One of my first thoughts after finding out I was going to Cambodia was, “What am I going to wear??”

I LOVE packing and could not wait to start planning my outfits and what all I was going to bring – before I even knew for sure that the trip was official. All my notebooks are filled with notes on the side from planning my packing list during class.

I had never been to Southeast Asia, and while that excited me, I had no idea what I should bring. I also had ample time to plan (about 5 months). In hopes that my research and time spent planning can benefit someone else, I am going to share my process and results so that people in a similar situation can hear from someone else who has already done it before.

Thus, this week’s blog posts will be all about what to pack and how to pack for a long trip to Southeast Asia! I am going to share overall clothing inspiration, the “bones” of my packing and organization structure, my travel wardrobe, important things to know for travel to Cambodia, and a detailed packing list. I hope that these posts will help someone who has never been to Cambodia (or another Southeast Asian country) and has a big trip coming up that they have to prepare for. And, if you’re not planning on traveling anytime soon, I hope you enjoy reading along anyways, because if you’re like me, a good travel post is always fun to read! 🙂

Onward!

The first thing to know about Cambodia is that it is a Buddhist country. Like a lot of countries in Asia and around the world, most Cambodians dress conservatively.

The second thing to know about Cambodia is that it is tropical (re: HOT). Whether you travel in the rainy season (June-October) or the rest of the year, the average temperatures are in the 80’s and above.

With these two main ideas in mind, and also seeing that travelers in jungle-y Southeast Asia often wear colorful, patterned, bohemian clothing, here are some of the images that inspired me to bring a colorful, cool, modest wardrobe:

Jungle vibes – lots of green backgrounds!

Practical pieces that I already have or wear (hoodie, pants, hat)

Actual outfits that I could wear – loose pants with a loose neutral top

Loose, flowy, cool pants

Relaxed, breezy, summer vibes

 

[First photo is credited to SC Stockshop. All other images can be found on my Pinterest board]