Ways to manage your travel expectations

After months of planning and saving, you have so many expectations. You can't wait to finally catch your flights, check into the hotel and start sipping mimosas by the beach as the sun sets.

To be honest, we have great expectations when going on holiday. The food, meeting the locals, shopping, sightseeing you mention it. Some of us go as far as putting together an itinerary of activities to make sure everything goes as planned and we don't miss out on anything.

Unfortunately, despite all that effort things don't always go as planned.

You will experience some delays in the airport, your luggage may get lost or left behind in another country or worse, the street food you couldn't wait to try out gave you food poisoning and now you're unwell in a foreign country.

Can it get worse? Well, hopefully not if you manage your expectations to avoid disappointments. Here is how you can do that:

Before you set your eyes on certain sites or a resort you would want to stay in while on holiday, do your due diligence. Some places have to be booked in advance to avoid long queues and make reservations otherwise you will be very disappointed.

If you have any dietary needs or a small child, find out if the hotel you will be staying at can accommodate your requirements before booking.

Don't be too rigid and get upset when things don't go accordingly. Otherwise, this may ruin your entire holiday.

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Certain things may happen that are beyond your control. For instance, an accident, someone falling ill or weather changes may put your outdoor excursions on hold.

Don't be too rigid and just go with the flow. Remember you are there to unwind and relax.

If you're going to a certain destination because of pictures you saw on Instagram or a magazine you may be in for a rude surprise.

These companies pick the best-curated photos to entice you to go there. This creates a false perception and results in illusions of grandeur.

Pick the Taj Mahal for instance, it may look so good on paper but once there you will realize it is so overcrowded you cannot even take a photo where you want.

By now you should know how fast money goes through the drain while on holiday. Just because you have paid for the hotel, activities and everything else you want to participate in does not mean going hands-free.

Avoid extra charges on your card and use cash instead. Dollars and local currencies of where you will be vacationing will be enough should an emergency arise or should you want to make some purchases or do something outside the itinerary.

The best picture you can get about any place is to talk to someone you trust about their experience there and what you should be on the lookout for.

They will give you much better information than you can get online or from the travel agent who's trying to sell you a package.