A-Z of Travel Preparation – Part 4

While we are working through all of the planning, time is racing on now as we near the first leg of our adventure of a lifetime. Retirement, and travel around the world, beckons. And moving on through our plans, and our guide to planning…

M is for music. Phil’s obsession with rock music will need a regular fix whilst we are on our travels. Remember those days when a 2-week holiday meant time away from your music? Thankfully those days are long gone, and we now take our entire music collection everywhere we go. Beats headphones for long journeys, Sony mini speaker for in the rooms, iPods, iPads, and the whole gamut of our 11,000 tracks.

N is for nod pods. Never mind iPods, nod pods are essential too. Don’t know what one is? A priceless possession is what. Nod pods are sleeping bags which fold up into a tiny package, being made from mulberry silk which is so easy to fold up small. Opened out, they form a snug sleeping bag, the silk keeping you warm when needed, cool when needed. The top end wraps in a reverse direction around your pillow, meaning that in less than salubrious surroundings, you can sleep while making no contact at all with the bedding. 

O is for oceans and all things connected with them. Snorkels and face masks, aqua shoes for those underfoot hazards, dispensable swimwear for mud spas, but, probably most valuable of all, our travel towels. Microfibre towels which, like the nod pods, fold up small, but also dry extremely quickly given what they’re made from. They double up as both beach towels and shower towels where none are provided, an invaluable asset when in unknown territory. 

P is for passport, and passport photos. So we will need at least six months on the passport validity to enter many countries, now sorted, but also a whole collection of spare passport photographs in readiness for border crossings, visas etc, where spares are needed. We’ve managed to put a load together where we just about avoid looking like a pair of wanted criminals. Just.