Postcards from Your Summer Holiday Destinations

Join the #saronglife movement and share your travel stories to our community. Snap a photo of your favorite summer moments using any of our sarongs. Here's how you can send us your postcards:

1) Email us

2) Post to our Facebook page

3) Tag us on Instagram with #1worldsarongs and #saronglife

If snail mail is more of your style, we'd be thrilled to receive your postcards! 

1 WORLD SARONGS

11801 CARDINAL CIRCLE, GARDEN GROVE, CA 92843

We'd love to feature you and your summer experience to our community. Wishing you a warm and beautiful summer ahead ~

Earth Friendly Gifts: Empowering the 'Munti Gunung' Community

Journey to one of the driest parts of Bali, Indonesia

Living between Bali and California is truly a blessing where we get to enjoy the best of both worlds. Opening our eyes to different communities has only taught us to be humble and motivate our desire to give back to society. One of the latest project collaboration is one we are proud of because it echoes with our values and mission in supporting and empowering communities who needs it the most. 

1 World Family trekking with the locals for an excursion to Munti Gunung

We partnered up with the beautiful people of Munti Gunung after visiting their village tucked away in the North of Bali, Indonesia. These poor and malnourished families are working under a social enterprise that aims to 'create employment opportunities & improved quality of life for disadvantaged families, the program has also secured a clean & sustainable water supply, as well as access to healthcare & education'. We wanted to learn more about their project and so we signed up for a trek organized by the community themselves. This really helped us to understand their difficulty in getting access to water and seeing the harsh reality of an 8 months dry season. Can you imagine what life would be like without access to water?

A big lake tucked between the Balinese hills, the only source of water for the Munti Gunung community.

The legendary Mount Batur surroundings.

Seeing is believing and through the trekking experience, we learned how the women used to trek for 4-5 hours from their homes to the nearest Lake Batur to collect as much water as they can carry and then trek back the same path to get to their families. Thanks to the 'Future of Children' project they have managed to built water tanks to collect rain water to sustain themselves without having to travel a far and long time to attain water. With a quota of 25 liters per family per day, we trekked through the panoramic sights with our thoughtful minds, imagining what it's like to have to do this everyday not for leisure but for survival.

Our pathfinder aka. guide from the village. She woke up at 4am to get a head start of the trek in order to meet us at 6am. 

Serene sights of the hilly slopes of North Bali along the way giving us a tranquil mind to fully absorb the experience.

Our elderly guide walked on strong and calm, smiling at the younger ones as they struggled to keep up with her pace.

Needless to say, it was an empowering experience both physically and mentally. Upon arrival to the village, we were introduced to a lovely group of women who were hand weaving baskets with their adorable children cuddled in their arms and they fulfilled their motherly duties while hand making baskets in order to earn a living. Their genuine smiling faces melted our hearts and we were so happy to get to know the amazing artisans who would weave our gift baskets.

These women use to be prone to begging with their children on the streets in the urban side of Bali. They now have a means of income to feed their families.

With dedication and talent, the women were taught the art of weaving, spending a few hours in their day to fulfill their job responsibilities.

We learned so much from this expedition and we're glad that we get to share this story. You get the opportunity to help out in making a positive change with the simplest gesture. These gift packs are more than just a gift box, it transcends the stories of a group of women who survive on these jobs in order to sustain their everyday lives. Hand weaving 'lontar baskets' was one of the means of activities in generating income for these women. These organic gift boxes are made from naturally sourced local tall fan palms that is traditionally known for its high yielding and sustainable hard wood and sweet sap.

After drying the Lontar leaves, they use a compressor machine  to flatten the material.

Natural material ready to be stripped for weaving.

They use the thinner strips to start weaving into various shapes.

It's the most wonderful time of the year to give and we would like to encourage you to support our path towards a more sustainable focused life. Check out our beautiful hand woven gift boxes made by the wonderful people of Munti Gunung and know that with every purchase you can work with us towards helping others and creating hope for humanity.

The product outcome of the Munti Gunung hand weaving skills that are beautiful and practical, be it for gifts or storage.

Postcards from Samir and Hart: Costa Rica

'Pura vida' means pure life and that is exactly how we feel when Samir Janjua and Hart Sawyer sent us these amazing photos from Costa Rica. We've always dreamed about travelling to Costa Rica as we heard nothing but beautiful reviews from people who have been there. Strolling along the softest white sand beach and trailing through the rich tropical forests, one can find so much peace and happiness just by being here.

Short sarongs are great for beach walks.

Get this man sarong here.

Located in Central America, it seems to be one of the most live-able cities in the world and with wonderful beaches and people who reside there, it's pretty much self explanatory to why it's one of the most popular destinations of the world.

Secret trails to through an energizing experience with majestic waterfalls

Find cool Celtic designs for men

Soft white sheer sarong for jungle adventures

We got to admit. Once upon a time we did fantasize about booking a one way ticket, packing our bags and moving to Costa Rica. It's so beautiful over there, it's hard not to fall in love. What inspires us the most about this magical place other than the grand waterfalls and lush nature is that they aim to be fully carbon neutral by year 2021 which is totally in line with our values on sustainability.

Salty breeze on skin, life is good when you have the perfect blue sarong to match the mood

Happiness is a day at the beach

Cooling off with the fresh sea water

Finding serenity with Mother Nature. Shop for green sarongs here. 

If you want to learn more about this amazing travel destination, click here. We're going to sign off with Hart Sawyer's beautiful voice and the sound of her Ukelele. She created a song inspired by the air of Costa Rica. Pura vida!

 

Postcards from Rachel: Ubud, Bali

Bali is a magical island that needs no introduction. They call it the 'island of Gods' which can only be felt and understood once you travel there and experience it on your own. If you want to dive deeper into the culture and spirituality of Bali, Ubud would be a good destination to start with. Famous from the movie 'Eat, Pray, Love', there's something really mystical about this little town. Maybe the fact that it's located at 200m above sea level that brings this natural sense of relaxation. I have once read somewhere that mountains are attributed to a high vibratory frequency which is why a lot of sacred temples and monasteries of the world can be found on higher altitudes. I am not sure if it's a proven theory but I can validate that theory by how I feel when I am high up on the mountains. 

If you ever get a chance to travel to Ubud, you must take time to discover the beautiful houses and villas tucked away in an oasis of greenery. Recently I packed my bikini, sarong and a good book for a weekend retreat to indulge in tranquility by the pool at Ubud Mana, located in a quaint village called Penestanan. With the sound of nature, swimming in a natural salt pool, it was all so serene and peaceful. With a beautiful weekend spent revitalizing for the week ahead, I am reminded about the simplest things in life we take for granted - gratitude. I believe it's important to make time for the Self to reflect and observe your thoughts and emotions after a week of productivity. If you need suggestions on where to go in Ubud town, just get in touch and I'll point you to the right directions. Namaste!

Postcards from Rachel: Slovenia

I wanted to dedicate my first post to the beautiful country of Slovenia in Central Europe. I was blessed enough to be able to visit the gorgeous Lake Bled in the Julian Alps. This is an amazing tourist destination located in the town Bled that has been there for a thousand years! Interesting fact: on the island in the middle of the lake, the ancient Slavs worshiped Ziva, the goddess of love and fertility. There's some great info here and here if you are interested in visiting this beautiful place.

 

Weekend Beach Getaway Packing List

If you are going on a weekend beach getaway, you want to be sure that you have everything you need to have a good time. Here are the bare necessities to make any weekend beach getaway relaxing and fun. 

What do you usually pack as your travel essentials? We would love to hear your suggestions.

Browse our collection of beach essentials and get ready for your next beach escape!

Why is a Sarong a Travel Essential? 21 Ways to Use a Sarong.

Planning a honeymoon island getaway to Maldives? Gearing up for that 3 day cruise to the Bahamas? Got your flights booked for that much awaited resort vacation in Hawaii? How about a beach escape to exotic Bali? Don’t forget to pack in a sarong or a few sarongs even!

Sarongs are weightless and don’t take up space and so it is easy to pack, wash and dry and ultimately becomes a useful travel essential. Whatever your travel plans may be here are 21 reasons to why you should pack a sarong when you travel:

1) Pillow or head support

Image Source: Gapyear.com

Roll up your sarong into a cushion ball - especially when riding on a long bus or train journey or even when you're stuck in transit at an airport.

2) Sarong as a travel blanket

Image source: Pinterest

When it gets too cold or if air conditioning bothers you just get your sarong out and create a make shift blanket and stay warm.

3) Sarong as a casual or formal dress

Image source: 1 World Sarongs

There will be times during your long journey when you run out of clothes and need something new to wear, learn the many cool ways on how to tie a sarong and get a whole new look for those fun spontaneous nights out!

4) Cover up in style

Image source: www.1worldsarongs.com

During a hike up a mountain there might be a waterfall or river nearby or even if you come across a nude beach, wearing a sarong as a cover up makes it so convenient to just strip off and take a dip!

5) A fashionable summer top

Image source: Pinterest

So your bikini is drenched and you don’t want to wet your clean top, use a sarong and create a halter, tube or toga style top!

6) A head turban or head scarf

Image source: how to tie a sarong as turban

Image source: Hippie in heels

Whether you’re scavenging through the desert and need to protect your head from unbearable heat or simply want to get fashionable or get conservative in 'hijab' style - use a sarong and your imagination to create your own style.

7) Bed sheet or pillow cover

Image source: Pinterest

If you checked into a cheap hostel or plan to camp out in the wild and find that the mattress might not be in the best condition, get your clean sarong out to keep your sleeping spot free from those bed bugs!

8) Clip on curtains

Image source: Pinterest

So you had a late night out partying with fellow travelers and want to sleep in the next morning but your budget hostel room has cheap thin curtains and the room gets too bright! Get a sarong and make curtains out of them for those extra hours of sleep.

9) Picnic mat on-the-go

Image source: Kevin Russ

While you’re on a road trip you might spot a picturesque spot and decide to have a spontaneous picnic, use your sarong as a mat and you’re ready for a picnic at all times!

10) Towel for travelers

Image source: National Geographic

If you find your only towel to be used up to its limit and need a fresh one while you get it to the laundry, use your sarong as a temporary towel. 

11) Eye mask

Image source: Pinterest

Tired from those long hour rides or plan to sleep outdoors but can’t get a shut eye when the sun is shining? Use a sarong to make an eye mask like a ninja and sleep in peace.

12) Face mask

Image source: The Guardian

Maybe you’re on a scooter riding along the dusty streets of Vietnam or the haze is killing you or when you're riding on a cable car high up in the ski mountain and your nose is freezing - get your sarong and use it to protect your face!

13) Sarong as a hand carry bag

Image source: Pinterest

Like the good ol’ days when fancy bags have not existed, be creative and tie up your sarong into a knapsack to store your belongings while you’re on a jungle trail hike or headed to the beach.

14) Protect your fragile items

Image source: Pinterest

Your bag pack may not be the best storage for fragile items like your perfume bottle or even your laptop, wrap them up with a sarong for that extra padding.

15) Laundry bag

Image source

Separate your dirty clothing from the clean ones in your bag pack by using a sarong as a laundry bag to store your dirty clothing.

16) Portable changing room

Image source: www.1worldsarongs.com

After a quick swim in the ocean, you'll need to dry up and get out of your wet swimwear and if you find yourself in an exotic destination, you're not going to have the comfort of a changing room! Get a friend to hold up your sarong like a wall curtain or simple wrap your sarong around like a towel piece and change in peace.

17) Handy sun protector

Image source: Pinterest

Get 4 sticks and tie each corner side of your sarong to a stick (you can collect some sticks while strolling on the beach!) and Voilà! You have your very own tent umbrella!

18) Sarong as a shawl or scarf

Image source: www.1worldsarongs.com

Keeping up with cold temperature when you’re camping out at night can be challenging, use a sarong to keep your neck warm.

19) Emergency bandage

So you broke your arm on an adrenalin bike ride down the hill, use your sarong as an emergency band aid until you get to the hospital!

20) Baby hammock carrier

Image source: Inexplicableways.com

For all the fit traveler mothers, learn the traditional way of tying a sarong as a baby carry sling bag as it’ll keep you mobile and lift the weight off your shoulders while travelling with your child.

21) DIY Light dimmer

Image source: Pinterest

Sometimes the room you check into may not have best lighting especially when white light bulbs are used, how about using a dark shaded sarong to create a warmer ambiance in the room?

We could come up with plenty more of useful ideas to why you should pack a sarong when you travel, now it's your turn! Share your thoughts and tell us if you love to pack a sarong when traveling as much as we do and tell us why you think a sarong can be a useful travel essential..