Southeast Asia Travel Essentials
Examining what I loved, what I missed, what I wished and brought and what I shouldn’t have bothered with!
I did a lot of research on traveling, but what it really boils down to is what you are comfortable traveling with and what is important to you. I think for all backpackers the most important thing is space. What can you save space with, what must you absolutely bring and what can you leave behind.
The following list are my ten absolute travel essentials followed by the things that are absolutely not necessary, aka amateur backpacker mistakes I made so you won’t have to.
Top 10 essential items for backpacking in Asia
Sarong or towel that doubles as a beach towel, blanket, and regular towel
I did not bring a towel with me. I relied on the hostels and AirBnbs to supply me with towels, and even the most rustic ones had towels. I brought a sarong I had gotten in Brazil in 2014, and used it as a beach towel, extra sheet, wrap, and sarong. It worked fine and saved me a ton of space!
Headphones for work or working out
I took both bluetooth and earphones with a cord so I could work and listen to music and audiobooks from my phone. The audiobooks were a lifesaver on long bus rides and plane trips!
Your own individual coffee packs
If you love coffee like I do, you need to carry your own around. In Asia, it’s popular to have 3 in one coffee packs with sugar, milk, and coffee. These packs are too sweet. Buy individual instant coffee only packets so you don’t have to deal with the sugar rush.
Surge Protector/Adapter
In Asia it’s very common to have combo plugs that work in the EU and US. However, it’s important to still have a surge protector/adapter for some of your items, especially if you’re bringing hair appliances (which I did not) or electronics. By a combo surge protector/adapter online and use regardless of your outlet connection.
Packing cubes
Definitely a must for traveling! Packing cubes help to compress and keep everything organized. I have one for my shorts, pants, and shirts. Then smaller ones for underwear and bikinis. Tt’s a lifesaver and I honestly won’t be traveling without them now. They work great both for backpacking and regular travel
Travel Backpack
Speaking of packing cubes…you need a good travel backpack. I did a ton of research on this as I didn’t want to end up with a crap backpack I wasn’t happy with. I also wanted one that opened horizontally and not just at the top, so you can see all the contents inside. Osprey seemed to be the highest rated, and after buying a couple of different types and sizes including male and female versions, I settled on the Osprey 55 Liter 89 inch male version. I am a tall female, I don’t mind checking in my bag as I’m also traveling with a backpack, and I wanted the ability to be able to accumulate stuff as I travel. The Osprey also has a small detachable day bag which I use almost every day to carry my laptop around, my water, snacks, etc. And it’s not too big and bulky so you can easily move around with it and store it wherever you go.
A good phone for photos, memory, and space and to put all your books on
I love reading books. And as must book lovers know, there’s nothing like reading an actual book, opening the pages, smelling that paper smell and looking at the creases that you or possibly another before you created. But in Asia carrying books around with you is just not feasible. It takes up space and when you finish the book you either need to keep carrying it, or give it away.
Digitizing my books on the Kindle App on my phone makes them easily accessible, without taking up any physical space in my bag. What’s more, I can keep reading and reading new books and my luggage will remain blissfully free of the extra weight!
Sunscreen, aloe vera, and mosquito repellent
While yes, you can technically buy all of those things there, the choices are limited and for budget travelers, you are not provided with the best quality. I only bring my own because of the natural factor, as in Asia things are limited and using banana boat products (cause they are cheap) which are not the best for your body and hormones
Bar shampoo and conditioner
Along with saving space in your travel-size toiletries, bar shampoo and conditioner are a great alternative to using plastic bottles to carry everything in. You can put them in their own plastic reusable holder, or use a zip lock bag to store them. You can pack them anywhere in your stuff so you aren’t limited to the carry on travel size, and they are very eco-friendly! You can find organic bar shampoos and conditioners on Amazon.com or your local health food store.
Hand sanitizer/wet wipes.
Ok well this was a given before, but now with COVID-19 it’s even more essential. You need to bring some with you to wipe your hands down on your seats, before you eat, where you are going to lay your head, pretty much everything. Wet wipes are even better, as it’s great to carry in your bag at all times to clean surfaces, your face and wipe your feet down from walking barefoot everywhere.
Non-essential items I wish I would have left.
Denim.
Everyone says don’t bring denim. What do I do? Bring a pair of denim shorts because they’re just “so cute”. Well, turns out that cuteness doesn’t make the denim less heavy and easier to dry in the humid climate. Take it from me, leave your denim at home. You can buy lightweight shorts and pants in Asia for a fraction of the cost, less weight and stress of getting them to dry in time.
Summer clothes in general.
While we’re at it, I’m going to go ahead and say don’t even bother bringing a bunch of clothes with you. I purposely packed light because 1, the US doesn’t know how to make breathable, light fabric in cotton, and 2, it’s cheaper and easier to get stuff while you are in Asia.
Additionally, Asia is very conservative, apart from a few very touristy places. I bought a lot of tank tops and shorts but basically didn’t wear any of it until the Thailand islands. I bought longer, breathable pants along with flowing cotton t-shirts to wear everywhere else. The clothes cost $2 for a shirt and up to $8 for pants, so you will not be breaking the bank by getting things there. Also, it doesn’t matter what you buy, just dress respectfully. Buy what’s comfortable and use it to cover up. It’s better to be respectful than to worry about looking like a tourist (see my post about being criticized for looking like a tourist here)
Strappy sandals
Speaking of being respectful, it’s tradition in Asian cultures to take your shoes off when you enter buildings. Many times you will see a pile of shoes outside a shop or cafe. That’s because everyone is barefoot inside. Everyone wears simple flip flops for that reason. Easy to put on, easy to take off. As cute as they are, leave the strappy sandals behind. They are not necessary and are a huge hassle to take on and off. I lugged around my fave pair of strappy sandals for 2 months, and did nothing with it. It just took up space in my bag…along with my denim shorts.
Non-collapsible water bottle.
Everyone says bring a water bottle, and I thought yeah, that’s a great idea. I got a wonderful aluminum one on Amazon that kept my water cool and I loved it. The problem is, water bottles can be easily lost. And I lost mine not even a month into my trip when I left it on the bus from Krabi to the ferry pier. If you choose to go with a water bottle, look into a collapsible water bottle that won’t take up as much space as an aluminum one. This will make it easier to travel with since you can fold it up when not in use.
I hope you enjoyed this short list of my essential and non essential items! Let me know in the comments below if you agree with this list, or have anything to add!