Tag: Travel Planning

Honeymoon

How to pack for a honeymoon of many climates

If your dream honeymoon consists of weeks lounging by the beach in Fiji, then packing should be fairly simple – who needs much more than a bathing suit when you’re by the beach the whole time? But if your honeymoon is likely to be a bit more widespread, you might need to prepare yourself for a few different climates – and that’s where we come in.

While prepping for a trip to South America that’s likely to take in three very different environments, we thought we’d put together our very own Honeypot packing guide for a ‘honeymoon of many climates’!

Layer, layer, layer

When it comes to clothes, think multi-use clothes that you can layer to cope with differing temperatures.

Packing cubes for clothes in South AmericaEach of you should bring:

  • 7 x underwear
  • 7 x socks – a mix of ankle, crew cut, or warmer
  • 5-6 x t-shirts or tank tops (or add another if you’re fairly sweaty!)
  • 2 x long sleeve tops (merino works well)
  • 1 x shorts
  • 1 x jeans
  • 1 x track pants or leggings (you’ll be pleased when you’re keen to relax in the evenings!)
  • 1 x bathing suit/board shorts
  • 1-2 x cardigan or lighter jacket
  • 1 x fleece or puffer jacket (at least for those of us who get cold easily!)
  • 1 x light windproof raincoat
  • 1 x pair of flip flops
  • 1 x sneakers/walking shoes
  • 1 x nicer shoes
  • Hat (preferably one that can fold up small)

 

Toiletries

This one’s probably the most subjective – I only use a few basic things but am very picky about which ones I use, so I hate when people say “just use the little ones from hotels” (no-one wants to see how greasy my hair gets a day after using those!)

I’d suggest getting a few cheap travel bottles (K-mart all the way!) and filling them up with your faves instead. This is what I’ve packed:

  • Shampoo & conditioner
  • Body wash
  • Toothpaste & brush
  • Contacts & solution (plus eye drops – man my eyes get dry when travelling!)
  • Face wash & moisturiser (or just face wipes if you’re a little lazier)
  • Razor & exfoliating glove (no-one wants an ingrown hair while travelling…)
  • Laundry wash (for hand washing clothes along the way – no-one likes a stinky travel companion!)
  • Sunscreen & insect repellent (especially important for those of us whose blood is apparently irresistible to mosquitos…)
  • Back up pads or tampons (of course you’ll always be able to find them, but bring a couple just in case you get stuck on a flight or train!)
  • Rehydration sachets, altitude sickness pills etc. (whatever your travel doctor suggests for where you’re going)
  • Mini first aid kit (just some plasters, antiseptic wipes, panadol and a few other essentials)

 

Travel tools

img_9805.jpgI’m a bit of a sucker for awesome travel gadgets, but I try control myself to just the essentials (well, what I see as essentials anyway!) – so here are a few of my favourites:

  • A good travel pillow (we just got some new ones off Kickstarter that you can use several ways and I’m very excited to actually get some sleep on this flight!)
  • Your device of choice (I swear my Kindle’s the best thing that ever happened to my travelling, while my man’s Nintendo Switch is his go-to. Either way, make sure you’ve got something to keep you entertained on those long flights and train trips!)
  • Universal power adaptor (it turns out it’s pretty hard to find convertors for anywhere that isn’t the US, UK, or Europe, so a universal convertor can be pretty damn handy!)
  • Headphone splitter (for some reason I seem to have collected a few of these for free, but they’re super handy. It means you can watch stuff on your phone or tablet together – without having to live with only one headphone each!)
  • Packing cubes (these are my new favourite things and mean you don’t have to pack and unpack constantly to find what you’re looking for)
  • Money belts (I know, they feel weird and look lame, but I feel so much more comfortable knowing that my passport and most of my money is safely held against my body and I can cover it up so no-one sees it’s there)

 

The official stuff

Of course, then there’s the boring but necessary stuff:

  • Passports
  • Tickets/itinerary
  • Travel insurance details & contact number
  • Local currency (or a lot of US dollars in places like South America – they’re just as useful)
  • Credit card or back up monetary access (preferably with an RFID envelope to protect scanning – whoever thought paywave was a secure way of transacting is slightly crazy in my mind)

Pro tip: Make sure you’ve got scans of all your details saved in Google Drive/Dropbox or your email so you can access them wherever you are in case anything goes missing.

 

So that’s it – my packing list for a trip around South America with my man. Should be helpful for any honeymoon or couples trip taking in a few different climates, or for anyone who is a bit of a nerd like me and likes to make a checklist of everything well in advance (yes, I did start packing weeks beforehand).

Keen to go on your dream honeymoon? Why not ask for parts of it in your Honeypot registry? Get started here.

Honeymoon

There’s no place like home: Why you don’t need to leave NZ for your honeymoon

New Zealand is a spectacular holiday spot at the top of many international destination lists. Those of us who are lucky enough to live here are proud of that fact, but we tend to forget it when it comes time to plan our own holidays. So when you’re deciding on your honeymoon destination, try thinking a little differently. Your own backyard has an abundance of beautiful places to explore.

Saving money – and stress

Staying in the country for your honeymoon is obviously a lot better for your budget. Without international flights to pay for, you can instead ask your guests to contribute towards luxury accommodation, delicious meals out, and activities galore – meaning that their generous gifts given through your Honeypot Registry can stretch a lot further!

Wedding planning is stressful enough, and planning a honeymoon while you’re in the lead up to the wedding can just add to that (hence why so many take their honeymoon months after the wedding). With a wedding in your home country, there’s no need to worry about foreign currency, travel insurance, and all the other tricky things that can get a bit overwhelming when you’re busy planning a wedding as well. Plus, flying is the single most ecologically costly act of individual consumption, so a New Zealand honeymoon is a great choice if you’re environmentally conscious.


So many spots, so little time

Finding somewhere in New Zealand for a romantic trip isn’t hard. Obviously Queenstown is a favourite spot for both destination weddings and honeymoons – and for good reason! The gorgeous scenery, exciting adventures, and amazing hospitality make it a ridiculously romantic spot for a honeymoon.
For a relaxed honeymoon, try Raglan, a small beachside town just two hours south of Auckland. It was recently named New Zealand’s best looking town by Lonely Planet thanks to the dramatic black coastline that surrounds it. Raglan is a foodie haven with a strong creative community, so there’s no shortage of original art and great locally roasted coffee. The town also provides many opportunities to get outdoors, with a range of stunning walks including the Bridal Veil Falls trail.

For a real culture fix, Napier is a great honeymoon destination choice. The vast majority of the town was destroyed by an earthquake in the early 1930s, and as a result Napier is one of the purest Art Deco cities in the world. If you ever get tired of admiring the architecture, you can move onto the many art galleries, try out rafting on the Mohaka River, and relax at one the many Hawke’s Bay wineries.

If you’re after a truly adventurous honeymoon, a visit to Blue Lake is in order. Located in the Nelson Lakes Region, this destination can only be accessed by a two-day advanced tramp. But if you’re up to the challenge, it will be well worth your efforts. Blue Lake holds the title of the world’s clearest lake, meaning you’ll get to witness breathtaking blue-violet hues and visibility of up to 80 metres – a sight you will certainly never forget!