Flights to Arecibo, from NT$26,976

If you're not prepared, air travel can be overwhelming. But there's no need to worry. Follow these helpful hints and enjoy a pleasant start to your vacation in Arecibo. What to pack in your hand luggage:

• First, pack your passport, travel docs, cash and daily medications. Next, you'll need some in-flight entertainment to while away the time. A juicy novel and a laptop crammed with your favorite shows are some terrific options. If you hope to catch forty winks, a neck pillow and a pair of earplugs will also be useful. Finally, make room for a few toiletry items to ensure you touchdown feeling fresh as a daisy.

Do not pack the following items in your hand luggage:

• Make sure you don't have sharp objects (like a knife or scissors) lurking in one of the compartments of your carry-on luggage. Other banned items include explosive or flammable goods, like aerosols and matches, and liquids and gels in containers with a capacity of more than 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters).

What to wear on a flight:

• The aisles of an aircraft aren't the place for a fashion parade. Wear layers and choose shoes that are flat and easy to pull on and off.
• It's likely you've heard about deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot condition caused by prolonged periods of inactivity. To lower your risk on board, drink plenty of water, consider wearing compression socks and move your lower limbs often.

The trick is to be organized before you arrive at the airport security gate. That way, you'll be stepping onto that plane to Arecibo in no time flat. Follow these tips and get your vacation off to a terrific start:

• Keep your passport and boarding pass within easy reach. They're the first items you'll be asked to present to security.
• After that, both you and your hand luggage must be X-rayed. To make the process quick and painless, take off anything that might trigger the alarms. Items such as your belt, coat and headphones will be required to go through the machine.
• All your electronic devices, including your tablet and phone, must also be separately scanned.
• Remove liquids and gels from your hand luggage. They often need to be sent through the X-ray scanner separately. Each product should be in a container no larger than 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) and everything must fit inside a quart-size (one liter), clear zip-lock bag.
• There's a good chance you'll be asked to remove your shoes for scanning, so wearing slip-on shoes is always a smart idea.
• Knives and other sharp items are not allowed in the cabin. They'll be seized at security, so put them in your checked baggage.