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WHEN TRAVELING OvE
AND HOW TO AVOID (OR OVERCOME) THEM AND GUARANTEE A GREAT TRIP
GILET DE SAUETAGE SOUS VOTRE SIEGE
ATIACHEZ VOTRE CEINTURE LORSQUE VOUS ETES ASSIS
SCHWIMMWESTE LINTER IHREM SITZ
BITE SICHERHEITSGURTE ANLEGEN
From the travel insurance experts at Good Neighbor Insurance
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 1Getting Ready for your trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2
Chapter 1Getting sick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4 What to do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5
Chapter 2Getting hit by a car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 9 What to do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10
Intent on renting a car? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 13 Here’s what to do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 13
Chapter3General stupidity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 What to do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 15
In Closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 20 About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 20
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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PROLOGUE
T here’s few things travelers hate more than being cheated overseas, standing in long lines just to take your shoes off for the TSA, or being lost, unable to speak the language, and then attacked while trying to get back to the hotel.
Yet the risk of being physically harmed, either by kidnapping or mug-ging, is statistically insignificant in comparison to the BIG THREE: The three biggest risks to life, health and happiness when you travel overseas.
WHY THIS GUIDE There are risks and then there are risks. If you are going to work in rural Sudan or the Congo, you might need to know about the ebola virus (hemor-rhagic fever), but every traveler going overseas needs to have a plan to avoid getting diarrhea, avoid getting hit by a car, and avoid doing something that will cause you to wake up lying in a gutter or in a hospital bed.
Getting sick while overseas easily tops most experienced travelers idea of what constitues a bad trip.
When you only have a few days or weeks, being sick half of that time is a big problem. It becomes more frightening when you have to be traveling while sick or at the mercy of a foreign healthcare system with low standards of hy-giene and reused needles.
Suddenly that excursion to the elephant refuge doesn’t seem like such a brilliant idea after a pachyderm steps on your foot and you need reconstruc-tive surgery!
Yet more people than ever are traveling the globe on vacation, or on busi-ness seeking cheaper manufacturing or development. Some are flying over-seas at their own expense to help alleviate poverty or help in an orphanage.There are also organizations who send workers to help with refugees or re-settlement or on medical missions.
Unfortunately, we seem to view the world as a movie set with only happy endings, and are grossly unprepared for the “real world” as it is. This book was written to help protect those who travel for love or profit, whether going overseas for a honeymoon or to grow a family through international adoption.
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It’s amazing the types of risks travelers faced in the 1800’s and before. Whether you have read a biography of Dr. Livingstone in Africa or Gertrude Bell or Sir Richard Burton (or even TinTin!), you quickly realize that there was no assurance that you’d return home safe when you set out for that two- to three-month boat ride to Africa or Polynesia.
Things are much different today when we can be in Brunei before break-fast. Traveler’s expectations have changed over time as well. Today, we ex-pect comfort and to remain sickness-free. We expect others to speak English and to serve us courteously and promptly (especially if we are a paying cus-tomer!). We expect the truth and for women to be dealt with fairly and equally. We expect to be helped when we need it, and to be given fair warning before someone tries to run us over with their car.
I have been halfway around the globe and back--multiple times--and count those experiences among the best in my life. I wouldn’t trade the comforts of home for those experiences even if I had to suffer at times. But I would have been a much happier traveler if someone would have shared with me some of the contents of this book.
One thing remains true: You can’t completely eliminate risk when travel-ing since the very act of travel means facing the unexpected, the best (and worse) of another culture, and the same everyday life faced by those we will be visiting. Think about this: If there was no risk involved, travel wouldn’t be very satisfying. It would feel “less real,” like watching Tai Chi in a park in Los Angeles, California, instead of live at the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, China. Smart travel, like kayaking, is all about the experience while negotiating the very real dangers swirling out there.
GETTING READY FOR YOUR TRIP I recommend that you prepare for the most common issues, universal to travelers, that could wreck your trip and your health and that are utterly AVOIDABLE. Yes, avoidable. These are the utterly avoidable issues that cause tour-group leaders and embassy staff to lose sleep at night. So don’t be a statistic!
U.S. Embassies, tour operators and insurance carriers all cite these three risks as being the most likely cause for traveler complaints or need of help when far from home:
1) Sickness, especially diarrhea 2) Getting hit by a car or in an accident overseas 3) General stupidity (Not thinking is by far the primary cause for grief overseas!)
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The purpose of this book is to help you to avoid and overcome risks by using specific strategies, a little preparation, and some common sense. While a few of the concepts offered below are obvious, others may be new and just may save your life.
So let’s GO!
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GETTING SICK/DIARRHEA (Risk factor: 30-70% of all Travelers) According to the Center for Disease Control which vigilantly watches for outbreaks of Ebola and other such communicable diseases, Travelers’ Diar-rhea (TD) is the most predictable travel-related illness. Whether you call it the trots, Montezuma’s Revenge,or the “runs,” statistics tell us that 30% to 70% of all travelers, depending on the destination, will suffer its effects. Traditionally, it was thought that TD could be prevented by following simple recommenda-tions such as “boil it, peel it or forget it,” but studies have found that people who follow these rules still get sick. Poor hygiene practices in local restau-rants is one of the largest contributors to the risk for diarrhea for travelers. That, and not using the simple strategies that follow.
Did you know? Did you know that younger people in general are more likely to get diarrhea than older people?
Did you know that once you have gotten travelers diarrhea, that you are not immune and can get it again while on the same trip?
What world traveler has not had mild stomach cramps, explosive bowels or severe abdominal pain/fever/vomiting, and generally feeling like you are going to die? And the problem can last from six hours to five days, or even up to several weeks or months if left untreated! If fact, you may not even know you have a Giardial infection for one to two weeks. (The same goes for Malaria and Dengue Fever, which both exhibit similar abdominal and flu-like symp-toms.) They often don’t appear until weeks after the initial infection. So exer-cising caution once you feel sick to your stomach or hear rumblings is what I’d call a “failed strategy.”
The best you can hope for is your stomach is not used to local food/spices and is letting you know to be more considerate in the future.
CHAPTER ONE
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The Risk? Here is a handy guide to determine if you’re one of the 30-70% who canlook forward to a visit from King Montezuma himself:
• 0-30% for most low-risk countries which include the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and countries in Northern and Western Europe.
• 50+% in intermediate-risk countries which include those in Eastern Europe, South Africa, and some of the Caribbean islands.
• 50-70% for high-risk areas which include most of Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Mexico, and Central and South America.
Find out more in the Center for Disease Control “Self-Treatable” Travel Guide: wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2012/chapter-2-the-pre-travel-con-sultation/self-treatable-conditions.htm See also http://www.who.int/ith/en/
TIP: If you have a serious case and must seek out a doctor or hospi-tal, it’s important that you document your appointment, as well as keep all receipts in case you later need to be seen (or hospitalized) when back in the United States. Also, if you submit a claim to be reimbursed weeks later back in the U.S., your travel insurance carrier might give you trouble if you can’t document that the problem first started overseas.
Now that I’ve told you the bad news, I’ll offer some guidance to help you stay healthy and what to do “when…”
WHAT TO DO? 1. Always wipe your hands well with alcohol-based wipes before eating. Handwashing in local contaminated water will not help you! If you must wash locally, use sanitizer AFTER you have dried your hands!
2. Avoid ice, unbottled water, juices, milk, raw fruits and vegetables, and basically any foods using those ingredients unless piping hot/boiled well first! Needless to say, if you follow my example, and drink Mango shakes in Peshawar, Pakistan, in the heat of summer, you are going to pay Montezuma his due. You will feel like an alien is inside of you waiting to
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come out. You will become severely dehydrated and basically swear off eating any food/liquid for the rest of your life. I must say that close friends of mine lived for years in NWFP Pakistan the same time I was there, and had never gotten sick! They were very careful about what they ate, washed everything (their rice, vegetables, etc.) with boiled treated water, never ate in the marketplace or ate melons or other raw fruits, and avoided all dairy, including yogurt. Of course, some of us learn better from our own experiences than by the advice of others.
Especially in hot or humid locales, bacteria breeds quickly, and even an hour or two is enough to allow food/water to become recontaminated.
P.S. In case you didn’t yet realize, restaurants use local water. It’s no surprise that locals avoid restaurants, not just because of the expense, but because they don’t like being sick either!
Here are the 10 dirtiest foods you are eating whether overseas or at home, at your favorite restaurant, and how to avoid food poisoning. (http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/foodborne_illness/Chicken.php)
3. Take a bottle (or two) of Pepto-Bismol with you. Really! If you do nothing else, you’ll thank me for this tip. Or your fellow travelers (who didn’t read this guide) will. Also, take along a can of smoked almonds, and if you can, bananas (whether you declare them is up to you). I’m not sure what the trick is, but seasoned, well-traveled photojournalists and news reporters know this tip. For some reason, they stop you up when nothing else is helping. Unfortunately, they don’t help with cramping, but if you must keep going, at least you won’t keep “going.”
Why not Imodium? Take it too for immediate relief. The difference being
URBAN MYTH: Locals have iron stomachs and can handle food poisoning because they grew up eating/drinking local foods/pooR water. Don’t believe it. If that was true, children there wouldn’t be dying of diarrhea and dehydration, would they?
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that Imodium will deal with your symptoms, but will not kill the bug whereas the ingredients in Pepto-Bismol will and does.
An instant powdered Gatorade packet or two might come in handy as well. Mixed together, the Pepto Bismol might allow you time to keep the Gatorade and Imodium down long enough to work!
4. See a doctor. He/She may direct you to the local stall in the market- place to get some over-the-counter ciprofloxacin for the eColi or what- ever is growing inside of you, so it helps to consult a professional! Especially if you’ve had it for three days or more. Of course, you must decide if you trust the booth/pharmacy. (Some people inherently distrust local pharmacy stalls and medicine, believing either the dosages aren’t as strong or that they may mix up which medicine they give you altogether.) Traveler beware! Use your own best judgement.
Blood or mucus mixed with diarrhea, as well as high fever, can signal a more serious cause, such as cholera. If you see blood, SEE A DOCTOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. 5. Drink lots of fluids. Given everything I just said, this may not be so easy. So here’s a plan: Get yourself established when you arrive at your destination. Spy out a bottled water source and stock up. You may also consider taking a sealed water bottle or two, water purification tablets or iodine, or a backpacker’s water pump. Water filtration pumps are effective. Note when purchasing what they are
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Eating lots of fruit and vegetables will not keep the doctor away overseas. Just the opposite!
rated to filter for and what they exclude. You want something that can remove/destroy Giardia and other bacteria. Water purification tablets have also come a long way and are not as bad as the iodine they had 20 years ago to purify dirty water. You can find them at sporting goods stores or WalMart. They work great when you have no other choice.
Some friends swear by having larger two-liter sealed bottles of water they keep in their room and a bottle they sterilize, refill, and carry with them when out exploring.
6. Swimming pools overseas: Sorry, but before you take a dip at that beautiful resort, consider this: If the water surrounding the resort is not drinkable, most likely the pool water is unswimmable as well. Go to the beach instead. Be wary around streams and rivers as well, espe- cially if you are near the Ganga (Ganges River) in India--One of the five most polluted rivers in the entire world. Wash away your sins at your own risk, or your body might be the next one floating downstream.
7. Butt-creme: Sorry, I know this is a sensitive subject, but you might consider taking a tube of crème with zinc oxide like Boudreaux’s Butt Paste, especially if you are doing a lot of trekking/walking/work overseas. Just saying. Especially if you have to run to catch the train to Nizhny Novgorod. A few more helpful ideas can be found at WebMD.
Available at WalMart. Of course you could try making your own here.
8. Finally, take lots of TP (toilet paper for the uninitiated) if you are not assured of a local supply. Sure, it’s embarrassing opening your luggage at customs and displaying your “I’m-better-and-more-sensitive-than- you-are” attitude for all to see. But consider the alternative to facing all those dirty looks. Some “travel-lite” experts and all-around tough guys have found out that the local TP variants are pretty rough as well and have gotten their butts “you-know-what.”
Don’t hate me for saying it. I’m just the messenger.
GETTING HIT BY A CAR
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GETTING HIT BY A CAR(Risk factor: MODERATE-TO-VERY HIGH) Distracted tourists pointing out sights, looking at maps, not paying attention when shooting a video or texting, are a few reasons why car accidents are one of the most common risks overseas.
The Journal of Travel Medicine in 2007 found that traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for U.S. citizens traveling abroad. MSN reported the same thing, as did USAToday. Usually you are going to be dependent on the local health system for emergency treatment, and your U.S.-based insurance is definitely not coming to your rescue when you’re injured overseas.
Car accidents are a bigger risk than terrorism, infectious diseases and airplane malfunction combined according to the U.S. State Department. And it is going to get much worse in the next few decades as more people begin driving in China and in Africa!
“Roadtrafficinjuriesarewellinexcessofotherriskssuchashealth,vio-lenceandinjuryespeciallyincongested,urbanareas.Infact,tourists’riskofroadtrafficinjuriesareappreciablyhigherthanhealthriskssuchasepidemics(e.g.,AIDS),illnesses(suchasmalariaandcholera),personalsecurityrisks/terrorism,violenceandcrime.”
The report: InternationalTourismandRoadSafetycan be found here: http://www.makeroadssafe.org/publications/Documents/tourism-report.pdf
CHAPTER TWO
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URBAN MYTH: Remote travel “in the sticks” is more dangerous than being in an urban center . While remote areas mean less access to medical care, it also means less chance of running into another vehicle sharing your lane and traveling the other direction!
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Did you know?More than 90% of the world’s fatal road crashes occur in low- to middle-income countries like Turkey, China and Cambodia, which are also becoming more popular as tourist and short-term destinations?
Why is it so dangerous you ask? Have you ever been to India or Italy? Let alone getting to that trek in Pakistan! (Check out these linked videos!)
I remember being in a town in the U.S.S.R. not long after the fall of the Iron Curtain (it’s called Russia + 14 other countries on newer maps), in the center of Lenin Square (“Leninaploshad”), where all the government buildings and officials were located. As we started to cross the street, three cars with very darkly tinted windows came flying at us firing a handgun in the air as local friends pulled us back to the curb. Their explanation in Russian is roughly translated, “Thisisthewaylocalgangsterswarnpeoplesotheydon’t(haveto)slowdown.” Good luck getting their insurance card if we were hit.
The risk is increased due to the fact that 96% of travelers are unaware of vehicular risk overseas. So here’s some good advice to help keep you safe.
WHAT TO DO?1. Be aware of your surroundings. Ask. Observe. It sounds obvious, but how many times have you seen a fellow traveler walking while pointing a video camera ahead of them or peering at a smartphone? It was no different in the old days except they had their faces pressed into a travel guide. But the cars didn’t go as fast, and there weren’t as many on the road jostling for position.
It’s easy to step off a curb when not looking where you are going and twist an ankle, tear a tendon, or take some damage from a “bakkie” (truck in Afrikaans).
2. Pay attention when near roads, crossing roads, taking pictures, etc. Locals inherently know what is acceptable risk around traffic. Foreigners always THINK THEY KNOW. I remember a Swiss girlfriend from long ago being amazed in Los Angeles (where I grew up) by how everyone on the
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freeway seemed to “know” what everyone else was doing. She said it was almost like they all had ESP. And from a distance, it did look like traffic flowed fairly well given the number of cars, the lane changes, and cars trying to merge in. Of course, newcomers always know when they’ve violated a local rule by way of horns, a verbal expression or two, and other physical indicators. 3. Beware of jet lag. A person’s first instinct upon initial hotel check-in is to either sleep all day (due to exhaustion), which results in being awake all night, or to try to stay up all day which is almost impossible and dangerous. Many people have tried the latter, and have almost been hit by cars, buses or trams due to fatigue. There’s always two ways to look at a problem: Remember, in some countries cars drive on the other side of the road! Look both ways! 4. Live there for at least a few months before you decide that you know when it’s safe to run across the street. Few things give travel guides and short- term team leaders such anxiety daily. Other things that show incredible naivety are tour members taking rides from locals late at night, throwing things off balconies, going to questionable places or parts of town without telling anyone, and my favorite--getting romantically attached to a national and disappearing for days at a time! Be a “lemming” when crossing roads. Observe when and where others are crossing in groups. It is usually your opportunity to cross as well. (At least there will be more bodies to slow the vehicle, and maybe some- one soft to land on if you are struck by a car.) 5. Don’t walk on or near the curb. Stay closer to the buildings than the street. Tourists have been known to be bumped into the street accidently by crowds of pedestrians coming the other way. Others get hit by mirrors or loads tied onto lorries that extend far to the left and right of vehicles. Congested streets and sidewalks combined with distracted, overconfident tourists can create some spectacularly scary accidents. I once saw a truck with a load of mattress box springs hit a person walking on the sidewalk. They were hit on their left shoulder and back and spun violently to the ground. So if you see locals walk near the street, don’t emulate them. 6. For some reason “developing countries” have much higher risks than “developed countries”: Honduras, Thailand, Vietnam, Brazil and China have the highest numbers of accidents involving U.S. residents. 7. Try to avoid travel at night, even on buses. In 2010, eight Americans were killed in the dark before dawn on a bus traveling to Abu Simbel in Egypt when the driver missed seeing oncoming traffic. Traveler fatigue and poor vision and decision-making are major causes of accidents overseas.
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8. Beware drinking and driving. And not just your own, but local drinking habits. Especially if going to places like Greece, Ireland or Brazil.
9. Use local transportation when it is available and “safe.” Recognize that driving a vehicle may be more dangerous than the risk associated with public forms of transportation like buses, trains, local taxis, etc.
Ask your hotel or guide if there are certain places you should avoid or which areas might be more dangerous. They may also offer tips about local drivers, roads and what to look out for. If you are not staying in a hotel, you can still seek out a concierge and tip them just as if you were a guest. Find out more at: http://www.asirt.org/KnowBeforeYouGo/RoadSafetyFacts/tabid/170/Default.aspx
The DummiesGuideforTravelAbroad states, “The bottom line is that it is simply better to avoid driving in a foreign country.”
URBAN MYTH: Motorcycles are more dangerous than cars. 72.6% of road-related fatalities overseas involving U.S. citizens were automobile-related, only 12% were on, or by, motorcycles.
PLAN ON DRIVINGOVERSEAS?
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Intend on renting a car or driving while overseas?
Here are some tips: q Make certain the car is in good repair.
q Ask what you should do if you get a flat or break down.
q Ask who you should call if you get in an accident. Imaginethestressofanaccident.Nowaddthatthepolice don’tspeakyourlanguageandneitherdoestheother (possiblyupset)driver.Mostrentalplaceswillhaveaphone numberspecificallyforaccidents.
q Try to pick a car with power door locks and windows.
q Get air-conditioned vehicles if possible and drive with windows up.
q Always ask about local driving habits. Remember,localsbreaklaws.Allthetime.
q Do you need international car insurance? Yes. PurchasingitinAmericabeforeyourtripisthebestoption. GNIhasverycompetitivepolicies.Ifyou’veeverhad troublewithAmericanclaimadjusters,justimaginewhatit’s liketryingtosettleaclaimwithalocalinsurancecarrierasa richAmericanwhocanaffordtopay3Xthegoingrate!
q Do I need an international driving permit? Maybe. ReadthisfromtheFederalTradeCommissionbeforeyou buysoyoudon’tgetrippedoff.
q Always ask if the rental car is “marked” as a rental with either a sticker or license plate. Thesevehiclesaremagnetsforthievesandotherswhomight “crash”intoyoutofraudulentlygetinsurancemoney.Anun- markedcarwillattractlessattentionand“hawkers”when pullinguptoareaattractionsaswell.
GENERAL STUPIDITY
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GENERAL STUPIDITY
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GENERAL STUPIDITY
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GENERAL STUPIDITY(Risk factor: VERY HIGH) Whether making a “funny” comment when standing in the TSA security line only to find yourself being dragged away while shouting “I was only joking!” or dropping all your money while trying to change a twenty-dollar bill to pay the cab driver for a ride into town, we may be our own worst existential threat.
Ever wonder how surprising it is that even more travelers don’t accidently kill themselves, get ripped off or suffer greatly? If no, 1) You haven’t traveled much. Or, 2) You aren’t paying enough attention.
YOU’VE SEEn THEm - UGLY AMERICANS Being loud and obvious in locations that may be: Solemn, riotous, dangerous, late at night, near people who are obviously intoxicated, or tourist traps where pickpockets (or worse yet, kidnappers) lurk.
Walking up to complete strangers and telling them private information about their hotel, length of stay, where they are going the next day, etc.
Insulting locals by being ignorant of local culture/etiquette, rude, obnoxious, or worse yet, telling them how all _____ (write in name of national people) are thieves trying to rip them off or are rude or pushy,... You get the picture.
Offending locals by what they wear, by close contact between the sexes, by touching others, not showing due respect to older people, cursing. All these things cause us to be disrespected if in a “gentle” culture or they could cause them to be attacked/even killed in a “honor” culture or one that values “machismo,” or in a poorer/war-torn area.
Walking around flashing valuable cameras, cell phones, laptops, stuffed wallets, orange backpacks, iPods, etc. Many of these items are worth as much as half a year’s wages to some people.
Having no idea where they are going; or worse yet, hiring the first local that approaches them as a guide.
CHAPTER THREE
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Holding out their phones as a GPS/Compass walking down the street.
Taking unnecessary risks. If you heard some of the dumb things some tourists do overseas.... For the record, If someone says,“That’s probably not a good idea.” Take their advice. It isn’t.
Relying on local agents, local salespeople, or local friends to make their travel plans or guaranteeing to get them there “on time.” This, of course, results in anger and raised voices when they fail to perform as expected, forget to send the “wake-up call” to the room as requested, or can’t get them the seat on the next plane, and four hundred dollars is added to the price of that last-minute connecting flight.
Not knowing where they are going or how they got there. Both sexes have found themselves in compromising situations and even in danger by relying on local friends who take them somewhere and then have no idea how to get back. Alcohol only makes this situation worse.
Not letting people know their itinerary or where they are going/staying each leg of their trip. And not updating that plan as things change.
Losing their passport or visa, or worse yet, not having a good copy somewhere else with them on the trip, as well as a good copy at home with a trusted friend or family member that can be called to help.
Expecting others to speak English/expecting them to speak more English than they do. I can’t tell you how many people have felt cheat- ed or taken advantage of. Had they spoken the language, the problem could have easily been cleared up.
WHAT TO DO?
That’s easy. Plan Ahead.
1. Do some homework: On the people. Where you’re going. Health and safety risks. State Department advisories. The basics.
2. If injured, avoid any injections that could wait till you get home if you’re not sure about the sanitation of the needle or hospital/doctor’s clinic. It’s a cliché, but one of our short-term sales people witnessed needles being sterilized and reused while serving in the Philippines. So beware!
3. ALWAYS let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return. Your host family. The hotel’s front desk. Your tour group leader.
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Someone back home who should also know your complete itinerary in case you go missing. I can’t stress this enough!
4. It doesn’t hurt to make sure both home and the front desk have a sealed envelope from you for safekeeping with contact numbers back home and a recent picture! Leave it at the front desk addressed to yourself.
5. Get travel insurance before you go. Good Neighbor Insurance can help advise you. (Can you get insurance while sitting in the terminal or after you arriveoverseas?Yes.Sometimesinlessthanfiveminutesforanindividual, but if you are already overseas, it will be 24 hours before it takes effect.) If you are unprotected and in dire circumstances, the embassy might actually loan you money to get treatment at a hospital. But why go through that? Standing in line to beg your case isn’t so easy if you are already injured and needing help. Especially when travel insurance is affordable at around a dollar a day in most cases, depending on your age. Even if you have U.S. coverage, you are likely considered “out-of-the-coverage-area” overseas. For $30-50, get double-coverage if unsure.
6. Don’t book your flights too close together. The farther you travel, the more space you should leave between flights. Consider flying out the next day.
7. Take any medicine you need with you. In new, sealed containers. With a doctor’s note. Have on a keychain drive (or our web address if you know you will have wi-fi access) with Dr. Askew’s Medical advice for travelers and Where There Is No Doctor if traveling remotely.
TRAVEL TIPIGNORE WARNINGS ABOUT THE LEGALITY OF COPYING VISAS ORPASSPORTS AND JUST DO IT. OR IF YOU are concerned about THE LAW, TAKE GOOD PICTURES AND EMAIL THEM TO A FRIEND.
Travel documents
8. Don’t put your wallet and passport in the same place when traveling, such as tucking your passport/visa into your wallet when out and about. (This is called “double jeopardy.”)
9. Separate your money and keep spare cash and/or a credit card locked up at the hotel just in case your bags or money are stolen.
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10. Expensive items are best left at home where there is less temptation to steal them. You’ll have less things to keep track of, and more time to enjoy what’s immediately around you.
11. Put a printed sheet of your bank-account numbers, bank phone numbers, and credit-card numbers in your carry-on luggage so that if your wallet is stolen you’ll have the necessary information to report to the companies. (Tom Hall, the U.K. spokesperson for Lonely Planet, courtesy of Budget Travel Magazine, suggests changing each of the numbers by one digit or some other method only you’ll remember to protect yourself in case someoneelsefindsthelist.)Or you could password protect the informa- tion on your smart phone.
12. Secure your phone. Believe it or not, having your phone stolen is usually WORSE than your wallet for I.D. theft. And if it’s not secured, you may have compromised a number of other people as well. A good strategy when you need to use your GPS or phone for directions: Look it up before you go and draw out a map with a pencil and paper.
13. Photocopy all your documents. Include a recent picture and any medical conditions. Make sure copies are both at home and with you in a sepa- rate location from your person/cash. This especially holds true for group leaders. Make sure you have
Preoccupation with high-tech gadgets might just cause you to miss scenes like this one.
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copies of vital information for everyone who is with you, copies of their passports and vital information, any medical conditions, etc. Anyone who has done any amount of tour operating or short-term project coordination has a story of someone who either lost their pass- port or had it stolen. Your job as tour operator/group leader is to help them not get separated from the group and to help them get document- ed and home safely.
Travel smart.
14. Don’t take foolish risks. Be more careful, versus less, when traveling. Leave the crazy stunts at home where you can quickly and easily be rushed to an emergency room. Listen to others when they say, “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.”
15. Ask questions. Apologize for your ignorance often when asking. You’ll find they have the same cultural expectation that everybody should know how things are done locally and should do it the right (their) way!
16. Closely monitor your expectations When you see Mumbai and the poor on the streets grabbing/begging/ assaulting your senses, you will have a bit of built-up protection against frustration, anger and disappointment.
17. Don’t assume everyone exists to help/serve you. Don’t think that everyone is there to cheat you or rip you off. Because just some are. Maybe many are. Certainly not all of them.
18. Learn at least the basic greetings and goodbyes and how to excuse yourself/apologize for yourself in their language. Trying to say a sentence or two, then apologizing that you can’t speak their language will win you friends everywhere you go.
URBAN MYTH: All locals aren’t out to “get you” or rip you off. Just some are. maybe many of them are.
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19. Assume the best, but don’t entrust yourself or your decisions to others. Be open to new ways of seeing, doing, and experiencing. When in Northern Pakistan after an avalanche, we had to hump all our bags over the slide area and then reload them on lorries that came from the other direction to pick up stranded passengers. I remember the local drivers tying our bags onto the roof, only to have us consider what the trip would be like without clothes or gear and re-tying them ourselves. The drivers looked at our knots while shaking their heads and proceeded totellustheywouldnothold.Wefinallyagreedonsomecombinationof the two and everyone ended up laughing. I realized then that bowline knots and trucker’s hitches are not recognized worldwide!
20. Try to avoid getting into huge political/philosophical arguments or attempting to educate everyone. Experienced world travelers rarely sit up or lean forward to discuss such things, but rather talk about them abstractly while slumping in their seats. In some countries, political discussions can still get you arrested. So exercise restraint.
21. Stop talking about America. People already suffer “America-envy,” or at least we like to think so. Even if they want to visit or immigrate someday, they don’t want to be reminded about how much better you have it. And those who don’t like America don’t want to hear about it either.
22. Try to fit in. Don’t be obvious. Don’t make a fool of yourself. Speak quietly. Behave. Dress conservatively, and be an all-around proper citizen of the world.
If you’d like even more tips for travel, staying healthy overseas and staying safe, request our free guide, “Essential Travel Tips You Can’t Get From Searching Google.” It’s based on the “real-world” experi- ences of expats who’ve traveled and worked overseas.
IN CLOSING
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Do you learn better by trial and error? Consider the time and money you’ll spend learning from your own mistakes. Get GOOD overseas travel insur-ance. Maybe even evacuation or kidnap and ransom! That way you’ll be guaranteed to get home in one piece (or at least someone will get all the pieces back)! Our free guide: A Fast and Easy Guide to Travel Insurance: “What Do I Need?” can help. Because everyone needs overseas insurance when traveling, but it’s not always clear what you need specifically.
The vast majority of travelers encounter few problems abroad. This book will help you be part of that majority. Don’t be the exception. I hope the time you’ve spent reading this book saves you both time and trouble overseas.
Mark Sequeira is currently the Marketing/Creative Director at Good Neighbor Insurance. He has coordinated business and cultural exchange programs to Russia and Kazakhstan, as well as helped in relief work in Pakistan and Thai-land. He has studied Russian, Arabic and Turkish; and has visited, worked, or studied in: England, Belgium, France, Mexico, Russia, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the Caucasus. Travel is one of his great passions, as well as social business entrepreneur-ship, art, marketing and cultural understanding.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
in closing
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