Packing
Knowing what to pack and ensuring you fit within your luggage allowance can be a struggle!
LADIES
- Long Skirts/Dress
- Head scarf
- Jeans/Comfy pants
- Jumper/cardigan
- Jacket (Poncho for wet weather)
- Underwear
- T-Shirts/Tops
- Shoes – Comfortable, Dress pair for Church or if going out for dinner.
- Thongs – For shower
- Track Suit pants for quiet night/Pajamas
- Bathers (Depending on where you are travelling)
- Sheet/Sleeping Bag
MEN
- Jacket (Poncho for wet weather)
- Jumper
- Jeans/Comfy cargo pants/shorts
- Underwear
- Shoes – Comfortable, Dress pair for Church or if going out for dinner.
- Thongs for Shower
- Track Suit pants for quiet night/Pajamas
- Bathers (Depending on where you are travelling)
- Sheet/Sleeping Bag
TOILETRIES
- Shampoo/conditioner
- Sanitary items
- Deodorant
- Toothpaste/brush, razor
- Towel/face washer
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellant – RID Tropical (Contains DEET)
- Laundry Powder/liquid hand wash for washing clothes
- Waterless hand cleanser
- Toilet Paper (1 roll)
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
- Valid Passport (more than six months validity)
- Airline Ticket
- Travel Insurance Documentation
- Credit/debit card (check availability where you are travelling)
- Cash card for ATMs if needed
- Vaccination record (Depending where you are travelling)
- Have a copy of all your cards, passport and travel documents with you – leave one with a family member or trusted friend at home
PERSONAL ITEMS
- IPod/Walkman
- Camera/batteries/charger
- Mobile Phone/Charger. Check if you have international roaming, this can work out still to be expensive. A good idea is to purchase a local SIM Card so you can make local calls.
- Money Belt
- Leave valuables at home, buy a cheap watch at the $2 shop
- Make sure luggage is labeled on the inside and outside. Same goes for camera/daypack.
MISCELLANEOUS
- Journal/Bible (if a missions trip)
- Backpack (with padlock/key)
- Hat
- Reading material
- Universal power adaptor
- Torch
- Money belt
- Gifts – eg. Balloons, pencils, stickers (if a mission trip) Check out the $2 shops for great ideas.
Make sure medicine is in original packaging.
- Bring with you any of your own medicine with appropriate documentation.
- Gastro tablets (eg. Imodium)
- Anti vomit tablets (eg. Stemitel)
- Malaria tablets.
- Headache tablets (eg. Panadol)
- Dettol spray or antibacterial hand cleansers are great. Aquium is a good hand wash, a packet of ‘Wet Ones’ often come in handy.
- You may want to take some ‘surgical gloves’ – now in supermarkets.
HEALTH TIPS
To stay healthy, do …
- Wash hands often with soap and water.
- Use waterless soap.
- Drink only bottled water, boiled water or carbonated soft drinks in cans/bottles.
- Avoid tape water, fountain drinks and ice cubes.
- If you visit an area where there is a risk for malaria, take your malaria prevention medication before, during and after travel as directed.
- Avoid dairy products unless you know they have been pasteurized.
- Don’t swim in fresh water. Salt water is usually safer.
Protect yourself from mosquito bites:
- Pay attention to mosquito protection between dusk and dawn. This is when the type of mosquito whose bites transmits malaria is active.
- Wear long sleeved shirts, long pants and hats.
- Use insect repellants that contain DEET(diethylmethyltoluamide)
- Read and follow instructions and precautions on the product label.
- Apply insect repellent to exposed skin. DO NOT USE ON WOUNDS OR BROKEN SKIN
- Do not breath in, swallow or get into the eyes (DEET IS TOXIC IF SWALLOWED). If using a spray product, apply DEET to your face by spraying your hands and rubbing the product carefully over the face, avoiding eyes and mouth.
- Unless you are staying in air-conditioned or well-screened housing, purchase a bed net impregnated with the insecticide permethrinor deltamethrin. Or, spray the bed net with one of these insecticides if you are unable to find a pretreated bed net.
- To prevent fungal and parasitic infections, keep feet clean and dry and do not go bare foot . (Thongs are a must).
SAFETY
Reasonable precautions should be taken whilst travelling. The following guidelines should help towards a safe and enjoyable trip.
- Do not walk alone in deserted areas and around the streets after dark
- Always be accompanied by one other person especially at ATM’s
- Always keep valuables such as jewellery out of sight (best to leave everything at home and buy a cheap watch from the $2 shop)
- Do not carry large camera around your neck
- Do not leave your luggage unattended
- DO not accept lifts from strangers and never ‘hitchhike’
- When in a car, keep doors locked and windows only partially open
- Do not offer lifts to strangers
WHAT’S THE WEATHER GOING TO BE?
As we all know (especially Melbournians, the weather can change dramatically in a short space of time. Here are a couple of websites you can have a look at and see what the weather conditions will be when you are travelling.
