I have never traveled to an Asian country before, with so different cultures, climate, customs and traditions.
Being a typical woman, the organization of my suitcase is always a headache, so, the most important thing to do is a list of everything we need, in order to assure we don’t take unnecessary items and don’t miss the essentials!
In my case it was a trip of almost two weeks, to more than one city, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Khao Lak, I had to be very selective in what I was taking, so I wouldn’t be carrying things I didn’t need.
Well, I can enumerate the things I thought most important in your luggage for this kind of trip.
Clothes/Shoes:
Comfortable and fresh, the weather is very different from Portugal, very hot and quite humid. Don’t take too many clothes, organize yourselves by days and repeat some of the clothes matched differently, it is very tiring to carry a full bag from one place to another.
In terms of the visiting places in Thailand, namely the Buddhist temples require clothes that respect the traditions and customs, in other words, to enter the religious places you have to wear pants or long skirts, they have to at least cover the knees, in the case of men, pants or also long shorts. Concerning shirts, these must cover the shoulders and the belly, in both men and women.
As to the shoes, the ideal is for them to be comfortable; sneakers are still the most adequate option. At the temples you have to take off the shoes before entering, so use something more practical on those days, like sandals or slippers, or espadrilles, for example.
Pharmaceuticals:
Gastric protectors and drugs for diarrhea: the gastronomy is quite hot and spicy, different from ours, something that can change all your gastrointestinal function.
Sedatives, for the flight, in our case we made scales in Lisbon and in Dubai, but the sum of all the travels was around 15 hours. I don’t need them, because I have the gift of falling asleep in seconds, but if that’s not your case, take something to help you.
Antihistamines, anti-inflammatories, or even a large spectrum antibiotic (yes, I’m little bit paranoid, it’s the result of being a health care worker!).
And to finish, Guronsan, I take it everywhere!!!
First-aid kit:
It costs nothing to be prevented!
Take band-aids, for the blisters on your feet caused by walking too much, saline, some gauze and adhesive, so any small wound you have you’re able to clean it and apply a small bandage.
Essentials:
Repellent (I was almost eaten alive, they loved my blood)!
Sunscreen lotion, always, even if you’re not on the beach!
Did I miss something? Send me your suggestions.
Have a nice trip and don’t forget anything!
Flavors & Senses in Thailand with the support of Emirates
Text. Cíntia Oliveira |Photos: Flavors & Senses.
