Going On Holiday Any Time Soon? Lola Ekugo Shares 10 Things that Are Essential for Travel

Having travelled to over 25 countries so far, there are some essentials apart from the basic travel luggage that travel has taught me to love. A trip without some of these could easily influence the feel my stay in any city!

Power bank
From experience, being caught with your phone battery dead while exploring a new city can be quite daunting. In the past, I always carried only my charger but after travelling to several countries in Africa where electricity can be an issue coupled with the trend of now using phones for everything, even as a boarding pass. A power bank is great because you don’t need to find a power socket while on the go.

Healthy Snacks
This is an absolute must for me, I don’t play with these. Healthy snacks, such as chewy granola bars, dried fruit, nuts, can be the difference between piling up lots of weight on during a holiday and not. Scenario, it’s 30 minutes to lunchtime and you can’t find the restaurant you were planning to go.

Option 1 – Buy ice cream and a cinnamon pretzel at the nearby stand.

Option 2 – Dig into your bag and find a handy healthy snack, relax and have a great lunch when you find the restaurant 45 minutes later.

The choice is yours!

Explorer bag or backpack / Comfortable shoes
I am usually very active on my holidays, and uncomfortable shoes or inappropriate carry ons can literally ruin a holiday with blistered feet, or lost items. I carry a cross shoulder bag so I can remain stylish! But a backpack is probably better as it distributes the weight evenly.

Medication
I have learnt over time to carry my own pain killers and the ever helpful imodium for a runny stomach but carry whatever works for you. Exploring can sometimes be stressful and eating local foods that your body is not so familiar with can sometimes lead to unexpected results. So, this is a must have for me, looking for a pharmacy in a new city can turn out to be more stressful, the right drugs can be difficult to identify and a language barrier can make it even trickier.

Your travel information at hand
I normally use my smartphone’s “Notes” app to keep all my important travel information together but it’s good practice to have a paper backup for those times your mobile devices can’t help you. it can save you a lot of hassle and stress. I have also found the TripIt mobile app quite useful for organising my travel itinerary.

You may need: Your travel confirmations and booking codes, Accommodation phone number and address, Travel Insurance details, Airline or travel agent toll free number, Small cash in the native currency and backup documents. Make copies of your passport and tickets and keep them in a safe place in your luggage. If your passport is stolen, a copy will speed up the replacement process. Leave a second copy of your passport with a family member back home.

Trainers for a run
My runs are so important to me on my holiday, I look forward to them. Exploring the scenery in my running shoes is always great and with all that holiday food, I need to burn it off somehow to make room for more!

Selfie stick/ tripod
Selfie sticks are becoming quite important travel essentials. They come in handy especially when traveling alone. If you have a DSLR then a tripod is great. I have taken some wonderful pictures with my tripod using the timer. Sometimes you don’t want to bother anyone to get that right shot! or you can’t find anyone you trust around or you are worried they might just run off with your phone. Even when travelling as a group a tripod/selfie stick are amazing travel buddies.

Plug Adapters
Travel adaptors come in handy depending on the country you are travelling to. Your hotel may have one but I would recommend having one as well.

Hand Sanitiser
They really come in handy for me as a refresher after a long flight or just a long day exploring.

Camera/Smartphone
A good camera is an absolute must-have as a travel blogger for taking those amazing shots. Although my current iPhone 6 plus has been a great assistant, the picture quality is high. A picture says a thousand words and I have taken some great shots and videos with these two! On my honeymoon to the Maldives, I forgot my camera, and I didn’t have a great smartphone camera at the time and I still haven’t forgiven myself!

Do you have a favourite travel item or what would you add to the list?