Five Essentials for a Beach Holiday

A beach holiday is all about relaxing and unwinding and the last thing you need is to be stressing about what to take. Whether you are heading off to some exotic location overseas or somewhere local, like a Port Macquarie holiday, packing for your trip should be easy. Good packing is all about good planning and not throwing in any items for the ‘just in case’ situation, as undoubtedly you will end up over packing. A beach holiday should require minimal items of clothes, and what you do pack will be lightweight anyway, due to not having to pack heavy jumpers or jackets to ward of the cold. There are, however, some essential items that you must take.

Camera

Whatever you do, don’t forget your camera. It would be a shame to miss out on capturing all those holiday moments. If you do you can purchase disposable cameras but they have a limited amount of film, compared to a digital camera, and the quality of your photos will not be as good. Make sure you take spare batteries, a spare memory card, and if you don’t have a camera case it is advisable to buy one before you go. Many cameras will shut down and close off the lens when you turn them off, but if yours does not have this function make sure you have a lens cap because if you have your camera down at the beach any sand that might get into your case can easily scratch the lens if it is not protected.

Shoes

You certainly won’t forget to pack shoes but the tip is to not over pack with too many shoes. For the beach you will need a pair of thongs and something to wear in the evening, either a pair of dressy sandals or low heels. Beach holidays tend to be relaxed so you most likely won’t need something really formal, so leave the stilettos at home. You may want to pack a pair of sneakers if you think you might be doing a lot of walking and sightseeing.

Clothes

Be clever when you pack your clothes and choose items that mix and match well together. Choose pieces that are within the same colour scheme and you will be able to create many outfits from just a handful of items. You will also be able to dress outfits up between day and night wear with your strappy sandals or low heels, and perhaps by adding a floaty scarf, jewellery or a flower in your hair you can change the whole look of the outfit.

Accessories

The best way to dress up an outfit for evening or give yourself a whole new look is to add different accessories. They are also smaller and won’t take up as much space in your suitcase, so lay out the clothes you are intending on taking on your bed and see what accessories you have that can create different looks. Jewellery, scarves, belts, hats and sarongs will make a huge difference to your outfit.

For little emergencies

Sunscreen is a must, at least 30+, and also an after sun lotion, which is good to put on after you shower after a day in the sun, whether you got burnt or not. Aloe Vera is great for this. A small first aid kit is a good idea too. Headache tablets, band aids, lip balm and insect repellent should be included. A travel sewing kit can be handy too as well as a warm jumper in case it gets in the evenings.