What to pack - Natalie - Project Coordinator Intern

What’s your best travel experience?

One of my favourite trips was a short stay in Oahu, Hawaii. It was a relatively random stop over en- route to New Zealand where I had planned to travel for a few months. Having learnt that we had friends of the family living over there it seemed rude not to take the opportunity to visit this iconic place!

Oahu is stunning, and despite all the tourist resorts, it still maintains areas of outstanding natural beauty. The island is best known for its capital Honolulu, touristy Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head (an extinct volcanic crater and State Park). The landscape rises in dramatic peaks, which steeply drop down to end in cliffs and soft sandy beaches lined with palm trees. As you might have guessed it was ridiculously idyllic.

The family I stayed with lived near Diamond Head, on the slopes overlooking a handful of other hill top homes. Here they had an almost panoramic view of the town below. The houses had a ‘back to nature’ feel, and took advantage of the outdoor space for decking and an outdoor shower (which I highly recommended trying sometime). The family had fallen in love with the island and embraced all aspects of life out there. The shelves were full of art work, maps and books on Hawaiian culture and I was given a real insight into the troubled past and continuing tensions between the Hawaiian people and foreign settlers.

My proud and eager host, along with her two excitable dogs, drove us around most of the Oahu coast. Over the next few days we explored secluded bays and forests, snorkelled and ate lots of delicious sticky garlic and chilli shrimp.

There were two distinctly Hawaiian things I took away with me from this trip. The first, Lilikoi butter. A passion fruit curd of sorts, delicious and practically unavailable outside of the country. It is now my mission to replicate it over here. The second is the spirit and respect the locals show towards nature. From what I learnt, and those I met, the people of Hawaii have a special connection with the nature. They are incredibly in tune with the idiosyncrasies of the ocean and weather, which has made them such great surfers. And they take great pride in protecting their state parks and beaches.

What did you take?

Too much. Well, overall I packed light, considering I was travelling to another country afterwards with a less pleasant climate. However I found myself rotating between the same two t-shirts and a pair of shorts. I also took a light weight scarf that doubled as a sarong and shelter for my shoulders from the sun.

What do you wish you had taken?

I wish I had taken a big cosy hoodie. This must sound ridiculous, but even Hawaii can get nippy at times and nothing beats curling up outside on the decking admiring the night.

Which Frontier project would you like to visit?

The list is endless, but right now I’m keen to visit South Asia and the Himalayan region. The Nepal Himalayan Adventurer would be amazing as it combines a bit of trekking with community work. Alternatively I wouldn’t mind being a bit greedy and doing all three countries on the Nepal, India and Tibet Ethical Adventure trail.

What would you take there?

A decent camera and lots of memory cards. I imagine the scenery would be breathtaking and colourful, an opportunity I would not want to miss just because I ran out of memory space. Also a couple books wouldn’t go a miss. They’re the one thing I didn’t take last time travelling and regretted greatly.