15 Amazon Travel Essentials for a Remote Island Stay , From $6

travelandleisure.com · Feb 21, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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I recently returned from my fifth trip to French Polynesia—specifically, Bora Bora—and I remain convinced it's the most beautiful place on earth. Since I first honeymooned there in 2010, every trip back feels just as awe-inspiring as the first: impossibly turquoise lagoons, powder-soft sand, Instagram-worthy overwater bungalows, and underwater scenes that are almost too magical to be real. But here’s something else about this kind of paradise: It's remote. There's definitely no global chain drug store or big-box retailer to hit up in a pinch. If you can find basic travel essentials on the island, the selection is limited—and stock is wildly expensive. That means your packing list matters more than it would for a trip to, say, Florida or a cruise port in the Caribbean. On this most recent trip, I felt pretty prepared, but I still had a few moments that cost me both money and convenience (not to mention comfort). Between sunburns, surprise bug bites, and a missed opportunity to capture memories snorkeling, I came home with some hard-earned packing wisdom. Below is exactly what I brought—plus a few things I should have packed in hindsight —to help you travel smarter on your remote vacation, all available at Amazon. Slathering on the sunscreen is an absolute must for tropical climates where the UV is no joke—but it can be expensive at hotel gift shops. While it's important to protect your skin, it's equally important to protect the coral reefs in the area where you're swimming or snorkeling, too. This mineral sunscreen is reef-friendly, safe for sensitive skin, and also available in a TSA-approved size, so you can arrive stocked up even if you're going carry-on only. It's usually not a big deal when you're traveling to hit a pharmacy for pain reliever if you have a headache. But many French Polynesian islands—including Bora Bora—are quite isolated, so finding such little comforts is often very inconvenient, not to mention extremely expensive. That's why it's a great idea to pack a compact, lightweight travel medicine kit for any ailments. This one weighs only 15 grams, packs flat, and contains several over-the-counter medications for common travel illnesses or injuries. To that end, it's absolutely essential that you come stocked with all the prescription medicine you and your travel companions need—replacing it on the island will be no easy feat. This popular and highly reviewed pack comes with two organizers in different colors to keep you and your travel companion prepared. Credit: Amazon At a destination like Bora Bora, you tend to spend most of your time at the pool or on the sand, which means that a great pair of flip-flops is essential. As a connoisseur of sandals, these Havaianas are the most durable and comfortable—and this square-toe shape is cool and modern. They pack easily, too, saving you space for other essentials. Credit: Amazon I always end up packing more actual clothes than I need because I spend just about the entire time in my swimsuit. That's just how it is when the pool and lagoon are always so tempting any time of the day and night; I want to stay ready in case I feel moved to pop in for a spontaneous dip! That means a good cover-up is a must. I like the elegant crochet-like construction of this one, available in tons of colors at a budget-friendly price point. This type of vacation—more relaxation than fast-paced sightseeing—can be an incredible opportunity to just sit and read for hours. I tore through a book I borrowed from my mother-in-law, but when I returned it, it was waterlogged and otherwise worse for the wear. Since then, I've gotten this durable, lightweight Amazon Kindle, which is a much travel-friendlier way to read books (and the matcha color happens to be cute, to boot). I have stayed at multiple resorts in French Polynesia and Hawaii that provide guests with reusable water bottles and easy access to refilling stations during the stay, which is a great way to make sure guests stay hydrated without killing the environment. Of course, you can always bring your own and use it on the plane and in the airports, too, which allows major cost savings. The Owala FreeSip is my current favorite in such a crowded marketplace for its easy-to-drink and totally leakproof design. Even if you're really good about applying sunscreen, it's certainly possible that you still end up pink from too much sun. (It's almost inevitable in a place where the sun is so strong, especially if you're arriving from a cold climate and your skin is totally out of practice!) That's what happened to my family, so I had to fork over the equivalent of close to $40 for an after-sun gel in the hotel shop. Next time, I'll save the major expense and just come prepared with my own. Credit: Amazon The top-end resorts are likely to have snorkel masks on hand for you to borrow during your stay. But on my last trip to Bora Bora, I was reminded that the quality of the mask makes all the difference to the experience; on my first trip out, I used an older mask that fogged up constantly and a piece broke off while I was using it. If you travel with your own snorkel gear, you won't have to worry about aging equipment compromising your experience. Credit: Amazon If there's any place on earth you want an action camera that takes impeccable underwater pictures, it's here. The lagoon-life is out of this world, and swimming with sharks is one of the highlights of my trip (slash my entire life). I had my iPhone camera, which is great, but not submersible. It would have been cool to have a GoPro camera to document my favorite moments snorkeling, boating, and jet skiing. Credit: Amazon Since I spend most of my time in a swimsuit, I came stocked up—for my last trip, I brought six suits for as many days. This Herseas swimsuit is budget friendly, comes in a ton of colors and patterns, and has enough style and support for lounging or doing activities. Plus, it layers easily under shorts and dresses. Flip-flops are great for the pool and beach, but supportive sandals are necessary for lots of walking around properties that are typically spread out across a lot of acreage. I love this style from podiatrist-approved brand Naot for the super-comfy cork footbed that molds to your specific footprint. And this rose gold hue is perfect for all-day wear, as well as even special-occasion dinners on the sand. Several years ago, I took a high-energy jet ski loop around the entire Bora Bora lagoon; it was epic. The next day, I woke up with such swollen lips, I thought I'd been bitten by a mystery bug or was having some crazy allergic reaction. Nope—it turned out it was just a known symptom of plain old sunburn as I'd forgotten to cover my lips with SPF. Needless to say, I'll never make that mistake again and always travel with a sunscreen-lip balm like this one from Coola. On my last trip to Bora Bora, you could find me by the swim-up bar at the main pool every day until dusk because that's when Mai Tais were half price for happy hour. This was a good move for my bill at checkout, but not so great for my skin. Some type of biting insect was out at that time of day, and it positively ate me alive. I ended up buying this bug spray for a huge markup at the resort shop, but by then it was too late to prevent the bites I already had. From now on, I'll travel with this spray in my bag from the outset. I have blue eyes and fair-ish skin, so my eyes are light sensitive and my face (especially my nose) tends to burn when exposed to prolonged sun. The right wide-brim hat helps with comfort, sun safety, and style, if you do it right. Look for options that are UPF to protect you from the sun rays, and that are packable for easy transport. Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we’ll send you our favorite travel products each week.