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| 11 Vacation Safety Tips |
By:
Roger Wakefield |
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We have all heard examples of the atrocious problems that all too often arise as a consequence of unexpected ill-health whilst on vacation.
Somebody who got struck by a nasty case of traveler's diahrea whilst travelling in a delightful holiday resort and ended up spending all week in the holiday apartment. A neighbour who drank the local tap water, went down with tragic stomach cramps and confusion and still hasn't revovered months later. One of the children gets attacked by some scary local insect and suffers an allergic reaction.
The end result is often the same, it ruined the holiday, emptied the bank and put them off overseas vacations for many years to come.
Without doubt, you don't want to suffer the same, so here are a few tips to keep you in good health and ensure that you enjoy your foreign holiday:
Planning ahead
Obviously you can't forecast every potential problem, there are a few easy precautions you should take to make sure you have an enjoyable vacation.
* Don't forget to pack any prescription medication that you or your travelling party take on a regular basis.
* Before setting off for your chosen destination, go and see your doctor and ask about any pre-exisiting conditions that may turn into a problem during your holiday.
* If anyone in your party suffers with travel sickness, there are a few simple steps you can take to improve things. If you are in a car, ask if you can sit in the front passenger seat and try not to read. If travelling by sea, stay near to the center of the ship. If affected by air sickness, ask if you can sit close to the center of the aircraft. If you are a sufferer from extremely bad motion sickness you may want to consider one of the commercial motion sickness medications.
* Do some investigation and make sure you know which vaccinations and immunization may be needed for the countries you are visiting.
Pay for good travel insurance
Health insurance policies are not all the same, so think carefully and ensure that your health policy provides enough cover. Before you begin your vacation, read and become familiar with your health policy and its limits. If you are not sure over any section of the travel policy, seek clarification before travelling. Most importantly, make sure you include the health policy with your travel documents.
* When selecting your travel policy, look for how the health policy defines terms such as 'pre-existing condition', or 'medical exclusions'. Will they affect your coverage?
* When selecting your insurance policy, check whether each policy requires you to only make use of their preferred doctors and hospitals.
* With your chosen travel policy, are you allowed pay to extend your cover if you decide to extend your vacation?
* When choosing your travel policy, make sure you understand the total package cost of each health policy?
Food safety when abroad
One of the very worst things that can happen to you on your vacation, is to get food poisoning. Here is a shortlist of tips to help you stay safe in the countries you are visiting:
* Take care with the tap water. If you can, only drink store bought bottled water, and always examine the seal to ensure it is not an old bottle that has been refilled with local water by unscrupulous storekeepers. If you are not sure over the safety of the local water, it is not a bad idea to even stay clear of ice cubes in your cold drinks. If you use the tap water, boil it well before use.
* Perhaps the most important tip, don't accept foods that are touched by human hands before serving.
* Be very cautious with seafood, particularly shellfish that may be the product of fishing in water that is polluted.
Roger Wakefield is a staff writer at: Villas in the Algarve, (http://www.villaretreats.com/villas-algarve.asp) offering a range of villas in the Algarve, Portugal and other European and Caribbean destinations |
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