'Heart skipped a beat': Today host Sarah Abo made the ultimate travel mistake

Today host Sarah Abo travels the globe for work as well as holidays.

And while she has recently visited some hotspot countries, she isn't always as organised as she thinks she is, she revealed to 9Travel.

A travel disaster struck on the way to Vietnam.

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"I thought I was super organised. I'd packed a couple of days in advance. I'd booked a transfer from work to the airport to ensure I arrived at the airport two hours in advance and made sure all my liquids were separated," she says.

"But while lining up to check in, my heart skipped a beat when my husband pulled out his passport and I suddenly realised that I'd left my passport at home.

"Time stood still, well, I wish it did, while my mind raced through what I was going to do and we begged the airline staff to hold boarding until the very last second, in vain.

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"So I had no choice but to jump in a cab, head back home, grab my passport and race back to the airport hoping I would get to the check in gate in time.

"And thankfully, I did - with only minutes to spare."

Once there she spend a relaxing couple of nights in Ho Chi Minh City and five nights in Hoi An.

"We sat by the pool reading books, relaxing and doing very little else," she said.

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Meanwhile Sarah, who was born in Syria but moved to Victoria as a child has a special place for that state when it comes to holidays.

"As a Victorian, I love to head to the surf coast. We grew up holidaying in Lorne and to this day I love going," she said.

"We visit the surf coast - whether it be Lorne, Torquay or Anglesea - every summer without fail.

"Driving along the Great Ocean Road gives you a taste of the very best Australia has to offer - dense scrub, coastal views and the occasional native wildlife. It's magical."

Meanwhile a trip to Japan last year didn't disappoint.

"We went to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hakone in six days which is a lot, but we wanted to see as much as we could.

"It's such an easy country to get around - their highspeed rail system is sensational.

"It's an orderly place, the food is delicious where ever you eat (the food markets are great) and there are plenty of cool bars around too."

Meanwhile, she had an unusual way to get around while in Paris this year for the Olympics.

It gave her a unique way to see the sights while busy with hosting Today.

"Karl and I were on air from about 10pm until 3.30am every day for three weeks, and we were in the studio a couple of hours before that.

"That basically meant I slept during the day until about midday, caught up on Olympics coverage, had a light lunch then grabbed dinner on the way to the studio.

"I did try to make sure I went for a wander every day for about an hour.

"I would combine a walk with a cycle by hiring one of the many electric bikes around Paris - most days I would use that to cycle to the studio.

"Paris is such an easy city to cycle around - it's pretty flat, there are bike lanes everywhere and everyone there is very conscious of cyclists.

"It meant I could take in the beautiful streets of Paris and the various landmarks along my route."

On her bucket list is another Euro spot, Greece.

And when it comes to packing, her skin care sneakers, comfortable travelling pants and my AirPods are always in her bag.

But she is an over packer.

"For work trips I generally have a rough idea of what I'll be shooting and what's necessary for each shoot - but for holidays, I'm less organised and always overpack.

"My tip - as much for myself as anyone else - is to always pack a couple of days in advance, then remove several items."

Sarah Abo co-hosts Vision Australia's Carols By Candlelight presented by AAMI on Channel 9 and 9Now, December 24 at 8pm AEDT.