Prior to any trip, it is critical to your enjoyment to consult your doctor and make sure that the itinerary accommodates your current health. What you could do ten yeas ago may not be realistic for you at this point in your life. If your doctor recommends that you avoid long hikes with uneven pathways or extra spicy food, then please heed that advice. Not only could you possibly injure yourself or tire yourself needlessly, you may actually cause an incident that may affect your entire travel group and land you in a foreign country’s hospital where the care may be questionable.
Secondly, check the CDC or State Department websites for recommended vaccines/medications for your travel destination. Do not think that you are immune to foreign diseases because you won’t be there long or are only staying in a large city. Don’t forget to keep up with your regular care immunizations including TDAP, flu shots and COVID. We keep records of all of our vaccines on a Yellow International Certificate of Vaccines and carry it with us when we travel. And yes, it has been checked by border passport control and yes, they were not letting some people cross over if they didn’t have a Yellow Fever vaccine traveling from Tanzania to Keyna.
Besides prescription drugs, we always take medications from home along on our trips on the off chance we may fall ill. I take cold remedies, diarrhea and stomach upset meds from home that I know will work on my body. It is horrible to try to find a pharmacy abroad and then a medication that will work for you when you don’t feel well. If you need help and are unsure where to go, ask the concierge, tour guide, or even the person sitting next to you where to go for help. As a side note, make sure your prescription drugs and all medications are correctly labeled so there is no question at customs what you are bringing in. It also is helpful to keep a list of your medications with the milligrams and dosage on your phone or somewhere safe in case you lose one.
Remember to bring your insurance information with you, with a separate copy in your suitcase. Keep in mind that your Medicate insurance will likely not cover you outside the US. We purchase supplemental travel insurance that includes transport and hospital care. In some countries, good medical care is a long distance away. It’s best to be prepared for any eventuality.
A few more general guidelines: Be careful about getting too close to animals in foreign countries, most are not vaccinated. We always wear a KN95 mask on flights out of the US, just to be safe. You will not regret wearing good, comfortable walking shoes no matter if they are not the most stylish. A trip is not the time to break in new shoes. Take along a walking stick for hiking, they are really handy, are lightweight and can be folded up and stored. Bring a lightweight, foldable hat, sunglasses and sunscreen even for cloudy days. Sunburn can ruin your holiday.
Finally, everyone is super excited to be on holiday and can’t wait to see what there is to see. Just don’t overdo it, especially on the first several days of travel when you may be suffering from jet lag. Mom and I find booking a massage for the day after arrival helps us work out the long flight kinks and renews our bodies and minds. Reserve some energy for every day of your tour. Take some pain-relieving patches for mysterious aches and pains, moleskin for blisters and electrolytes for overexertion. I always like to take some immune support gummies in case I start to feel low, the extra shot of vitamins usually makes me feel better.
Basically, just be smart about your health when you travel. You will have a much more enjoyable trip and so will everyone else!
