There is one thing most people will agree on – travel is fun. There is the excitement, adventure, and relaxation that so many look forward to on their travels.
Though one thing that most people don’t look forward to is the packing.
And, what if you travel for food?
How do you pack for culinary travel?
At authentic food quest, our mission is to inspire people to travel through authentic food. This means we spend our time exploring new cultures through the lens of the authentic and traditional dishes of a place. At times, we may be ordering on the streets or eating unknown items at the market. As foodie travelers, we need to be prepared.
As we get ready to eat our way through Southeast Asia, here are a few must-have packing essentials for our culinary travels.
Table of contents
Safe Drinking Water On Your Asian Culinary Travel
One thing we heard over and over from other travelers, was to be weary of the quality of the drinking water in Southeast Asia. Wanting to stay safe and enjoy clean drinking water on our travels, we started looking for a solution.
That’s when our friends at Immersion Travel introduced us to Grayl. If you are not familiar with them, Grayl makes ultra light purifier bottles that makes clean, purified drinking water from any water source in less than 15 seconds.
What we like about the Grayl bottles is that they are light, not fragile and doesn’t need to be hooked up to batteries to work. Moreover, you can have clean water without the waste of buying bottles of water.
If you’re looking for a water bottle for your travels, get 20% off a GRAYL water bottle when you use the code: AFQ – WATER.
Grayl purifier water bottles and filterPersonal Utensils – Spork
You know that germs are easily spread through food, but have you thought about the utensils used?
Not knowing where we will eat and the level of hygiene in Southeast Asia, our “sporks” will come in handy. We used our sporks on our food quest in South America and we expect they will play a big role in Southeast Asia.
For culinary travel, having your own spork or utensils is a packing essential.
Sporks, our culinary packing essentialEating Safe With Activated Charcoal
One of the biggest fears or concerns when traveling through food is getting sick or suffering from food poisoning.
Activated charcoal is one of the packing essentials that should be in any foodie travelers bag. These “magical pills” prevent chemicals from being absorbed into your system and they also prevent flatulence (gas) which can be extremely uncomfortable.
While in South America, we did have to take activated charcoal pills after eating on the streets a few times. We were lucky not to have suffered any food related illnesses, and these little pills accompany us everywhere.
For eating on the streets and in the markets in Southeast Asia, we are taking activated charcoal with us.
Activated Charcoal to use before and after mealsPacking Essentials with Pick-Pocket Proof Clothing
When you are traveling to regions where “cash” is preferred over credit cards, how you carry your money become really important.
With Southeast Asia having tropical hot and humid climate, we were looking for creative ways carry and hide money. Bulky money bags are not only uncomfortable but quite ugly as well.
That’s when we discovered Clever Travel Companion, whose range of clothes has secret zippered pockets that keep valuables safe and invisible to thieves.
With cleverly hidden pockets in underwear, tanktops, shirts and leggings, Clever Travel Companion are our packing essentials for Southeast Asia.
T-shirt with hidden pockets!
Pick pocket proof underwear and t-shirtInternet Access On The Road
Going on a culinary adventure often means sharing pictures with friends and family of the foods you are eating on social media.
For us at authentic food quest, taking pictures and videos is how we capture content about the local and authentic dishes of a region.
But what happens when the internet connection is not good? How do you find reliable connection when you need to work on the road?
We heard about Tep Wireless from other digital nomads and were immediately intrigued. We had run into inconsistent internet connection in South America and are looking to avoid the issue in Southeast Asia.
Tep Wireless is a portable Wi-Fi that gives you wireless wherever you travel. It fits in your pocket and can connect up to 5 devices at the same time.
Between two laptop computers and two cell phones, we are looking forward to staying connected on our culinary travel through Southeast Asia.
Tep wireless pocket Wi-Fi devicePacking Cubes: The Secret to Maximizing Space
Packing for 6 months is not an easy task. And then trying to fit everything in backpacks can be challenging.
Packing cubes are what we use to make everything fit. These handy little cubes make it easy to organize and maximize space. The best way to make the most out of the space is to roll up your clothes and stack them in together.
These packing cubes came in handy on our quest in South America and they have helped maximize the space in our backpacks for Southeast Asia.
Space saving packing cubesBackpacks to Keep Our Packing Essentials Together
In order to carry all our packing essentials for our culinary travel in Asia, we took the same backpacks we used on our South America food quest.
Rosemary has the Aura 65 by Osprey and Claire has the ACT Lite by Deuter. Both backpacks are fitted to our body frames and they each have ample space.
However, for Southeast Asia we reduced our load and are now down to less than 15kgs each (or 30 pounds). We were inspired by Erin and Simon from Never Ending Voyage. Indeed, Erin’s new book the ultimate guide to packing light has been quite helpful in helping us pack less. We are not like Erin and Simon who travel only with carry-on luggage, but we are getting close!
In addition to the backpacks, we each have two extra day backpacks of about 20 liters each which contain our personal items and electronics.
Backpacks for culinary travelThis is our list of packing essentials for culinary travel to Asia. Is there anything you would add? Please share in the comments below your favorite foodie travel items.
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Rosemary is a writer, culinary explorer, and digital nomad. Together with her partner, Claire, they created Authentic Food Quest to help people find the best local food on their travels. For over 5 years they have eaten their way through South America, Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America while sharing the best local food experiences on their website. Authentic Food Quest has been featured on top publications such as Huffington Post, Business Insider, and Honest Cooking. Rosemary and Claire are also authors of Authentic Food Quest Argentina and Authentic Food Quest Peru, available on Amazon. Prior to creating Authentic Food Quest, Rosemary worked as a strategy director in advertising for over 15 years.
Don’t know that I would have thought to ever consider half of these options. Charcoal tabs, even the water purifier. Great tips!
Great Joleene, glad you like the tips!
Great post! I never leave on a trip without activated charcoal! 🙂
That’s wonderful Benjamin that you are a fan of activated charcoal as well. It is the best!!! Thanks for your comments.
Great list ladies! Those charcoal pills sounds like a good idea, and I LOVE packing cubes. You forgot one thing though: loose pants for all that food you’re about to eat 😉
That’s funny Tamara…about the loose pants..lol!! Seriously though, we keep fit on the road and running is a great way to not only work off the calories but also see the local region. We’ll be writing about keeping fit on the road shortly 🙂
I used activated charcoal at home sometimes when I’m sick, but I never thought to bring it on the road haha.. such a good idea for after street food, just in case!
Hi there, activated charcoal is a great to carry with you on the road as well, especially when eating all the local dishes. You never know, and it is best to be prepared!! Thanks for your comments.
Wow! I would not have thought to pack my own utensils! These are all great ideas, but my favorite is the portable wi-fi. I have never heard of such a thing! I’m going to look into that for sure!
Hi Annissa, we have found it to be a great idea to carry our own utensils. They have come in handy more than once. We are excited about the TEP portable wireless device. Do check it out on your next trip. Cheers!
I’ve traveled some of Asia and embarrassingly have never thought to bring half of these things (thank goodness I was lucky and didn’t regret this later!). Definitely some things I’d pack if I was in SE Asia for a longer stretch, especially the water bottles!
That’s wonderful Samantha that your trips to Asia have been “safe”from a food perspective. Given that we will be eating in all sorts of places, we want to be proactive and safe. The water bottle is indeed a necessary packing essential 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
You really have wonderful tips, not only for people travelling to Asia but to some parts of the world.I love travelling and lm always looking for tips to make my travels easy and more fun.
Tips like internet connection while out and about in a foreign country is something even seasoned travellers forget or take for granted that there will not always be WIFI
Thanks really enjoyed your tips,very helpful.
So glad you enjoyed the tips Roamy.Yes, we totally agree that they apply beyond Asia 🙂 Given how dependent we are on the internet and technology, wi-fi is indeed a must when traveling. Do consider TEP for your next travels. Cheers!
This is such a relevant post for me! I’ll be travelling Asia next year and need to know what to take. I’ve been researching water purifiers and you’ve just helped me sooo much! Brilliant article!
Thank you Maddy. That’s wonderful that the timing of the post coincides with your research for water purifiers. We are really thrilled with our Grayl bottles so far. They are light and convenient and they do the job. Check them out for your travels! Stay connected and please let us know if you have any questions as you prepare for your trip. Cheers!
I love that you’ve covered specifically packing for food travel. Those sporks are priceless! Of course you should carry your own utensils. I also carry my own little containers of salt and pepper 🙂
Glad you enjoyed the culinary packing tips. Definitively necessary for foodies!! Glad you carry your own utensils as well. We also travel with salt 🙂 Thanks for your comments, Laura.
It’s great that you can always keep connected on the road with the wifi tool. Any pills to do with stomach upsets are good especially for travelling around Asia!
Having great internet connection and minimizing any stomach issue are essential for foodie travels. We now feel prepared for our quest in Southeast Asia. Thanks for stopping by.
This was a fantastic post. I had to immediately grab Jenn and show it to her. We are going to Thailand for a month and getting our essentials in order. I think we are going to use every one of your tips in our trip. Thank you so much.
That’s wonderful Ed that you found the post helpful!! That’s great to hear. Let us know when you are in Thailand and we should try to connect. Let us know what items you end up getting. Safe travels!! Cheers.
Great tips on what to pack! And i love those packing cubes and the pick pocket-proof tshirt 😀
So glad you enjoyed the packing tips, Alina. It is surprising how much space the packing cubes offer. The pick-pocket proof clothes are also a great way to carry cash. A must where it is too hot to wear jackets! Thanks for your comments!
I have never tried activated charcoal before but that is a great tip to take with you when eating dodgy food. We use packing cubes as well. Sometimes that is all we can take with us when we go away for a few days in the sports car 🙂
You are right, Tandy. Packing cubes are so handy and they don’t always need to be a bag. The activated charcoal have come in handy several times already and we would never leave them behind 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
Great ideas like the spork, Tep wireless, and activated charcoal.
I started reading this post and thought, what on earth could a food pack that I don’t pack?? The top three were all great unique ideas for the traveling foodie. Activated Charcoal is especially handy!
Thanks Susanna, so glad you found some useful and surprising ideas. Indeed, don’t leave home without activated charcoal 🙂 Thanks for your comments.
Fantastic post, Rosemary. These travel gadgets are indeed very handy! Particularly the Grayl water bottle and charcoal tablets. I’ll probably be investing before my next big trip. Health should be a traveler’s number one priority, and these little things go a long way.
You are right Nicole, health should be the number #1 priority for every traveler. No point in traveling and ending up in the hospital 🙂 Glad you enjoyed reading about the Grayl water bottles and activated charcoals…all these little things do go a long way. Thanks for comments!!
The charcoal is such a good tip! Especially if you’re on a culinary tour. And I love Osprey backpacks too! I just got the 30L for carryon travel.
That’s wonderful that you got an Osprey backpack too…it is the best, don’t you think 🙂 Yes, the activated charcoal is something every foodie should have in their kit. We appreciate the comments Sonja, thank you for stopping by.
Cool tips! I haven’t used packing cubes before but really want to on my next trip – they seem so convenient. Also, never thought to bring activated charcoal!
Great to hear that you find the tips helpful!! Do try out the packing cubes, they really make things easier and help you save on space. Indeed, do not forget the activated charcoal on your trip 🙂 Thanks Kaylene for stopping by!
Great informative post. I never thought about bringing my own utensils but it makes perfect sense. I’m a nurse and even I didn’t think of that! I need one of those water purifiers as well. Side note: a medical professional’s tip regarding activated charcoal…be careful. It really only will help with a true food poisoning within an hour of ingesting. For a serious poisoning go to hospital! Ok, the nurse did her job now 🙂 Oh the risks of eating yummy street food all over the world. The struggle is real!
Thanks Charlene for your note about activated charcoal. Absolutely, for serious food poisoning, go the hospital 🙂 We love the idea of our own utensils. We’ve already used them a couple of times and feel much more reassured 🙂 We appreciate your feedback, thanks for stopping by!
Great tips! I like how light the water bottle is even with the built-in purifier. Also, I hadn’t thought about bringing activated charcoal to South America. Will add it to our Argentina packing list.
If you are planning on eating street food anywhere, having activated charcoal does help 🙂 We love our Grayl bottles and in particular the weight. Easy to carry and very convenient. Thanks Christina for your comments!
Great suggestions. I’m adding the charcoal tabs to my kit next trip. Just spent a long night suffering from some unfortunate food choices while in Mexico. Thanks for the roundup and enjoy Asia.
Thanks so much Elaine and sorry to hear about your suffering in Mexico. Do add the activated charcoal in your packing list as it will make your next trip easier. We are looking forward to this experience in Southeast Asia. Thanks for your comments.
Really innovative and unusual packing items! The packing cubes are my absolute holy grail, save so much space and what you say about activated charcoal is spot on. A water purifier is a very smart choice too.
Thanks so much Danni for your comments. Glad you liked the unusual packing items. Agree, the packing cubes are huge help with space. Check out the activated charcoal and water purifier for your next travels. Always good for eating safe 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
Really awesome tips here! Especially about the charcoal had no idea that was a thing, definitely gonna have to get some before my next travels 🙂
Hi Natasha, if you are plannig on indulging in local dishes on your next travels, take the activated charcoal with you. Better be safe than sorry:) Cheers!
Great advice!! I’m finding I’m traveling more and more for foodie reasons, so this is seriously helpful!
You are welcome Julie, so glad you found the advice useful 🙂
Sporks are my JAM! Haha. My BF always laughs at me until he needs to use it to go camping.
That’s wonderful to hear Carmny…these little utensils do come in handy. Thanks for your comments 🙂
Wow, this is a very unusual post. I had to google activated charcoal – it doesn’t seem to be a thing here! But those packing cubes look genius. I’d also advise taking a dress that you can overeat in and get really bloated without caring 😛
Hi Caroline…that’s funny about taking a dress…lol!! We actually make keeping fit a huge part of our quest. Running is how we lose the calories. It’s also a great way to explore the local surroundings. Do check out the packing cubes for your next travels. Cheers 🙂
Great tips! Love activated charcoal… so much easier on the stomach than Imodium! I’ll look into that water filter, thanks
So glad you liked the tips Allison. Yes the activated charcoal is easier on the stomach and easier to carry as well. The water bottle filter is great as well. Do check it out for your next travels. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Sporks – rules! No matter where you are. Whether in Asia or on climbing in the Alps!
Could not agree more. Sporks are useful anywhere you are not feeling comfortable with the utensils 🙂 Cheers!