Don't Forget These Essential Items for Your All-Inclusive Trip!

I usually print out my list and start prepping the luggage at least a week prior to any vacation. For our upcoming trip, I took the time to research new ideas for winter 2024 and found some fantastic additions to include in our packing list. Check out the list below to see what I brought along this time and what I absolutely loved!

Imagine yourself on the beach, with the only thing you need being a bathing suit. This simple image can help alleviate anxiety about packing for an all-inclusive vacation - you really don't need much!

Travel Essentials:

1. Compression bags for clothes - You can fit more, be careful of the weight !

2. Lululemon belt bag - Super versatile to bring to the pool and the beach

3. Smart tags for luggage - Safety precaution

4. Purse or travel wallet - If the belt bag isn't enough and you still have space

5. Weighing scale - This is one of the best purchases, you aren't panicking when you are home and think you will bust the weight limit, you can unpack what certainly is an overly packed bag anyways. You won't be at the airport trying to shuffle clothes around EVER AGAIN :)

6. Passport/Nexus card - Nexus is great if your husband doesn't like to be at the airport 3 hours prior LOL

7. American currency (USD)/Local currency

8. Notebook, a book or a kindle and pen for airplane

9. Laptop - Check if you have entertainment in the plane, if not, then a laptop or a phone with downloaded movies and music might be of value

Beach Gear:

10. Beach wear - Bring at least 2 cover-ups, so they can dry

off

11. Beach bag - Check the hotel, the last 2 hotels in Mexico

had bags in the room that we used for the week

12. Bathing suits - My husband has only 2 and he loves it, but he knows that I will

probably have 5 to 7. I tell myself that they are tiny bikinis and that you might

change in one day. Different bikinis for different moods

13. Sunscreen - Please bring more, as you don't want to pay double at the hotel.

Think about how you react to the sun/sand/salt, if you will be near corals (reef-

safe sunscreen), will someone help you putting it on, etc. We bought 50 SPF for

our face, a generic sport spray, and we also had a natural zinc one that we put

before leaving the room

14. Flip flops - 2 is a good number

15. Bug cream or spray - We didn't use it in Mexico this time around

16. Sunglasses - Do you need sporty ones, do you need to protect your eyes from

sand blowing in your face, I like having 2 depending on my mood

17. GoPro camera or underwater camera - You never know if you will explore, will the

waves be too big to bring it or the water is super clear and you can see really cool

fish

18. Hats + hat clip - I brought a hat and it was clipped on my bag, the only thing is

when you put your bag on the floor, your hat is on the floor as well. A hat is very

valuable when the sun is just beaming on your head

19. Yeti/Thermos - Ice cold drinks that last

20. Beach towel Clips - Your towels will stay put and you can identify them easily

21. Water goggles - My husband loves to see what's in the water

22. Scuba gear - What is needed, where will you be, have space?

Beach Accessories:

23. Dry bag/wet bag - Dry bag for your cellphone is a good idea and bring

some Ziplock bags for your wet bathing suits on your way back home

24. Pool Floaties - Pack of 2 so you can both relax in the pool

25. Cooling towel - We had this at home and we never used it, my husband is always too

warm and I had read that cooling towels existed but we didn't have high hopes. This

towel was very useful and I will bring it with me more often now. You need water,

wring it, whip it a little and it's good to go!

26. Frisbee/Skip ball - Unfortunately, it was too windy and our Frisbee was in storage,

but we did buy Skip ball and had lots of fun in the pool with it.

Frisbee is light weight and a good way to spend time on the beach

Footwear:

27. Sandals for dinners - High heels to make your legs look long

28. Sneakers - Instead of leaving with your winter boots, you can leave in sneakers

that can easily be worn with an outfit and you can use them for the gym as well

29. Slippers (for cold ceramic floor) - Some hotels do have slippers!

Clothing:

30. Workout clothes - We were debating if we would bring some,

as we usually play lots of beach volleyball and dance in the

evening, so we don't particularly go the gym. On our 10 day

trip, we visited the gym 4 times!

31. Breakfast attire - Do you wake up and wear your bathing suit and

your cover-up or you want to feel comfy in the morning in

something else

32. Evening wear - I love to have something different every night,

but that leads to a heavy luggage, think about mixing and

matching perhaps

33. Sleepwear/light sweater/rash guard/socks - Might need

Toiletries:

34. Jewelry - A few options for different outfits

35. Lip balm - Always useful, do not forget a SPF one as well

36. Hair straightener/curler/anti-frizz - Anti-frizz was a new

product I brought with me and I was happy with the result

37. Aloe vera gel/after sun cream - Hydrate your skin, you don't

want to peel!

38. Wrinkle releaser spray - OMG what a lifesaver! No need to iron, you can start the

shower and help the shirts a little, you spray on it, pull it a bit and voilà, le tour est

joué!

39. Tide stick (stain remover) - You might not need it, but someone will :)

40. Makeup essentials - You might not need bronzer!

41. Perfume - I bought smaller tubes and was able to bring 3

42. Sticky bra (if needed) - I might try a different kind soon

43. BodyGlide - My husband's essential item with the cooling towel. Not only great for

biking and hiking, but also when it's hot outside and there will be rubbing. No

chaffing in the horizon!

44. Hair mask - You know they will have shampoo and conditioner or a

shampoo/conditioner mix as well as body soap, but if you bring your hair mask,

you know your hair will be silky after a day in the sun and a mix of salt and chlorine

in there

45. Leave-in conditioner - After bleaching my hair for 2 years and going back to being

a brunette, I still have to treat my hair as if I were blond because my hair hasn't fully

grown out yet. My hairdresser told me, after she saw my green ends OH BOY, that

she always brings leave in conditioner that she puts on after she went in the pool or

the ocean and brushes it out so it doesn't look like straw. I will definitely buy some

for the next trip

Miscellaneous:

47. Snacks - We always bring too many, but with a gluten-free and dairy-free diet, you

never know what you will have access to

48. Travel towel - It fits easily in your beach bag and you can wipe your face with it if

needed. If you decide to go on an adventure/excursion, well you will probably

need a towel to bring along, what better than a tiny towel that doesn't weigh much

49. Bluetooth speaker - We like to get ready in the room and put on our favourite

songs from Spotify

50. Binder clips (for closing curtains) - Are you a light sleeper? Will you bring your eye

mask with you? Are the curtains blackout? You can easily put binder clips in your

luggage just in case you need them

51. Trash bag (for laundry or garbage)

Portable clothesline - After not even a month of buying them (pack of 2), we gave them to our friends. New item on my list and can be used in different settings, so it's not only a one time use once in a while for us. On our hotel balcony, I used the chairs to hang the clothesline and I knew my bikini tops and bottoms would not find themselves on the floor or blown away by the wind. We also went on a 58 foot boat and used the clothesline in order to not always walk under our wet towels to get off the boat. We also plan using the portable clothesline during our camping trips.

Last but not least, bring those noise-cancelling headphones/earphones. You will enjoy the 'crying babies' in the plane while you make funny faces and peekaboo's.