So you have your towel clips, sun cream and your passport but what else do you need?
The summer holiday season is on the horizon – woo hoo! Maybe its your first post Covid holiday abroad or maybe you are a seasoned traveller? Read on for some lesser known holiday essentials that you didn’t even know you needed!
I have no idea where I heard about this but it’s been a game changer for me and my holiday skin. I always suffer with a bit of a rash on holiday from the ingredients in sun cream (yes I’ve tried them all…) but since using this soap on holiday, I’ve not suffered with that annoying rash on the inside of the my elbows and back of my knees and I swear this soap is the reason why! Granted, it doesn’t smell amazing given it has that Dettol / medicinal / antiseptic vibe going on, but in terms of getting off all the sun cream chemicals and leaving your skin feel squeeky clean ready for some soothing aloe aftersun, its second to none.
(Obvs if you have any kind of skin condition, then check with your doctor first!)
Point of view – you go to the bar and order a round of drinks to take back to your sunbed but realise you need to make 2 trips to carry all the cups. Even worse, they are paper cups because the resort is going eco friendly and they squish and spill when you try to grab a few at the same time. Solution – a fold away cup carrier!
Cheap and cheerful, these are a sure fired way to get your round of drinks back to the sunbed in 1 go, avoiding the ‘can I squish together 3 or 4 cups and get way with it?’ discussion in your head. Simply pop your drinks into the slot and saunter back safe in the knowledge that unless you have an unfortunate flip flop slips on the pool side water incident, then you don’t need to head back to the bar until you are ready for your next round. Bonus!
I came across the wonder which is a Turkish towel by chance when looking for something I could get for me and my girls on our holiday that I could get initials, would be useful for our trip and they could keep and use after the holiday was over. After having a mooch online I came across Turkish towels and quickly realised this was a holiday item that would become a standard part of my hand luggage going forward. This practically magical piece of material looks like a kind of light weight towel come possibly a blanket. But in reality, its so much more! Super quickly drying and surprisingly sand repellent, these towels can be used as a yoga mat, cleverly wrapped around your body to act as a sarong, a dress, a head wrap and even a bag! I keep mine in my hand luggage, to use as a blanket, as a scarf, as a shawl and fold up to use as a pillow if I need a mid-flight nap. For something so small, it really is a multi use item and by getting my name embroidered on, it also has a bit of a luxe feel to it as well. After my girls trip I realised what a little travel gem these towels were and got them for my hubby and kids for our next trip, and the uses expanded to face wipe (they can be hand washed and dried super quick while away), superman cape and over head shield for when the sun is shining on the ipad and you can’t play Minecraft properly because I cant see mum… I’ve ended up getting these as presents for people too and once personalised they are a great little gift for any fellow holiday lovers.
European multi cable with USB / USB-C ports
This last item is something can’t take credit for as it was actually my husband who came up with this absolute gem. As my kids have got older I have found that the volume of ‘stuff’ we need to take on holiday has pleasantly decreased. Gone are the days of packing comfort blanket and a favourite teddy. Now a days the number of things that come on holiday with us that need to be charged up has increased (what feels like) exponentially. Now the kids are the proud owners of their very own phones, ipads and Nintendo switches (no judgement required thanks…) once you add that to mum and dads hones and smart watches, that now means we have a minimum of 8 devices that require charging up over night while we are away in order to keep the peace. So one day was merry away counting out circa 342 European plug adaptors my husband walked in and asked what I was doing and why we needed so many adaptors? I took great delight in reminding him of the number of devises that needed charging these days and he looked at me blankly and just asked why we couldn’t just take an extension cable with USB ports. I didn’t immediately click, but after a quizzical look and short explanation, I realised that with such a handy device I could cut down the number of plug adaptors required to 1 or 2. And since said revelation there are now all in one versions perfect for solo / work trips!
This was something I only discovered recently when I was planning a family trip to Paris. I knew I would be taking loads of photos and videos to capture the #memories but I was conscious that this also meant I would be walking around a major city with my phone constantly in my hand. I would have to be on guard for anyone trying to swipe it out of my hand (yes, people do this….) and also that I would have to be constantly taking it in and out of my pocket. It also dawned on my that de[ending on the weather and what I was wearing, I may not even have a pocket….so enter the lanyard mobile phone attachment! This hand and low cost item is now a staple for city breaks, as it provides a layer of protection from not only theft, but also from accidentally dropping my phone and having to deal with a cracked screen / completely broken mobile. It also means when not taking photos, my phone can be securely attached to me when when I don’t have pockets! Despite looking like a proper #tourist with it on, it made getting all that content much more stress free, and minimised the chances of me leaving my phone on a cafe table after one to many glass of the finest French fizz!
So those are my not so usual but highly useful items for your next family holiday which I hope you have found helpful and if you have any absolute must takes you have then drop me an email on mimi@findyourresort.co.uk because I am here for it and am already planning a Part 2 of this blog!
