A holiday by the beach is always a good idea, but certainly summer time and those long hot days by my work place are the time of the year when I long for the cool blue of the ocean the most. Nothing beats leaving the sticky heat of the city behind, and leaving for a breezy adventure on a Greek island, the Caribbean or even South East Asia.
Even packing for a summer holiday is fun – and I hate packing – because I need not worry about space or thousands of layers. Simply throw in a couple of sun dresses, sandals and sun lotion, and I’m basically set. What is even more enjoyable than packing, is shopping for a beach holiday – duh! A new bikini here, that cool tote bag for the beach or a funky pair of vintage sunnies, finally there is a reason to splurge a little. In case you have a holiday planned yourself, but need a little bit of inspiration for what to bring, here are a few of the things that currently lie in my online shopping bag…
1. Beach Bag
The perfect beach bag is hard to come by – big enough to fit one or two towels, sun lotion, a book and water bottle, water- and stain-resistant, comfortable to carry, and of course a cool design. I’m absolutely in love with anything in theAtlanticOcean shop, but I think this large canvas tote bag with banana leaf print is my favorite pick.
2. Summer Dresses
There is nothing like a bright summer dress on a hot summer’s day by the beach. You can feel the breeze around your legs and you can quickly and easily slip it on and off if you decide to take a dip in the ocean. It is the easiest piece of clothing to take on your holiday. I’m in love with short-sleeved dresses with a loose fit, and can’t wait to book the holiday which will allow me to order this oversized maxi-dress and this quite simple, yet very special linen dress.
3. Vintage-inspired sunnies
Some shop for unique dresses or skirts, others – like me – can’t keep their hands off vintage accessories, especially sunnies. I have developed a serious addiction to round shapes, mirrored glass and golden details, and buy them whenever I can get my hand on a nice pair. My current favourite is a reproduced model from the 1980s and costs only $16 – a no brainer, if you ask me!
4. Retro swimsuit
Maybe it’s a sign of age (haha), but I’m quite fed up with bikinis. I have been dreaming of owning a beautiful bathing suit for quite a while now, but it’s simply not so easy to find a cute one, that is affordable and classy. Then I discovered the Israeli label BEACHAwear and fell in love. There are so many different shapes and colour combinations, it’s hard to decide!
5. Leather sandals
There’s nothing like leather sandals to make you feel like a Greek goddess strolling down the lonely, pebbled beach on a hot summer’s day. A new pair of sandals belongs to summer like a strawberry daiquiri, and these flip flop/sandals by Greek designers Twiniñas would surely look good on my feet.
6. A watch for daydreams
Surely, summer beach holidays are all about forgetting the stress and pressure from home, and along with that, time itself. But how is one supposed to know when happy hour starts and at what time to hurry to the beach for a sundowner? On this minimalist watch it’s always ‘sea-o’clock’, and it costs $14 only!
7. Toe rings
Ever since I got a toe nail at a silver market in Pushkar, India, I can’t take my eyes of my feet. There is something about the bling that makes my toes look nicer, more delicate. In summer it is often too hot for much jewellery and I can’t stand finger rings when I sweat – but on my toes I can’t feel that! Right now I’m switching back and forth between my left and right foot, but eventually I will have to get more toenails to wear them on both - these thin ones look just right for me.
8. Stationary
I know, you could just buy postcards at your holiday destination and send them off as souvenirs per mail, but for me, it’s all about writing letters. During my holidays I finally have time to sit in the sand and write down all the things I want to tell the people in my life, put it all in a letter, add a postcard to the envelope and send it all off with a foreign stamp – now if that’s not a souvenir deep down from the heart! I particularly love this vintage airmail stationary.
9. Face spray
I sometimes find it hard to deal with extreme heat and humidity, and while a dip in the ocean or the pool usually helps, chlorine or salt water on the skin are not always preferable. In these situations, face spray can do the trick. It’s easy to apply and refreshes my skin within seconds (also works wonders on the plane). Ideally it comes in a small bottle, so it fits any bag and hand luggage restrictions.
10. Travel wallet
In case you travel to a country with a different currency, I would highly recommend getting a little wallet or pouch for the foreign money. I hate when different coins and bills mix up in my wallet – it takes ages to pay for anything anywhere. I have a lot of different coin pouches, but when I buy a new one nowadays I usually get one that is big enough to hold my cards and ID as well as my passport. I’m not actually sure, whether this is big enough, but the pineapple print on this pouch is just too cute to ignore. PS: Pouches are also handy to keep pebbles and shells you find on the beach!
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I hope you all have a summer holiday lined up soon as well, or at least a sunny weekend wherever you live. What do you think about my favorites? What are your essentials for a summer beach holiday?
This post contains affiliate links.
All photos via Etsy. First photo via BEACHAwear.
This is a post by Kathi Kamleitner.
Kathi Kamleitner was a regular contributor at Travelettes from 2013 to 2019. Originally from Vienna, Austria, she packed her backpack to travel the world and lived in Denmark, Iceland and Berlin, before settling in Glasgow, Scotland. Kathi is always preparing her next trip – documenting her every step with her camera, pen and phone.
In 2016, Kathi founded Scotland travel blog WatchMeSee.com to share her love for her new home, hiking in the Scottish Highlands, island hopping and vegan food. Follow her adventures on Instagram @watchmesee!
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