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Melissa’s 2023 Summer Travel Must-Haves

One of the best parts of our Insider Journeys is the sharing of travel tips, packing secrets and game-changer products that goes on. In that spirit, I am sharing some of my favorite summer travel finds—many of which I discovered through our community and on recent trips to Spain, Tunisia, Zimbabwe and beyond. See and shop my must-haves below.

Learn more about the Indagare Insider Journey experience and discover our upcoming trips here—plus, be the first to know when new trips are released by joining this list.

TOP TOTE

This hat clip is a game-changer if you are a hat-wearer. It attaches to any bag by gripping your hat brim with a strong magnetic clip, and it comes in multiple styles. The magnet is so strong that it can also hold a full water bottle. Shop here.

PACKABLE HAT

I never go out without a hat in the sun, and this Jacquemus bucket hat is a great travel style that comes in many colors.  Shop here.

Discover exclusive packing edits for beach, safari and beyond from our partner Mytheresa—so you can arrive prepared and in style. For personalized packing guidance, we are also delighted to offer complimentary access to Mytheresa's VIP Personal Shopping Program. Email myindagare@mytheresa.com to get started.

TRAVEL SNEAKER

A super stylish lady on our Tunisia trip turned me on to these Bill Blass suede sneakers with a cushioned platform. They come in many colors and are made with a biodegradable outsole. Indagare Tip: They run a half-size big.  Shop here.

TRAVEL OUTFIT

My go-to travel uniform, particularly for long-haul and overnight flights, is this super-soft Varley sweatshirt with a turtleneck and adjustable waist (Shop here), paired with these flexible, supportive flare "jeans" from Spanx, available in black and white versions and petite, regular and tall lengths (Shop here), worn with a fun three-quarter length jacket or vest over them.

PACKING CUBES AND TRAVEL BACKPACK

Paravel has launched new and improved packing cubes, including ones that compress with a second zipper. I never leave home without these. I also love their vanity cases, which can be customized and are great for the plane, as well as their foldable backpack, made of recycled bottles, which I use on safari and, this spring, to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain.  Shop here.

Read more about Melissa's adventures on the Camino de Santiago.

WATER BOTTLE

I always carry a refillable bottle when traveling and Larq, which one of our Sicily travelers turned me on to, purifies water with the touch of a button. Plus, they are monogrammable—great for summer gifting!  Shop here.

IMMUNITY BOOSTERS

To keep healthy while traveling, I swear by a number of powdered supplements, and electrolytes are a must for the plane. Cure is a woman-owned brand whose powders are plant-based and come in great flavors (Shop here), and Athletic Greens (Shop here) and Zicam meltables (Shop here) provide essential vitamins and nutrients.

SHARING THE LOVE

A woman that I met walking the Camino told me that she sends photos of her travels directly to her 96-year-old mother via this frame called Frameo. I love the idea of my mother following my travels and those of my kids and nieces and nephews on this, since she doesn’t use Instagram.  Shop here.

EYE MASK

After one of our Insider Journey travelers, who is a sleep doctor, told me that any ambient light affects your sleep, I have tried a lot of eye masks, and my favorite for the plane and hotel rooms is Drowsy, which is made of 100% mulberry silk, has a Velcro closure and comes in lots of colors.  Shop here.

FAVORITE HAIR PRODUCTS

To extend a blow-out, I swear by my Blissy silk hair bonnet that preserves the style and protects your hair (Shop here). One of my sisters told me about Living Proof 5 in 1, which is a great styling serum that I also always pack (Shop here).

TRAVEL GLASSES

I always pack a spare pair of sunglasses and spare reading glasses, but a traveler on our Sicily trip introduced me to Thin Optics, which are paper-thin and perfect for traveling.  Shop here.

Learn more about the Indagare Insider Journey experience and discover our upcoming trips here—plus, be the first to know when new trips are released by joining this list. 

All products featured are independently selected by Indagare. However, if you purchase something through the above links, Indagare may earn an affiliate commission.

Published onJuly 7, 2023

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