Why I Travel with Turkish Towels

Enjoy this guest blog post by Tanya Brothen of Travel, Upgraded. 

With my backpacking days well behind me, I’m now interested in comfortable, well-equipped travel. Which is why I always check a bag (yes, even for weekend trips), and why I have a list of items I refuse to travel without. 

One of those items is my Turkish towel from The Bali Market.

“But isn’t packing a towel is a waste of valuable suitcase space. After all, aren’t towels readily available at hotels and other lodging locales?”  Let me explain.

I pack my own towel (usually The Bali Market’s Perfect Classic) because it’s a travel-multitasker, coming in handy during a myriad of travel situations. For example:

1. At the pool or the beach: At the hotel, it distinguishes my lounge chair from those that are using the resort’s standard poolside towels. At the beach, it’s the perfect, soft resting spot, as well as a breezy shawl for sun protection when I need it. Fellow pool and beachgoers always ask me where I got my gorgeous towel!
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Walking to the pool or beach: The towels I travel with are the perfect size for using as a sarong or dress when moving about the resort. You can wear it on the way to the spa, the waterfront bar, or anywhere casual attire is the norm.
   
   
3. When I get chilly: From evenings dining al fresco to rainy vacation days, I use my towel as a scarf or shawl to keep me comfortable. I also keep one in my carry-on luggage to use as a wrap during those frigid airplane rides.
   
   
4. While working out on the road: I’ve used my towel as an in-room yoga mat, a barrier between myself and the communal hotel gym equipment, and a modified stretching band.
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. During a rest stop picnic: In the time of COVID-19, many people are opting for summer road trips. Spread out your towel to enjoy a mid-route picnic at any one of the scenic rest stops you find across the country.
   
   
6. To clean up travel spills: Travel can get messy. In-car coffee spills, sudden downpours, eating on the go: you’ll be glad you have a towel on hand to clean up and wipe down.
   
   
7. As a bath towel: Sometimes, I just don’t like the bath towels the hotel provides, and I appreciate having my own option on hand when this is unexpectedly the case.
   
   
8. To protect souvenirs: Purchased a nice bottle of wine in that European capital you visited? Get it home safely by wrapping the towel around it as a buffer against rough suitcase handling.

No matter how you end up using it, you won’t regret packing your own Turkish towel the next time you head out on a trip. 

>> See also Why Turkish Towels Make the Best Travel Towel

Tanya is an expert traveler with 18+ years experience. She founded Travel, Upgraded to help others upgrade from hostel-style travel to first-class travel.