Just the very thought of a beach holiday is thrilling. The fresh sea breeze and gushing waves raise the mood quotient otherwise perturbed by the monotonous routine life. A beach holiday is all about relaxing, rejuvenating and having fun. Your holiday will be more restful if you will carry all the ‘must-haves’ required for an ideal beach vacation.
Whether you are heading off to an exotic location in India or to a foreign land, packing for your holiday should be comprehensive. Being comprehensive means packing everything you need. It comes from good futuristic planning and keeping things ready even for ‘just in case’ situations. Comprehensive packing lies between under packing and over packing. Does packing give you jitters? Take a deep breath. Here is a low-down on the 10 must-haves for a beach holiday.
Cool and comfortable clothes
Beach locations have torrid tropical environments and can make you sweat a lot. Make sure that you carry summer-cool light-weight cotton clothes. Men can take tees and shorts, while ladies can rely on jumpsuits, dresses, and again tees and shorts. Keep a kaftan or stole handy in case you need to protect yourself from scorching sun rays. If you are travelling in winters, it will be ideal to carry a sweatshirt along for cool evenings. Chuck out the clothes that are ill-fitting or don’t give you a comfort fit. Don’t forget that you should pack bare essentials while being comprehensive in your packing. After all, you might need to do some heavy lifting yourself at times!
Footwear
Ideal beach wear footwear is flip-flops or sandals or any sturdy and comfortable footwear with rubber that not only hugs your feet comfortably but is also water-proof. Keep one extra pair with you in case you may need it.
Camera
A good holiday should be complemented with a camera for pictures that will remind you of your best family times forever. Take a good quality digital camera/ SLR camera that is handy, has good resolution and zooming abilities. Make sure to carry spare batteries, memory card, and a sturdy camera case for protection. If you can arrange for a waterproof camera, it will be great for those killer underwater shots.
Sunscreen/ Umbrella
Sun-block is absolutely necessary for protecting your skin from sunrays. It should be waterproof and at least SPF 30 sunscreen. Also carry good sunglasses and a hat to complete the look and also for protection. Umbrella is great to provide complete protection when you just need to lie down on the beach freely.
Music on the go
Take your iPod or mobile music device along (with enough batteries) and you would love to shake a leg with your partner in the evening, around a bonfire.
Sand toys/ Sports Gear
Sand toys, sports gear and adventure gear make sure that you don’t encounter a single dull moment on your beach holiday. Nothing can match the fun of playing by sand. Make sand castles with a lot more perfection using the sand toys. You can also carry volley ball, badminton sets and cricket gear to play at the beach. Snorkelling and other adventure sports gear can be rented easily at the location, so you don’t actually need to carry it.
Backpack
Choose a backpack over all other bags as it gives you a lot of storage space. There are several dedicated sections in the backpack to store stuff segregatedly. You can use the hidden or inside pockets to store your valuables, such as wallet, jewellery etc. If your backpack is waterproof, it will be an added advantage. Keep some loose waterproof bags to stack away wet clothes.
Ready to eat food
Munching whenever one likes is the best thing to do on a holiday. You can keep ready-to-eat stuff, such as granola bars, biscuits or nachos handy in vacuum boxes for a quick munch-in. These quick snacks will fill you with energy, drained away by sun and fun sports activities.
Medicines
The last thing you want is to fall sick on a holiday. It is important to keep some general medicines with you in case you need them in emergency. Also, do keep insect repellants and mosquito repellants along, in case you need them outdoors.
Have these must-haves with you on a beach holiday to have oodles of non-stop fun.