Note: this is a guide only and is not intended to be a complete personal packing list. Please also refer to the WHAT TO BRING section of the TRIP NOTES relating to your specific tour, destination/s and season of travel.
Luggage
- A lockable suitcase with wheels OR a small-medium sized (40-50 litres) back-pack is ideal. Japan travellers, please ensure your suitcase (1 piece) weighs less than 20kg and the combined dimensions of height, width and depth do not exceed 200cm. An additional fee will be charged for extra luggage (exceeding the quantity, size and weight specified). Morocco travellers, luggage space in the minibus is restricted – please ensure your suitcase (1 piece) weighs less than 20kg. It is also essential that you check the luggage weight and dimensions permitted by the airline/s you’ll be flying with. India (Rajasthan and Gujurat tour) travellers – your itinerary includes a domestic flight with a luggage limit of 15kg. Checked-in luggage exceeding 15kg will incur an additional fee (charged per kilogram) and is at the expense of the traveller. Please note that where itineraries include a domestic flight, the luggage allowance may be less than the maximum allowance permitted on international flights.
- Please arrive with no more than ONE main piece of luggage, preferably weighing no more than 15kg and certainly under 20kg. If you expect to make a number of purchases during your travels, you may wish to pack a soft duffle bag in your main luggage.
- A comfortable daypack/bag to carry water, sunscreen, first aid kit, camera etc. for day trips. Some itineraries will also require you to bring a daypack to function as an overnight bag eg. for village homestays, Sahara camp, or when our luggage is couriered ahead of us on our Japan tours.
- We recommend that you pack as lightly as possible as you will be expected to manage your own luggage.
Note: Please ensure that your luggage is clearly labelled on the outside
Travel Documents
- Passport – must be valid for at least six months beyond the duration of your trip and have blank pages (as per minimum required by the immigration regulations for your destination)
- Visa. Please refer to the TO DO LIST and your nearest consulate for more information
- Travel permits. Some states and countries require you to register your details prior to your arrival. You may be required to complete a health declaration to obtain a travel permit (eg. Indonesia)
- Travel insurance details: including insurer details, 24 hr emergency contact telephone number and policy number (even if you are travelling with credit card insurance). Please bring a copy of your policy certificate and the emergency telephone number to our pre-tour briefing meeting
- Flight tickets, e-ticket
- Booking Summary/Tour voucher – will be issued a couple of weeks prior to departure
- Photocopies of important documents – to be kept separately from the original documents. We recommend you keep an extra copy at home and also email a copy to yourself and next of kin
- Trip notes, Itinerary and Useful Information documents will be provided by email together with your Booking Summary/Tour Voucher (a few weeks prior to departure): a hard copy of these documents will be included in your Welcome Pack at the pre-tour briefing meeting on day 1 of each tour
- Your international Covid-19 vaccination certificate
- Spare passport photos (if indicated as per documentation for your destination/s)
Money Matters
- Money – cash, travel card, debit/credit card (preferably more than one card)
- Money belt, pouch or neck wallet
- Calculator (useful when exchanging money) or use smartphone app
Please refer to the MONEY section of the TRIP NOTES for more information
Note: Don’t forget to advise your bank of your travel dates and destination to avoid having your credit card cancelled when you first try to use it overseas.
Travel Accessories
- Water bottle
- Face masks and Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) – if you feel unwell (COVID or otherwise) at any time during your travels we require you to take precautionary measures to reduce transmission such as wearing a mask and taking a Rapid Antigen Test. Airlines and public transport may also require passengers to wear masks.
- Local language phrase book or use smartphone app
- Mobile phone, phone charger and portable battery
- Portable wifi device, global roaming package, international SIM, e-SIM, or local SIM so that you’ll be contactable on WhatsApp throughout our tour – please refer to the PHONE & INTERNET section of the TRIP NOTES. You must have internet access throughout the day, not just via at the hotel wifi at night
- Pen & paper or journal/diary, small handcraft project if desired
- Cloth/reusable shopping bag to avoid the use of plastic bags (a retreat|recreate cloth tote will be provided in your Welcome Pack)
- Electrical adaptor/s
- Torch/flashlight – or use smartphone app
- Retractable walking pole/s – Some of our previous guests have found these provide extra stability and support on uneven ground, on rural walks and when we are on our feet all day
- Download any Apps you may require prior to departure eg. WhatsApp, Maps etc
Sleeping
- Night clothes/sleepwear
- Alarm clock – or use smartphone app
- Eye mask
- Ear plugs if you are a light sleeper and/or sharing a room
Personal Health
- Face masks
- Rapid Antigen Tests (a minimum of two per week of trip duration, per person)
- Hand sanitiser
- Personal medication/prescriptions
- Spare prescription glasses
- Contact lenses and solution
- High protective sunscreen (min. 30+)
- Lip balm/lip salve
- Wide brim sunhat
- Sunglasses
- Insect repellent
- Antihistamine/insect bite cream
- Antibacterial gel/wipes
- Anti-nausea and travel sickness tablets, ginger tablets
- Anti-malarial pill (if recommended by doctor)
- Aspirin and/or paracetamol
- Band aids
- Throat lozenges
- Rehydration powder (salts & glucose)
- Anti-diarrhoea pills (consult your doctor for detailed advice)
- Constipation/laxative medication
- Your own stash of toilet paper/tissues
Note: We strongly recommend that you bring all items on the above list plus any additional personal requirements. You must carry these items with you at all times. We are prohibited by law from dispensing any medication including over-the-counter pharmaceuticals. We are also unable to provide enough band-aids/plasters, rehydration tablets etc. for the whole group, so please ensure that you bring and carry your own supply of all items mentioned above.
Clothing
Refer also to the TRIP NOTES for details of appropriate clothing and the expected weather and climate relevant to your destination and season of travel.
- Easy to wash and fast-drying clothes are a good choice
- We recommend that you dress conservatively, in comfortable, loose-fitting clothing in light weight, natural fabrics (eg. cotton/voile which breathe in warm weather), and covering upper arms to below knees as a minimum (for modesty and religious respect). Keep a lightweight cotton shawl/scarf handy for use as an extra cover-up at religious sites, for cooler evenings and on air-conditioned transport
- Layers of clothing are the best way to deal with temperature variations
- Long sleeved top for evenings (when mosquitos are out)
- Loose, cotton pants. In many of the countries we visit, shorts are not acceptable
- Skirts/dress (not short)
- T-shirts/cotton shirts
- Underwear
- Socks
- Hat
- Light shawl/sarong for visits to temples/mosques (essential in India, Turkey, Bali, Laos, Thailand and Uzbekistan)
- Light-weight waterproof jacket/poncho
- Warm waterproof coat or jacket for winter tours
- Scarf and gloves for winter tours
- Small umbrella (useful for sun and rain)
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Swimsuit
- Sarong and/or pool cover up
- Toiletries
- Plastic bags for dirty clothes, wet swimsuits, shoes etc
- Travel washing line
- Biodegradable washing detergent
- Hairdryer if required (not always provided by hotels in some countries including India and Morocco)
retreat | recreate 