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| Beautiful Iguazu Falls, Argentina |
Thursday, 25 November 2010
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
funtotravel.info TOP 10: BEACHES
In the time honoured tradition of our blogs, here is another Top 10 list that we hope will make interesting reading for you: our favourite beaches in the world. We've tried to stay away from just listing obviously stunning beaches in places like the Maldives or Seychelles and tried to list places that we love not just for the white sand and blue seas, but for the backdrop and what is going on around them, be it trekking, great bars, diving or watersports. You may agree with us some, you may disagree completely - either way, let us know what you think via the comments section at the bottom.
Remember, we at funtotravel.info are here to help you - click HERE for free, personalised advice on your trip or holiday.
In no particular order, here are our Top 10 Beaches....
1. Ipanema Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
A city beach to begin our list, but one with such a buzz and such energy we couldn't help but include it. With the stunning backdrop of Rio behind it, a song named after it and some of the funniest people watching you could ever hope for, it's a truly unforgettable place. Grab a deck chair from one of the vendors, stuff yourself silly with sandwiches, little pies (empadas) and Brahma beers while you contemplate the stunning views of the Dois Irmãos mountains and marvel at the sheer effrontery of some of the beach attire on show. The waves are powerful and cooling, the sand is clean and fine and you really feel like you're witnessing real carioca (the name given to Rio inhabitants) culture, unlike at Copacabana up the road. Brilliant fun, but keep an eye on your bags at all times - this is a city beach after all.
Click here for our guide to Brazil.
2. White Beach, Boracay, Philippines
Boracay is an island 2 km off the northwest tip of Panay Island in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. It boasts White Beach, which sets the standard by which all others must be judged. Crystal white sands and glassy, calm water are the perfect ingredients for any sun worshipping holiday. Waves are few and far between, with the tide rarely moving and the water usually resembling a perfectly flat tabletop – and all that with a constant temperature of around 28 degrees C. The locals are always friendly and the beaches are lined with places to help you sit back and relax. Rarely is a place like this busy enough to be well-known, but quiet enough to be thought of as secluded. Paradise on Earth? It surely comes close.
3. Whitehaven Beach, Queensland, Australia
Situated in the Whitsunday Islands National Park, Whitsunday Island's heavenly Whitehaven Beach definitely fits into the look but don't touch category! You'll no doubt have seen this picture-perfect 4.5km stretch of sand on many an advertisment for Tourism Australia, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't go and visit - it is so clean, and so pure it's like no other beach we've ever seen. You can camp nearby (or sail there and stay on board), but don't expect to find any fancy resorts - this is National Park territory after all, which all adds to its unspoilt charm. Take in the view from the lookout across Hill inlet - on a sunny day, it is nothing short of spectacular.
Click here for our guide to Australia.
4. Playa de la Concha, San Sebastian, Spain
San Sebastian's La Concha is our favourite city beach in Europe without a doubt. Spend your days sunning yourself on this pretty stretch of sand set in a sheltered bay on Spain's Mediterranean coast. Yes it's a lovely beach, but the reason that it makes the list is the fact that it is attached to one of the most fun and stylish cities in Europe. San Seb offers a fantastic culinary scene, and we think the best way to experience it is to go on a bar crawl around the old city trying the various pintxos (tapas in Basque) and wines that they have on offer. The architecture is great, as is the bar scene, so sleep off your hangover on this wonderful beach.
Click here for our guide to Spain.
5. Ochheuteal Beach, Sihanoukville, Cambodia
Genuine fun in the sun. Yes the beach is lovely and the sea is warm, calm and clear, but the real reason we loved 'Occhy' beach in sunny Sihanoukville is for all the ramshackle beach bars lining the beach. Pull up a lounger outside any of them and wile away the hours munching on freshly cooked Khmer food and supping on Angkor beers. Then slip on your tshirt and flip-flops and mosey up the beach to whichever bar looks happening that night for cocktail buckets, cheap beers and late night revelry. This is low key beach fun at its finest. We were here for Christmas and it had an incredible buzz to it. Be warned, there are a number of amputees and street kids that beg on the beach - a stark reminder of the attrocities the Khmer Rouge bought to this incredible and friendly country.
6. Palolem Beach, Goa, India
We had to put at least one Goan beach on this list, and this was our choice. Yes it has become somewhat saturated with backpackers, but this low-rise, low-key beach community is both beautiful and fun. Accommodation is mostly of the ramshackle beach hut variety (local laws state that there is to be no permanent building on the beach, so the huts are torn down every year!), food is cheap and plentiful and there are some great headphone discos to keep you dancing all night. If Palolem is too hectic for you then more peaceful Patnem is a mile or so down the beach.
7. Lopes Mendes Beach, Ilha Grande, Brazil
OK so it's a bit of a pain in the arse to get to, but that's part of the fun. And it really is beautiful too, voted one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world by Vogue Magazine. To get there, either take a beautiful (if slightly sweaty) hike from Vila do Abraao, or take a boat round to this remote beach on beautiful Ilha Grande (Big Island) in Brazil. Wild, unspoilt and rugged, this is everything an 'off the beaten track' beach should be.
Remember, we at funtotravel.info are here to help you - click HERE for free, personalised advice on your trip or holiday.
In no particular order, here are our Top 10 Beaches....
1. Ipanema Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
A city beach to begin our list, but one with such a buzz and such energy we couldn't help but include it. With the stunning backdrop of Rio behind it, a song named after it and some of the funniest people watching you could ever hope for, it's a truly unforgettable place. Grab a deck chair from one of the vendors, stuff yourself silly with sandwiches, little pies (empadas) and Brahma beers while you contemplate the stunning views of the Dois Irmãos mountains and marvel at the sheer effrontery of some of the beach attire on show. The waves are powerful and cooling, the sand is clean and fine and you really feel like you're witnessing real carioca (the name given to Rio inhabitants) culture, unlike at Copacabana up the road. Brilliant fun, but keep an eye on your bags at all times - this is a city beach after all.
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| Beautiful Ipanema beach, Rio de Janeiro - speedos airbrushed out. |
2. White Beach, Boracay, Philippines
Boracay is an island 2 km off the northwest tip of Panay Island in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. It boasts White Beach, which sets the standard by which all others must be judged. Crystal white sands and glassy, calm water are the perfect ingredients for any sun worshipping holiday. Waves are few and far between, with the tide rarely moving and the water usually resembling a perfectly flat tabletop – and all that with a constant temperature of around 28 degrees C. The locals are always friendly and the beaches are lined with places to help you sit back and relax. Rarely is a place like this busy enough to be well-known, but quiet enough to be thought of as secluded. Paradise on Earth? It surely comes close.
 |
| White Beach, Boracay, Philippines |
Situated in the Whitsunday Islands National Park, Whitsunday Island's heavenly Whitehaven Beach definitely fits into the look but don't touch category! You'll no doubt have seen this picture-perfect 4.5km stretch of sand on many an advertisment for Tourism Australia, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't go and visit - it is so clean, and so pure it's like no other beach we've ever seen. You can camp nearby (or sail there and stay on board), but don't expect to find any fancy resorts - this is National Park territory after all, which all adds to its unspoilt charm. Take in the view from the lookout across Hill inlet - on a sunny day, it is nothing short of spectacular.
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| Simply stunning: Whitehaven Beach |
4. Playa de la Concha, San Sebastian, Spain
San Sebastian's La Concha is our favourite city beach in Europe without a doubt. Spend your days sunning yourself on this pretty stretch of sand set in a sheltered bay on Spain's Mediterranean coast. Yes it's a lovely beach, but the reason that it makes the list is the fact that it is attached to one of the most fun and stylish cities in Europe. San Seb offers a fantastic culinary scene, and we think the best way to experience it is to go on a bar crawl around the old city trying the various pintxos (tapas in Basque) and wines that they have on offer. The architecture is great, as is the bar scene, so sleep off your hangover on this wonderful beach.
Click here for our guide to Spain.
5. Ochheuteal Beach, Sihanoukville, Cambodia
Genuine fun in the sun. Yes the beach is lovely and the sea is warm, calm and clear, but the real reason we loved 'Occhy' beach in sunny Sihanoukville is for all the ramshackle beach bars lining the beach. Pull up a lounger outside any of them and wile away the hours munching on freshly cooked Khmer food and supping on Angkor beers. Then slip on your tshirt and flip-flops and mosey up the beach to whichever bar looks happening that night for cocktail buckets, cheap beers and late night revelry. This is low key beach fun at its finest. We were here for Christmas and it had an incredible buzz to it. Be warned, there are a number of amputees and street kids that beg on the beach - a stark reminder of the attrocities the Khmer Rouge bought to this incredible and friendly country.
Click here for our guide to Cambodia.
6. Palolem Beach, Goa, India
We had to put at least one Goan beach on this list, and this was our choice. Yes it has become somewhat saturated with backpackers, but this low-rise, low-key beach community is both beautiful and fun. Accommodation is mostly of the ramshackle beach hut variety (local laws state that there is to be no permanent building on the beach, so the huts are torn down every year!), food is cheap and plentiful and there are some great headphone discos to keep you dancing all night. If Palolem is too hectic for you then more peaceful Patnem is a mile or so down the beach.
Click here for our guide to India.
7. Lopes Mendes Beach, Ilha Grande, Brazil
OK so it's a bit of a pain in the arse to get to, but that's part of the fun. And it really is beautiful too, voted one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world by Vogue Magazine. To get there, either take a beautiful (if slightly sweaty) hike from Vila do Abraao, or take a boat round to this remote beach on beautiful Ilha Grande (Big Island) in Brazil. Wild, unspoilt and rugged, this is everything an 'off the beaten track' beach should be.
Click here for our guide to Brazil.
8. Shipwreck Beach, Zakynthos (Zante), Greece
Certainly one of the most photogenic and aesthetically pleasing of the beaches on this list, Shipwreck beach oddly looks more stunning from afar than it does from on the sand itself, due to the contrast between the azure waters and the shipwrecked smuggler's boat marooned on the beach. Come early in the morning by boat (the only way onto the sands) from Porto Vromi and enjoy the tranquillity before the hordes join you later. The best view of the beach is from up high - follow the signs to the Agios Gergio Kremnao monastery. When you arrive there, use the road to your right to get to a small viewing platform 600ft above the wreck - this is where you'll get your perfect photo!
Click here for our guide to Greece.
9. Tulum Beach, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Crowded, commercial and absolutely rammed full of tour groups. Sounds awful, right? Yes, but when you've seen the beach you'll understand why we've put it on this list. It is, put simply, ridiculously beautiful and totally unique. Combine a stunning set of Mayan temple ruins and a gorgeous tropical beach and you have Tulum. It is actually fairly easy to avoid the crowds - stay overnight and visit the ruins early in the day before the hordes of tour groups arrive - you'll pretty much have the place to yourself (well, comparatively so anyway!).
Click here for our guide to Mexico.
10. Maya Beach, Ko Phi Phi, Thailand
Anyone who has seen the film adaptation of The Beach will recognise this beautiful Thai beach in the Ko Phi Phi National Marine Park. The beach is situated on uninhabited Ko Phi Phi Leh, a short boat ride from the paradise lost that is Phi Phi Don. As with Tulum above, the beach is slightly spoilt during peak hours by hordes of tourists, but its popularity isn't surprising given its outstanding beauty. Visit first thing in the morning and the beach will seem as unspoilt, beautiful and utterly fantastical as you imagined. You can now do an overnight camping trip on the beach, which we would thoroughly recommend as an amazing way to have the island all to yourself.
Click here for our guide to Thailand.
Well there you have it, our Top 10 favourite beaches. Let us know what you think!
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Click HERE for free, personalised advice on your trip or holiday.
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
Monday, 22 November 2010
Photo of the Day 22 November 2010
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| View of the Annapurna range from Panchasse village in the Himalaya, Nepal (click to enlarge) |
Friday, 19 November 2010
funtotravel.info PLACES: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Quite simply one of the most naturally beautiful and fun cities on the planet. Yes it has its problems with violent crime and drugs, but the world can prepare itself for one hell of a party when the Olympics and World Cup come to town during the next decade.
With so much to see and do and so many amazing things on offer, it's not called the cidade maravilhosa (marvellous city) for nothing. The best way to guide you through this simply fantastic city destination is to let you know what we'd do if we had a weekend to kill here. Note that we have recommended throughout that you take taxis - they are a safe and inexpensive way of getting around. We would normally recommend taking public transport, but for many of the sights in Rio it is just not very convenient.
Remember that if you are a sensible traveller and keep your wits about you, the worst thing that will happen to you in Rio is that you'll have a pretty bad hangover. Be aware that English is not very widely spoken (this may change with the Olympics and World Cup coming), so take a good phrasebook, smile, be polite and patient and you'll be fine!
The funtotravel.info guide to Brazil can be found here. Click here for the funtotravel.info members' guide to Rio de Janeiro.
Day 1
After a quick breakfast in your hotel/hostel (Brazilians don't seem to be big on breakfasts really, much like the rest of South America), take a taxi (plentiful and inexpensive in Rio) to Rua Cosme Vehlo 513: you are about to visit a wonder of the world. We know that we've put it first up on our itinerary, but we really don't think that a visit to see Christ the Redeemer on his lofty perch should be delayed by even a second. It's just a jaw-droppingly brilliant experience, though not cheap at around US$12 for the return cable car ride. Take your time at the top, as crowds are likely to be pretty big. The view needs to be seen to be believed:
Take in the sweeping view over Sugarloaf mountain, Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, Botafogo, Ipanema and Copacabana beaches and and if you have the time, pause for a coffee at the unsurprisingly expensive cafe at the top - it's well worth taking your time! Steel yourself for the bill and one last look up at Christ (literally), before taking the tram back down to earth. Don't be surprised if you're serenaded by a samba band on the way down - you should give them some of your change.
Having spent a few hours sunning yourself, indulging in some of the most fascinating people watching on the planet (speedos are just plain wrong wherever you are though!) and marvelling at the sheer range of goods being hawked by the beach sellers, it's time to head back to your hotel/hostel to get ready for a night on the tiles.
Before sunset, take a taxi to the bondinho (street car) station on Rua Profesor Lelio Gama and take the tram up to the beautiful district of Santa Teresa, a hillside area full of charm and colonial architecture, with a slightly rough and ready feel. The tram costs around US$0.40 and takes about 15-20 minutes, though expect a wait around at the station for departure as they only leave every half hour - find a guide here. Don't be alarmed if locals run alongside and get a free ride by hanging off the side - it's normal! Get off at Largo de Guimaraes, a square with some great cafes and restaurants.
Find a restaurant that takes your fancy (we like Bar do Mineiro at Rua Pachoal Carlos Magno 99) and stay for some delicious and filling food as well as a few cachaça (cane sugar liquor) cocktails before taking a cab on to Lapa for dancing (don't walk - the neighbourhood isn't the safest after dark). Lapa is THE area of the city to head to if you fancy dancing the night away - getting your groove on to some samba beats is a must-do experience in Rio. We recommend checking out Carioca de Gama - our favourite of the samba venues in Lapa and a great place for first timers. If you don't fancy dancing then stay in Santa Teresa and check out the bars around Largo de Guimaraes and Largo das Neve for a good drink. Definitely take a cab home - there are hundreds around Lapa around kicking out time so you won't have a problem getting home safely!
Day 2
Bit of a hangover? Start your day with brunch at the brilliant Caroline Cafe near the Botanical Gardens to help lift the fog around your head. If you can't face moving that far then we suggest trying one of the many amazing fresh juice bars around the city - try an acai juice if you want to be like a local. It's purple, blended with honey, sugar, banana or even nuts and it's quite delicious.
Having sated your appetite, do something that will get you under the skin of the 'real' Rio a little more. Rocinha is the first and biggest of Rio's favelas (shanty towns), and you can take a fascinating half-day tour around the neighbourhood with a local guide (do NOT go into any of the favelas on your own). You'll be safe, well-informed and looked after on your trip around this fascinating city within a city. We'd recommend Exotic Tours for their excellent attitude to sustainable tourism. An incredible way to spend half a day, and it will teach you something about how the city really works away from the glitz and glamour of Ipanema and Copacabana.
If day 2 happens to be a Sunday as we've planned, ask your guide to drop you near Copacabana beach, which is brilliant to explore on this particular day because the Avenida Atlantica (the beach road) is closed to traffic since it's Shopping Day!
Drink some fresh coconut juice or a caipirinha if that takes your fancy, grab a snack from one of the roving food venders or cafe cabins on the beach then take a taxi to the cable car station for Pao de Acucar (Sugarloaf Mountain in English). A return ticket to the top costs about US$12, and not only are the views back over the city stunning, but it's an incredible place for sunset.
Come back down to street level on the cable car and make your way back to Ipanema, where for your last supper you will sample a Brazilian eating tradition: the churrascaria. If you're a vegetarian, this isn't for you (though there is a seafood version if that's your bag) - these are all you can eat barbecue restaurants. You pay a set price (not including drinks and sometimes desserts) and are seated at a table with a reversible red/green card. As long as you have the green side showing, the waiters will continue to bring you whatever delicious type of meat the kitchen grills up that second, which will then be carved at your table: gorge yourself on every cut of steak you can think of, sausage, chicken, pork etc until you take mercy on your stomach and show the red side of your card. At this point they will stop serving you meat. Help yourself to the delicious buffet of salads/potatoes/sushi etc, which is included in the price. If you get hungry again, just flip your card to green and let the orgy of eating continue! You'll find many of these restaurants all over Rio but our favourite was Carretao. We saw one woman there cry because she loved the meat so much but couldn't fit any more in. Honestly.
If you still have room in your stomach, head to the obligatory Irish Pub, Shenanigan's, which is popular with tourists and locals, and is a great place to watch sport. After this collapse exhausted following a fun-filled two days.
We hope you've enjoyed your brief virtual tour around this incredible city. We've barely scratched the surface and there is so much more on offer - go for yourselves, explore and report back to us! We haven't even mentioned carneval! We'll save that for another time....
To read the funtotravel.info guide to Brazil, click this link
With so much to see and do and so many amazing things on offer, it's not called the cidade maravilhosa (marvellous city) for nothing. The best way to guide you through this simply fantastic city destination is to let you know what we'd do if we had a weekend to kill here. Note that we have recommended throughout that you take taxis - they are a safe and inexpensive way of getting around. We would normally recommend taking public transport, but for many of the sights in Rio it is just not very convenient.
Remember that if you are a sensible traveller and keep your wits about you, the worst thing that will happen to you in Rio is that you'll have a pretty bad hangover. Be aware that English is not very widely spoken (this may change with the Olympics and World Cup coming), so take a good phrasebook, smile, be polite and patient and you'll be fine!
The funtotravel.info guide to Brazil can be found here. Click here for the funtotravel.info members' guide to Rio de Janeiro.
Day 1
After a quick breakfast in your hotel/hostel (Brazilians don't seem to be big on breakfasts really, much like the rest of South America), take a taxi (plentiful and inexpensive in Rio) to Rua Cosme Vehlo 513: you are about to visit a wonder of the world. We know that we've put it first up on our itinerary, but we really don't think that a visit to see Christ the Redeemer on his lofty perch should be delayed by even a second. It's just a jaw-droppingly brilliant experience, though not cheap at around US$12 for the return cable car ride. Take your time at the top, as crowds are likely to be pretty big. The view needs to be seen to be believed:
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| View from Christ the Redeemer |
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| Jesus: big in Brazil. |
Find yourself a cab and head down to Ipanema beach for a spot of lunch and some sun-bathing. Rio is chock full of excellent eating options, but being the gluttons we are suggest you head for one of the excellent 'por kilo' restaurants in Ipanema. These are buffet restaurants where you pay depending on the weight of food on your plate. Dismiss any sniffy thoughts you might have about buffet food: the fodder on offer is fresh, tasty and varied with great meats, pastas, fried foods, sushi, salad etc on offer. We would recommend the Frontera, which is slightly more upmarket than most, but with a great range of food. Prices are reasonable in what can be a very expensive city (about US$12-15 per kilo - a hell of a lot of sushi!).
Having stuffed yourself silly take the short walk to Ipanema beach and pick yourself a spot. We were reliably told by a number of cariocas (Rio locals) that Copacabana is for tourists and Ipanema is for locals. We think it's prettier and a bit less seedy. You are free to just find yourself a free stretch of sand and throw down your beach towel (harder than you think with huge crowds at weekends!), but you'd be well advised to keep an eye on your things as petty theft is rife. We'd recommend taking up one of the Godfather-like beach vendors on their offer of a couple of deckchairs on their 'patch': spend the afternoon being waited on hand and foot (as well as feeling like your things were being watched for you) - well worth the slightly-inflated price for drinks and snacks as well as the charge for the chairs (around US$5).
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| Ipanema beach: stunning. Speedos everywhere: not so stunning. |
Before sunset, take a taxi to the bondinho (street car) station on Rua Profesor Lelio Gama and take the tram up to the beautiful district of Santa Teresa, a hillside area full of charm and colonial architecture, with a slightly rough and ready feel. The tram costs around US$0.40 and takes about 15-20 minutes, though expect a wait around at the station for departure as they only leave every half hour - find a guide here. Don't be alarmed if locals run alongside and get a free ride by hanging off the side - it's normal! Get off at Largo de Guimaraes, a square with some great cafes and restaurants.
 |
| The Bondinho tram in Santa Teresa |
Day 2
Bit of a hangover? Start your day with brunch at the brilliant Caroline Cafe near the Botanical Gardens to help lift the fog around your head. If you can't face moving that far then we suggest trying one of the many amazing fresh juice bars around the city - try an acai juice if you want to be like a local. It's purple, blended with honey, sugar, banana or even nuts and it's quite delicious.
Having sated your appetite, do something that will get you under the skin of the 'real' Rio a little more. Rocinha is the first and biggest of Rio's favelas (shanty towns), and you can take a fascinating half-day tour around the neighbourhood with a local guide (do NOT go into any of the favelas on your own). You'll be safe, well-informed and looked after on your trip around this fascinating city within a city. We'd recommend Exotic Tours for their excellent attitude to sustainable tourism. An incredible way to spend half a day, and it will teach you something about how the city really works away from the glitz and glamour of Ipanema and Copacabana.
If day 2 happens to be a Sunday as we've planned, ask your guide to drop you near Copacabana beach, which is brilliant to explore on this particular day because the Avenida Atlantica (the beach road) is closed to traffic since it's Shopping Day!
 |
| Sundays: No traffic on Copacabana beach |
 |
| View from Sugarloaf Mountain |
If you still have room in your stomach, head to the obligatory Irish Pub, Shenanigan's, which is popular with tourists and locals, and is a great place to watch sport. After this collapse exhausted following a fun-filled two days.
We hope you've enjoyed your brief virtual tour around this incredible city. We've barely scratched the surface and there is so much more on offer - go for yourselves, explore and report back to us! We haven't even mentioned carneval! We'll save that for another time....
To read the funtotravel.info guide to Brazil, click this link
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
funtotravel.info TIPS: How to stay healthy while you're travelling
The nature of independent travel means that at some point you are likely to get sick. A lot of backpackers travel to exotic countries, cover a lot of ground in the time they’re away, carry around a heavy bag, spend a lot of time on night buses and trains and some indulge in strenuous activities like treks, kayaking trips, long bike rides etc. For this reason, tiredness tends to set in frequently making you more susceptible to illness.
For information on inoculations and injections, please see our upcoming blog on that very subject.
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| Cocktail buckets, Thailand: a lot of fun, but not such a good way to stay healthy! |
To keep yourself fighting-fit, we suggest the following tips:
- Get a decent amount of sleep – if you’ve been on an overnight or just a very long bus or train trip, give yourself time to recover, even if you feel like you slept during the journey – it will catch up with you!
- When you’re in what you would objectively consider to be a less-developed country, avoid tap water and stick to bottled or filtered water instead. Try to avoid creating over-excessive waste by re-using water bottles where possible – many hostels and guesthouses will now refill your bottle for you. Also avoid drinks with ice that may come from tap water in similarly undeveloped areas, though in heavily touristed destinations they are used to making ice from boiled water, which is fine. If in doubt, avoid ice.
- Yes, your mother was right, eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as you can to boost your immune system. The exception to this rule is if you are in an area where the tap water is unsafe to drink. Eat only fruit that you’ve peeled yourself as you won’t know whether it has been washed in untreated tap water. Boiled vegetables though will be fine since any bacteria will have been killed by the boiling process.
- It may seem like overkill, but take (and use!) anti-bacterial handwash – it will prevent the spread of harmful bacteria that could see you confined to your bed for days at a time.
- If you are travelling somewhere where you are unsure of the freshness of the food/availability of refrigeration, avoid meat as you never know quite how long it has been sitting out, particularly in hot climates.
- Be cautious (though not overly so) of buffet food, particularly at service stations or road-stops – it is likely to have been sitting for a long while and can be a haven for bacteria.
- Make sure all of your inoculations are up to date before you leave home.
- Ensure that your travel insurance covers you for any doctors appointments or medicines you require should you be unfortunate enough to get sick.
- Take a small but adequately stocked medical kit with you, complete with plasters/small bandages, rehydration salts in case you get sick, painkillers (useful for hangovers if nothing else) and any other personal medication you require.
- If you are in hot climates or doing a lot of physical exertion, keep yourself well-hydrated and aim to drink at least 2 litres of water (bottled if tap water is unsafe) per day. This will help keep you feel in shape and healthy.
Try and eat a balanced diet and never be afraid to try local food or taste regional specialities (bearing in mind the above tips though!) – if it’s good enough for the locals, it’s good enough for you. The last thing we would want any of the above tips to do would be to put you off trying any dish offered to you because trying the local food is one of the great pleasures of travel; all we suggest is that you use your common sense.
Stay well-rested, well-hydrated and in good shape physically and you will most-likely avoid sickness during your trip.
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