Packing for Vietnam

Tomorrow I’ll be leaving for Vietnam for a few days with two of my friends, if you want to see a bit of everything in Asia, holidays to Vietnam are a great overall option. One of them recently had a baby and doesn’t want to be away from her for too long which is totally understandable, but we try to travel to a nice city every year, last year we went to Atlanta and even got a guide the best places to visit, and this year we chose Munich in Germany. I’m just happy we are able to continue our tradition. We’ll be staying in Ediger Eller, a small town that lies on the river Moselle, for some well-deserved peace and quiet. I’m looking forward to long walks, medieval architecture and practicing my German (Entschuldigen Sie mich, wo kann ich die Toilette finden?)

But before I’m off, the big question is: what to pack? I’m no stranger to lists. On the contrary, I love them and couldn’t imagine life without them. I use lists for work, to plan my wardrobe, for grocery shopping and of course the occasional trip. One of my favourite packing lists is Joan Didion’s from her 1979 book of essays The White Album. I love how simple and succinct it is. Joan Didion packing list DaarbovenSeveral years ago I created my own version of the aforementioned list with a few alterations as I don’t drink or smoke for instance. And whereas Joan kept her list taped inside her closet, I keep mine as a permanent note on my phone. Now, even though we’re travelling by car and we won’t have to carry our luggage anywhere, I still prefer to pack as light as possible with just the right amount of everything. Sure, in the back of your mind you’re always wondering: what if? But it seems as though the weather will be relatively steady (26-32 degrees celcius) the upcoming days and I should be well prepared with the following items:

What to pack and wear:
2 pairs of trousers *
2 t-shirts
1 camisole *
1 pullover sweater
swimwear

1 Longchamp Le Pliage bag *
1 straw hat
1 pair of sunglasses
1 pair of sandals *
1 pair of decent walking shoes

Everything marked * will be what I’ll be wearing when we’re leaving. I’m sticking to a neutral color palette so that everything goes together (white, black, grey and brown). The Longchamp bag will be my travel bag. Once I unpack, I will be able to use it during the day. I’m not going to bring a coat as the sweater should be enough for the evenings. Oh and please note that I’m also bringing underwear, my camera, toiletries and my favourite on-the-road music.

What about you? Do you also have a travel/packing list?