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WHAT TO WEAR
Swimsuits
In total, I took eight swimsuits with me. I had four two-pieces and four one-pieces. These swimsuits were purchased from Walmart, Target, and Amazon. I loved the long sleeve suits with UV protection because I didn’t have to worry about sunburn on my shoulders or arms; however, the two-pieces dried slightly quicker than the others. Regardless of the style of swimsuit you prefer, I’d say always choose comfort for this trip. You don’t want to have to be worrying about keeping your swimsuit on or keeping it from making uncomfy marks during the snorkels.
Hats
I took a blue Adidas bucket hat but wound up not really using it. A few people brought baseball caps to wear on our mainland days.
Sunglasses
My favorite pair of sunglasses are from Walmart. I love polarized glasses, because they eliminate the glare from the sun on the water and make everything clear and sharp. The only drawback to wearing these was that my classmates joked that I looked like some old fisherman. Whatever type of sunglasses you have, make sure to bring them! Even on overcast days, the ocean reflects ALL kinds of light.
Jewelry
I usually love wearing jewelry. I wear different earrings, necklaces, and bracelets every day to match my outfits. Unfortunately, after a few days in Belize, I completely gave up on that. A few girls would still change out their jewelry, but I wore the same necklace and bracelets every day. I lost a few cheap earrings to the ocean, so I gave up on wearing earrings too. I promise you though, no one cares what type of jewelry you’re wearing in the rainforest.
Nails
Again, it’s not like everyone is looking to see what color you have on your nails in the jungle. I love painting my nails, but for this trip, I trimmed down my nails and used a couple clear coats over them. Now that I’m back, I’m using nail repair on my nails as a basecoat for any color because being in saltwater everyday made them a little fragile. The only girl I know that was able to keep her acrylics on was annoyed that she was having to keep glueing them back on.
- Sally Hansen Nail Repair: https://amzn.to/3RQVPYg
Eye Prescription?
I have terrible vision, so I usually wear monthly contacts. My doctor recommended that I switch to daily contacts just for the trip, and I was so happy that I agreed to it! My friend with monthly contacts had trouble with dry eye from the sun. Another friend had glasses but had the problem of them staying fogged. She used prescription goggles when we were underwater, and all-in-all was fine just using those and her glasses the whole trip. I loved being able to dispose of my contacts after every day and putting in a new, clean pair the next morning. If you do take glasses with you, be sure to have a hard case to put them in so that they aren’t damaged in your bags.
- Hard glasses case that I used: https://amzn.to/3xNNkX0
Tops
– T-shirts that I bought from TJ Maxx and Amazon: I wore t-shirts on the plane, on the mainland some days, and to sleep in. I took two and wished that I had brought at least one more. https://amzn.to/3XQ8L4a
– Cropped tank tops from TJ Maxx, Walmart, and Amazon: These were actually my favorite things ever. I took 5 of these, and it was a good number. Two versions (https://amzn.to/3xNUWbX) and (https://amzn.to/4ePomHs)
– Long sleeve UPF shirts from Sams Club and Amazon: I took roughly six of these shirts and used them on snorkels for sun protection. Lots of girls wound up borrowing some of these from me because they were burning through their regular long sleeve shirts. Be sure they say UV or UPF. Here are lots of the kinds that I and other girls used
- Roxy UPF 50: https://amzn.to/3RTDyJy
- Short sleeve Hurley: https://amzn.to/4eKszMF
- Hurley long sleeve zip-up: https://amzn.to/4f50cJh
- Huk men’s long sleeve (I got a small and it fit well): https://amzn.to/3XMLVur
– Sweatshirt: I brought one sweatshirt and only wore it on the plane ride back to the US.
– Rain jacket: I brought one thin black rain jacket from TJ Maxx and forgot that I had it. It would’ve been helpful to have though.
Bottoms
– Green thin flowy pants with pockets from TJ Maxx: I used these a few times to keep mosquitos off of my legs during dinner and lecture when the mosquitos were the worst.
– Sports shorts with pockets from Walmart and Amazon: I wore these for most of the trip. Comfy athletic shorts are the best for this study abroad trip.
- Quick dry running shorts: https://amzn.to/3Wejl44
- Shorts with zip pockets: https://amzn.to/3xWlWGd
– Soft Champion shorts with pockets from Sams Club: I loved to wear these just to walk around in in the evenings and to sleep in.
- Champion shorts: https://amzn.to/3xHttc1
- 3″ Champion shorts: https://amzn.to/3XRCwlb
– Athletic skirts with built-in shorts from Amazon: These were fun to wear at meals on hot days.
- Athletic skirts: https://amzn.to/3S0d0Xd
Socks and Shoes
– Pack of socks to wear with tennis shoes
- Short black socks: https://amzn.to/3xWtDfz
- Low ankle socks: https://amzn.to/3VRAYoL
– Athletic/Hiking Shoes: I took two pairs of shoes. I used Flash Amphibian 2.0 Eddie Bauers and Wildwood Aerosport Merrell Water shoes. I wore the Eddie Bauers on the plane but not really any other time. Since the Merrells were more of a water shoe style, I used them for the days we visited Mayan ruins and planted trees. On the islands, I never wore shoes, but some people would wear sandals around. Here are some alternative shoes that are close on Amazon.
- Here are some Merrell Sneakers that are available on Amazon and a good alternative to the Eddie Bauers: https://amzn.to/4cPg2Wd
- Wildwood Aerosport Merrell Water shoes: https://amzn.to/3xHXCIf
WOMEN’S SUPPLIES
I bought two swimsuit bottoms from KNIX that were called KNIX Period Proof Swim bottoms. I wound up not being on my cycle in Belize, but these swimsuit bottoms were super comfy and secure. I got several compliments on them. I knew people that used tampons throughout the trip and had no problem with disposal. I also packed period underwear from Walmart, but again, I did not get the chance to review the period products.