Travel Essentials

A well planned trip is worth the effort :)

Every time we traveled we had an adrenalin rush. Come back from office, pack your bags and rush to the airport/ railway station. The commute was always spent checking and counter checking whether we had everything we needed. More often than not, we would forget something or the other and had to purchase locally. 

Well we are older and hopefully wiser now. We are also turning into creatures of comfort who need all their basic necessities in life. I there fore decided to compile a list of essentials that need to be carried on most trips. 

As with most commonsense based advice, I am sure we all know these things. This is our compilation. 

Ok here we go!

Clothes! the first thing on the list. Obviously the missus would be carrying tons more than you. The few key items which may be missed would be swim wear, dinner shoes, handkerchiefs and hats.

Toiletries! While travelling in India, i think a basic commodity which is most missed is toilet paper, as most hotels don't provide any. Another key item would be bathroom slippers. 

Electronics Nothing beats the feeling that you have when you land up at an unknown destination in the middle of the night and your cell phone is dead. Happened with us at Kaziranga National Park. We had a hotel booked and transport arranged for pick-up at 1:00 AM. Well, we reached there and there was no one there. Absolutely no one. People who have traveled to Kaziranga will remember that the park entrance is completely desolate and it had rained heavily that night. We had to walk almost one km in the darkness before we found another resort from where we could call our hotel (WildGrass, a must stay). 

Anyways coming back to the list, an international plug is a must have. If travelling in a budget/ back packing, i find the multi-socket a very useful device. Plug in your cell phone, camera battery charger, and ipad all together in the single socket available, behind the TV :)

Other Essentials: A pen, recommended for taking notes, filling forms at international airports, etc. A lock and key comes in handy at places where there is a left-luggage counter, or in trains. A small flash light is useful in making scary faces as well as lighting the way in off-beat locations. Mandu immediately springs to mind as does Prambanam.

I cannot over emphasize on the importance of carrying a few passport photos. Never used them but somehow they feel useful :) Well on second thoughts, did use two at Bangkok airport. 

A rain shield/ umbrella and zipper pouches are pretty handy when travelling in monsoons. Those shoes get wet quick and smell real bad. So into the pouch they go, till the sun is out. 

Documents: Do this today if not done already. Scan your passports and mail them to yourself. Even if you never lose your passport and need those copies, they will always be a handy address/ identity proof. 

With the advent of the ipad, i realise that the number of documents, books, print-outs that i used to carry have substantially reduced. But for old times sake, copy of wikitravel pages, lonely planet book are handy.

and Most Importantly, carry a Towel.

Cheers