Clarissa Cappelletti, WeRoad’s UK country manager, is a big evangelist of the sarong – and says it’s the one item you should always pack when you’re going on holiday
A travel guru always ensures to pack what she calls “the Swiss Army Knife of Travel.”
Clarissa Cappelletti, the UK country manager for WeRoad, is a huge advocate of the sarong. She insists that this simple piece of fabric proves invaluable during a holiday.
“It sounds odd, but a sarong can act as a scarf, towel, beach blanket, cover-up, curtain, or even makeshift bag. Super versatile, super lightweight. You’ll be surprised how often it comes in handy,” Clarissa elaborated.
Deciding what you need for a holiday and what will just unnecessarily occupy space in a bag you’re hoping will stay within budget airline bag allowances can be tricky, particularly if you’re headed to a destination with unpredictable weather.
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Travel guide Lonely Planet’s Travel Hack Handbook provides some top tips about what to do before, during, and after a holiday to ensure you have the best and easiest time possible. The guide also recommends packing a sarong, reports the Express.
“It’s a blanket when the air-conditioning is icy. It’s an emergency towel. It’s privacy for getting changed on the beach. It’s modesty when you can’t enter a temple with your legs or shoulders showing,” it is noted in the guide.
According to Worldwide Insure, the sarong is a versatile travel essential. “Ideal as a picnic blanket. Works well as a lightweight towel. Use as curtains to cut out the light. Or keep out light by making an eye mask, just wrap the sarong around the top of your head and over your eyes,” it suggests in an article listing 30 uses for the garment.
“Sarongs are also great when made into a papoose for carrying small children. Some people fashion them into a hammock for their babies.”
Her Packing List offers a few more suggestions for the sarong.
“When you’re in shared accommodation or camping, sometimes you want a little more privacy than what’s afforded. Hang the sarong from your bunk bed or travel clothesline, or find another creative way to hang the fabric to create a discreet place to change clothes,” the travel website recommends.
“Your new ‘wall’ may also help you avoid overhead lights at night or offer more peace during mid-afternoon naps.”
The blog points out that it can be used to “cover knees, shoulders, arms, or head while visiting places of worship. If you don’t have a separate scarf or find yourself needing more coverage, a long sarong can cover bare shoulders or legs in hot weather when you want to visit temples, mosques, and other places of worship.”
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