Once we booked our tour (through Intrepid Travel – I’ll do a review after the trip, but so far they’ve been great to work with!) and flights for our honeymoon in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, I took to the blogosphere to research what to take and how to pack. A lot of what I found was from backpackers, gone for months at a time and either camping or staying in extremely modest, low-budget accommodation. 

We’re not doing a five-star trip by any means, but we’ll be in comfortable three-star hotels most nights, and a five-star resort for a few nights that we splurged on (although it was still cheap compared to what it would have cost elsewhere in the Western world). I quickly realized that I didn’t need, nor did I want to spend, $100 on convertible hiking pants, $80 on moisture-wicking athletic shirts, etc. These items would have such a short-term use, as I don’t currently use these items in my day-to-day life. 

So for all those who are traveling and want to do so as a minimalist, but not necessarily as a serious backpacker, this post is for you! I’ll explain what I’m taking and why.

The Luggage

The first thing I knew I had to have was a proper backpack. This is definitely the item we got that we may not really use that often. But my experience with a rolling suitcase in Europe with my brother for a month back in 2005 told me that we would need these for SE Asia. While the rolling suitcase was *ok* in Europe, I knew it would be a major nuisance on this trip as the infrastructure can be spotty in some rural areas.

With the need for backpacks established, we looked at size. I went back and forth, as I was sure I could get everything in a 30L. The problem was that it left no room for any souvenirs, and as this is a 2.5 week tour, not a 6 month trek, I knew we would want to purchase some special items to bring back. We both got 40L backpacks.

I also got a modest-sized daypack, as there are really only one or two days where we’ll be away from our hotel the entire day. We plan on carrying only what we need for a day out adventuring:

• Camera
• Water bottle
• Hand sanitizer
• Sunblock
• Tissues/Hand wipes
• My Shewee
• Cover-up (scarf, light jacket, etc.)
• Chapstick
• Snacks

While the day pack is certainly on the more feminine side (I will definitely use it in regular life), Sean has no problem with slinging this over his shoulder half the time. What a guy! <3

The Clothing

Now for the clothes. I knew I’d need something to cover knees and shoulders for going into temples, but also lightweight since it will be about 90 degrees. I read that trains, planes, tour buses and hotels can be frigid from air conditioning so I wanted to bring something along to keep warm, as well.

Here is what I ended up with:

• 2 maxi dresses
• 1 short dress
• 1 skirt, can also double as a beach cover-up
• 2 lightweight, breathable athletic shirts
• 2 lightweight, peasant-style tops
• 2 tank tops
• 1 pair of lightweight pants for traveling
• 1 light zip-up jacket for keeping warm during travel and for covering shoulders at temples
• 1 scarf – covering shoulders, sarong, belt, etc.
• 1 pair of jean shorts (this came recommended on a few sites, which surprised me since they’re a thick material but from a fashion perspective I see why)
• 2 pair of athletic shorts
• 1 light-colored hat
• 1 bathing suit
• 2 pairs of wicking underwear
• 4 pairs of regular underwear
• 3 pairs of socks
• 2 bras
• 1 sports bra
• Sneakers
• Teva walking sandals
• Black flip-flops

It actually looks like a lot in this list, but keep in mind I’ll be wearing the pants, 1 athletic shirt, zip-up jacket, scarf, underwear, bra, socks and sneakers during the flights, so none of that will be packed. I thought of only bringing one maxi dress, but they are comfortable, satisfy the requirements for temples, and transition easily from day to night. We’re going to be busy, so washing clothes more than once or twice is not something we want to do.

(I did cave and buy the athletic shirts, pants and jacket new – but I will wear these to the gym or yoga or on my walks and they were on clearance.)

The Packing

I’m a master packer – I can organize and situate like a pro to optimize all space. However, it’s not quite as handy of a skill in a backpack as it is in a square, rolling suitcase. Who wants to be pulling out every item each day to locate something that’s shifted to the bottom of the bag? NOT ME.

Enter the packing cubes. I read about these online at various blogs and decided they were not only perfect for this exact situation, but also for our regular travel. With a large, medium and small cube, it’s easy and quick for me to get to what I need. All of these fit into my backpack, and there is still some space in the pack as well as in the cubes themselves – great for fitting souvenirs. 

The Toiletries and Incidentals

Toiletries were the last thing I packed and for the most part, it was the same as most other trips – shampoo, soap, razor, toothpaste/brush, etc. I did get a small first aid kit, some mouthwash in case we want to freshen up and don’t have water, and a plethora of sanitizer/sanitizing wipes/tissues. 

What I’m NOT taking

I think this is an important thing to address. I’m not taking my engagement ring (just wearing my wedding band), flashy jewelry (only simple stud earrings and necklace), my expensive makeup, many electronics, high heels, hair dryer or flatiron. 

Some of these items aren’t needed and others I simple don’t want to risk being stolen in the event something were to happen. It’s also part of traveling light. 🙂

I think we’re all set! I always manage to forget something, but since we arrive in Bangkok first, I know we’ll be able to find just about any incidentals we may need. 

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about what I’m packing for our honeymoon and that you’ve found it helpful for your own travels. Leave any questions in the comments sections. 🙂