| If you are preparing for a trip - be it vacation or | | | | more risky than others - be it recreational, sports, social |
| business trip you may well have concerns for your | | | | or culinary activities. |
| health and how to protect your health while you are | | | | Along with the questions of your choice of activities |
| traveling. How can you best prepare for your | | | | and general nature of your locations - be they up to |
| concerns? | | | | date modern or very remote and perhaps primitive |
| First and foremost sit down and prepare a list of the | | | | although exciting and quaint is the question of length of |
| countries that you are visiting. This can either done | | | | stay and duration at any of the points and areas |
| longhand or onto a word-processing program on your | | | | traveled to. It stands to reason that a shorter trip |
| computer. List the countries that you will be visiting and | | | | means less exposure and encountering of diseases |
| the time frame that you plan to spend in each. Then, | | | | that are not standard to you - or even exotic in nature. |
| you will find that there will be mainly five categories of | | | | On the other side of the coin you may become |
| questions to determine the degree of detail and the | | | | acclimatized if you stay in an area longer. For example |
| steps needed to plan ahead. | | | | if there is flu to catch - once you caught it you may |
| First where are you going? Where are you traveling | | | | now have immunity against this illness and even worse |
| to? You should ask your self what illnesses are | | | | ones. Many people get sick from the local pathogens |
| present in these regions. What is the general level of | | | | along with the standard effects of travel and jetlag in |
| sanitation? How close by and competent is medical | | | | the first several days no matter what. Different foods |
| care in these regions and areas? As a guidepost ask - | | | | and meals and even the water may affect people in |
| are there any teaching hospitals in these areas - the | | | | the first couple of days and then they are perfectly |
| presence of these will indicate a higher sophistication | | | | fine. Ditto for the first couple days of strong sun - |
| of access and training. In addition there are routine | | | | especially for winter time vacations as well as new |
| logistic questions and markers such as to how harsh is | | | | variations in geography, climate, temperature, altitude, |
| the climate and how safe and rapid are the roads. | | | | time changes etc etc etc. Hence it may be wiser to |
| Lastly is the country politically stable and if so are | | | | visit fewer places, staying longer stays in each and |
| changes in the works. | | | | having overall a much better time. |
| Next what will you be doing in these areas and on | | | | Remember in the end its all about having an enjoyable |
| your travels? It is not a question of what you will be | | | | vacation or business trip. |
| doing but where. For example if you are conducting | | | | If you are not in good health during your travels either |
| the same type of business, travel or recreational | | | | your vacation will not be as enjoyable as it could well |
| interest in a more isolated, rustic but more backwaters | | | | be. In the case of a business trip - how effective and |
| areas than in a major center you will at greater health | | | | efficient and ultimately profitable will be venture be if |
| risks than if you were in a more up to date area - | | | | you are in poor health. Plan ahead for your travel for |
| whether it be a metropolitan area or a vacation travel | | | | health concerns and any health concerns that you |
| resort area than in an isolated mountain top area | | | | have or may well encounter. |
| trekking up the mountain. In addition some activities are | | | | |