Always make sure you have everything with you before you check out. Picture: Pexels.

Barely minutes after my flight landed in Durban, it hit me: “I forgot my camera at my hotel room in Port Elizabeth!”

Travellers waiting for their flights looked at me suspiciously as I searched every nook and cranny of my luggage. When I could not find it, I dialled the Garden Court Kings Beach Hotel to see if they found it.

Fortunately, the hotel staff found it and vowed to keep it for me until someone fetched it from the hotel. Losing something, whether its that sentimental item your grandparents gave you as a child or your expensive camera, can take an emotional toll on you.

Like me, there are many travellers who forget their items at their hotel. Not only is leaving stuff behind costly (especially if its valuable enough to courier), it also is time-consuming. It is definitely not the way you would want to end a holiday.

Here are some tips to make sure you never leave anything behind the next time:

1: Do a minute search: Spend a minute to check out the hotel room before you leave: Start from the door (usually the best place) and end in the bathroom. Make sure you open every cupboard and draw there is. Chances are you may have left items in these places without you even realising.

2. Pack items away as soon as you done with them: If you do not want to use your expensive items or that phone charger, you should pack everything once you are done with them or when you leave the hotel room. This is an organised way of keeping your belongings in check!

3: Keep all your travel items together: While it may be a great idea to unpack, especially if you are staying for more than three days, try to keep everything together. It will definitely give you peace of mind.