What to Wear in Niue: Clothes Packing List

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Casual Clothing for Niue

What else? It’s not like you will need formal wear in Niue. Because of the climate, you are likely to only want to pack light fabrics such as linen, bamboo or merino wool fabrics. For women, check out the versatile, sustainable and brilliantly breezy bamboo outfits of Moso Morrow.

How to Dress to Respect Local Customs

It is likely that you will visit a village or two in Niue, should it be for one of the famous Show Days or simply because you are passing by. In that case, you will want to pack a few more conservative items of clothing, such as a longer pair of shorts – in other words, save your most revealing attire for days by the pool.

A big no-no in Niue is wearing swimwear in villages, so make sure you have a paleu (sarong) or other clothing to cover up if you’re going to be in and out of the water all day.

Do You Need to Dress for Seasonal Weather in Niue?

If you are visiting between May and October, i.e. the dry season, we recommend packing a light cardigan or jumper to enjoy the cooler evenings or early morning fishing trips.

Those visiting in the wet season, between November and April, may want to bring some light pants and light long-sleeved tops for mosquito protection, especially on plantation/rainforest tours, as well as for extra sun protection.

Casual Clothing List for Men

• 2 Light shirts
• 5 T-shirts
• 2 Shorts/lightweight pants
• 1 or 2 Light sleepwear if you’re against sleeping in your undies
• 1 Smarter holiday shirt to look sharp at dinner and/or church
• 1 Light sweater/jacket for cooler evenings
• 1 Sports shorts/pants for active activities
• 1 Sports T-shirt for active activities
• 1 Outfit to travel between Niue and home
• 6 Underwear
• 4 Socks.

Casual Clothing List for Women

• 4 Singlets/T-Shirts
• 2 Light blouse/T-shirt to cover the shoulders for church and sun protection
• 2 Shorts/skirts which are not too short so you can enjoy wearing them at both your resort and when out exploring
• 1 Light evening dress to impress at dinner
• 1 Dress/skirt below the knee for church, spending time in villages, etc. We recommend light fabrics such as the sustainable bamboo dresses and skirts by Moso Morrow
• 1 Sarong (paleu) will be your best friend for hitting the swimming holes and covering your swimwear in between. You can bring your own or there are plenty for sale once you arrive in Niue
• 1 or 2 Light sleepwear if you’re against sleeping in your undies
• 1 Light Cardigan/pashmina/poncho for cooler evenings
• 1 Sports shorts/leggings for active activities
• 1 Sports T-shirt/singlet for active activities
• 1 Outfit to travel between Niue and home
• 3 Bras including strapless, sports and comfort
• 6 Underwear
• 4 Socks.

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Swimwear for Niue

Let’s be clear, you will spend a lot of time in the water in Niue. The underwater world surrounding this tiny island is out of this world! With no natural runoffs, the water clarity is amazing while the coral and marine life are superb. Plus, there’s even the opportunity to swim with whales if you are travelling at the right time.

What Type of Swimwear to Wear in Niue

However, because Niueans are conservative people when it comes to clothing, it is advised to keep the tightness of your mankini to a minimum. Men should opt for board shorts rather than tight Speedos and ladies should avoid thong bikinis and both genders should cover up swimwear when leaving a swimming spot.

Don’t Forget Your Rash Vest!

A rash vest is a good idea for sun protection, especially for children – we like the sustainable ethos and quality of Sharkskin rashies! Additionally, while accommodations and tours provide snorkelling gear (and Niue Blue have rental gear), you can’t be sure what state they will be in. If you have the option, pack your own mask and snorkel – TUSA Sport is our go-to.

Swimwear List for Men

• 2 Boardshorts
• Mask and snorkel
• Beach/travel towel (some accommodations like Scenic Matavai Resort and Lau’s Getaway have beach towels to borrow)
• Rash vest
• Beach bag/Day pack – we usually travel with Herschel‘s backpacks and tote bags
• Dive gloves (optional – recommended to us by older travellers in case you fall on the sea tracks and to be able to hold onto rocks while snorkelling).

Swimwear List for Women

• 1 Bikini
• 1 One-piece for watersports
• Mask and snorkel
• Beach/travel towel (some accommodations like Scenic Matavai Resort and Lau’s Getaway have beach towels to borrow)
• Rash vest
• Beach bag/Day pack – we usually travel with Herschel‘s backpacks and tote bags
• Dive gloves (optional – recommended to us by older travellers in case you fall on the sea tracks and to be able to hold onto rocks while snorkelling).

Water shoes/reef shoes are also essential, which we cover in the “Shoes for Niue” section below.

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Sun, Rain & Insect Protection

With UV levels ranging from 8 to 11 (which is extreme), short yet powerful rainfall, and mosquitos, the elements can sometimes look like they are trying to ruin your holiday to Niue. With this in mind, it is worth packing a few extra clothing items that will protect you from the elements.

For the sun, for instance, make sure that everybody has a sunhat and sunglasses. For the mosquitoes, pack a light long sleeve layer so they have no skin to access. Insect repellent is also useful, but that’s more of an item for the Full Niue Packing List.

Finally, no matter what time of year you travel, you might want to take a light rain jacket or umbrella (unless you plan to duck for cover if it rains or you do one of the 10 Things to Do in Niue on a Rainy Day).

Protective Clothing for Men, Women and Children

• Sunhat
• Sunglasses
• Light shirt to cover arms and back
• Light rain jacket/small umbrella (some accommodations like Scenic Matavai Resort and Taoke Fales have umbrellas to borrow).

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Shoes for Niue

The last item on your clothes packing list for Niue is footwear. This depends on what you plan to get up to in Niue but it’s fair to assume that a good pair of flip-flops (or “jandals” if you are Kiwi) or sandals would be a good starting point. More important for Niue, are walking shoes and reef shoes (or multi-purpose shoes).

There are a few walks along the coasts and in the forest that will require you to have decent footwear. While you might see some locals venturing into these areas barefoot, trust us, you shouldn’t!

Do You Need Reef Shoes for Niue?

There are no soft sandy beaches in Niue. Instead, the coastline is made up of rocky reefs and a few coral beaches. Therefore, investing in a good pair of reef shoes is a must! There are a few designs of water shoes that couple up as walking shoes, as listed in the 10 Best Reef Shoes (& Gloves) for Niue.

Footwear for Men, Women and Children

• Flip-flops/sandals (optional, some people find that they stick to the next two options due to the varying nature of Niue’s terrain)
• Walking shoes/sneakers
• Reef shoes/water shoes
• Snorkelling fins (available to hire from Niue Blue if you don’t have your own).