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Flights booked to the Dominican Republic? Check! Resort or Airbnb booked? Check! Now what’s left on the to-do list is to think about what to pack for a Dominican Republic trip. Packing for a vacation can sometimes be a stressful task and no one wants to be 48 hours before a flight still unsure what to bring. Lucky for you, I just returned from the Dominican Republic and I’m sharing ideas on what to bring so you can have your packing list sorted and have peace of mind as you count down the days till your trip! Scroll on to find essential items for your Caribbean vacation.
Miscellaneous Items
The good news is that packing for the DR is not much different than packing for any other tropical vacation. The first thing to do is to sort out your miscellaneous items.
This includes important items like travel documents, toiletries, electronics, and necessities. It’s a good idea to get this stuff out of the way first because you don’t want to get to the airport and realize you forgot your passport!
Here’s a general idea of what to bring and I’ll star (*) the items I ended up using during my time there.
- Passport *
- Credit Cards *
- Medical Insurance
- Travel Insurance
- Airpods/headphones * (These are a must-have when traveling. Listen to some podcasts or favorite songs on your flight.)
- Insect Repellent/Insect Bite Relief Cream* – (You could always purchase some while you’re there, but yes, you’ll want this!)
- Medical/First Aid Kit
- Reusable Water Bottle * – (Once again, you can purchase water bottles while you’re there, but you do not want to drink the water that comes out of the faucet.)
- Mobile Phone *
- Laptop
- Chargers *
You don’t need a travel adapter as your plugs will fit. You could bring an umbrella to be safe, but for the most part, any rain that does come is usually over in minutes. Also, you don’t need to bring any beach towels as your resort, hotel, or Airbnb should provide those.
Beauty/ Toiletries:
No international travel packing list is complete without some beauty items or toiletries! You’ll want to have your favorite beauty essentials to have your skin looking and feeling great throughout your vacation.
- Cleanser – Taking a bottle of cleanser on your summer trip is a must. The Bioderma micellar water is a great idea because it works great as both a cleanser and makeup remover.
- SPF – You’re going to spend a lot of time outside, so having some extra sunscreen is so important. It’s recommended that you use sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher to shield your skin.
- Lip Balm – While carrying around lip balm is needed during everyday life, it’s especially important when traveling to hot climates. Keep your lips nourished with a high-quality lip balm.
- Self-Tanner – This is completely optional, but if you need an extra summer glow, a self-tanner is a great product to pack.
- Personal Toiletries – This includes a toothbrush, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products, etc
- Pain Relief Medications
- Hydrating Spray – Give your skin a burst of hydration at the beach with a face mist. Picking a hydrating mist with amino acids can help to strengthen the barrier of your skin.
- Mascara – When you want to get a little dolled up for a vacation date night, you’ll want some mascara to add volume to your lashes.
- Eyebrow Gel – Keep your eyebrows looking natural for your beach days with the help of eyebrow gel.
- Moisturizer – Walking around with dry skin on vacation is a big no-no. Keep your skin looking fresh and hydrated with a moisturizer.
- Concealer – Hide the eyebags from jet lag with a lightweight concealer.
- Foundation – If you are a little insecure about your skin (and we’ve all been there), then packing a lightweight foundation may be a good idea if it will make you feel more confident.
- Shampoo and Conditioner – Wash out the pool chlorine and beach sand from your hair with an effective shampoo and conditioner.
- Hair Ties – Hair ties always get easily misplaced so having spares in your bag is a good idea!
Entertainment
- A Good Book (or three) – Not into plane movies? Pack a good book. Or several. Depending on where you’re flying from, you may have plenty of time to catch up on some reading.
- Magazines – We all love flipping through a new magazine. And the best thing is that your magazine can double as a good photo prop for your beach flatlay pictures too! Put it next to some fresh fruits, a beach bag, and sunglasses.
- iPad – Not just for yourself, but it’s a great gadget if you’re traveling with toddlers too since it will keep them busy on the flight and at restaurants.
- Notebook and Pen – If you’re more of a dreamer, planner, and doodler.
- Camera – For pictures, of course. If you want to make taking pictures even more fun, check out an instant camera!
Clothes, Shoes & Accessories
I get it – this is undeniably one of the most important parts of your packing list! After all, it’s hard to have the best time on vacation when you’ve packed the wrong clothes.
You need to pack appropriate clothing for your trip to keep you comfortable and chic. Casual clothes are a must for your Caribbean vacation. But if your travel plans include visiting upscale restaurants, you will want some cute, breezy dresses too.
- Classic Bathing Suit – Look chic as you swim in the clear waters by dressing up in a timeless bathing suit. You can’t go wrong with black or white, but for a color option, red will pop against the turquoise waters.
- Sarong/Beach Cover-Up – Pair your bikini with a sarong to elevate the look of your vacation outfit. Other ideas include a linen button-down shirt, oversized crochet shirt, or maxi dress. Coverups are great for wearing from the beach to the beach bar too.
- Tank Tops – The strong sun and warm weather will make you want to live in tank tops all day! These can be dressed up or down, depending on the rest of your look.
- A Light Jacket – Once the sun sets, you’re going to want a light jacket to get you through the night. I didn’t need anything heavier than a button-down or light cardigan.
- Sun Hat – This is a vacation must-have to shield you from the sun in style!
- Sun dresses- Is it really a vacation without a sun dress? Whether you opt for a little white dress, maxi polka dot dress, or strappy linen dress, your suitcase isn’t complete without a few options.
- Shoes – You don’t need much! Throw a pair of cute sandals and comfortable sneakers into your suitcase. If you want to dress up for dinner, consider bringing a pair of strappy block heels.
- Straw Bag – This packing list would not be complete without a straw bag. It will look great with all your vacation outfits!
Lastly, bring some more summer wardrobe staples to mix and match. This includes linen pants, linen shirts, shorts, basic t-shirts, simple jewelry, and sunglasses.
Related: What I Wore: Dominican Republic Edition
This Dominican Republic packing list will get you one step closer to enjoying your vacation. If visiting Tulum is next on your bucket list, check out this packing list! Up Next: Your Tulum Packing List for Stylish Yet Practical Beach Outfits
