Although I own a few cameras, I don’t think expensive equipment is the key factor to take good photos. I never own a Nikon and Canon SLR cameras (except the Canon DC), so brand name is also not important. But what’s the most important gear for travel photography ?
Get a wide-angle lens for your camera – as wide as possible to cover the whole lake, mountain or building. A 28mm lens just don’t cut it – get a 24mm or 21mm lens.
Also, get a sunset filter with you, my preference is Cokin System but I’m sure there are a lot of good filters around. It will be useful if the day is cloudy – no blue sky and lovely white clouds. You then can take the photo with the filter to pretend you’re taking the photo during sunset !