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Rachel Smith spent over 200 days backpacking around Southeast Asia so she’s learned a thing or two about packing along the way – but early on she made a crucial mistake

Packing for holidays can be a timely process, whether you’re off on a short city break, spending a week on a beach in the sunshine, or prepping your hiking boots for a walking getaway.

Rachel Smith, 25, is a solo travel influencer who shares her adventures on TikTok, and recently spent 210 days backpacking across Southeast Asia, so she knows a thing or two about how to pack efficiently.

However, the travel pro admitted to the experts at Omio that she quickly realised she’d made one crucial error when she planned for her seven-month trip.

She explained: “I originally packed with the ‘just in case’ in mind; however, this just used unnecessary space, and ended up untouched. When travelling now, I only pack what I truly know I’ll wear. Another thing that I forgot to do that I wish I had was to check the weather differences between countries, which is especially important when country-hopping. For example, while places like Malacca and Kuala Lumpur are hot and humid year-round, I was freezing when I visited Northern Vietnam. Thankfully, I had a lightweight jacket with me, which also came in handy on buses where the air-conditioning was blasting.”

Luckily, she quickly learned her lesson, and now she’s been sharing her top tips with other intrepid explorers, to help them get the most out of their baggage allowance without having to spend a fortune on excess baggage.

Her must-haves include a hanging wash bag which “keeps all my toiletries in one place and off hostel floors”, two microfibre towels o she has “one for the beach, one for showering”, a worldwide travel adapter that “works everywhere”, a power bank that’s “essential for long travel days and safety as a solo traveller”, travel locks “for securing valuables in hostels” and a waterproof phone case, although she warns to test the latter in a sink before heading off!

Another top tip from Rachel is to pack clothes which you can mix and match throughout the trip. She explained: “For clothes, I had plenty of mix-and-match outfits so I could create lots of looks without packing too much. I also brought makeup and a couple of nice dresses for when I wanted to feel good on nights out. I ended up using almost everything I packed, but the items I used daily were: my packing cubes, microfibre towel, power bank, and travel locks. My makeup and dresses weren’t everyday essentials, but I was so glad I had them when I wanted to feel a little extra.”

It’s a similar trick to using the 5-4-3-2-1 packing method which experts say can help you pack 30 different outfits in just the one suitcase. The idea is to stick to a simple formula; five tops, four bottoms, three pairs of shoes, two bags, and one destination-specific item. Then if you have the space and think you might need an extra item or two, you can add those in. (There’s the extra bonus of sticking to one bag and therefore not needing to pay extra for a second bag too!).

Do you have a travel story you want to tell us? Email us at [email protected].

The search for Shannon Matthews, nine, became a major missing person police operation and, after several weeks, she was found at an address in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire

A man who investigated Shannon Matthews‘ disappearance has revealed the moment he knew the girl’s mum Karen was the person behind it all.

Richard Edwards, who was a local reporter at the time, appeared on This Morning yesterday to talk about his involvement in the case which saw a huge missing person police operation launched for the girl. She was found at her mum’s then-boyfriend Michael Donovan’s house in a plot to claim a £50,000 reward, and both Karen and Donovan were prosecuted and jailed.

The search lasted 24 days in February and March 2008, during which time people on the estate near Dewsbury, West Yorkshire eventually became suspicious of Karen. It dawned on Mr Edwards himself Karen could be responsible when a man approached him – as he worked late on the estate one evening for a local newspaper – and pointed at Karen’s house, insisting she had known along along where Shannon was.

READ MORE: This Morning host says ‘stop the show’ minutes in as viewers ‘switch off’READ MORE: How to watch new Shannon Matthews documentary 17 years on from fake kidnap scandal

Speaking to Emma Willis and Andi Peters on the ITV This Morning sofa yesterday, Mr Edwards said: “There was one particular night where to this day I’ve never known who this person was. It was a Sunday night, a few days before Karen was arrested…

“A car pulled up on the estate, I was working, it was late on the Sunday, it was dark and a guy got out and he said ‘Where’s that Richard Edwards from the Yorkshire Evening Post?’

“I thought I’ve done something to offend this fella, but I need to front up. I said ‘That’s me’. He came over, he was right at the end of Mooreside Road and he pointed towards the house, he went ‘She’s done it. She’s known where that little girl has been all along.’

“Then got into the car and drove off and I thought right… that was weird. That was on top of the other stuff I’d been hearing. And then three days later she was arrested.”

The mum would later be charged with child neglect and perverting the course of justice. She was jailed for eight years after a jury found her guilty of those offences.

But Mr Edwards still to this day – 17 years on – does not know who the man who approached him was. The journalist continued: “If he’s watching this and wants to get in touch with me just to explain who he is and just clear up that tiny little outstanding part of the story. I would love to hear from him because he didn’t tell me who he was, but he was right. He was right.”

Donovan was also jailed for eight years after the trial at Leeds Crown Court, after which he was convicted of kidnapping and false imprisonment. Donovan died of cancer in hospital at the age of 54 last year.

A WOMAN has revealed that she instantly fell in love with her step-brother after he moved in to the family home, and ended up pregnant with his baby.

Tookie and Krys first met as teenagers, when Krys moved back in with his mother, after years of separation.

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Tookie was already living with Krys’ mum, and was being raised as her step-daughter.

“When I first saw her I thought she was too good for me”, Krys told Love Don’t Judge.

“I didn’t talk to her because I was too nervous”.

However, Tookie was instantly attracted to Krys, describing his “nerdy” look as “sexy”.

The duo, who were 15 and 17 at the time soon grew close, and after Tookie initiated things, they began sleeping together.

“One thing led to another, and we made a baby”, Krys said.

The couple were able to keep their relationship under wraps until Tookie became pregnant.

Jamie, Krys’ mum, found out about the pregnancy after receiving a phone call from Tookie’s mum.

“I expected Tookie and Krys to behave to eachother like brother and sister”, Jamie said.

Krys had only just got back in contact with his mother when he got Tookie pregnant, and was worried their bond would become fractured again.

Jamie said she was hurt and disappointed by the actions of the pair, but still loves Tookie as a daughter.

The couple now share a daughter named Blu, who is 20 months old.

Despite his young age, Tookie said that Krys was a great help following her birth, and she didn’t have to lift a finger.

“I love the way he is, you’re a good father”, Tookie said to Krys.

Here’s why I love being a young mum

Tracy Kiss, who fell pregnant at 19, has revealed what she believes are the pros of being a young mother.

The personal trainer and blogger, from Buckinghamshire, believes women who give birth in their teens make BETTER mothers than those in their 30s.

She claims young mums snap back into shape quicker, have more energy and relate more easily to their children, meaning they’re better behaved and happier.

Tracy told Fabulous: “Women who become first-time mums in their teens make better parents than those in their 30s or 40s.

“I believe if I’d been 10 or so years older before becoming a mother then I wouldn’t have the relationship I have with my children now.

“For a start, being older I would have had less energy and therefore less patience.

“I wouldn’t be as enthusiastic to speak to people after months of sleepless nights as I was in my teens.

“My body snapped back to its pre-pregnancy size through fitness post-birth, which in turn gave me the confidence to date and find love again. I’ve never been happier than I am now at the age of 30 with two children.

“If I’d have been alone at 40 with a newborn baby I’d be more tired, less happy with my body, less energetic and far more stressed from the shock of living my life for myself instead of putting others first. Sometimes age and the innocence of ignorance is a good thing.

“As a teen mum I just got on with it, found my feet and became responsible and capable because at the time I didn’t know any different.”

The couple get lots of hate online for their unique relationship, but don’t let trolls get them down.

“If you’re still judging, then honestly, you’re miserable”, Krys said.

Viswashkumar Ramesh, the only survivor of the Boeing 787 plane crash, said he witnessed other passengers die.

The only survivor of the Air India plane crash says he couldn’t believe he made it out alive after escaping from a broken emergency exit in a deadly crash that killed 241 people.

Shortly after Thursday’s crash, social media footage showed Viswashkumar Ramesh limping down the street in a blood-stained t-shirt and with bruises on his body.

The British national was sitting in seat 11A on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that was flying in to London when the plane crashed into a medical college hostel moments after taking off from India’s northwestern city of Ahmedabad.

Ramesh, 40, told India’s national broadcaster DD News from his hospital bed on Friday that he thought he was “also going to die”.

“But when I opened my eyes, I realised I was alive and I tried to unbuckle myself from the seat and escape from where I could. It was in front of my eyes that the air hostess and others [died],” he said.

He was travelling with his brother Ajay, who had been seated in a different row, members of his family said.

“The side of the plane I was in landed on the ground, and I could see that there was space outside the aircraft, so when my door broke, I tried to escape through it and I did,” Ramesh said.

“The opposite side of the aircraft was blocked by the building wall so nobody could have come out of there,” he added.

He explained that the plane had seemed to have come to a standstill midair for a few seconds shortly after taking off and felt the engine thrust, which later “crashed with speed into the hostel”.

Ramesh’s cousin Hiren Kantilal, 19, told the AFP news agency that he called his family in Leicester, in the East Midlands in England, after the crash to tell them he was alive.

“Our plane has been crashed,” Ramesh told his dad, according to his cousin.

“He was bleeding all over him, in the face and everything, and he said, ‘I am just waiting for my brother and I don’t know how I get out of the plane.’

“He said: ‘Do not worry about me, try to find about Ajay Kumar’ and he said: ‘I am totally fine.’”

Kantilal said his cousin had spent about 10 to 15 minutes seeking his brother, and then was whisked away to hospital by the rescue services.

“We are happy Vishwash has been saved, but on the other hand, we are just heartbroken about Ajay,” he told AFP.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site on Friday and met Ramesh at the hospital.

Rescue workers continued to search for missing people and aircraft parts on Friday following the worst aviation crash in a decade.

WHEN I left my marriage, I thought it was all my husband’s fault.

I didn’t want to start again at the age of 55, but I felt I didn’t have a choice.

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Filled with sadness and blame, I truly believed that had he been different, we would still be married.

Divorce is always brutal. We vowed to stay friends, to try and stay together as a family, still doing Christmas and holidays together.

But as the months progressed and as we battled over money and what we each believed we deserved, things started to get sticky.

After I left, we navigated our divorce via Zoom, choosing to do mediation rather than litigation.

The latter would have cost a fortune and there’s no doubt that we would have ended up hating each other.

But it was still hard. Long-held grievances came out in those video calls.

We would snap at each other and swallow the terrible things you think but can’t say, for once they are said they can never be unsaid.

I wanted to try and get through the divorce as painlessly as possible, but our mutual pain and grief was written all over our faces. When we’d Zoom, I would sometimes cover my husband’s face with a Post-it note because it was so painful to see him.

I was sure that the reason our marriage broke down was all his fault.

But it’s been almost six months since the divorce came through and a strange thing has happened.

I’ve realised how much of the fault lies with me.

Like many women who grew up in the Seventies, I was raised to be a people-pleaser.

We weren’t surrounded by helicopter parents who adored us unconditionally. Far from it.

In summer holidays and every weekend, we were turfed out of the house in the morning, essentially told we wouldn’t be welcome back before supper.

Like many parents of that era, mine weren’t terribly interested in children. If we behaved well, all was good, but heaven forbid I was in a bad mood or didn’t appear with a smile.

“Jane is difficult,” became the family mantra. “She’s moody.”

I learned very young to take the temperature of the house when I walked in. If my mother was in a good mood, all was good and my whole body would relax.

The days when that wasn’t the case told a very different story.

I could smell the atmosphere from the welcome mat and would tense up. I would tiptoe around on eggshells, trying to avoid her.

There was always the possibility of an explosion waiting around the corner and, on those days, nothing I said or did was right. It was similar with my father.

I would twist myself in knots to ensure I didn’t set off a row.

As I grew older, our relationship changed and we are now a close, loving family. But those early days were hard.

What I didn’t know then was how I was unconsciously being trained to become a people-pleaser.

The alternative – standing up for myself – was so often met with anger, I would do anything to keep the peace.

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This was the great epiphany about my marriage.

As long as I was blaming my husband for our relationship going wrong, I would stay stuck and likely find that my next one would have the same dynamic.

The end of a marriage is rarely one person’s fault. A relationship is a dance that two people do together.

If I was to heal and, more importantly, learn not to repeat the same mistakes in another relationship, I would have to look at my part.

I realised very quickly that a huge part in my marriage not working was my inability to speak up for myself because I was frightened that if I did, I would be abandoned.

Instead, I learned to stay silent. It was exhausting and I withdrew into myself, the gap between my husband and myself growing larger and larger.

UNCLEAR BOUNDARIES

We hear a lot of talk these days about boundaries, telling those around us what we will and will not put up with.

Because I was raised in a family where my boundaries weren’t considered, I learned that my needs didn’t matter.

My husband wasn’t very clear about boundaries either. A people-pleaser himself, he often said yes to keep the peace.

There were times when we had unannounced guests that I felt uncomfortable about, which led to disagreements.

It put a strain on the relationship, but I’d already gone through a first divorce and didn’t want to put my four children – or two stepchildren – through that hell again.

Because of this, I think I suppressed my feelings, not speaking up about things that made me desperately unhappy.

It continued for years.

What I didn’t realise was that every time I agreed to something I didn’t want, resentment was building inside me, eventually pushing the two of us far apart, with no way to come back together.

I learned to stay silent. It was exhausting and I withdrew into myself, the gap between my husband and myself growing larger and larger.

There was further strain when we hit some financial difficulties after my husband lost his job and we eventually had to look at downsizing.

I was heartbroken about leaving our home, a house I loved, that was always filled with kids, friends and parties.

We started looking for a new place but disagreed about the best option.

My resentment made me silent, angry and cold. The easy affection that had existed between us for years had gone.

When I looked at my husband, I no longer felt warmth and love. I was cold to him and unsupportive, while nothing I did or said was right.

I had no idea how to talk to him about how I felt without it ending up in a row. I was so tired of the anger, it was easier to stay silent, to withdraw so completely.

He felt like a roommate rather than my partner.

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Eventually it blew up. We had a row and this time I knew it was the last time.

Sobbing, I packed two suitcases and left.

Crushed by grief, I eventually started – with the help of a therapist – doing the very hard work of looking at myself and just how much I contributed to my marriage failing.

Whatever issues my husband brought to our relationship, I finally understood that my inability to speak up and ask for what I needed, to hold my ground on the things that were important to me, had been the death knell for us.

I swallowed all my pain and resentment until I eventually imploded.

It was easy in the beginning to blame my husband, but I realised that’s not the full story. I gave up my voice, recreated my childhood home in my marriage, then blamed him.

Perhaps it’s not that he is entirely blameless, but that in looking at what I did wrong, I’ve found so much of the hurt and resentment falling away.

I’m starting to date again and this time, my approach is completely different.

Now, I walk away at the first sight of a red flag. I’m learning to ask for what I need and if those needs cannot be met, I wish them well and say goodbye.

The dating apps have taught me so much, too, especially how to speak up for myself.

I asked someone not to call me “darling” the other day.

On another date where there was no chemistry, I could tell he was going to kiss me and I asked him not to. He went ahead and kissed me.

Months later he got back in touch and I told him that kissing me after

I asked him not to was a dealbreaker for me.

I don’t know that I will ever marry again, but I do know that in my next relationship, I will no longer be a people pleaser.

I’ll insist that my voice be heard.

LOSING a child is every parent’s worst nightmare, and one mum has bravely recounted her experience to warn other parents.

Kirsty Doig shared how the hardest day of her life ended up giving her purpose once again.

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Speaking on Made by Mammas: The Podcast, Kirsty shared her family’s story.

“I’m a mum to three little ones, two still here,” the Scot told podcast listeners.

While she is now living in Scotland with her “two very rambunctious sons,” Kirsty was living in South Africa when tragedy struck.

“We had a little boy who was not loving school, not loving his environment,” she explained.

Hoping to offer their children a more active and outdoorsy childhood, the couple “took the leap” and moved continents.

They’re older son was already in school while their daughter Darcey was one and their younger son Lachlan was born two months after their move.

Kirsty described their new lives as “love at first sight” and said “everything about it felt almost immediately like home.”

Three years later, they were settled and hosting family from back home during the South African summer.

On February 14, they were enjoying “the most beautiful summer’s day” by the pool in their garden with family.

She recalled how her eldest’s sons school friends had been over earlier in the afternoon, meeting his cousins.

Chillingly, that day the adults had been discussing how “all we have to do is just keep them alive” in relation to their kids.

Once some of the party had left, the family were looking forward to a relaxing evening in the sun.

Kirsty had gone inside to prepare dinner, dropping a pizza out to the adults who were still sitting by the pool.

She recalled how Darcey was hanging around in the garden “doing her Darcey things.”

An collision between her son and one of his cousins, which resulted in a bloody nose, meant the adults were temporarily distracted.

Tips to Keep Children Safe in Water

IF you are going on holiday this year and want to keep your kids safe when in water, here are some important things to note.

1. Constant Supervision:
   • Always keep a close watch on children when they are in or near water.
   • Avoid distractions like phones or books.
2. Learn CPR:
   • Take a CPR course to be prepared for emergencies.
   • Ensure that any caregivers or babysitters also know CPR.
3. Swim Lessons:
   • Enroll children in age-appropriate swim lessons.
   • Encourage them to practice regularly to build confidence and skills.
4. Use Life Jackets:
   • Ensure children wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets when boating or near open bodies of water.
   • Do not rely solely on inflatable toys or floaties for safety.
5. Establish Water Rules:
   • Set and enforce rules such as no running near the pool, no diving in shallow water, and swimming only with adult supervision.
6. Secure Pools:
   • Install barriers around pools, such as fences with self-latching gates.
   • Use pool covers and alarms to provide additional layers of security.
7. Educate About Water Hazards:
   • Teach children about the dangers of drains and suction outlets in pools and hot tubs.
   • Explain the risks of natural water bodies like currents, tides, and underwater obstacles.
8. Stay Hydrated and Sun-Protected:
   • Ensure children drink plenty of water and take breaks to avoid dehydration.
   • Apply waterproof sunscreen to protect their skin from harmful UV rays.
9. Buddy System:
   • Encourage the buddy system where children swim in pairs or groups, ensuring they look out for each other.
10. Check Water Depth and Conditions:
    • Verify the depth of the water and check for any hazards before allowing children to enter.
    • Be aware of weather conditions and avoid swimming during storms or strong currents.

By following these tips, you can significantly enhance the safety of children in and around water, ensuring they have a fun and secure experience.

After only a few minutes, they noticed Darcey was nowhere to be seen and started searching for her.

They quickly checked her bedroom and the pool and couldn’t find the almost four-year-old anywhere, also calling emergency services to report her as missing.

“At this point, we thought she’d been taken,” Kirsty explained to hosts Zoe Hardman and Georgia Dayton.

Half an hour had passed at this point and the family’s neighbours were drawn over after hearing the frantic shouts from the search.

She recalled how one of her neighbours walked around to the other side of the infinity pool and spotted Darcey at the bottom of it.

Kirsty bravely described how her friend dove in and pulled her daughter out.

However, she said it was immediately apparent that Darcey had been under the water too long.

The evening that it happened, I remember the feeling of my little girl is now a statistic.

Kirsty DoigFounder of The Darcey Sunshine Foundation

With the police already en route, the group decided to administer CPR and little Darcey was pronounced dead 40 minutes later when an ambulance finally arrived.

Kirsty explained that she had put all her children, including Darcey, into swimming lessons as early as possible.

She described how her family would spend “80% of our time” in their pool during the summer months.

“It was Darcey’s absolute happiest space,” she said, recalling how her daughter would sometimes get in before and after nursery.

Reeling from the devastation, Kirsty decided to channel her loss into something positive.

“The evening that it happened, I remember the feeling of my little girl is now a statistic,” she recalled.

She’s gone from being this vibrant little girl to a number on a form.

Kirsty Doig

“She’s gone from being this vibrant little girl to a number on a form.”

The grieving mum cited the statistic that there an average of 30 drownings every hour across the world.

Honouring Darcey’s middle name “Sunshine,” she decided to spread just that.

To mark her daughter’s fourth birthday, Kirsty and a friend set up a programme to feed school children during the pandemic.

“For me, it was the only way I could have possibly taken another step through life,” she said.

“If I could find some way to bring her with me and talk about her.”

If she had been wearing something bright and vibrant there’s a chance we would’ve seen her straight away.

Kirsty Doig

Eventually, Kirsty’s positive work led her to developing a The Darcey Sunshine Foundation, which sets out to educate children on water safety.

She pointed out that even “keen competent” swimmers like Darcey can get in trouble in a second.

Kirsty explained that things such as pool coverings and dressing your kids in brightly covered swimwear are vital for safety.

“Darce being Darce, she was pretty much 90% of the time naked or just wearing pants,” she recalled.

“If she had been wearing something bright and vibrant there’s a chance we would’ve seen her straight away.”

Explaining that every drowning is preventable, Kirsty discussed the main goals of the foundation.

We can all swim until something happens and we can’t anymore, that’s the issue with water.

Kirsty Doig

“I thought I want to make sure that every single one of those lives lost has a meaning, and the meaning is protecting other people,” she said

“We can all swim until something happens and we can’t anymore, that’s the issue with water.

“Constantly being aware around water is vital, it doesn’t take long for something to go wrong.

“Our main goals are to make sure every single child, wherever they are from, whatever background, has the ability to navigate the world safely and the world is 70% water.”

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The Darcey Sunshine Foundation teaches swimming skills and basic water safety such as floating, shouting, and self rescue.

“Children in South Africa often taught to fear the water, if you’ve always feared it you’re 100% going to panic if you find yourself in it,” Kirsty explained.

“We need to get away from fear and teach knowledge, and teach confidence.”

​Since the first Sunshine kids splashed into the pool in February 2021, 472 children have now received survival swim skills through the preschool program.

You can learn more about their work on their website.

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