After many years of holidaying both at home and in Asia I feel I have finally mastered what I do and don’t need to pack for a tropical holiday. People are always asking me what are the essential things I take with me on a tropical holiday. So with careful consideration and I have come up with my list, read on.
A tropical holiday is by far my favourite kind of holiday but being an avid traveller, I would never have just a tropical holiday. It’s usually at a destination were I can fulfil my love for sightseeing and discovering new cultures, with a few days rest and relaxation before heading home. Like our upcoming trip to the USA where we will road trip both the West and East Coasts and spend the last week on a Caribbean cruise, Oo la la!!
So what do I take you ask:
Contents
Sunscreen
Yes I can get sunscreen anywhere and if I run out I’m happy to purchase some overseas but I like to know that Australian standard for the contents of the sunscreen are upheld. For example the SPF 50+ rating. Me and 2 of the kids are really fair skinned and we burn really easily. I find if I don’t take some with us, we all get excited on arrival and forget about putting our sunscreen on therefore resulting in the first burn of the holiday.
I’ve had some ripper sunburns which I’m not proud to say but the older I get, the wiser I’m getting with it. The good thing about being Australian is that the ‘slip, slop, slap’ message is ingrained in us from a very young age so even if I forget to put it on the kids will ask me where it is.
Sunglasses
Until recently I hadn’t owned an expensive pair of sunglasses for a while. Reason being that with kids you become a bit absent minded and tend to lose things easily or better still, sit on them, stand on them, kids break them, that kind of thing! I generally forget them and by a pair at the nearest souvenir shop at Legoland, Disneyland, Ocean Park or any other theme park we have been to.
I was recently given a new pair of Burberry sunglasses and after wearing them non stop, I realised that I had not done myself any favours by not making my eyes a priority. I already wear contact lenses so wearing a good pair of sunglasses is like slipping out of your heels and into your flats, its the best! My eyes feel so much better and I of course wondered why I hadn’t bothered to buy some for so long. They’re also great when trying to get some sleep on flights, built in light dimmer!
Sun Hat
You will never see me in summer without a hat on, firstly because of my pale skin and because as a kids I never wore one and my nose got burnt countless times. I’m of the age now that I never get my hair wet when swimming, much to the kids amusement. I try to always have hats on the kids as well but when swimming it is really hard to keep them on as they tend to spend most of their time with their heads under the water.
If we are sightseeing though, they must have a hat on, our Aussie schools have the slogan, no hat, no play. The kids all know if they don’t take their hats to school during the summer they won’t be allowed out to play at lunchtime. I work to that as well on holiday. I feel so much cooler with a hat on no matter how hot the weather actually is.
Cameras
Some of our most candid photos on holidays have been when playing at the pool or beach. My kids are all water babies so are happy to spend all of any day at the pool or beach. We have a fantastic Fuji Finepix XP80 action camera. They are great for taking shots in and around the water but it’s not a great camera for everyday use.
We also have a GoPro Hero 4 which we love and take on all of our trips. We took it to Langkawi recently and captured Keira driving a Jetski at Paradise Island 101. It captured her excitement and it was priceless. There’s nothing better than catching that first somersault or the first dive off the side of a boat and having it forever. Just make sure you have your spare batteries charged and with you too. There are some great courses available to help you with your travel photography. It’s something we have been working on getting better at.
Travel Medical Kit
I know, I know it’s not the most fun thing to have to take but I can tell you now it’s a lifesaver if you have young kids, particularly if your tropical holiday is to Asia. Mine has come in handy so many times. I think I have used it every holiday for at least one of the kids, usually Caelan. I was given some heavy duty antiseptic cream by our butler in Vietnam and it has been invaluable. Any little cuts have the chance of getting infected and becoming very red and sore when in Asia so antiseptic cream with a bandaid is a great way to start to killing any infection right at the start. Also saline is invaluable, a little squirt to keep the wound clean and your on your way.
I add some Stingoes for bites and stings.  This came in handy on our last trip when one night I got over 40 sand fly bites! You read it right over 40 bites. I looked like I had some terrible disease the next day! I also have seasick tablets and aloe vera gel in case anyone does get sunburnt, someone usually does.
So there you have them, my top 5 items for a super tropical holiday. All items I regularly carry and I take most of them when we are out and about. Â Touch wood though, so far we haven’t had any major problems when travelling overseas. Do you have some best good travel quotes or need any travel inspiration? I would love you to hear any other ones you think are great.
Is there anything you take that you would like to share? Please comment in the section below, I’m always happy to get new tips to make holidays easier.
Safe Travels,
Sal & Co.
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