If you’re planning to travel to one of the world’s most beautiful island destinations and you’re anything like me, deciding what to pack can be a nightmare. How many pairs of shoes? Do I take good evening clothes? Should I take that dress I haven’t worn in 6 months? Yes. The answer is yes to everything. Take it all.
Okay, don’t really take it all, most carriers from Australia only allow 23 kilograms per person, so unless you’re ready to pay through the nose in fees, or you’re travelling with someone who travels very, very lightly, you should rethink your approach.
Here are a few of my tips to help packing for your Fijian holiday a breeze (sort of).
Pack and pack again
One of my favourite things to do is pack at least a week in advance with everything I want to take. Once the bag is overflowing with clothes and shoes from the inside of my wardrobe and my sister’s wardrobe, the work truly begins.
If you come over to my house before a trip you’ll often find me sitting in front of my suitcase surrounded by clothes, contemplating life and all it’s wonders while I should be focusing on packing.
This whole process usually takes a few hours, but don’t worry, it’s a necessary step as you should relax before you have to frantically pack closer to the date.
Over the course of three days I’ll have packed, unpacked, removed a few items, packed, added those items again, and sat on my suitcase to make it all fit. But hey, at least I tried.
My secret is to lay out all of the clothes you’re taking, allocate them to specific days and take a few back up options because you always need back up options.
My top tip: Take a carry on in case you pick up a few souvenirs that can’t fit in your already stuffed suitcase. My Aldi carry on luggage comes on all of my adventures and is a great companion. If you don’t want to take one, grab a Longchamp bag that can roll up and fit into your suitcase.
Sun Safety is important
Every Aussie kid knows the saying’ “slip, slip, slap,” so make sure you have the essentials to do so. Slip on a shirt, take some lightweight sleeved shirts that you can throw on when you’re in the sun.
Slip on sunscreen, if you’re anything like me, you’ll have two giant bottles of sunscreen ready to go at any given moment, so wrap them up in a plastic bag and throw them on in. Slap on a hat, hats are the best beach accessories, so of course, take a few options. My pick for the trip was this straw baby from Target (RRP $20).
Image: Target
My top tip: Even though you may want a tan, it’s important to be sun safe. Ask your mum, she’ll agree with me.
Stock pile the togs (swimmers)
Yes, togs mean swimmers, cozzies, bathers, bikinis and anything else you call that item of clothing you swim in.
The stars of the show on your Fiji trip are your swimmers. With a pair for everyday and a few back up options, I packed more togs than clothes on my trip so I’ll probably have to have a few costume changes throughout the day.
While I prefer quantity over quality at times (okay, most of the time), I opted to grab bits and pieces from everywhere. The shops of choice were Glassons, Dotti, the Seafolly warehouse sale (you missed it and it was amazing), Zaful and trusty old Target again.
Image: Glassons
Note: This is not me.
My top tip: Take swimmers you’re comfortable in because you’ll most likely be living in them the whole time.
Most importantly, have fun! Enjoy yourself and make the most of your time in paradise.
