The Sunday Times - UK (2022-05-29)

2 May 29, 2022The Sunday Times

Travel

BIG

SHOT

FLYING COLOURS

Congratulations to

Christopher Yeoh,

whose image of

a lilac-breasted

roller in Chobe

National Park in

Botswana is this

week’s winner

of our Big Shot

competition, in

association with

the adventure

cruise specialist

Hurtigruten

Expeditions

(020 3553 9842,

hurtigruten.co.uk).

He receives a

£250 John Lewis

voucher and

makes the shortlist

for the main prizes,

which include a

northern lights

expedition cruise.

Upload shots at

thesundaytimes.

co.uk/thebigshot

or enter on

Instagram: tag us

@TimesTravel and

use the hashtag

#STBigShot

Terms & conditions This

week’s competition closes

at 11.59pm on Wednesday.

UK & ROI residents aged

18+ only. Full T&Cs apply:

see thesundaytimes.co.uk/

travelphotocomp

YES KATIE GATENS

LIZ EDWARDS

“When did travelling light become

a virtue?” a friend tweeted. “Don’t

understand why we get shamed for

comfort packing.” I’m grateful to her

for this clarity. All these years I thought

I was a bad packer. Now I realise I’m just

a comfort packer. Light packers seem

to feel some sort of moral superiority,

as the naturally skinny might do over the

naturally plump. But I’m coming out in

favour of baggage positivity. I’m not

ashamed to say I took four pairs of

shoes for a one-night hotel stay

recently. I can carry my own

bags, so what skin is it off

your nose?

Comfort packers might

stand accused of chronic

indecision — panic packing

is real — but done properly it

gives you options. Don’t choose

between the black vest and the

blue T-shirt at home; take both and make

a more informed decision when you get

there. Pack that extra pair of shoes and

you reduce the risk of ruining your

holiday snaps — possibly even life — by

being the one in the floaty dress and Teva

sandals. And do you want to end up

shivering after sundown for want of

a spare layer? Me neither.

Another thing that my kind of packing

delivers is the precious gift of extra

holiday time. My husband, a smug light

packer, insists that anything vital can be

bought post-arrival. But I refuse to spend

my holiday trudging around shops in

search of things I already have at home.

There are only so many locally woven

straw hats a girl needs.

It’s true that you can also save time

by limiting your sartorial choices — just

ask Steve Jobs or Dennis the Menace.

And yes, a destination with consistent

weather lets you plan your outfits and

pack accordingly. But a wardrobe

itinerary doesn’t allow for holiday-spirit

spontaneity. It’s like meal planning;

I don’t know what I’ll fancy for dinner

next Tuesday, but I bet it isn’t what

I think I’d like now.

Will I wear everything I pack? No.

But will I have the thrill of getting home

with some clothes that don’t need

washing? Oh yes.

In these days of hefty airline baggage

fees — and the fuel costs associated with

hefty baggage — packing extra might be

seen as profligate. But I’m not travelling

with three matching wheelies and a

steamer trunk. I simply find it reassuring

to pack a few things just in case. Or, as

I wrestle to cram them into my bag, only

just in case.

Do you pack the kitchen sink or insist on

sticking to the bare minimum? Email us

at [email protected] for your

chance to win a £1,000 voucher with

Oliver’s Travels

IS PACKING LIGHT

ALL IT’S CRACKED

UP TO BE?

In travel, as in life, baggage is a dirty word.

It means being tied down, slower — which,

in my mind, is the antithesis of what travel

is all about. Over the years I’ve embraced

the baggage-free lifestyle: filling a

rucksack with a few items of clothing, my

passport and a toothbrush, and hitting the

road, interrailing and hitchhiking (sorry

Mum) my way around the world, hand-

washing my knickers in the bathrooms

of youth hostels and buying a new

pair of trainers when my toes touched

the pavement.

It’s not just romanticism that the

packing-light movement has going for it.

Travelling without a suitcase to weigh you

down also saves you time — who wants to

spend precious minutes waiting by

the baggage belt when you’re

already itching to start your

holiday? Or having to arrive

at the airport a couple of

hours earlier just to see the

snaking queue of people

waiting at bag drop?

These days airlines penalise

overzealous packers. Ryanair,

easyJet and Jet2 have all slimmed

down their cabin-baggage allowance in

recent years — and rightly so. Bringing

those three extra bikinis — plus that teddy

bear you never leave home without —

means extra weight, which equals burning

more fuel. For Greta-worshipping Gen Z,

that’s possibly even more uncool than

taking the plane in the first place.

Don’t get me wrong, as I’ve got older

I’ve been tempted to pack the extra face

creams, the going “out out” shoes — and

will there be a hairdryer in the Airbnb?

But I know I’d end up leaving most of it

untouched in the bottom of my bag. This

month I went to Tuscany for a five-day

holiday including a wedding and took a

backpack that slid snugly under the seat in

front of me. I even tweeted a photo for the

ultimate #humblebrag — or should that be

#humblebag?

In my mind there’s only one thing

worse than trying to wheel a suitcase

across the beach on Koh Phi Phi, and

that’s being the last woman standing at

baggage reclaim and finding your suitcase

hasn’t joined you on the holiday at all.

NO

A wardrobe

itinerary doesn’t

allow for

spontaneity

Prince Charles takes his own loo seat. Others,

barely a change of pants. So is less really more?

Travel

“the Calvinist Rome”, and further afield

the Hortobagy National Park, the largest

semi-natural grassland in Europe — make

sure you see the amazing displays of

horsemanship there. After all that

indulge in the fine food and wine — the

curd-cheese pastries are my favourites.

Sophia Buckingham, Norfolk

I’m in Albania on a cycling holiday and

it’s wonderful — great value everywhere.

Go now, before it’s overdeveloped.

Ian Priestner, via thetimes.co.uk

Bulgaria is one of the friendliest

countries in the world. The old town of

Plovdiv is a world heritage site and simply

T

LETTER OF THE WEEK

Your feature on Perth was

right on the money (“Rebirth

in Perth”, last week). I was

there recently, and everyone in the city is

super-friendly and glad to have tourists

back after their isolation. It’s a lot cheaper

than Melbourne or Sydney for travellers

in terms of eating and drinking, with a

good variety of restaurants, and you can

swim in the warm waters of the Indian

Ocean on the nearby beaches at

Fremantle and Cottesloe, as opposed to

dodging surfboards on Bondi. If you have

kids don’t miss out on a trip to Perth Zoo.

Yasmin Cox, Leicestershire

Don’t forget a visit to Broome — a

fabulous old pearling town with a hippy

vibe and the best beach in Australia.

Alan Barrett, via thetimes.co.uk

CHEAP AND CHEERFUL

If you’re thinking of visiting Hungary

try Debrecen, in the east of the country

(“Pound stretchers”, last week). There’s

the Reformed Great Church in the centre

of the city, which used to be known as

Perth is

perfection

For expert guides to

your favourite
destinations, plus

the latest travel
news and the best

trips and deals to
book now, see our

dedicated travel

website the
times.co.uk/travel

amazing, and the countryside to its south

can be visited via one of the most scenic

railway journeys.

Brit in Europe, via thetimes.co.uk

BELLISSIMA BOLOGNA

I returned from Bologna and read your

article with interest (“Big Weekend”, last

week). The city exceeded my expectations

— the history and architecture are a

compelling combination, but coupled

with the foodie element, plus the markets

and shops, it’s a stunning environment.

The Sanctuary of the Madonna of San

Luca, not mentioned in your article, is a

joy, with wonderful views over the city.

Anne Hayward, Cardiff

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