A Practical, Respectful, and Stylish Guide to Packing Smart for Your Trip
Written by Kaelie PIscitello
Packing for trips seems like a major chore, but I enjoy doing it sometimes. I love thinking about what I’ll want to wear during my vacation and planning out what I’ll need. This summer, I will travel around southeast Asia, and I’m packing for success.
Clothes
Many of the pictures I see of people traveling through Bali involve crop tops, thong bikinis, and other skimpy clothing. While I’m no stranger to dressing for the latest trends, I have done some research and discovered many Indonesian people practice Islam and dress conservatively. To respect the culture, I’m digging into my collection of long, flowy clothes, and I plan to wear them often during this trip.
For shirts, I will bring some high-neck, light-fabric tank tops I purchased from Uniqlo. I have worn them to school and found them comfortable so that they will make a great addition to my vacation wardrobe. In general, I will bring many “teacher shirts” because they cover me up more and still look stylish.
For walking around during the day, I’m packing four pairs of long but light-fabric pants. I will also bring two longer skirts that I can wear when I want to dress up more.
I’m also packing a one-piece bathing suit and am on the hunt for another one that I can wear there, too. I want to go to the beach during this vacation, so I want to find something that covers me up more during the adventure.
For shoes, I will bring two pairs of flip-flops I can wear on the beach and in the hotel room showers. I will get one pair of sneakers that I can walk around in and one pair of cuter sandals that I can wear to a nice dinner. I pack as few shoes as possible because they take up so much room in my suitcase.
Toiletries
Before I leave, I plan to hit Poya and buy lots and lots of waterproof sunscreen for my trip. I know I will need it! I will also bring heavy-duty bug spray to keep the mosquitoes away.
For medications, I plan to bring along a small pack of Advil in case I get any headaches and some anti-nausea pills in the case of Bali belly (which I will avoid by sticking to bottled water and cooked vegetables).
I do not intend to bring much makeup for the trip because eyeshadow tends to melt and smudge in hot weather. I will stick to blush, eyeliner, an eyebrow pencil, and maybe lipstick for the journey. Bringing too much else will take up more room than necessary, and the weather will feel too hot to put on a full face of makeup anyway.
I will bring a backup deodorant, a small perfume, and a bar of soap with me in a soap container. I intend to stay in a few B&Bs, and not all of them will provide soap for the duration of the trip. I will bring a toothbrush and some toothpaste, but I won’t buy too much because I can always get more at the store.
Electronics
I discovered Singapore and Hong Kong use type G plugs, so I cannot use the plugs I use in Taiwan and the United States. I left all of my G plugs back in the United States, so I will purchase new ones and bring them with me. Indonesia uses type F plugs (or the most commonly used ones in Europe), so I will retrieve them from wherever I put them on my desk and bring them with me.
I want to bring my GoPro to take pictures while snorkeling in different places in southeast Asia. I still need to buy a protective case for when I take it underwater, but it makes a great device to bring along.
Of course, I cannot last any long plane journey without something to read! I will bring my fifteen-year-old Kindle with me for yet another trip and read all the pre-downloaded books I’ve ordered in advance.
Extras
In addition to all of the clothes and toiletries, I will bring two travel towels I can use either in the hotel rooms or at the beach. I did not get one with me last year and regretted it when I arrived in South Korea; the B&B provided me with hand-washing towels to dry myself with. I will now always bring a towel with me unless I know for sure I will have access to one.
Last year in Japan, I bought mosquito cream for bites, which I will bring with me on my trip. I also have a spray bottle full of aloe that I purchased last summer, and it will come with me for the inevitable sunburn I always get at the beach.
Finally, I intend to bring a reusable water bottle to fill up inside the airport and take around with me during day trips. Reusable bottles offer one of the most effective ways to reduce plastic waste and provide a convenient option for drinking water on the go. (It saves me $5 on an overpriced plastic one when the airports have filtered fountains).
