Want to know what to pack for a tropical break? Read on …
Some of you may know that we’re moving to the big smoke. Well, not really the big smoke because Perth is probably one of the cleanest cities in the world and it’s not that big either. On the other hand although it’s remote in a world sense, it’s very much a modern, upbeat city, and no, real kangaroos don’t hop randomly around Perth 😉
Anyhow, after all the organising and packing up, interspersed with trips to the dump and Salvos, I know when D Day comes I’ll be whacked. I’ll also be sad to say goodbye to our lovely home of 6 years and longing for a breakaway somewhere to re-group.
For those of you who know me well you’ll know that my idea of a right Royal escape is to go and ‘slum’ it in a tropical resort in Bali – cocktails, massages, yoga sessions and long lazy days under a palm tree with a good book. Think what you will, but hey that’s my idea of chilling-out and getting my mind back on an even keel. (For the record, Bali is a reasonably inexpensive destination for us remote West’strayans, so don’t go thinking I’m going all out-of-this-world-expensive on you).
Anyway when the lovely folks at Paklite sent me a new bag to try out, I actually knew that was the sign! BALIIIII, Sureleeee!
I decided to give the wheeled duffel a trial run and see if I could pack everything I need in it for a tropical holiday of say five days in Bali (anywhere in Bali please)
Now I just need to make it happen 😉
So here goes: This is what I’d take in my Paklite Duffel and also in my Daypack/Handbag for a trip to Bali.
Bali Holidays – What to Pack
Clothes
1 sundress dress suitable for lunch around the pool.
1 dress for night-time – possibly floaty, Indian, definitely non-crease.
1 T-shirt
1 lightweight long sleeve or three quarter sleeve shirt
1 rash vest (sun protection when swimming or snorkelling)
1 Pair of Shorts
1 Pair of Capri Pants
1 Pair of baggy, long, light pants or a light maxi skirt (for visiting temples or covering up from the sun)
1 Sarong
1 Pashmina to use as a cardi at night if it’s chilly
Swimmers
Underwear – 3 pairs
2 bras – white and coloured (to go with clothes I’m taking)
1 pair of socks
1 pair of trainers/joggers
1 pair of flip-flops
1 pair of lightweight sandals (comfy for walking and pretty enough to wear with my dresses)
Sun Hat
Toiletries
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Deodorant
Shampoo and Conditioner (in small containers)
Sunscreen
Cleanser and Moisturiser
BB or CC cream with sunscreen in it, lipstick, blusher, bronzer, eyeshadow and mascara
1 small sachet of washing powder (for smalls and socks)
Handbag stuff
Wallet, passport, tickets
Sunglasses
Zip lock plastic bags – for toiletries, make-up, memory cards
A page turning book
Notebook and pen
Pocket tissues
Hand sanitizer
Health Requisites
Prescription medications
Electrolyte sachets
Mini first aid kit including insect repellent
Technical Gear:
Camera (and spare memory card)
Tablet or iPad
Phone
Chargers for camera, table and phone.
Electronics adaptor
Packing Tips:
Roll your clothes, don’t fold.
If things don’t fit in easily – then ditch them. Clothes are pretty cheap to buy in Bali.
A small bag of pocket tissues are great if you get caught out somewhere where there is no toilet paper
Don’t forget your prescription medicines
Don’t forget to take out travel insurance. We like Cover-More Insurance.
Hmm … what have I missed?
I’m sharing more tips, ideas and inspiration as well as photos about What to Pack for Bali here.
The Paklite Escape Medium Wheeled Duffle
I’m loving my sturdy duffel bag on wheels. It’s practical, lightweight, adaptable and pretty stylish.
“Hard shell cases are sleek and stylish and are all the rage in the travel world today, however they’re not suitable for all types of getaways. These soft but sturdy duffels are designed with adventure travel and shorter escapes in mind, where a hard case would be impractical,” says Anton Botha, Brand manager at Paklite.
The bag is available in bright Spring Green, warm Rust or a statement Black and with three sizes to choose from the range offers a size and colour to match your travelling style – be it an overnight escape, weekend escape or a longer holiday escape.
Specs: Aluminium lockable trolley handle and easy-glide wheels. Lightweight fabric construction. that doesn’t sacrifice durability, the Escape range is as practical and stylish
Paklite is available in selected major retailers nationally, including David Jones, Strandbags and Carry On and the Escape range retails from $159
Disclaimer : I received a Paklite bag for editorial consideration.
You might also like: Would you retire in Bali and 29 Awesome things to do in Bali
and my lovely blogging friend Amanda Kendle has written Packing List for Bali or Penang which is a fun post you might like to check out.
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Hi Jo, I have been holiday planning and decided to re-read your article. I take as many undies as I can fit – usually about 8 and I don’t take washing powder, I just use whatever soap is available or my own body soap. One thing we took on our last trip to Japan which we found invaluable was a multi power board which we connect it to the power adaptor. In the past we have played tag trying to charge things but with the board we can charge everything at the same time. It also has a safety cut off if the power supply cannot handle the load. The power supply in Japan was good and it charged everything beautifully. I am not sure how it would work in Bali. I wish I had a Bali holiday planned too, I could imagine myself under a palm tree (although I can do that at home too) and eating amazing Indonesian food and maybe even a yoga class every day!
Hi Jan, and thanks for your tips. I love the idea of taking a multi-power board. I know exactly what you mean about playing tag with each other to charge things.
Travel luggage is like handbags – They’re very personal, and you can never have too many.
You’re of course first attracted by the look – to its shape, the colour, the feel…
But then practicalities kick in with the stringent list of parameters it has to fulfil not, I hasten to add, all immediately obvious upon first inspection!
Is it too deep, so on those hasty hand digging forays when you quickly need to reclaim something prior to unpacking, you discover your arms aren’t quite long enough?
Is it forgiving enough so that little extra item that at the last minute simply has to go with you, can be squished in?
How well balanced is it? Like a good boat trailer – it must be manoeuvrable with ease (on your own – no good if you can feel the weight of your wardrobe on your wrist)
So, having got the bag sorted…. Where shall I go (Or is that supposed to be the other way around?)
There are horses for courses and 50 litres of baggage?
I’m not going to be going around the world – I need 80 litres for that!
And it’s not going to be a week-end cabin baggage affair as I need the smaller size for that –
But 50 litres sounds perfect for a blogging conference – where I need enough changes packed to appear as though I own more than one pair of jeans, but only really require a few days of different outfits to go with my favourite pair of little rust boots.
Yes, there’s a definite hole in my travel luggage wardrobe for one of those 🙂
Well you’ve certainly thought this out Linda 🙂 And I hope to see your little rust boots one of these days 😉
Great choice! I am off the winner race, as I am not in AUS! but I do have my own sturdy duffel bag already from Samsonite, which I love and cannot separate. So, I wish all the best of luck to the ladies here! 😉
Thanks Michela 🙂
I’d like to take the Paklite Trolley Duffel on a spin around the Inca ruins in Peru, I’m feeling very ‘Indiana Jones’ these days, even bought myself a metal detector. I fancy finding some priceless ancient hidden relics, could be the start of a whole new career for me:-) Love the colour of the bag, I hear ‘orange is the new black’ All the best with turning the page and starting a new chapter in your life – looking forward to your updates.
I can see it on a trip like you mention Michelle 🙂
Would love to win this. Not for myself but for my gorgeous daughter who has been through a tough year and has major surgery planned for the end of the year. Despite all this, she managed to get herself an after school job and has worked her but off to pay all $4.5 k needed for her school trip to Greece in April. I had planned to purchase luggage for her to take but winning this would mean the money could go towards spending money or clothing she might need.
Wow, your daughter must have really put her mind to finding enough time to work to pay for her school trip to Greece in April. Very impressed. Sad to hear she has had a tough year and has major surgery planned though 🙁 Wishing her all the very best.
Paklite Duffel is a great colour my favourite Ochre. I’d Paklite and take it with me to the Red Centre Alice Springs Uluru!
So great that you’d Paklite, Lizzy Lou!
Ooo yes please! We are going to Europe for our 25th wedding anniversary later this year, this would be PERFECT for my cabin baggage on the plane 🙂
What a wonderful way to spend your 25th Wedding Anniversary Janet! I’m excited for you already 🙂
Lol. I am such an over-packer. I’d take 4 times that. Especially knickers, t shirts and shorts.
I’ve just come back from Tassie and this bag would have been such a lifesaver. We hired a camper … and no one told us that there was no room for cases in a camper. They were constantly in the way and a source of great angst (especially to the person who had kicked their toe on them the most recently)!
Great blog, thank you
I love the look and sound of this bag, especially the zip around opening and the wheels. It looks like an easy pack bag, that has plenty of space for travel essentials especially for short break holidays.
And thanks Jo for your great list of what to pack for Bali. And like you say, clothes are so cheap in Bali you can buy as you need! The packet of tissues (for saving the day at toilet stops) is a great idea not just in Bali!
You have packed for holidays and business trips so many times Jo I am sure you must be an expert!
Happy travels.
Hi Jill, oh I don’t know about expert 😉 but thank you. In reality I still dither, pack too much, cull and dither again! Lists serve me well though 🙂 Yes, the bag is a winner, very functional.
Sounds like a perfect way to relax after the stress of moving house. I really don’t know where I would start if I had to move house! I really like the look of the Paklite bag. I am off on a cruise around Mexico and the Caribbean in April so I will also be wondering what to pack and what to pack it in! I never travel light and would love to learn the secret to packing more frugally. Your packing list appears way too light (but sensible!) Maybe I need to get you over here to help me pack! Lol.
Woah, that sounds lovely Kathy! Mexico and the Caribbean will be wonderful – and yep, the Paklite bag would be great to stowaway in your cabin 😉
*curb, lol
Kerb, curb – no worries I got it, Jan! He might kerb your souvenir collecting if he pushed you off the kerb away from a market stall I guess 😉
lol
Salamat Pagi. Wow, that colour is so me. We are heading to Italy and Croatia in Late April. I’ve always been a soft sided trolley bag girl. No huge heavy bags for me – my husband has a rule that I have to carry all my purchases and carry my own luggage. (It’s his attempt to kerb my souvenir collecting). I roll my clothes and always fit them in my bag. He might refuse to carry it but he does manhandle it for me if I need help to get it closed! You might think that as I travel a reasonable amount I would have a good bag – but No! I have had two bags damaged in transit in the last three years and have reverted to using an old long abandoned black pull along (like the other million on the conveyor belt). Currently I have a bit of ribbon tied around the handle to distinguish it from the crowd lol. You know how stylish the Italians are! Enjoy your cocktail by the pool.
Hello Jan, sounds like you have some good reasons to be in possession of a Paklite travel bag 🙂
Cool Jo. Love the bag, never been to Bali, must be one of the only people who live in PERTH that haven’t xxx
Ps, more importantly for me are you moving North or South of the river?
It’s a great bag Rae. Ooh hope you get there one day 🙂 For the time being, neither south nor north but central 😉