What to pack - clothing

• Pack pieces of clothing that compliment each other. Black dresses up easily and is less prone to showing wrinkles and dirt than other colours.

• Skirts are cool to wear in hot weather but can also be dressed up more than shorts or dressed down with jandals or sneakers for a casual day.

• Take one pair of comfortable walking shoes, and a pair of shoes that you can wear for a dressy occasion, and if you are going somewhere warm - rubber jandals are great and can be worn on the beach, in the shower, around the shops and even in place of slippers.

• A cotton hat that is wide brimmed and can be rolled into your suitcase is ideal for sunny weather days.

• Leave your valuable jewellery at home so you are not a target for thieves. You can easily add a bit of fashionable sparkle to an ordinary outfit by popping some cheap earrings on,  or add scarves and pashmina's for a dash of chic colour. If you plan on a lot of walking and tourist exploration, purchase a hidden money belt before you go.

• Packing socks inside your shoes saves space in your case and also helps protect the shape of your shoes.

• You can often find reversible swimsuits in stores and these are a great way to change your beach look.

• A sarong is perfect as a beach cover-up but can also be worn as a skirt and if you're a little nifty with your wrapping and tying, you might even be able to fashion a cute wrap dress out of it.
  

What to pack - toiletries

• If you are staying in a hotel, they will supply soap and shampoo so you can save space by leaving these at home.

• If you are on the contraceptive pill, don't forget to make sure you have enough packs to last the duration of your holiday and be sure to coincide the taking of your pill with your usual pill-taking time as best as possible.

• Forget packing sunscreen, moisturiser and foundation - purchasing a good tinted Moisturiser with high SPF sunscreen will save you much space in your toilet bag.

• Shampoos and conditioners can be transferred to smaller sized travel bottles to get you through your trip. Always double bag them, in a zipper sealed Glad bag then in a cosmetics bag. There are two many horror stories of clothes being ruined by leaked fake tan.

Other items to pack

• Check if you will need a plug converter for your hairdryer.

• Some hotels don't have a deadbolt on the hotel room doors. Taking a rubber door stop to wedge under the door provides a little extra security.

• Pack a couple of wire coat-hangers in your suitcase and clip a few clothes-pins to them - they are handy when you need to hand-wash small items and let them air dry in your hotel room.

Packing tips

• Try rolling your clothing - it helps prevent those tell-tale fold creases.

• Drycleaning bags and tissue paper are also great wrinkle preventers... Use tissue to separate items of clothing.

• Pack an extra set of clothes and essential sundries in a small carry on - you never know when your bag will go missing!

Be first to comment this article

Only registered users can write comments.

Please login or register.