Pack and Go

Each one of us deserves a vacation every now and then. It can help us live life. All work is no good. We all need to relax for a while and have a little time to enjoy. We at Westhill Consulting Travel and Tours call it Traveling Life.

Admit it or not, the first issue we have during the travel is on packing. Yes, you read it right. Issue. Packing is a big challenge prior to traveling and it leads to a big issue. Here are some tips for you to review the next time you are packing all the stuff that you have:

• Pack as light as possible. Ask the simple question: “Do I want it or do I need it and if I need it am I will to cart it around?” There is little you really need when you travel.

• Travel with a light backpack. If you are moving between places, backpacks leave your hands free to hold their hands.

• Pack just a few clothes with only a couple complimentary, solid colors — no patterns. Black is a good idea if you need to be able to dress up and be casual.

• Pack only what you can carry on to the flight. Warning: excess baggage is expensive.

• Put everything you want to bring in a pile and slowly strip away things that aren’t necessary.

• Leave the laptop behind, as well as blackberry and any other tech gadget. For computer addicts, being away from the internet’s constant flow of data for a few days recharges and relaxes you in ways that you never experience at home.

• Bring along a small, foldable umbrella to protect against the UV rays of sunlight and possible rain.

• Most toiletries can be found easily in your destination country so you won’t have to file complaints on where to relieve yourself.

• If it’s something you think you can buy there more cheaply than at home, then don’t bring it (especially if it’s something you don’t already have).

• Bring one book, and when you’re done, find a book-exchange and trade it for a new one.

• In Asia, especially when you are traveling in culture-filled cities such as Jakarta, Indonesia, Singapore and Bangkok, Thailand sarongs are a traveler’s best friend! A sarong works as a towel, a skirt, a makeshift bag, a scarf, a sheet. They’re especially good to have if you’re traveling low-budget, staying in hostels or guesthouses, which often don’t offer towels or even top sheets. The best thing is that they dry really, really quickly, even when it’s humid. A wet towel can take all day to dry in the tropics, and if you have to stuff it in your bag before it’s dry it can get all dank and mildew, and so can all your stuff.