A-to-Z of travelling safely
Beaches are lovely so long as you are safe.
From Advisories on travel to Hospitals to Zinc supplements, there is a lot to think about when planning a trip to a foreign land. This guide walks you through the ABCs of travelling safely and offers resources where readers can find more information about their travel destinations.
A Advisories on travel
In this age of guns and bombs, governments regularly release travel advisories as a pre-emptive measure against travel to certain countries… although they are sometimes badly founded. A good resource of travel warnings and tips is at http://www.backpackers.com.
B Book in advance
Nothing could be more hazardous to your holiday than not having a proper place to stay. To avoid the danger of traipsing about looking for a reputable hotel, always make your bookings in advance.
C Cash and change
Cash is King, they say, and is often the only language people understand. Cash can get you out of tight spots better than any amount of credit cards, so whilst plastic is helpful, cash is a necessity. Have the equivalent of RM200 in local currency on you at all times.
D Disease
Epidemics like SARS and bird flu are only what you read in the news, but many countries are dealing with all sorts of outbreaks like cholera and Ebola. Getting vaccinated before you leave the country does not guarantee you will not pick up some mysterious virus while on holiday. To check on the latest outbreaks worldwide, visit the World Health Organisation’s website at http://www.who.org.
E Embassy
The first thing you should do when you get to your destination is find the Malaysian Embassy and to make a mental note of how to get there. Your Embassy is the safest place in any country for you to be in should there be (God forbid) civil unrest and/or riots.
F Fatigue and stress
Travelling is very tiring and very stressful, as you’ll soon find out. Alleviate jetlag symptoms by timing your arrival to be in the daytime (easier adjustment to a new time zone) and by drinking lots of water. Beat the fatigue by getting lots of rest on arrival and chilling out by the pool or spa. You’ll enjoy the rest of your time spent there much more once you’ve got over the trip itself.
G Guard yourself
You can take some measures to protect yourself by taking along a personal alarm with you, as well as a can of mace or stun gun. However, do look into whether these items are legal in the country you’re visiting before getting on the plane — mace is considered a weapon in Canada.
H Hospitals
Medical attention can be difficult to come by if you’re the foreigner. Many hospitals are suspicious of foreign insurance policies, and refuse to accept them. Before leaving, check with your medical insurance company for hospitals that recognise them in your destination country. Look up http://adams.mgh.harvard.edu/hospitalwebworld.html for links to hospitals all over the world.
I Insurance
Normally, a Personal Accident insurance policy will cover accidents, whether the policyholder is on business or pleasure anywhere in the world. But travel insurance policies take it a step further, and can provide coverage for death, disablement, medical expenses, personal liability, baggage lost, damaged or delayed, loss of personal money, travel cancellation due to accident or sickness, unused travel arrangements due to accidents or sickness and/or delays due to strikes or hijacks.
J Jungle illness
Photo credit: Alireza Teimoury. Click to visit photographer.
If you insist on travelling half-way around the globe for tropical rainforests, do beware. You can get bitten by all manner of insects native only to that country, not to mention reptiles that would be happy to ruin your holiday for you. Make sure you take a guide with you who knows the local wildlife. “Keep some hydrocortisone cream handy, as well as a good insect repellent,” advises Ms. Wong Heng Lee, a pharmacist.
K Knowledge (of the locals)
You don’t want to commit any social faux pas and risk the wrath of an offended local, do you? Get to know the customs and ways of the people you are going to be spending your holiday with before you leave. For a list of tourism offices worldwide that can give you this information, check out www.towd.com.
L Law
Did you know that it is illegal to kiss on railways in France? Or that you may not pay for a fifty-cent item with only pennies in Canada? The law is funny sometimes, and you ought to check with the local embassy if there are any strange practices you should know about.
M Maps
Only people with very little grey matter attempt exploring without an updated map of the area. Make sure you pick up a tourist map from the local tourism office to avoid getting lost and stumbling upon unsafe parts of the neighbourhood.
N Nightwear
In some parts of the world, temperatures can fluctuate madly between day and night. It could be a searing 35°C at noon, only to fall to a chilly 15°C at midnight. You should look into what temperatures to expect at all times of the day before you leave so that you can bring suitable attire to sleep in.
O Oxygen and Hypoxia
Because of reduced cabin pressure on an aeroplane, the oxygen level in our blood is slightly reduced leading to mild hypoxia. People with cardiovascular or respiratory disease or certain disorders of the blood such as anaemia or sickle-cell disease may not tolerate hypoxia well. Consuming caffeine beverages like tea or coffee and alcohol cause dehydration and should be avoided before and during your flight.
P Pregnancy
Commercial flights are normally safe for mother and foetus. However, air travel is not recommended in the last month of pregnancy and until seven days after delivery. Medical clearance is required for pregnant women if delivery is expected less than 4 weeks after the departure date or if any complications in delivery may be expected.
Q Quality assurance
When shopping overseas, it’s important that you look for Quality Assurance stamps on stuff you buy, especially electrical items. This is to make sure you don’t purchase substandard goods which may pose a hazard to your health. Some common worldwide stamps of approval include CE, FCC and UL.
R Research
One sure way of spending your holiday in tears is to find that it is not what you expected. Some basic research into what your activities are likely to be when you get there goes a long way — glossy travel brochures have been accused of lying about “white, sandy beaches” more than once!
S Safe sex
Since you’re probably past your wild days in SingleVille, I’m going to assume you’ve had your fill of sexual partners. However, being human, we must allow for unexpected zipless encounters. Make sure you always have a condom with you when checking out the muscles on the beach or gyrating hips at dances. Better yet, don’t have sex at all.
T Thrombosis
Prolonged immobility lets your blood settle in your legs, which in turn can cause swelling, stiffness and discomfort and venous thrombosis. By itself, this is not serious. But sometimes, clots may be carried through your blood stream to your lungs causing a pulmonary embolus. Risk factors for thromboembolism include having a previous history of venous thrombosis, being over 40 years-old, the use of hormone therapy, pregnancy, recent surgery or trauma, cancer, genetic blood clotting abnormalities and varicose veins. People in these risk groups should seek medical advice before travelling.
U Ultraviolet (UV) rays
Getting a tan is high on everybody’s To-do list when travelling. But UVA and UVB rays penetrate our skin, and cause skin ageing and wrinkling. They can also contribute to skin cancer. Most doctors will recommend using a broad spectrum sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays and has a SPF of 15+, even on cloudy days. You should apply it before make-up at least 30 minutes before going into the sun, and reapply it every two hours.
V Vaccinations
Vaccines against various illnesses such as tuberculosis, diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP), BCG, polio, measles, rubella and hepatitis B are easily available at most clinics and hospitals, not too mention the good-ol’ flu shot. They can save you a lot of misery, if you know what is good for you.
W Water
When you sweat, your body loses a lot of its natural fluids. When travelling from cold countries to hot countries, you need to consume a lot more water than you used to avoid dehydration since you start sweating more.
X X-rated and contraband
To avoid being picked out at Customs counters in airports, do make an effort to read through the list of contraband items banned from entering the country (usually available at the tourism office). Many countries have very strict laws against pornographic literature, and smuggling drugs may result in the death penalty.
Y Yards and metres
In spite of the near universality of the Metric system, many parts of the world still use the Avoirdupois and Troy systems of measurement. This can make it very difficult to correctly communicate what we need. Bring along a simple unit converter and calculator to make sure you don’t confuse the locals.
Z Zinc
Zinc is a wonder of nature little appreciated. It sharpens your five senses, keeps your skin healthy, and helps fight viruses. It is also a very important antioxidant, speeding up the healing process of open wounds. Your daily intake of Zinc should be around 8-11mg a day; if you’re pregnant, you need at least 13mg a day. Taking some Zinc supplements along on your journey will help keep you in the pink of health.
