With just 23 days to go until we’re in sunny Saint Lucia, we thought it would be a great time to share our travel essentials with you. We have already packed the majority of suitcase, with a few last minute items to put in. The excitement is starting to set in as the countdown goes down.
Airport Essentials
Travel documents: These are the most important items you need for your trip. Passport, flight ticket, airport transfer papers etc. Make sure these items are packed somewhere safe but easily accessible.
Travel insurance is the second most important essential for our Caribbean trip. We have bought an annual policy for a couple for just £35 on gocompare.com. Which is great value for money. This policy covers you for up to 35 days per trip for 1 year, which is great for us as we like to travel a lot.
Well-packed carry on. Your carry on should contain essential items for the first 24 hour of travel time. This includes a change of clothes and shoes, toiletries, travel documents and definitely a bikini. With international travel there is a window of opportunity that your luggage could be delayed, make sure you are well-equipped for this.
Clothing for Caribbean islands
Light and airy clothing; the average temperature in the Caribbean is 27 degrees all year round.
Dress codes; in the Caribbean there are moral standards of clothing and etiquette. Revealing clothing isn’t considered appropriate in these islands unless it’s time for carnival. Typically in restaurants and resorts there is a dress code to adhere to. Women should wear long dresses/skirts or trousers with a formal top. Due to this we have packed a number of maxi dresses, light trousers and a few co-ords.
Day to day activities; dresses, shorts, skirts and loose tops are essential for a Caribbean getaway. Think ahead of what activities you plan to do, loose and light clothing would be ideal for hiking.
Comfortable shoes; we have packed a variety of shoes for our getaway to accommodate for all activities we wish to pursue. Sandals, hiking boots and of course, heels.
Plenty of swimwear; as I’m sure you’re aware, the Caribbean is very humid which makes drying out your swimwear could take a while, and we all know there’s nothing worse than putting on a wet bikini. We have packed around 5/6 bikinis each.
Jackets; you’ll need a light jacket for evenings, once you’re immune to the Caribbean weather you’ll really start to feel the chill on an evening. Considering the Caribbean is filled with tropical country, it is a must to have a rain-jacket or at least something that is waterproof. It tends to rain at least once a day! Between us we have packed approximately 5/6 jackets.
What not to pack; there are a few items you should take off your packing list if you’re going to visit the Caribbean. Skimpy or revealing clothing is highly inappropriate in most places. Heavy clothing or dark clothing will make you sweat buckets. Camouflage clothing is strictly prohibited and even illegal in some areas.
Protection
Sun lotion; it’s inevitable that you’ll burn at one point or another during the trip, but better safe than sorry! We have bought factor 30 Piz Buen sun lotion, Elle absolutely loves this brand and won’t buy anything else.
Aloe Vera; as I said previously, no doubt you’re going to get burned. May as well pack some aloe vera lotion to ease the pain, rather than buying it out there double the price!!
Mosquito repellent; for me, this is one of the main essentials as I am prone to being bitten. I have scars from interrailing to prove that. We have bought a large bottle of repellent and a few wrist bands. No doubt I’ll buy thing whilst I’m out there to put around the hotels to keep them out! I’m taking every precaution!!!
Sunglasses/hats; fairly obvious, but definitely important. We have each bought a straw hat, I’ll probably buy another one whilst I’m out there, and 2 pairs of sunglasses each.
For the beach
Beach towels; it is best to pack your own beach towel, as some hotels may charge a daily fee if you use theirs. It works out cheaper to have your own. We bought new beach towels for this trip, and we’re in love with the designs.
Snorkel gear; the Caribbean is a great place to go snorkelling, we plan to go to the underwater sculpture park in Grenada. Did you know that Grenada is home to the first underwater sculpture park in the world? Although we haven’t gone full out with the gear, we do have the face mask and the snorkel, flippers are really a necessity.
Extras
GoPro; probably in our top 3 of essentials, our GoPro Hero 4 Silver. We want to capture everything and to document our trip. We have also purchased a bundle pack which includes, a selfie stick, tripod, chest mount, head strap etc.
Polaroid camera; for instant still of perfect moments. This is an item I just couldn’t leave at home. We have purchased 50 shots, which enables us to take 1 to 2 photographs per day.
Digital camera; okay, I know it seems like we’re going overboard with the cameras but there is a completely logical explanation. GoPro – for videos, time lapses and to go underwater. Polaroid – instant stills, instant memories. Digital – mainly for scenic photographs, way better quality than our phones and who doesn’t want photographs to remember their trip?
Make up; okay, so probably not considered an essential, especially for Elle. But, who doesn’t want to look and feel great on holiday? Obviously I’ll only really wear make at night when we’re going out; I don’t want to mess up my sun tan! I’ve ordered the Bh Cosmetics 120 Colour Eyeshadow Palette 2nd Edition, which has beautiful bright colours, great for the tropical getaway.
Reading material; considering we are going to be in the Caribbean just short of 5 weeks, there will be lazy days. What better than to lose yourself in a book on the beach? We haven’t planned which books we’ll be taking as of yet, we’ll probably buy them at the airport.
Toiletries; shampoo, conditioner, lots of hair product to control the frizz, toothpaste etc. The list for toiletries could go on forever, but here are our essentials; wax, hair mousse, leave-in conditioner, hairspray, moisturizer and the items mentioned above.
So, there you have it. Our list of essential items for our tropical getaway. It is almost inevitable that you will leave something behind, let’s just hope it isn’t something essential like the GoPro!!
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