TRAVEL TIPS: STAYING SAFE IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY

Travel Safety

The world is your oyster – far away destinations have been opened up with the advent of air travel and competitive airfares, (Book you next airfares with trivago flights)  and while it’s great to be able to experience the different cultures to be found around the world, travel abroad can also be a risky experience. Landing yourself in prison is one thing if you don’t familiarize yourself with local laws, but how about the safety aspect too? Safety standards can be very different in one country to the next – the quality and safety of rental cars and motorbikes, for example, can vary hugely from one country or region to another, so you shouldn’t take anything for granted. Here are some pointers that should help you to stay safe in a foreign country. Food and Drink The quality of water that comes out of a tap varies hugely around the world. In the western world we’re pretty much guaranteed high-quality water and we know it’s safe to drink straight from the tap, though the same can’t be said for everywhere. In Turkey for example, the quality of water has really improved over the last decade, but drinking bottled water is still advisable. Unfortunately we cannot control how water is used to prepare food and it is possible that you’ll end up with a sore tummy just from eating a perfectly innocent salad that was washed using tap water. Food preparation and hygiene standards also vary immensely around the world. What one local may have no trouble eating could have you running for the bathroom simply because your stomach is not used to it. There could be higher levels of bacteria in the food if it hasn’t been stored properly and your stomach won’t like these! Choose your food wisely and bring a pack of medication in case you cannot buy it where you’re going. Renting a Vehicle Road traffic accidents are a huge cause of injuries and fatalities for tourists around the world, either because they were not familiar with the roads and rules of the road, or because they were driving an unsafe vehicle. As I mentioned earlier, the quality of rental cars, motorbikes and scooters can be much lower than what you are used to driving back home. Obviously you can’t stand there and do a full inspection of a vehicle before you rent it, but renting from a reputable, international company should help. They will have higher safety standards and controls than independent companies, and should something go wrong they will be in a better position to help you out.rnBefore driving anywhere in a foreign country, first familiarise yourself with the vehicle, checking that you know where all the controls are. If road signs are in a different language it would be useful to do some research before travelling so that you recognize what the signs mean. High-Risk Adventure Adrenalin junkies have been known to travel the world in search of the newest and scariest activity, but these kind of adventures are usually high-risk and dangerous, so think very carefully before you decide to do something you wouldn’t usually even consider doing back home! Even if you have travel medical insurance be aware that most extreme sports will not be covered under a policy, so if you injure yourself doing something extreme you should be prepared to pay the consequences, in more ways than one. It seems that oftentimes tourists will leave their common sense at home when traveling, but don’t let this be the case with you! Pack a suitcase full of common sense, and you should be pretty much guaranteed a safe yet fun vacation!