A wonderful weekend (away)

How do you make a bad week instantly better? Plan a trip out of town. For a decade now, that’s been my fail-safe way to chase away workday blues. Here’s how I do it (so you can too)

How do you make a bad week instantly better? Plan a trip out of town. For a decade now, that’s been my fail-safe way to chase away workday blues. Here’s how I do it (so you can too)

Pack your pillow: When packing for a weekend, take EVERYTHING you need to make it indulgent. For me, that means my own pillow and blanket. For real shut-eye, carry an eye mask too.

Carry your own ice: One of the joys of a weekend break is having a real sundowner. But very often, resorts fall short when it comes to supplying lots and lots of ice. My solution: carry at least 10 kg in an icebox. Works nicely for cold water too.

Plan an activity: It’s nice to be lazy, but it’s even nicer to plan an active weekend. If the resort has no adventure facilities, go for a long walk.

Take your music: You’d never set off on a long drive without the right music, so why stop once you get there? A two-in-one works fine, but we carry our Bose system and a stabiliser. An iPod’s fine too.

Carry dessert: Not all resorts offer dessert. So carry your own – chocolate and mithai work fine.