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Travel tips

Planning | Packing | Health | Safety
Respect | More info

Want to make the most of your trip and stay out of trouble? Here's how.

Planning
• Make a checklist of everything you need to do before you go.

• Sort out your travel tickets.

• Make sure your passport is up to date and you have any necessary visas.

• Check what vaccinations you need at least two months before you are due to leave: some take weeks to take effect.

• It's a good idea to photocopy important documents – passport, insurance, and so on. Keep one copy with you and leave another with someone reliable at home, who should also have your travel itinerary and addresses.

• Take out good travel insurance and check that the cover is appropriate for where you are going.

• Buy a guidebook and read up on your chosen destinations. It's important to know what the weather will be like, for example: a beach getaway might be less appealing during the monsoon!

• Have your teeth checked, and if you wear glasses, take a spare pair and your prescription.

• Make any necessary arrangements for while you're away – who's going to feed the cat and water the plants, for example?

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Packing
• Pick a backpack that has a separate day-pack that you can detach for trips.

• Always take a first-aid kit which should include: painkillers, mosquito repellent, water-purification tablets, and travel-sickness and diarrhoea remedies, plus any special medication/equipment you need. Remember, this is an emergency kit – enough for two days should cover it. See also health below.

• Take your own cup and spoon and perhaps some pre-moistened tissues so that you can wipe your hands, mouth and utensils before you eat. See also health below.

• Travel as light as you can, but make sure you're equipped for the conditions. For hot climates take light, cotton clothes that will dry quickly, but remember it can be cool in the evenings. Flip flops or sandals are invaluable if it's hot, but you'll also need good walking shoes – trainers or lightweight hiking boots/shoes. Make sure they are comfy.

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Health
• Always wash your hands before you eat and preferably use your own utensils. Follow advice on whether to drink the water and whether to have ice, salads and milk.

• Drink plenty of water – preferably mineral water – to avoid dehydration, especially in a hot climate.

• If you are going to have sex, have safe sex! Don't risk catching sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV – always use condoms.

• Exposure to the sun increases the risk of skin cancer. Wear a hat and cover up if the sun is very hot, and use high-factor sun-protection cream, especially when the sun is at its strongest, between 11am and 3pm.

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Safety
• Keep in touch with your friends and family via e-mail or SMS. If you change your plans, make sure you let people know.

• Be careful about letting people see your valuables, such as mobiles and cameras.

• Don't give your home or hotel address to people you meet until you are confident of their good intentions.

• Keep only a small amount of money in your wallet; stash the rest either in a money belt or in a hotel/hostel safe. Always keep an eye on your possessions.

• Body language is important. Walk confidently, as if you know where you're going (even if you don't!), and dress to blend in with the crowd.

• Obey local laws and attitudes towards drugs and alcohol, which vary in different countries and communities. Think about the possible impact on others, and on yourself – you could find yourself facing jail or even a death penalty in some countries.

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Respect
• Never forget that you are a guest in someone else's country, so dress and behave accordingly.

• Abide by a country's laws and customs – this may mean not sunbathing topless, and not wearing shorts or sleeveless tops, for example. Respect places of worship and cover your head and remove your shoes if appropriate.

• In some cultures, taking photos is insensitive and taboo. Always ask first.

• Never leave litter in beauty spots. Do your bit to preserve these places for others.

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More info

Websites

Fit for Travel
NHS website providing travel health information for people travelling abroad from the UK.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Extensive website containing travel advice plus dos and don'ts, arranged by country.

Holiday Health: Countdown to Take-off
Article looking at health essentials when booking a holiday and which jabs are needed for which countries.

International Travel and Health
World Health Organisation site with information on health risks, protective measures, infectious diseases, vaccinations and emergency treatment.

Lonely Planet – Pills, Ills and Bellyaches
Advice on how to plan for healthy travelling, plus health insurance and immunisation, diseases and ailments and preventative measures.

TravelHealth.co.uk
Health advice and useful resources for travellers on topics such as malaria, DVT, travelling with children, bird flu and how to cope with the fear of flying.

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Organisations

Hospital for Tropical Diseases – Department of Travel Medicine
Mortimer Market
Capper Street
London WC1E 6JD
Travel clinic: 020 7388 9600
Website: www.uclh.org/services/htd/index.shtml
Provides pre-travel advice, including up-to-date information on anti-malarial and prophylactic drugs, consultant-led clinics and post-tropical screening.

MASTA (Medical Advisory Services for Travellers Abroad)
Moorfield Road
Yeadon
Leeds LS19 7BN
Voice: 0113 238 7500
Fax: 0113 238 7501
E-mail: enquiries@masta.org
Website: www.masta.org
Services include up-to-date information about immunisations and anti-malarials, an online search facility to find your nearest MASTA associated travel clinic, a health library with travel advice, factsheets and news, and a chat room.

HPA Malaria Reference Laboratory
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Keppel Street
London WC1E 7HT
Malaria Prevention Advice Line: 09065 508 908 (24 hours, £1 per minute at all times)
Website: www.lshtm.ac.uk

Malaria prevention guidelines:
Provides in-depth information and advice to travellers on malaria prevention.