Whenever I’m planning a trip – whether it’s walking around an ancient city ruins, exploring tropical islands or wandering modern cities – I double check the health advisories for my destination. Over the years, I’ve learned that a few simple steps can ensure that I don’t get tons of mosquito bites (they love me by the way) and that upset tummy doesn’t ruin my plans. Of course, it may not always work, but it’s best to be aware of any possible challenges and be prepared.
Recommended Vaccines: Cover your Bases
First of all I check travel advisories of several different countries regarding the health situation at my destination. Most of them suggest to have routine vaccinations, as well as some destination‑specific vaccines – for example, Hepatitis A and Typhoid for many tropical regions, or Japanese Encephalitis if you’ll spend time in rural areas. Malaria pills are also suggested in some of the tropical areas, so if your itinerary takes you off the beaten path, discuss prophylaxis options.
You may also want to check with the travel cliniques or your GP and do the vaccines according to your itinerary and medical history.
Some of the recommended vaccines you can consider getting or not, depending on your travel habits. For example, we have had the routine vaccines. Personally, we chose not to get Hep A and Typhoid vaccines for SE Asia or for Latin America, but we were extremely careful with food. If you are adventurous with food, you may consider these.
Insect and Bug Defense: Choose Your Repellent
Mosquitoes, ticks and sand flies can carry diseases from dengue to Lyme. Mosquitoes can be particularly dangerous in many countries, as they carry dengue virus, Japanese encephalitis, Zika virus, Malaria and some other diseases.
After doing a thorough research on this, I found out that there are 3 options for bug repellents: the products containing DEET, the products with picaridin and the natural options (citronella, lemon eucalyptus, etc).
I rely on DEET‑based roll‑on or sprays. An important thing to know is that the percentage of deet in a mosquito repellent tells you, how long will it work. 7% means that it works 1-1.5 hours. To be on the safe side, count it as 1 hour. So the 25% Off repellent we brought worked up to 4 hours. We also used 50% Jungle Formula and 40% Repel repellents. My favorites have been Off! and Jungle Formula brands with high percentage DEET.
There are spray, lotion and roll-on varieties. Spray just made all around terribly smelly. Roll-on seemed to be much easier to apply and to carry.
Note: Deet based repellents apparently don’t have expiration date. I double checked this with producers. So unless your repellent also contains sunscreen, it can be used over the years. I did use a couple of them after 3 years of first opening and they worked well.
Whatever you choose (DEET, picaridin or natural repellents), you will definitely need to bring one with you to any destination where bugs and mosquitoes are common, and make sure to apply it, as often as needed (considering the information above0. Keep in mind that most of these repellents will not work after you get into sea, so you need to reapply them.
In Asian countries, if you don’t bring any repellent, you can find them in local stores, like in 7-11 in many South East Asian countries. However, the easily available ones are the ones with 13-15% deet, which only works for 2 hours. As a result, I prefer to bring stronger ones along.
Smart Food & Water Precautions
Many travelers love trying local cuisine whether at street food stalls or other people’s homes. This can be an amazing experience, however, apart from the issues related to safe preparation in some countries, our gut microbiome may not be as adaptable. As a result it pays to be cautious. I take several precautions:
Water Safety Tips
- I only drink tap water in countries, where I am sure the water is clean. In most countries though I stick with the bottled water.
- I also skip ice in many locations, as ice cubes are prepared in huge factories and can be from contaminate water. That said in some countries ice can be safe. For instance, drinking tap water in Vietnam is not ok, but ice is produced cleanly, so we drank ice coffee in a lot of locations without any issues.
Food Safety Tips
- I avoid street vendors anywhere but the countries with strict food safety laws. I have heard that if food is well-cooked, fresh and at the locations with high turnover, it can be fine. I personally am extremely cautious and still avoid it in most places.
- I choose the locations we eat at carefully. I check the reviews and observe, if the place is popular.
- I might skip fresh food, like uncooked vegetables and go for the cooked hot meal, if in doubt.
In addition to all this:
- I carry hand sanitizers.
- I take probiotics before the trip.
- I carry the activated charcoal tablets and the electrolytes for in case we get diarrhea.
Sun Protection
Whether you are going to the Middle Eastern deserts or the beaches of Philippines, walking around in the sun all day can be damaging. So whenever I travel in a hot season, I bring along small sunscreens. While one can buy them at the destination, they can be quite expensive. For example, in my experience sunscreen prices are triple of what you can get them for in the US or in Europe.
According to my research, it is best to apply sunscreen first, wait for at least 15 mins and then apply mosquito repellent. If you don’t wait or put them other way round, you may be decreasing their efficiency.
Don’t forget to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours or after swimming and heavily sweating.
Personal Medications & First‑Aid Kit
I try to always bring the basic medications that one might need. I am especially thorough about this when I travel to the locations with limited options of obtaining medications. Here is the list of things I usually have with me:
- Paracetamol – if we get a flu/temperature (you should not take any medication for the temperature under 380 though).
- Ibuprofen/Naproxen – for any pains.
- Plasters/bandages – for any cuts.
- Antibiotics – the prescription can be difficult to obtain and take a lot of time in many countries. But it can save your trip, when you absolutely need it for a bacterial infection, for example a uti. That said, absolutely make sure that you don’t take them without confirming the need.
- Lactase tablets – due to my lactose intolerance.
- Hydrogen peroxide – for cuts. I once needed it a lot after a fall, it took us a while to find a pharmacy to get this.
- Antihistamines and the Epinephrine – for any alergies.
- Charcoal tablets and electrolytes – for the cases of diarrhea.
Depending on your particular needs, you may have to take some specific medications, but the above list is what would be useful for most people. Let me know what else have been useful during your travels?
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Travel Insurance: Your Safety Net
Even minor unexpected injuries or illnesses can ruin one’s trip. I always travel with worldwide medical coverage. I also have a digital copy of my policy not only for use in case of emergency but for showing at the passport control, if asked. Many countries require travel insurance, as one of the documents you need to present to enter the country for tourist purposes.
Besides this, have the contact details of local emergency services saved.
These are the general health precautions I take for many destinations. Of course, it changes according to where you are traveling and what you are planning to do. For any destination specific advice, check my guides or send me the question.
Safe and healthy travels!
See also:
Useful tips for planning independent trips
List of the apps you need for planning your travels and during travelling
