Now that summer is here, you booked that hotel in the destination you’ve been eyeing on social media. You’ve landed a good flight deal on Air Asia’s recent seat sale. The multiple outfits for the ‘gram are on fleek too. Everything’s set, now you might be asking, how on earth do I pack for my summer trip in the Philippines?
For both local and foreign tourists
Pack light
For a short trip of 4-5 days in the tropics, just like the Philippines, it is possible for you to store essentials in your luggage. You just have to make sure that you ONLY pack what you will really use on your holiday break.
Refrain from bringing heavy items such as books (you’re not even sure if you will read all of them on the beach like you said you would). If you really like to read a book, just download an eBook on your phone, tablet or kindle and read there instead to save room for more important essentials.
Make this a rule of thumb, add 1 extra set of clothes to your luggage to your total number of days away. You’ll never know if you might spill something on yourself, or worse your flight gets delayed. Its best to have 1 extra set for you to feel comfortable if an unexpected dilemma happens.
Although, what usually happens is that we end to use less than what we brought.
Most swimwear today is made out of lightweight materials so it wouldn’t really be a problem for you to carry multiple sets of it.
Little info with Air Asia Baggage allowance
As you know we recently went to Dumaguete, in Negros Island with Air Asia.
With Air Asia’s strict 7kg carry on baggage allowance you might be thinking that it may not be enough, and buying a prepaid baggage allowance of 20kg is too much for you.
The good news is that you can actually fit all your weekend essentials in a single 7kg carry-on luggage. While storing your cash, gadgets, and other small items in another small handbag or laptop bag not included of course.
Air Asia and most carriers in the Philippines allow 1 hand-carried cabin-sized luggage that is no taller than 56cm/22in and 1 handbag or laptop bag that is no taller than 30cm/11in and wider than 40cm/15in.
Wear shoes on your flight
To save luggage allowance, wear sneakers or heavy footwear on your flight instead of stashing them inside your luggage, consuming valuable space and they are a bit heavy. What you can store in your luggage instead is a pair of flip-flops or lightweight sandals.
Roll your clothes
Instead of just storing your clothes just like how you would store clothes in your dresser, it is a better choice to fold them as usual, and then roll them up to save space. By doing this, you can even make room for some travel souvenirs and gifts to take home with you.
Plus, you don’t really care if your clothes are crumpled. You’ll be in nature anyway. So no one is going to look at your fashion sense.
Packing cubes saves the day!
Packing cubes, or travel pouches however you can find them in online stores is very helpful for travel as they can keep your luggage organized according to clothing category. These packing cubes also make it easier for you to sort clothes in your luggage instead of putting them in your accommodation’s drawers.
Sometimes you forget and realize that you left your lucky travel shirt when you’re doing laundry at home. (Don’t ask. I’m not saying it happened to me, let’s just say it happened to a friend).
Use a transparent toiletry kit and refillable toiletry bottles.
To keep your bathroom essentials compact and less risk of spilling shampoo on your Instagram ready OOTDs, buy a clear toiletry kit.
Why? Aside from getting things organized, save yourself some time when you undergo security with a clear toiletry kit as the security officers can see its contents easily.
Aside from that, (this one is for Filipino travelers) refrain from taking in sachet shampoos, conditioners and the like on your travels. We know it’s tempting that it’s relatively cheap and accessible. But if you consume less plastic it’s better for the islands.
Taking your favorite toiletries in smaller travel-sized bottles (less than 100ml of course) is a better option.
Bring a waterproof bag
Yup, this one is another travel essential for you. Use this just in case you decide to go for a quick swim hours before your flight and you won’t have enough time to dry all of your swimwear. It’s best to keep one handy in your luggage.
Or you can buy one on the touristic spots if you didn’t have time to get one.
For foreign tourists
Aside from the swab test requirement, vaccination cards, which is a must for foreign tourists like you now. This article is helpful for you as you plan for a longer stay.
Our tips above for a shorter stay still apply for your checked-in luggage. With some added tips.
Remove all previous bag tags or stickers from the check-in counters
Little did we know that this is one of the reasons why some luggage gets lost and is found at a destination far away from you.
Airport staff sorts thousands of luggage a day so they employ the use of technology and automated sorters. If you don’t remove your old tag from your last Bangkok trip, then your luggage might end up there again on your next flight to Manila due to the code scanners that airports use.
Remove all those stickers and tags before your flight to avoid inconvenience.
Use a suitcase that is just big enough for your trip
Buying the biggest suitcase is not always the best thing for you to do on your next trip. What’s best is to just buy one that is large enough that you can carry it in case your accommodation won’t have any elevators or porters to help you out.
Aside from that, you don’t want your stuff to move around your luggage with too much space available right? If you are planning to buy a lot of gifts at your destination and you want to leave room for them it is best for you to opt for packing cubes as we listed above to keep things organized.
Make your holiday enjoyable and convenient with these travel packing tips to maximize your luggage. Looking for interesting travel destinations? Head over our other blog posts to get some ideas.
