by Holly Stokes

1. Hand Sanitiser

50ml or 100ml hand sanitisers are a must! To be used on the plane, on the bus, in Ubers, in AutoRickshaws, before eating and after going to the bathroom. Small enough to fit into your day bag, how handy!

2. Snacks

On this programme, we are provided 3 meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner). We have often eaten breakfast very early in the morning and had a late lunch because of our busy schedule. This is why snacks are a must! Biscuits, muesli bars, and chips have been great to carry around each day.

3. Tissues

Many of the public toilets in India do not have any toilet paper. It is a great idea to always carry around a tiny packet of tissues in your day bag!

4. Converter/Adapter

Indian wall outlets are different to New Zealand. I would recommend buying a converter before leaving New Zealand as it has proven tricky to find one here.

5. Mosquito Repellent (DEET)

India is home to many mosquitos. I found out the hard way that my regular mosquito repellent wasn’t strong enough for India. DEET mosquito repellent has worked well for all of us and keeps us from being bitten.

6. Jandals / Sandals / Slides

When entering Palaces and Temples it is common to take your shoes off and keep them outside. This is to maintain the sanctity of the place. Sandal-like shoes are easy to slip off and on.

7. Portable Charger

When spending hours on flights and on buses, a portable charger is a must. With limited plugs in airports, a portable charger comes to save the day.

8. Headphones

Headphones have come in handy for our long bus trips. We have spent many hours on our bus and headphones are great to listen to music and watch Netflix shows. They are amazing to pass the time and great when you are after a little “me time”.