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11 Vacation Safety Tips

Anyone reading the popular newspapers will have read quite a few examples of the dreadful troubles that sometimes occur as a result of unexpected illness whilst on holiday.

A holidaymaker who got hit by a terrible dose of traveler's diahrea whilst taking a vacation in an exotic holiday resort and ended up spending the whole holiday in the holiday apartment. A friend or relative who foolishly drank the tap water, went down with ghastly stomach ache and confusion and still isn't well now. One of the youngsters gets attacked by some horrible local insect and needs medical treatment.

The end result is often the same, it usually ruined the holiday, cost them an absolute fortune and deterred them from taking overseas holidays for a long time to come.

Clearly, you don't want to suffer the same, so here's a list of pointers to keep you safe and healthy and make sure that avoid the misery of a spoiled holiday:

Before setting off
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Although you cant anticipate every potential problem, there are a few simple precautions you can take to make sure you have a healthy holiday.

* Remember to pack any prescription drugs that you or your party take on a regular basis.

* Ensure that you take first aid supplies that might be needed in your vacation resort.

* Ensure to take the contact details of your pharmacist and medical care provider.

* If you suffer from motion sickness, there are a few simple precautions you can take to improve things. If you suffer car-sickness, make sure you sit in the front passenger seat and don't read anything. If traveling by ship, stay close to the middle of the boat. If affected by air sickness, make sure you sit near the wing of the plane. If you are a sufferer from very bad motion sickness you may want to look at one of the prescription travel sickness medicines.

Get the right travel insurance
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Insurance policies are all different, so assess your particular circumstances and make sure that your insurance policy covers what you need. Before you set-off, read and understand your chosen policy and what it covers. If you are unsure over any section of the insurance policy, seek a full explanation before departing. Most importantly, make sure you include the insurance policy with the rest of your travel documents.

* When selecting your insurance policy, check the ways in which they settle your insurance claims. Do you have to pay for the medical services first, followed by a reimbursement, or is the money paid directly from the insurance company to the health care provider ?

* When selecting your travel policy, check for how the travel policy applies terms like 'pre-existing condition', or 'medical exclusions'. Do they provide them with a get out clause?

* When choosing your health policy, look for age limits or medical waivers that that might affect your claim.

* Does your travel policy still provide cover for you if you participate in any adventure activities you are looking forward to.

Eating safely when abroad
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Perhaps the nastiest thing that can happen to you on your vacation, is to get a serious stomach upset or food poisoning. Here is a little advice to help you stay happy in your vaction destination:

* Be careful with the water. If you can, drink only bottled water, and always examine the seal on the bottle to make sure it is not a used bottle that has been refilled by dodgy retailers. If you have any doubts over the quality of the local water, it is not a bad idea to even stay away from ice cubes in your drinks. If you use the local drinking water, make sure you boil it for 10 minutes first..

* Perhaps the most important advice, stay clear of foods that require a lot of handling before being served.

* Be very cautious with seafood, in particular shellfish as it may have lived in water that is polluted.