A Complete Packing List for Your South Asian Adventure

I am 100% a list lover. I love check lists, to-do lists, tending lists, and packing lists. I’m one of those people who never begins packing for any trip without a list. I’m excited to bring you a packing list for your journey to South Asia because I’m assuming you want to see the amazing and beautiful sights and people in this region of the world.

Side Note:

Some items you might want to take with you depend on where you are going in South Asia, what time of year it is, and what you’ll be doing; therefore this list is a basic packing list. Please take into account if you will need a heavier coat for winter if you are going to a mountainous area, hiking boots if you will be hiking, or breathable clothing (wick away or linen fabric) if it’s smokin’ hot.

Disclaimer:

Every part of South Asia is different and therefore what is “normal” for me to see people where clothing-wise might be totally different from someone who lives in a different city. I am only speaking about my experience and what I know about SA in general. 

I attached many Amazon links to my descriptions so you will have a better idea of what I mean. While there are many varieties and brands of each item I referred to, I simply tried to pick an affordable option. The last thing I want is for you to think you have to buy a zillion things to come to SA, even on top of the plane ticket.

Click the South Asia Packing List below to get a free download for your trip

Additional Info about the Packing List

Gear

• in South Asia you will need an adaptor that looks like this.
• shoulder bag or backpack. I love over the shoulder bags like this for travel and daily life since I can usually fit a small water bottle and several other items. If you take an overnight trip to another town, you’ll probably want a bag or backpack for your belongings as well.
• Neck pillow. The memory foam (like this or similar) pillows are our favorite for travel. Having a neck pillow can definitely make or break a flight.

Clothing

• women: many South Asian women dress conservatively. Long full length leggings with a casual dress (think Target or comfy but pretty close to the knee) or pants (non-leggings) with a shirt that fully covers your butt :-). You can also easily buy Kurtas in South Asia to wear. The traditional clothing are Jazmin pants (literally called pajama pants) with a shirt (called a Kurta. ker-ta) that usually goes past the knees and hits around the upper calf with slits up to the waist on both sides.

• men: you probably won’t need to change what you wear very much for South Asia. Most men here wear pants, even in the summer, but every once in a while guys wear shorts too. I encourage you to stick with pants (unless you are exercising). If it’s blazing hot when you plan to come try to bring light weight, dry wick, outdoor type pants and that will help a ton. While some men wear t-shirts, most wear casual collard shirts when they are out and about.
• It never hurts to bring a lightweight waterPROOF (not water resistant) raincoat like this (or anything that works for you).

Accessories

• Shoes: Shoes are TOTALLY a personal preference so wear whatever you normally wear that is comfy and works for you. ——— I love to wear chacos in the summer since they are durable, comfortable, and can easily be taken on and off. In the winter, when it’s colder and sometimes rainy I have absolutely loved having these very comfortable and affordable lightweight rainboots that also slip on and off easily.
• scarf (women): You can buy more in SA but it’s a good idea to at least bring 1 scarf with you so you have it right off the bat if there are not immediate shopping opportunities or if you need it right away. ————If you need a scarf, the travel scarves (like this one for $12) with a hidden zipper pocket look super convenient for stashing important belongings while traveling.

Medicine

• bug spray: This depends on the time of year. check with the people/ place that you are going to.
• car sickness: no matter what city you are visiting, the driving will probably be different than you are used to, such as mountain roads or stop and go traffic. You might want meds/ or motion sickness patches.
• Delhi Bellly is not just in Delhi but all over South Asia. You very well could get an upset stomach therefore make sure you pack some meds such as Probiotics, Pepto-Bismol, and charcoal pills.

Toiletry basics

• hand sanny (sanitizer): yes! There are not always clean restrooms available with soap so bring this.
• Tissue packs or on-the-go-TP: You don’t need enough for your whole trip since you can also get this in South Asia but it would help you to have a few packs on hand just in case.

Other

• Food/ Snacks: Snacks that can be easily packed or taken on the go will be great items for your trip. If you are out and about, meals will probably not be at exactly the same time each day so snacks such as granola bars and trail mix. There are lots of small shops throughout SA that sell salted peanuts, chips, and South Asian type snacks too.
• ATM card: make sure you put a travel notice on your debit/credit card so you can withdrawal money out of ATMs.

Optional

• travel sheet: This is not a mandatory item at all but if you will be staying in hotels or traveling to different locations, this is a helpful item. If you tend to put much thought into the state of the bed sheets while traveling, many people recommend bringing a travel sheet (aka: sleeping bag liner). I have had one like this for years and use it on long plane rides for an extra coziness and sleepiness factor, in hotels that aren’t the cleanest, and as an extra sheet/ light blanket any time.
• travel towel: I like to bring a compact microfiber travel towel for a similar reason as the sheet. You just never know! We have stayed in countless hotels in SA where the towels were stained, ripped, or we didn’t get a towel. If you come prepared, it’s no big deal and you joyfully whip out your travel towel.

• Air Pollution Face Mask: My first time to South Asia, I was highly unaware of the air pollution issue in nearly every place I went and most of SA in general. I don’t want to live in fear but I DO want to educate people so that they are not surprised later.

Air Pollution in South Asia

In 2018, 18 out of the top 20 of the worlds most polluted cities where in South Asia ( IQ AirVisual report).

There was a string of days in 2017 when pollution levels in New Delhi, reached around 30 times the World Health Organizations safe limit. (NY Times)

What can you do about it?

1. You can bring/ wear an N95 (filters 95% of pollutants) or N99 (filters 99% of pollutants) face mask like this to keep out harmful particles in the air if you will be in a highly polluted city.

“An N95 respirator is a respiratory protective device designed to achieve a very close facial fit and very efficient filtration of airborne particles. The ‘N95’ designation means that when subjected to careful testing, the respirator blocks at least 95 percent of very small (0.3 micron) test particles. If properly fitted, the filtration capabilities of N95 respirators exceed those of face masks.” (FDA)

-according to the FDA

2. You can download the AirVisual App, type in the city (cities) you will be visiting and check the current air quality. It also gives recommendations for wearing a mask, if you should engage in outdoor exercise, use an air purifier, or open your windows that day.

3. visit the Airnow.gov website for more AirQuality Education and tips

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I hope the packing list helps you in your planning and preparation for South Asia. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for other items I should add. Namaste!