Top Tips on how to Stay Safe Abroad

Firstly, decide where you’re going on holiday and then get it booked! Perhaps you decided to stay in a luxury villa or just fancy going all inclusive at a hotel with water slides perfect for children, whatever takes your fancy, once you have booked your holiday you’ll need to think about what it is going to be like abroad…

Being abroad is completely different to the UK (but don’t worry about any of this, just safety precautions to ensure you enjoy your holiday!), so here are top tips on how to stay safe abroad:

1) Keep an eye on your possessions- make sure that you are not displaying anything valuable, as this will attract unwanted attention.

2) Plan routes to and from where you are staying so it is easier to find where you are looking for and avoids mistakes, therefore less wrong turns will be made, which could potentially lead to danger.

3) Know local customs There are many gestures that you may be accustomed to, but are frowned upon in other countries where they may be seen as offensive.

4) Dress appropriately- learn how the locals dress. If the locals are dressed in a moderate way, you should dress the same, as you do not want to cause offense to the local community and culture.

5) Before leaving for your travels, you should make copies of everything before you leave, such as; your passport, travel tickets, driver’s license, and any other important documents. If anything unfortunate were to happen, having additional copies can make it easier for you need to recover any of your documents if they were to be stolen.

5) Make sure that you get the addresses and phone numbers of your country’s embassy before your arrival to the foreign country as this can help you if you end up in trouble with the law or if you have any important documents stolen.

6) Check if you can drink the tap water- you want to be safe and healthy whilst on holiday; not in bed and unwell because you didn’t know that the water was undrinkable!

Making sure that you prepare for your holiday is a crucial aspect of the planning process before leaving to go abroad! Being safe is usually taken for granted and people over look the idea of being in a situation abroad where they are not safe, however being prepared for worst case scenarios has many benefits which are hugely important if anything bad was to happen.

Jabs Information

Finding information on whether you need injections for travelling or whether you are going to be visiting a destination where you are unsure which injections are needed- making sure you double check and confirm with a nurse or GP to talk about what you are anxious about, if anything, and put your mind at ease and make sure you are prepared for your holiday abroad!

Booking an appointment with a nurse at your local doctors surgery can be a key way to understand what is needed and what you need to prepare for. This can range from injections that cost you, therefore being able to afford them is important! The injections are not all supplied by the NHS, for example, the Rabies injection is not available through the NHS, therefore making sure you book an appointment with the hospital to make sure you have the jabs in the correct amount of time before your travels is essential.

Completing your own research is another thing that should be top on your to do list- for example knowing where there are higher chances of contracting an infection are, as in some areas it may be more likely that there are wild animals, so having certain vaccinations are fundamental. 

Researching whether you actually need the jabs could save you a lot of money, as in some cases, you may be told that you need every single injection (even if you are not needing all of them)! Although in some instances, it is vital to get the jabs- therefore understanding and having a basic understanding of what you need is always good to have. Thailand is one destination in which you may have to get vaccinations for!

The destination you are travelling to may not need any injections at all, however making sure you are safe rather than sorry is the way forward.