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.

We are always going to say it’s the other driver’s fault, of course. But before you do, consider these questions:

Was I going too fast on a slippery surface?

Wet roads have more than just water between your tyres on their surface. There is oil and grease, too, which floats to the surface after a hot spell, reducing your car’s traction and contact with the road. Studies say that going over 30km/h on a wet surface means you have semi-contact with the actual road itself; go over 50km/h, and you’re only in contact with the water molecules on the surface, believe it or not. Not many people realize how dangerous wet roads really are until its too late.

Was I wearing my seatbelt? My passengers?

One can never stress the importance of seatbelts too much. Data gathered by Volvo says that wearing a seatbelt can decreas the risk of death and/or injury by 50 to 60-percent. You literally have a better chance of surviving a head-on collision.

Are my tyres road-worthy?

Tyre treads get worn sooner or later, but most of the time we don’t get any warning signs that it is time to change them until its too late. Goodyear recommends checking your tyres for tell-tale signs like sawtooth edges and irregular wear patterns regularly. A simple test is to place a mid-sized coin into the tread groove. If less than 1/10th of the coin is visible, then you need a new tyre.

Is my eyesight in good shape?

Unfortunately, not every driver wears his or her glasses all the time; and no optician can offer break-proof, loss-proof lenses. Now, if a haze = low visibility for drivers with perfect eyesight, then what does it mean for those of us who don’t? A driver’s vision should be no less than 20/20, either with or without eyesight aids. So, if you were supposed to be wearing glasses, were you?

Was I lax because I was so close to my destination?

Familiarity, it seems, breeds more than just contempt. Drivers are sometimes guilty of being lax at the wheel when they are nearing frequented destinations (home, office, sundry shop), because they are in an area they know well. They don’t notice such trivial things as stop signs and relax their concentration on the road. Unfortunately, you may have a new neighbour who is not so familiar with the roads around your destination.

Did I shift into neutral going down this hill?

An easy mistake to make: a downhill slope, nothing in front of you, why not give the engine a break and save some petrol, right? Wrong.

If your engine stalls on a downhill slope for any reason whatsoever (no petrol, faulty carburetor), you’re in big trouble. Your brakes will fail (they need the engine running to function properly), and what worse place for that to happen on a slope, eh?

Are all my vehicle’s lights working properly?

Another common mistake we make is to take the reliability of our vehicles for granted. We never look at our car on the road, and are often the last to know when a signal lamp is not working, or when the rear brake lights need replacing. Check your vehicle from the outside-in often… if only to make sure you are right about this every time.

Safety Extras

Photo credit: PhotoDu.de. Click on image to visit photographer.

Halogen lamp/spotlight

Great for driving at night along lonely coastal roads, these can really light up dark corners and increase visibility by at least fifty metres. “A pair of these could save you an embarrassing ditch-dive,” says Derek Wei of Brother’s accessories shop. Price: RM28-RM200 each.

Four-way sensors

Four-way sensors are placed at all four corners of your car, and work much like reverse sensors. Together with an cabin visual display, it gives you warning if you’re too near something (tree, wall, rock, another vehicle)… or if something is too near you. “The sensors have a sensitivity of about eight metres. The closer it gets to your vehicle, the more lights blink on your display,” says Derek. Price: RM128-RM298 a set.

Mirrors

Wide-angle rearview mirrors give you a better view of what’s happening behind your vehicle, and spot-mirrors (the kind you attach to your side-mirrors) give you a view of that evasive blind-spot whilst driving and/or overtaking. “Simple devices, but they are effective in avoiding collisions,” Derek says. Price: RM7.50-RM68.

Mobile jump starter/Air pump

These are essentially battery packs, which you keep in your boot and which could help in case of breakdown. Some models come with an air compressor, too, which can be used to keep flat tyres healthy until you reach a workshop. Price: RM38 (air pump); RM188 (battery power only); RM298 (both-in-one).

Some other accessories that Brother’s recommends putting in your boot for emergencies include a fire-extinguisher (RM38-RM68), a halogen lantern (RM58-RM88), a triangular hazard reflector (RM28) and an automobile toolkit (circa RM150).

Photo credit: Lars Trebign. Click image to visit photographer.

Bull bars

Not very pretty to look at, and more likely to appeal to men than women, these bars have proven reliable in keeping your bumper safe in traffic. “In a collision, the other guy’s car might be badly damaged but yours will be okay,” says Derek. Most vehicles (including sedans) can be fitted with them. Price: RM98-RM1,000 each.

ABS (Anti-Brake System)

In a panic-brake situation, most cars’ brakes tend to lock the wheel, disallowing any control over steering the car. ABS allows you some degree of steering control, as it prevents the wheel-lock. “This is a standard safety feature on many cars these days, but many vehicles below RM50,000 do not come fitted with ABS. You can get it installed, though,” says Derek. Price: RM680-RM1280 each.

Money makes people smile.

Sound familiar? The sudden explosion of Get-Rich-Quick schemes that have spread over the Internet have made it a billion dollar industry. In society’s impatience to get ahead and move up, some have taken the opportunity to exploit the rat-race. Thousands of people have been cheated out of millions of dollars, time and effort; relationships have been severed and friendships broken as a result of the cunning and masterful tactics of marketers and conmen, who prey on the one of the fundamental characteristics of humankind: survival.

But whilst dozens of companies are involved in these schemes illegally, they have also tarnished the reputation of the few legitimate businesses that offer legitimate career opportunities. But who can tell? Quite simply, if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

The Ponzi Scheme – A Lost Investment

The 30% Interest Investment!

How’s this for a quick buck? – I take $1,000 from you, and promise you $1,200 in three months (12 weeks). That’s an unheard-of interest rate of 80% p.a. Interested? Read on.

In one week’s time, I convince your friend to do the same. I now have $2,000. Word gets around about a ridiculously easy way to make money overnight. I collect $20,000 from 20 investors.

When your money is due, I happily give you back $1,200. I keep my promise. You’re pleased. You invest again, also at the agreed quantum of 20% interest in three months’ time. I take $5,000 from you. My bank balance now = $20,000 – $1,200 + $5,000 = $23,800.

But then something goes wrong: unemployment spikes, and my ‘investors’ want their money back. Two have fulfilled the 3-month period. I give all the other 18 investors their deposits back, no interest. Bank balance is now $5,800. I give the last investor his due $1,200, and avoid your calls. Why?

Because my bank balance now stands at only $4,600 – you’ve lost $400… if I’m nice enough to return it all. Otherwise, you’d have been relieved of all $5,000, and I’d be on the next flight to Phuket.

That was a best-case scenario, one in which I was kind enough to give back investors’ deposits, leaving them (for the most part) untouched. Ordinarily, I would have been using my bank balance’s funds to support myself, eating into your deposit. A sudden flood of withdrawals from the scheme would have resulted in losses for everyone. In fact, you’d probably never see me again as I take to the hills.

With the Ponzi scheme — also loosely-termed Deposit-Taking Schemes — money appears to be made because of large funds that will support individual ‘matured’ withdrawals. Early investors are paid with the money of later investors, with interest. But it always runs at a deficit, and should all participants want to get their money back immediately, the scheme crumbles. It lasts as long as people continue to join and there is a constant inflow of money… or as long as the operator sticks around.

Either way, you rarely see your dosh again.

The Pyramid Scheme – Get In On The Ground Floor

Don’t want to work anymore? Become a member of my little company, and if you work hard, you’ll be able to hang your boots up and retire in a year. Sounds too good to be true? I’ll prove it.

I’m recruiting ten ‘members’ as part of my organisation. You each pay me a ‘nominal’ $1,000 joining fee. My bank balance is now $10,000.

In order to benefit from my idea, my ten members (‘downliners’, in marketing-speak) have to each find ten members to join as their downliners. You get $500 for each member signed up as a commission. I get the other $500.

You all succeed, and your bank balances now stand at $5,000 each. You’ve made a cool $4,000; I, on the other hand, have just topped by my bank balance by another 100 x $500 = $50,000. I have now made a profit of $60,000 from my little company. You are happy; I am happy. Now the real fun starts.

Your downliners (the third generation) have to each find ten members each. By some miracle, they all succeed, recruiting 1,000 members collectively, each paying the $1,000 fee. $500 goes to your downliners for their hard work; $250 to you, as their ‘upliners’, and the other $250 to me. My company now has 1,111 people involved. Bank balances now stand at: you (2nd level) = $30,000; your members (3rd level) = $5,000; Me (1st level) = $310,000. You’re positively ecstatic. So are your members. I encourage all of you to tell your friends and family to ‘get in on the ground floor’, because we’re going to keep growing and growing. (Keep in mind that I have done nothing since I recruited you, except maybe play computer games).

You scour the city you live in, approaching everyone you know – friends, family and distant relatives. Many agree, and you ‘refer’ them to your downliners’ downliners (the 4th level in my plan). But there are now 1,000 new members looking for a further 10,000 members.

If the newly-recruited 1000 manage their momentous task, I’d have 11,100 members; then 111,100 members; then 1,111,100.  My little company would be bigger than many governments. But that won’t happen.

Instead, my scheme begins to fall apart at the 4th level, and people quit left, right and centre. The market is saturated. But why should I care? My bank balance, after this latest wave, stands at $435,000.

Is it legal? Take the test!

This is a test devised by Jon M. Taylor, PhD of the Consumer Awareness Institute of the US. Before taking part in any scheme which promises unlikely returns, you should ask yourself these questions:

1. Deposit – If you’re asked to put anything other than cash down, sound the alarms. This is an almost positive sign of something being amiss.
2. Interest – Anyone who claims that they can make your money earn interest at rates much higher (20% and up) than banks (usually between 4 – 8% p.a.) falls under suspicion.
3. Opportunity – Were you asked to participate in a scheme because of the great products or because of the ‘opportunity’? Any company or person that puts opportunity before product is suspect.
4. Product – If there is product-selling involved, then carefully scrutinise the products and ask yourself if they’re really worth the price-tag. If you think they’re over-priced, start worrying.
5. Compensation – Do some calculations, and see if you can make a respectable income by just selling the products alone WITHOUT having to recruit downliners. If it’s paltry, then it’s not genuine.
6. Income Disclosure – People will hype the incomes of certain distributors as an incentive for you to join. Make them prove it.
7. Credibility – Many people use fantastic testimonials to lure you in. Beware, as many of these testimonials are paid for. Verify them first.
8. Support – Are you expected to pay for company training material (audio/video tapes, manuals etc.) or does the company sponsor them. If you have to pay, that’s just another way that they make money.
9. Gut – The best test is to ask yourself if you feel pushed or pressured. Offended? A good opportunity will not disappear. Don’t fall for the ‘get in on the ground floor’ trick.