While there is no way to be constantly prepared for dangerous or disastrous events while travelling – and nor should you, travel is about seeing the best and the worst of the world, not hiding from it – there are ways to travel wisely so that you are both prepared and informed about the world you are entering.
Spend the extra money on insurance. Do it. Don’t buy a ticket unless you can afford the insurance. And check that it covers where you are going and what you are actually doing. If you are travelling in remote parts of the world, you may get sick or injured and need transport out to medical attention. Or if you are involved in anything that most insurance companies call “extreme sports” (anything from skiing and quad bike riding to skydiving) you may need to declare these in advance. And read the fine print – if you don’t use a helmet or if you have any alcohol in your blood when you participate in any or these activities, you may nullify your insurance. It is simply not worth facing subpar medical assistance or an enormous medical bill (think hundreds of thousands here) to save a few hundred dollars. If you can’t pay for the insurance – don’t go.
Check with the government travel advisory service. They will know things you don’t. If there are rumblings of a coup, terrorism threats, outbreaks of disease or even the possibility of seismic or volcanic activity – you won’t be the first to know, the government will, and mostly (conspiracy theories aside) they will share this with travellers via a government website. In Australia this is SmartTraveller.
Get vaccinated for things that will kill you. Whatever your stance on vaccination – it is still likely to be a better option than a case of Yellow Fever. It is also extremely wise to be up to date on your Hepatitis A and B vaccinations and your Tetanus shots. Vaccinations are cheap and they are easy to access. Of course – any foreign substance entering your body has side effects, so inform yourself, be aware and if you have a condition that precludes immunisations – ask your doctor about the best course of action for you. Also ask your doctor if there are medications you should take with you into certain places – for examples anti-malarials or antibiotics to have on hand in case of an injury or illness in a tropical location.
And while you are planning your medical health, make yourself a mini medical emergency kit to have with you at all times. Things like anti-inflammatories might be easy to find in an Australian pharmacy and almost non-existent in the mountains of Peru. Bandages, butterfly clips, Band-Aids and anti-diarrheal medication take up very little room and may save you pain later on. And the most useful tool this traveller has on hand? A strong antibiotic cream or ointment – prescription strength if possible. I’ve used it on coral cuts, weird tropical plant scratches and even a monkey bite (you’ve never really considered your mortality until you’ve been bitten by a monkey).
Use social media wisely. Posting about your travels is one of the joys of the journey, and it can be a way for people to know where you are. It is never wise to give too much information away – there are burglars and identity thieves who troll social media for just this sort of information, but on the other hand, it can allow you family and friends to keep a general eye on where you are in case you go missing. Keeping a weekly connection to someone is important. And if you go off road – log it somewhere. Hiking trails usually have sign-in protocols, but if they don’t – send someone a message saying where you are. If you are wondering about this and muttering to yourself about personal adventures and being incognito – go read or watch 127 Hours right now. Do it now. Or Open Water… both true stories. Tell someone when to expect you back from your skiing, diving, caving, climbing day – and check in with them afterwards.
When it comes to travel – different travellers will have different needs and while it would be nice to say that everyone is on a level playing field – it just isn’t true yet. Some countries expect standards of dress and behaviour from women that might differ from your home country. Some places are extremely, even violently, opposed to the LGBT traveller. Sometimes you might be treated differently simply due to your race. It is wise to look into these cultural beliefs and plan some of your decisions about how to dress, behave and interact before you leave. In some countries it is illegal to share a room if you are not married. In some places it is illegal for women to drive. Find out which cultural beliefs of your destination are relevant to you.
Being safe is not the same as being over-cautious. Book as many of your hotels in advance as you can. Travel only in licensed taxis and use your phone GPS (where you can) to be sure the taxi is going where you want it to. On that note – look into local SIM cards when you travel if you want to avoid the exorbitant price gouging of your usual provider – $40 a minute anyone? Use money belts as much as possible and keep a small supply of cash in several different parts of your bags and body. Prepaid travel credit cards are a great idea as they can be insured and the amount of cash on them can be contained in case of theft. Keep a photocopy of your I.D., insurance, passport and any other important documents with you as well. If the originals are lost, the copies will save you a great deal of time when it comes to replacements. In most countries it is extremely wise to stay clear of drugs of any kind, and of people who may be involved with drugs – two words: Shapelle Corby. Enough said. And it is wise to keep an eye on your drinks in any place – the practice of drugging travellers is commonplace in some parts of the world, particularly with methanol, which is very hard to detect. Don’t drink anything that you did not choose and report to police immediately if you feel extremely unwell after a drink. And if you don’t feel well after meal – well that’s another travel hazard and this might be where those anti-diarrheal meds come in handy.
There are things you just can’t prepare for when you travel. Cataclysmic natural events for one – and terrorism for another. A tsunami, an earthquake or unexpected extremist attacks are things that – unless you went into a place you were expressly warned not to go – are impossible to foresee. And that is both the beauty and the danger of travel. We don’t know what will happen and when. If something of this nature does occur, you may find yourself without access to Internet or phone coverage. It is wise to be aware in advance of where you nearest embassy is. This is your home base and it is important to contact them as soon as you can after an event. They will be able to advise you on your safest options, help arrange travel and contact your family when you cannot. It is also the first place you should contact if you get into any legal trouble. This might seem like a long shot – but in some countries you can get into a great deal of trouble for a minor car accident, or inappropriate dress or even taking photos as the wrong time and place. And if your money or passport is stolen – the embassy is your new best friend (or mum – its probably more like your mum). Keep the details of your local embassy somewhere in your kit. The list of Australian embassies and consulates can be found on the DFAT website.
There can be, deep within those wild ones of us that travel a lot, a sense that being overly prepared or concerned is anathema to really good travel; that we might ruin an experience. It isn’t. Travel is about the unexpected, and the unexpected is not always the good. Having a support system on hand – just in case – is not a bad thing. Being prepared can turn an unexpected turn of events into a great anecdote rather than a cautionary tale.
So, with love from Ytravel: Safe Travels. Live long and prosper. Au Revoir. Hasta La Vista. See ya later mate. Bon Voyage. Sayonara. Aloha. And May the Force be With you.
Lynnette Lounsbury is a writer, lecturer and Senior Editor of Ytravel. Her most recent travels took in Charleston, South Carolina where she discovered sriracha sauce, and her life will never be the same again. If you pour it over biscuits and gravy – neither will yours.