I usually find that I’m so burnt out by the time I get away on holiday that I have two states - very active and sleeping
Given a completely free choice, if I was going for an active holiday I’d choose Club La Santa on Lanzarote. A typical day there would feature a bike ride in the morning, a siesta after lunch, a swim and/or walk in the early evening and then dinner. After a week or so there, the batteries are fully recharged and I’m usually in great physical shape. The work computer stays at home and I rarely respond to work e-mails.
It’s a private game lodge on the edge of the Kruger and the wildlife viewing is amazing. A typical day starts with a 5am call for the dawn game drive. Back for breakfast and then chill out for the rest of the day until the evening game drive. There is literally nothing to do between game drives but relax, sleep and eat great food. I have seen people go for a run while I’ve been there, but it requires a Land Rover to follow you with a ranger with a rifle, just in case the wildlife decides you look like a tasty meal, so I’ve never bothered myself
for years our main summer holiday activity was the Greek beach doing sweet FA for 2 weeks apart from getting sunburnt, drinking, eating, shagging and sleeping with maybe a bit of sightseeing thrown in if there was anything around. it was a good break from my main sport of rugby and running a business.
but as we were also skiers, we were also attracted to the hills to an extent that we bought a place in Chamonix after many visits there. so summer holidays became mountain holidays which included walking, climbing, mountain biking in some spectacular scenery. so - summer and winter became activity holidays and laying on a Greek beach became a memory.
all this morphed into taking the MTBs on far distant trips - Thailand, Mexico, Peru (incl hiking the Inca Trail) - and climbing Mt Blanc, Kilimanjaro and Aconcagua (failure). skiing became ski touring. all our breaks had some big activity built in - later Ironman trips into Europe and US (just Florida). bike trips became a little more exploratory (Southern India, Saigon to Bangkok on MTB - Bangkok to Phuket by road bike).
eventually we sold up in Chamonix (still a big regret but right to do so at the time) and bought a motorhome and we now either ski or bike from that but it also gives us freedom to explore. a 6 week trip through the Balkans last autumn was the last big trip.
in our late 60s we’re scaling back our exercise activities now and my dodgy ticker has held me back from going full bore. getting the dog 7 weeks ago has given us a new excuse to get our lazy arses out of bed in the morning and walk with him. this will become the new exercise norm and we can also take him in the motorhome with us although we might kennel him for ski trips. the bonkers days may be over but we’ll always have some activity going on until infirmity stops us. as they say, we’ll stop when we drop.
we’ve always found activity hols are great for switching off from the shite back in the UK as you are usually focused on either not falling off/over something, crashing into something, or just staying alive!
The works stress for me is always a massive thing. As has been said by others - work like a dog to be in a position to go, first 3/4 days destressing, anxiety before coming back and with emails piling up in the meantime.
Best holiday I ever had was Hawaii - jet lag meant I woke every morning at 5, a couple of hours of work by which time it was 6pm in UK and emails had stopped and could enjoy the rest of the day.
Always take my running gear - Mrs T now getting into her running so that works well.
Best holiday times are over Easter and Christmas/New Year when everything else stops.
I actually go the other way. Although noting the impacts of work 3/4 days before and the looming return I much preferred to take my holidays when it’s busy (although never allowed leave at the Uber peak periods around year and quarter ends).
In particular working through Christmas gave me a few low stress work days to actually get on top of stuff, tick off a few tasks that never made priority while emails, audios and daily crises did not happen and take long lunches and leave at a reasonable time. Things backed off in August as well.
My annual leave was better spent during busier times.
we didn’t honeymoon until 4 years after we got married as the week after our wedding we were moving into our 1st house purchase so had lots to do (plus money was tight so it was a choice between house or holiday).
so the day after our wedding I was at the 7 a side rugby tournament at my (then) club. not sure Mrs FB has ever forgiven me for that!
