5 Things to pack for Mekong River Cruise – Bring these items with you for a comfortable tour

Bringing some light clothes with you isn't enough. You need to be prudent when choosing the material for your trip to Southeast Asia. The weather is humid, and you don't want that getting in the way of you having fun. If your clothes are made of cotton, it is not ideal – in humid weather, cotton tends to sag, which could be extremely uncomfortable and irritable. What you need is clothes made of moisture-wicking fabric; they transfer moisture from your body to the exterior of the fabric. Also, bear in mind that you don't need to bring loads of clothes with you. You can buy most of your essential clothing items at locals markets.

The Mekong is composed of swamps which means that surroundings are damp and clammy. These swamps are habitats for various types of bugs. While you are touring the Mekong, you are also putting yourself at risk of catching some tropical disease. So, to keep yourself and your travel companions safe, bring plenty of bug spray with you.

You might want something nice – not to mention light – for the evening while on the Mekong cruise. It is quite common for tourists to wear something nice for dinner. You can bring something made of linen for the evening, but keep the number of clothes to a minimum. You can buy most of your clothing items at the local markets. You'll also find many people wearing clothes of the same style, which means they've bought their clothes at a local market – you can do the same, and no one's going to judge you for it.

It is sometimes hard to find these basic things even in a big city, and Mekong Delta is by no means a big city. If your tour is tailored by the likes of Mekong Kingdoms, your needs will be taken care of, but should there be an emergency, you need to have these essentials with you - soap, shampoo and feminine hygiene products are a must, you'll also need to bring an extra deodorant stick: you don't want to run out of deodorant in this humid weather, and you can count on that. Also, pack pain relievers and antihistamines – the weather could give you headaches and allergies even if you are not prone to them. What's more; you don't need makeup at all apart from sunscreen and a lip balm with SPF – your makeup is going to melt on your face the moment you are out of your air-conditioned cabin.

The weather is unbearably hot, and you cannot survive your tour without sunscreen and a hat. When buying sunscreen, make sure that it has high-factor SPF; you are also going to need sunglasses.