Here are some general guidelines for packing for a Caravan-Serai Tour. We have partnered with Travel Smith, a catalog and online retailer of travel clothing and accessories. Their products are ideal for travel: lightweight and easy to pack, wrinkle resistant, easy to care for, comfortable, and versatile. As a Caravan-Serai client, you can receive a 10% discount off your purchase. If you did not receive a catalog from us with a KEY CODE on the cover, call us for the code and shop online.

First and foremost be comfortable! Pack clothes that can be worn in layers and colors that allow you to mix and match. Note that in many holy sites shorts and sleeveless outfits are not permitted. Consider the following ideas when you pack:

Clothing:
* Your favorite pair of comfortable, sturdy, walking shoes: many of our tours include exploring ruins, walking on unpaved or uneven streets, and sand. You can bring another pair of shoes or sandals for days when there won’t be much walking or for the beach.
* Warm sweater: in the winter months, it can get chilly, especially at night
* Casual pants or jeans: lightweight cotton pants are preferable to jeans, especially in the warm season. Jeans are bulky, hot, and don’t hand wash and dry well at all.
* Cotton shirts: breathable, quick-drying shirts are the best.
* Windbreaker or raincoat, rain hat and small umbrella: in the winter months it can rain, especially in coastal areas. If you do choose to bring an umbrella, keep it compact.
* Swim suit
* Scarf - for entering into a Mosque

Electrical Appliances:
* Converter and Adapter plugs
* The electric current in the Middle East is 220 volts. To operate small American appliances such as a hair dryer or curling iron you will need both a Converter and Adapter Plugs. Most hotels will have a hair drier either in the room or in housekeeping that you can borrow.
* Travel alarm clock
* Travel hair drier

Other necessities:
* Day pack
* Camera, film, extra battery and journal
* Travel first aid kit
* Anti-diarrhea medicine, pain reliever, etc…
* Sun Protection: sunscreen, sun glasses, hat
* Travel sewing kit
* Travel packs of towlettes and tissues
* Powdered laundry soap for quick laundry of undergarments, socks, etc. Many hotels will have a laundry service but our schedule may not allow you to take advantage of that.
* Wash cloth
* Any medications with their prescriptions
* Contact lens wearers: bring solution and storage case, and your spare glasses. Some places can be extremely gritty with blowing sand and dust that can be very irritating to contact lens wearers. If you wear glasses, consider bringing a spare pair in case one pair is lost or damaged.

Other items to consider bringing:
* Small flashlight
* Feminine protection: pads or tampons (travel can rearrange your internal “clock” in more ways than just jet lag, so even if you don’t think you will start your period on the trip, it could come a little early or late so just be prepared)
* Swiss army knife (do not pack this in your carry on! Pack it in checked luggage)
* Zip lock bags (consider storing any liquid items, such as lotions and shampoo bottles, in Ziploc bags inside your luggage, so that if they leak, the mess will be contained)
* Small fold up suitcase for those extra items that you purchase (people almost always come home with more stuff than they started with so be prepared by bringing an extra bag, such as a duffel bag, or consider buying another bag there)