What to Pack for an All Inclusive Vacation

We have been travelling a lot recently and each and every time I find I’ve over-packed! All inclusive vacations get me excited and I seem to pack as though I’m going for months rather than a week’s holiday. I’ve decided to make myself a list of what to pack for all inclusive vacations based upon the masses of items I didn’t use while on my last trip.

Medications

This is the first on the list. Not only should you bring your prescribed medications but also some over the counter choices like Tylenol, Benadryl and creams such as Polysporin. Most resorts have these available but when you’re in a foreign country, you can’t always recognize the brands and that may make you less comfortable. Don’t forget your band-aids and aloe gel incase of too much sun.

Sunscreen

Grab your sunscreen and hit the beach! Again, most resorts have these available but you may not be familiar with the brand and the prices will most certainly be higher than your local store.

Bug Repellant

Like it or not, there are bugs everywhere and nobody wants to be itching away a week in paradise.

Clothing

Check the resort activities and ensure you’ve got appropriate outfits, some resorts having dining which doesn’t allow you to wear shorts or tank tops so make sure you’re in the know! Also check about laundry services, this may be a good choice if you’re hoping to pack light.

Usually for a 7 day stay we pack:

Adults:

• 2-3 bathing suits. If we’re heading to the beach I always pack at least 2 swim suits for each person, that way I can have 1 suit dry at all times. We walk around wearing our suits under clothes when we’re not at the beach so the thought of pulling on a wet, cold suit isn’t appealing.
• Cover up. This girl doesn’t usually walk around in her swim suit so a pretty cover up is always on hand.
• Hats. The sun is very different when we go south, so we each have a hat to protect our noggins.
• Sunglasses
• Flip flops or sandals for the beach/pool days. For me these are Birkenstocks which are fine for excursions as well but you may find you need to pack a 2nd pair for walking longer.
• 1 pair of nice shoes each for the evenings.
• Dresses. I usually pack 2 sundresses for the evenings and a maxi dress which I wear during the days when we’re not by the pool.
• Long pants and 1 dressy shirt. For my husband we pack 1 pair of long pants and a nice shirt for the dining rooms which require them.
• Light weight pyjamas.
• 4 pairs of shorts for him and 2 pairs for myself as I’m usually in a dress or bathing suit.
• 4-5 lightweight shirts each.
• Light sweater for cooler evenings.
• Costume jewellery. Leave any valuables at home! Bringing costume jewellery means I don’t worry if something goes missing.

 Kids:

• 2-3 bathings suits
• Cover-ups
• 1 hat each
• Sunglasses
• 1 pair of closed toed shoes and 1 pair of flip flops. For our DIVA we always have 1 pair of dressy shoes as well
• 1 dress each for evenings
• 6 pairs of shorts – our girls need more than we do, simply because they tend to get messy
• 6 light shirts
• 2 pairs of light weight pjs each
• Goggles. If your kids are in the pools, you’ll find their wee eyes can get VERY irritated from the chemicals so be sure to pack the goggles.

To be honest if it were up to the kids, they would stuff everything they own into suitcases and bring it all along. These are just the essentials, from here have a look around and see what you feel they would really need.