By Kerry Brooks

This is it! The week you’ve been anticipating for a few months is just around the corner. The Maldives, we are coming! Your plane ticket is paid, hotel room booked, leave approved, and daydreaming the whole day. What’s left is just the packing part. Don’t worry; packing can be a breeze if you know what you’re taking. You don’t want to be the tourist that packs their entire room only to forget the one crucial item.

For a week in the gorgeous island nation of Maldives, here are the essentials:

1. Bathing Suits

What use would your beachfront hotel room be if you’re not getting into the crystal-clear waters that are only found in the Maldives? So better be well stocked on your bathing suits. You can choose to bring as many variations as you want or keep it minimal, maybe only bring two or three pieces that you can reuse. It’s easy enough to hang them to dry after a nice swim. That way you won’t have to struggle to haul your luggage from plane to van to boat cramped full of swimwear for every day of the week.

2. Sunblock

Do not underestimate the power of the sun. As a tropical nation, the Maldives gets its fair share of sunlight, and not just any sunlight, direct sunlight. It’s very easy to forget about sunblock when the appeal of the beach and pool are too inviting but the sunburn and skin damage you’ll experience after won’t be worth it. And don’t forget to reapply. All the swimming will certainly wash off some of that lotion and that can decrease its effectivity. A good rule of thumb would be to apply 15 minutes before getting sun exposure and reapply every one to two hours.

3. Bug Repellant

With tropical climate comes the inevitable mosquitos. While some hotels have implemented a few measures to keep their population low, it is better to be cautious and bring bug repellant spray. Mosquitos carry many diseases like malaria and dengue fever. You wouldn’t want to put a damper on your vacation by getting sick the whole time now, would you?

4. Sunglasses

The sun doesn’t just do damage to your skin; it can wreak havoc to your eyes as well. The glare from the water can do some damage to your eyes and can lead you to experience headaches, migraine, or worse, cataract. To mitigate that, don’t forget to bring a nice pair of sunglasses. When deciding on one, take into consideration the UV coverage for both UVA and UVB. Buying a gorgeous but cheap sunnies might prove to be even harmful to your eyes so might as well invest in a good pair from a good brand.

5. Snorkeling Gear

To truly enjoy the Maldivian beaches, it’s not enough simply to swim in it. Take it a step further and explore the coral life by going snorkelling. The Maldives has many spots teeming with ocean flora and fauna. With this in mind, make sure you pack your snorkelling gear. You can also rent one from your hotel, but it’s better to use one that you haven’t shared with hundreds of other tourists.

Now you’re all set, you are ready to roll. Don’t forget to experience what the Maldives has to offer culture-wise. The Maldivian people are some of the kindest and warmest people so make sure you make a couple of friends.

Author Bio: Kerry Brooks is ardent blogger and frequent traveller who enjoys writing and sharing about health, beauty, travel and physical fitness. She is currently working for Weighted Blanket in Canada, which offers world’s finest weighted blankets in Canada.