5 Items The Most Savvy Travelers Bring To Their Cancun All-Inclusive (They Aren’t What You Think!)

Share The Article

You’ve got your packing list ready for your Cancun all-inclusive vacation. Swimsuits? Check. Sunscreen? Check. Passport and a good book? Check and check. But while those items will get you through the door, they won’t guarantee a flawless vacation. The difference between a good trip and a great one often comes down to a few small, ingenious items that rookies overlook.

These are the secret weapons that solve the tiny, frustrating annoyances of resort life before they even happen. Here at The Cancun Sun, we’ve spent countless hours at all-inclusive resorts, and we’ve seen what the most seasoned, savvy travelers unpack. Their secret isn’t about packing more; it’s about packing smarter. Here are the five game-changing items they never leave home without.

Now lets get to the not so obvious items you might forget to pack….

An Insulated Mug (Like A Stanley or Yeti)

The Pain Point: You finally get to the swim-up bar and order a perfect frozen margarita. The bartender hands it to you in a tiny, flimsy plastic cup that holds about three sips. Five minutes later, under the power of the Cancun sun, your frozen masterpiece has melted into a sad, watery puddle.

The Pro Move: Bringing your own large, insulated mug is the ultimate all-inclusive power move. Bartenders are more than happy to fill it up for you, meaning your drink stays ice-cold for hours, you make far fewer trips to the bar, and you significantly reduce plastic waste.

Your Own “Mini-Pharmacy”

The Pain Point: You wake up with a slight headache from one too many cocktails, have an upset stomach from the rich food, or get a few nasty mosquito bites. You head down to the hotel gift shop for a simple solution. The price for a small bottle of Advil or some Pepto-Bismol? A shocking $20-$30.

The Pro Move: Pack a small zip-top bag with the basics from home. A few painkillers (Tylenol/Advil), upset stomach meds (Pepto/Imodium), allergy pills (Benadryl), and some hydrocortisone cream for bites will cover 90% of minor vacation ailments and save you from the gift shop’s absurd markups.

A Set of Towel Clips

The Pain Point: You’ve found the perfect lounge chair, laid out your towel, and settled in. But the constant, delightful breeze coming off the Caribbean Sea has other plans. Your towel is constantly blowing off your chair, getting bunched up behind your back, or worse, flying away down the beach.

The Pro Move: These cheap, simple plastic clips are a veteran traveler’s secret weapon. For a few dollars, you can clip your towel firmly to your lounge chair for the entire day. It reserves your spot and saves you from a thousand tiny, frustrating adjustments. You will look like an absolute genius to every other person at the pool.

A Waterproof Phone Sleeve

The Pain Point: The constant, low-grade anxiety of having your $1,000 phone near a massive body of water. You want to take photos in the pool, read on a floatie, or just not worry about an errant splash, but the fear of a waterlogged death is real.

The Pro Move: A simple, clear waterproof pouch with a lanyard is the key to ultimate peace of mind. You can take your phone right into the water for incredible photos, scroll your playlist on a floating lounger, and never worry about sand or water damage again.

A Small Power Strip

The Pain Point: You and your travel partner get back to the room after a long day. You both need to charge your phone, your smartwatch, a portable speaker for the morning, and maybe an e-reader. You look around and discover there is exactly one available outlet, and it’s inconveniently located behind the bed.

The Pro Move: A small, 3-outlet power strip is the ultimate, unsung hero of modern travel. It turns one useless outlet into a fully functional charging station for all of your gear. It weighs almost nothing, takes up minimal luggage space, and is a certified relationship-saver.

It’s not about packing more; it’s about packing smarter. These five simple items are the secret to solving the little annoyances that can derail a good vacation, turning it into a great one and ensuring you travel with the confidence of a seasoned pro.

Of course, the ultimate savvy move is choosing the perfect resort from the very beginning. If you’re still searching for the right fit for your style and budget, let our Cancun Resort Finder do the hard work for you in seconds.