My mum always said “in this day and age, everything you’ll need is your passport, some money and your phone.” She’s not entirely wrong, of course, but since I don’t plan on shopping for an entire new wardrobe and accessories, here’s a list of what I’m planing to take to Malaysia with me. It’s my first real backpacking trip and I’ve never really done a proper packing list so here we go (this might also be therapeutical for me and could show me to not always take so damn much!)
Let’s get started:
What I put in my carry-on:
Passport
Prints of hostel/flight reservations
Credit card
Debit Card
Cash
Phone (and charger)
MacBook (and charger)
Camera (without charger)
Chewing Gum
Small snacks (lately I tend to get a bit nauseaous on long haul flights and meals are never that appealing to me)
Book
Travelguide
Headphones
Pen and a small notebook
Scarf
Toothbrush and travel sized toothpaste
extra pair of underwear (I’ve learned from my lost luggage incident in Morocco!)
In my trekking backpack:
Locks (for lockers)
Travelsafe
Underwater Camera
Portable speakers
Various chargers
SD Cards
2 long, wide, cotton pants
1 pair of jeans (worn on the plane)
2 dresses
2 pair of shorts
5 T-shirts
2 long sleeved shirts
1 Cardigan (worn on the plane, I tend to freeze on planes and I know it can get cold on buses too!)
2 pair of socks
Underwear
1 bikini
1 pair of sneakers (worn on the plane)
1 pair of flip flops (for gross hostel showers)
1 pair of sandals
Earplugs
Toothpaste
Shampoo
Travel sized conditioner
Razor
Menstrual cup
Facewash
Lotion
Sunscreen
Deodorant
Bug spray
Wet toilet paper/baby wipes (has been a lifesaver many, many times!)
Lipbalm
Mascara
Lipstick
Hairties and clips/bobby pins
Hairbrush
Nailclippers and file
Sunglasses
Painkillers
I’ve linked a couple of things that I’ve really enjoyed so far or are really handy to have on travels (foldable toothbrush, anyone?).
The Hansaplast earplugs are honestly the best I’ve ever had – and let me tell you, I’ve tried a lot of them.
The travel safe is actually rather bulky and heavy but something I got to have some peace of mind when it comes to my valuables. I’ll be taking my Laptop with me, as well as my DSLR, and while the camera will be wherever I am most of the time, my MacBook won’t. I’m not sure if there will be suitable lockers in every hostel so this is a compromise. If someone really wants to steal it, they’ll probably manage it but it will make stealing my stuff a bit harder and more inconvenient for the thief ;-)
I think this is a pretty conclusive list of what I’ll be taking with me to Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
I’m aware that Malaysia is also a muslim country, so I have my usual long cotton pants with me, but since I’ve been told it’s more relaxed than most other muslim countries I’m hoping I’ll also be ok with shorts or knee-length dresses :)
Standard of Grace 