Why packing matters more for Suluada than a normal boat day
Our Side to Suluada tour is a 10-hour day, and here is the detail first-timers miss: there is no shop on the island. Whatever you forget stays forgotten until you are back on the boat. On a beach loop near Side you can improvise; off Adrasan you cannot. So this list is short, but every item on it is there because our crews have watched someone wish they had it.
The non-negotiables
- Swimwear, worn under your clothes. The first swimming bay comes before the island, and there is no proper changing queue you want to be part of. A spare set of swimwear is a good idea: sitting in wet shorts on the cruise back is the most avoidable discomfort of the day.
- Towel. Not provided, and between the swim stops and the island beach you will use it all day.
- Hat. Shade exists on the boat, but not on Suluada’s beach.
- High-SPF sunscreen. This is the big one. Suluada’s turquoise water and white-sand bay reflect sunlight upwards as well as down: you are effectively being lit from two directions. People who tan easily at their hotel pool still burn here. Bring more than you think you need and reapply after every swim.
- Sunglasses. Same reflection problem. Your eyes will thank you on the crossing.
Strongly recommended
- Sea shoes. They are not included in the tour and not sold on the island, and between boat ladders, pebbly patches at the swim bays and hot sand at midday, they earn their space in the bag.
- Cash in small notes. Three things on this day are pay-as-you-go: the optional breakfast at Adrasan (payable directly at the restaurant during the morning stop), drinks from the onboard bar (all beverages, soft or otherwise, are extra), and any snacks or ice cream beyond the included lunch. Lunch itself, grilled fish or chicken with pasta or rice, mezes, salad, fruit and Turkish tea, is fully covered, so budget for drinks and extras, not for food.
- A dry bag or zip-lock for your phone. Tender boats shuttle guests between the anchored boat and the bay where applicable, short hops, but phones and salt spray are old enemies.
- A light cover-up or T-shirt for the cruise. The sea breeze on a long crossing is lovely right up until your shoulders have had four hours of sun.
What to wear on your feet and body
Dress like it is a beach day with a road trip attached, because it is: comfortable clothes over swimwear for the air-conditioned drive to Adrasan, sandals or sea shoes, nothing you would mourn if it met seawater. There is no dress code on board: our captains care about your safety, not your outfit.
What to leave at the hotel
- Anything valuable you will not use. A boat is a splashy, sandy environment; the hotel safe is better company for jewellery and passports (a photo of your passport on your phone is plenty).
- Big beach umbrellas and bulky gear. Space on board is shared with up to 30 guests, and the day is designed so you do not need to haul equipment.
- A full picnic. Lunch, mezes, fruit and tea are included, carrying a cooler bag is solving a problem the boat already solved. Snacks for the morning drive are fine.
Packing for kids
Everything above, doubled in sunscreen. Children aged 4–10 have their own rate and infants sail free, but the sun does not discount anyone: a rash vest for swimming is the single best thing you can pack for a child on this route. More on how the day works with little ones in our family guide.
The five-second version
Swimwear on, towel, hat, sunglasses, serious sunscreen, sea shoes, cash for drinks and breakfast, dry bag. That is the whole list. For what the day costs and covers, see the price breakdown, and for everything else people ask us, the Suluada FAQ has the answers straight from our crews.