What to pack for a women-only trip from Madurai

One bag you can carry

A trip that starts in a vehicle and ends in a temple queue is easier with one bag you can lift on your own. If someone else has to haul it up a bus stair for you, it is too heavy.

A small day bag for water, phone, wallet and a shawl does the rest. Everything else stays in the vehicle or in the room.

Hill station: Kodaikanal, Munnar, Yercaud

The hills are cool in the morning and cold after sunset, even in the months when the plains are hot. Layers work better than one heavy coat.

• A light jacket or shawl for mornings and evenings, even in April.
• Shoes with grip for Guna Caves, Pillar Rocks and any path that has seen rain.
• An umbrella or a raincoat; the hills can turn in an afternoon.
• A sweater if you feel the cold more than most people do.

Coast: Kanyakumari, Tiruchendur, Rameswaram, Dhanushkodi

On the coast the problem is sun and salt, not cold. Cotton that dries quickly is more useful than anything smart.

• Loose cotton clothes and a change of clothes for the beach.
• A hat, sunglasses and a scarf to keep the sun off your neck.
• Sandals you can wash, and a cloth bag for anything wet.
• A thin shawl for the evening sea breeze and for temple visits.

Temple towns

Shoulders and knees covered, for women and men alike. A dupatta or shawl is the quickest fix if you are already out and about.

Footwear comes off before you enter, so wear something you can slip on and off without sitting down. The stone courtyard of a big temple can be hot underfoot in the afternoon.

Some temples ask men to remove their shirts inside. It is worth knowing that before the day rather than at the entrance.

The day bag

This is the bag that stays with you while the main luggage stays behind. Keep it light enough to carry all day.

• One litre of water, refilled whenever there is a tap.
• A snack that survives heat, such as biscuits, fruit or a packet of mixture.
• Phone, charger and a power bank.
• Any medicine you take regularly, plus a small strip for headache and stomach upset.
• Tissues, hand sanitiser and a cloth bag for wet clothes.
• A folding umbrella, which works for sun as well as rain.

Documents and money

Carry your ID and a photocopy of it, kept separately. Photograph the ID, your tickets and any insurance details, and keep the pictures on your phone.

Carry some cash in small notes. Small towns, temple counters and parking attendants still run on it, and a card does not always work.

Write one emergency contact on paper and keep it in your purse. Phones die, and a paper slip does not.

Small things people forget

None of these take much space, and each one has saved a day at some point.

• Safety pins and a spare dupatta or scarf.
• Sanitary products, enough for the whole trip.
• Sunscreen and a lip balm with sunscreen in it.
• A small towel that dries overnight.
• Earplugs if you are sharing a room.
• A spare plastic bag for damp clothes or dusty footwear.

What to leave at home

Jewellery you would hate to lose, more shoes than you will wear, and anything electrical you have not tested with the plug it will meet.

If you are flying, keep liquids and power banks where the airline rules say they belong. If you are travelling by road, a small pillow is worth more than a third outfit.

The list, in one place

Copy this into your notes app and tick it off the night before. It is shorter than it looks.

• Clothes for each day, plus one change.
• One warm layer and one rain layer.
• Temple clothes: covered shoulders and knees, easy footwear.
• Toiletries, sanitary products, sunscreen, lip balm.
• Regular medicines and a basic first-aid strip.
• ID, photocopy of ID, tickets, some cash.
• Phone, charger, power bank.
• Water bottle, snacks, tissues, sanitiser.
• Umbrella, hat, sunglasses.
• A cloth bag for wet clothes and a small towel.
• One emergency contact on paper.