Brought to you by Bupa Travel Insurance
Do you remember the family holidays you went on as a kid?
I certainly do.
We never ventured overseas, but we did seem to clock up a fair few kilometres driving up and down the east coast of Australia. Music playing (I remember the soundtrack to one trip was Roy Orbison’s Greatest Hits), stopping in various little country towns to stretch our legs and grab something to eat, endless games of ‘I Spy’ and taking turns to nap in the backseat.
And then there were the funny moments that still make me laugh to this day.
Like the time 4 year old me proudly returned from a little stroll around our Sanctuary Cove resort with an armful of golf balls – for me, my cousins and my parents. Little did I realise there was a golf tournament in play and my dad had to do a mad dash back to the course, throwing them across the green and bolting out of sight before anyone realised what had happened. Cue many confused golfers – some angry, some quietly relieved.
Or when we were at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast and I decided I wanted to join the ragtime band that was playing in a gazebo, surrounded by a rather sizeable audience. Undeterred, I marched my young self right up to a band member, grabbed graciously accepted the tambourine offered to me and played my little heart out to songs I’d never heard before. Following this performance, I was swarmed by tourists wanting happy snaps of this musically enthusiastic (and completely talentless) youngster. Spotlight seeker, me…?!
And I can never forget one particular road trip – no matter how hard I try. We’d stopped in the town of Bega, New South Wales and my little sister ordered herself a milkshake, which I just knew was bad news. Sure enough, when we were back on the road, that milkshake was on its way back up and without a moment to spare, she hurled into our lolly jar. Needless to say that was the end of the lolly jar for all future road trips. And milkshakes.
Fast forward in time and holidays have taken a slightly different form.
I finally got my passport at the age of 21 when my then boyfriend (now husband) surprised me with a birthday holiday to Fiji. Since then, we’ve been lucky enough to visit Bali, Paris, Italy and Dubai, and soon enough we’ll be jetting off again – this time to Spain.
With each journey, I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks that have made the next trip a little easier.
Here’s what I’ve learned so far:
Leave copies of your travel documents with family or friends. Take photocopies of your passports, itineraries and insurance cover and leave them with your family or close friends. This way, they’ll know just where you are and have backups of your most important travel documents should you need them. Plus make sure you take an extra copy for yourself and keep it locked in a secure location (such as your hotel room safe) while you’re out and about.
Be tech ready. Find out if you need power point adaptors prior to leaving and take at least two with you so that you can recharge your phone, tablet, camera battery, etc. And if you’re like me, then you’ll need those adaptors so you can use your hairdryer and straightener. Yes, they literally come everywhere with me!
Research the weather. Hop on the internet and check out what the weather will be doing at your destination(s) while you’re away. You’ll not only be across what clothes you need to pack but it will also help you decide if you need to bring extra items such as a travel umbrella, sunscreen, raincoat or even thermals. You don’t want to get caught out!
Take a decent suitcase with four wheels. When we went to Europe a couple of years ago, I ended up pushing my husband’s suitcase and he ended up pulling mine. His had four wheels, mine had two. A four-wheeled suitcase is sooo much easier to manoeuvre, which is particular handy for busy airports or crowded train station platforms. I also rate a hard shell suitcase, because we’ve all seen luggage loaded and unloaded from planes… Enough said.
Pack an award winning carry-on bag. Further to my point above about what can happen to luggage during transit, sometimes it can even get lost along the way – and this is where your carry-on bag can be a life saver. Pack a change of clothes and travel sized toiletries (including toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant and any makeup essentials) to see you through should your luggage go AWOL. Plus don’t forget any medication you need (and your prescription/letter from your doctor) and your travel documents – they should be on you at all times.
Take a travel first aid kit. Take a little first aid kit with you to help with any minor illness or injury you might incur while away. Think paracetamol for headaches, over the counter medicine to help with upset stomachs, band aids, antiseptic ointment, dressings and eye drops. You can either put this together yourself or buy a travel first aid kit from a pharmacy.
Make sure you clothes mix and match. I like to keep my holiday outfits fairly simple and tend to base them on a neutral colour palette. This way I can mix and match items to create different outfits, which in turn creates extra space in my suitcase and leads me to my next point…
Leave room for shopping. For the love of Chanel, do not overstuff your suitcase – save room for the fabulous shopping you’re about to experience! Either leave half of your suitcase empty (or your travel partner’s), take an empty carry-on bag inside your luggage or buy one while you’re travelling. This will ensure you can shop with complete peace of mind knowing you’ve got the luggage space to accommodate your purchases and you can spend your money on the things you actually want to buy rather than excess baggage fees.
Buy your Duty Free items… and leave them behind. The mystical realm known as duty free shopping is super tempting and you should totally partake if you want to. Just make sure if you’re on your way to your destination, you can leave your items behind and pick them up on your way home. This will save you having to lug your purchases halfway around the world and back again. Plus it’s a nice surprise to come home to – kind of like a present from yourself to yourself!
Purchase travel insurance. I always adopt the philosophy of ‘better safe than sorry’ when it comes to travelling overseas and this is why I always make sure we get travel insurance before we leave. Bupa Travel Insurance offers different levels of cover based on your destination and the duration of your trip. And you don’t even have to have to be a Bupa member to purchase their travel insurance (though if you are, you get an extra 15% off your cover). To find out more, click here.
:: SHARE YOUR BEST TRAVEL TIP AND WIN! ::
Thanks to the kind folk at Bupa Travel Insurance, you have chance to win a travel pack valued at $509.90, which includes:
1 x Samsonite Casual 15.4” Laptop Backpack Black 77006
1 x Samsonite Duranxt Lite Small/Cabin 50cm Softside Suitcase Black 67008
1 x pack of 2 Samsonite Travel Accessories Security ID Luggage Tags Red 67001
1 x Samsonite Travel Accessories Travel Wallet Grey 51749
1 x Neostrata Full Size Day Time Protection Cream moisturiser SPF15 40g
2 x Neostrata 15ml Facial Cleanser
1 x Neostrata Full Size Bionic Eye Cream Plus
1 x Neostrata 10g Bionic Face Cream
1 x Neostrata Cosmetic Travel Case
To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post sharing your very best travel tip.
It could be a ‘must do’ or a ‘what not to do’ or something so mind-blowingly amazing, you’ve just got to tell everyone about it.
Good luck!
This is a game of skill. All entries will be judged on their creativity by me.
Please make sure you include your email address when filling in the commenting system, so that you are eligible to enter and I can contact you.
This prize is not able to be exchanged for cash.
The giveaway commences at 5am ACST on Thursday 25 June 2015 and closes at 11.59pm ACST on Wednesday 15 July 2015. The winner will be decided on Thursday 16 July 2015 at 12pm ACST and then contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours to my email, another winner will be chosen. Bupa will provide the prize directly to the winner.
This competition is only open to Australian residents over 18 years of age. By entering this competition, entrants accept that I will email the winner with the email provided and publish their name on this blog post and on the Sonia Styling Facebook page.
Bupa Travel Insurance is distributed by Bupa Australia Pty Ltd ABN 81 000 057 590 an authorised representative of the issuer, CGU Insurance Ltd ABN 29 004 478 371 AFSL 238291. Any advice is general only and does not take into account your personal circumstances. Consider the Product Disclosure Statement to see if this product is right for you.
Coordinated by The Remarkables Group
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