We all look forward to a few weeks on a tropical beach, to unwind after a hectic year and let our hair down; the first few days are usually spent adjusting to the climate and time difference, and then you are in tune with your environment and the rest of the holiday is awesome. Of course, the quality of your downtime is correlated to the prepping; know a lot about your destination, and that enriches the experience, while also helping to communicate and understand the local people.
Here are a few travel hacks we found with Google that we think everyone should know.
- Power adaptor –If there is one piece of kit you really do need, it is the universal adaptor; a good one would have many attachments, allowing you to charge your digital devices regardless of the power system. Unless, of course, you are staying at one of the 5-star resorts in the Maldives, where an adaptor set is complimentary, as are many other goodies, such as a welcome cocktail and sauna! Buy a heavy-duty power bank and keep it charged up, that will give your smartphone and laptop enough life for 24 hours.
- Rolling clothes – If you didn’t already know, you can save quite a bit of luggage space by rolling clothes and stacking them in rows. This is perfect for backpacking when space is at a real premium. T-shirts, cotton pants, sweaters, and undershirts can all be rolled and when you get good at it, you’ll have a lot of extra space for souvenirs. Camping is enjoying a comeback, with many families immersing themselves in nature.
- Photo important documentation – Take images of your main passport page, visas, air tickets, health and travel insurance policies, and anything else of importance. You can easily bring an image up if someone wants to see ID and if the worst happened and you lost your passport, at least you have images to show the authorities. Save them in a specific folder on your smartphone and you won’t regret it!
- Delicate stuff in a sock – Jewellery or anything delicate can be packed inside a thick sock; with individual wrapping, several items can fit in a single sock and that can be wedged in anywhere – just remember what’s in it! Watches, camera lenses, and other small digital devices should be bubble wrapped.
- Neon ribbon – You may have seen a suitcase or two with neon ribbon on the handle and wondered what that’s all about; luggage pretty much looks the same these days and a bright ribbon tells you when your suitcase enters the pickup line. You can position yourself for the grab and be on your way; we think you should tell at least 3 travelers about this hack to spread the word.
Wherever you are going, planning is the key to a smooth trip; flying to the Maldives is an exciting prospect and with a 5-star package and the above hacks, your vacation will be remembered for all the right reasons.