ski slope and get the basics down so you don’t spend too many days of your precious vacation wobbling wildly and ending up sitting on your butt in the snow! Winter sports vacations can end up being pretty expensive too, so be sure to budget carefully.