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As we approach 2025, we all have grand intentions of making a brand-new fresh start. With this in mind, is planning your summer holidays too early? Definitely not.
We can't stress enough the importance of planning ahead for your holidays particularly if you’re planning an adventurous holiday to less developed, tropical regions. In doing so you'll go a long way to ensuring that you and your family have a safe, stress free and unforgettable experience abroad.
In this article, we’ll cover the following important areas for your overseas adventure:
General Travel Tips
1. Passport and visa checks: Ensure all travel documents are in order
It's surprising how often official documentation like passports and visas can be overlooked. Firstly, check that your passport is not due to expire and has at least six months of validity at the time that you’re returning to your home country.
You’ll also need to apply for your visa well in advance . Some countries even insist you should have mandatory travel vaccinations as part of the visa application. For example, you’ll need the Meningitis ACWY vaccination, if you plan to go on a pilgrimage to the Hajj or Umrah. Both Ghana and Uganda insist on a valid Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate to apply for a visa. If you’re not sure, ask an expert independent travel clinic such as Health Klinix
Visa application processes for some countries can be very slow and bureaucratic, so please be patient and start applying a minimum of four weeks before your journey.
2. Budget planning: Estimate travel costs and start saving
Budget planning will ensure you don’t run out of money. Obvious costs are flights, accommodation transport and food but don't forget to consider the following for longer, exotic trips:
Travel vaccinations –the cost of holiday jabs can really mount up and sometimes be several hundred pounds; occasionally more than the cost of the flight!
Personal spending money for gifts etc
Basic living cost items such as toothpaste, shampoo, soaps
Healthcare costs –if you're unfortunate enough to become ill during your travel, you may need to pay for healthcare costs upfront before you can claim back from your travel insurance. So make sure you have a contingency budget for this.
3. Packing tips: How to pack light and smart
Do you end up packing far more than you need? Do you really need that hairdryer?
Why pack light?
Well, there's a multitude of reasons. You'll have less to carry, you’ll pay less in extra luggage, it'll be easier to pack and unpack, and your holiday will be a whole lot enjoyable if you're not lugging oversize baggage.
Packing only the things that you need is also more environmentally sustainable, and instead of focusing on material things, your travel will be more about mindfulness and a journey of discovery of new cultures and experiences.
Here are a few tips:
Choose the right luggage - Whether you carry a suitcase or a backpack depends on your activities. A suitcase will be suitable for a short European holiday but if you’re travelling overland and doing a lot of walking then you might want to consider a backpack. Just remember, make sure your backpack is not too big; although the size depends on your journey a 65 Litre rucksack is a good option.
Plan what you're going to wear - Think about what you’re doing on your holiday and try and plan different outfits for each occasion. Try to pack quick drying clothes that won 't crease easily. Think about the weather at your destination and choose appropriately.
A maximum of three items of footwear- Be ruthless! You need a pair of good quality sandals for the beach and sometimes walking, a pair of light comfortable walking shoes/trainers and a pair of formal shoes if you really need to. And that's it!
Pack travel size personal items - Make sure everything is miniaturised such as toiletries. Replace shirts for T-shirts and shorts for trousers wherever possible.
Packing clothes: Roll or fold? - This depends but as a rule, small items such as underwear and socks can be rolled, whereas larger items such as sweaters and clothes that may crease easily should be folded.
Get rid of those ‘ just in case’ items - If you really need them, they can be purchased on your journey.
Minimise electronics - If you think about it, you just need a phone charger and perhaps an e-reader book for most journeys. Spend more time absorbing the local atmosphere and talking to other people, a far better way to get your dopamine kick.
Create a checklist and review Finally, it's a good idea to have a checklist that's fine tuned for every journey. By creating a well honed ‘essentials checklist’, you won't have to undergo excruciating deliberations about what to pack; you'll just do it by habit.
4. Travel insurance: Why it’s important for international trips.
Travel insurance abroad is absolutely essential. Falling ill and being admitted to hospital can be extremely costly, especially if you need repatriation. You’ll also need cover in case you lose all your possessions, etc. Which? The consumer watchdog recommends the minimum following cover:
Medical cover: £5 million
Cancellation cover: £2000 or the full cost of your holiday
Personal belongings: £1500 or the value of your possessions
5. Booking accommodation and transport in advance
If you’re new to travelling and feel anxious about a new country and unfamiliar surroundings then it’s good to book all your accommodation and transport in advance. If you have more time and are a seasoned traveller, you might wish to go with the flow but it would still be wise to have somewhere to stay planned for the first one or two nights.
6. Travel Vaccinations
Make sure you get your holiday vaccinations. This is a vital part of your preparation to stay healthy and safe during your trip. You’ll need to be up to date with your childhood vaccinations like Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) and tetanus. If you’re travelling to the tropics, think of Hepatitis A and typhoid; both of which are transmitted by contaminated food and water but are preventable by vaccination.
Also ask your travel clinic if you’ll need the yellow fever vaccine if you’re going to South America or Africa.
Hepatitis B vaccination is part of the childhood immunisation schedule in many countries including the UK and is very common in parts of Africa and Asia. Again, get expert travel health advice to see if you might need the hepatitis B vaccine.
Travel Health Preparation
7. How to find out what travel vaccinations you need based on destination
It’s always worth getting expert travel health advice from a specialist travel clinic such as Health Klinix because you might need travel injections even when you least think it’s not necessary. For example, if you’re hiking or trekking through forests and woodland in Northern European destinations such as Scandinavia, you might need the Tick Borne Encephalitis vaccine.
A handy tip is to try and get some of your travel vaccinations free through your GP but they’ll need plenty of notice, so book early.
8. Timeline for vaccinations: When to get vaccinated
You should plan well in advance for your travel vaccinations, ideally at least 4-6 weeks in advance as some vaccine schedules like the rabies vaccine are administered over one month. If you’re a last minute traveller, don’t worry as we can still advise you on the best vaccine schedule for enable you to travel as safely as possible.
9. The importance of a travel health consultation with a doctor or travel clinic
Travel health advice is either free through your GP or inexpensive at independent travel clinics like Health Klinix. We only charge a modest £30 for 1 person for an expert, high quality travel health consultation. Book now for an appointment.
Local Health Considerations
10. Researching health risks and diseases specific to your destination.
We’ve already discussed the importance of identifying what vaccines you might need for specific destinations so it’s important to seek expert medical advice. You can also get trusted, reliable information from authoritative sites such as Travel Health Pro
11. Advice on safe food and water practices while traveling to avoid illnesses
Travellers diarrhoea is the commonest ailment you’re likely to encounter with up to 70% of travellers being affected . Learn how to make water safe to drink in our recent blog or alternatively here’s a useful leaflet on deciding whether food and water is safe.
12. Carrying essential travel medications or a health kit
The last thing you need when you’ve fallen ill is to try to find a hospital or a clinic in an unfamiliar environment. Even if you did succeed, explaining your symptoms in a different language can be exasperating in itself. By taking a simple travel health kit with basic medicines and other items you might be able to avoid this. Our recent article, “Packing for a Healthy Trip: What to Include in Your Travel Health Kit” has a useful travel health kit checklist.
Emotional Travel Preparation:
13. How to prepare mentally for the trip
First of all, remember why you're going on your holidays. This is the perfect time to:
Dis-engage from your normal, rigid routine
To spend some time doing things that you really want to.
So here are a few tips to help you prepare emotionally for your travel:
First, Press that pause button - Remember you're now putting your usual life on hold and doing something completely different to recharge those batteries.
Slow down- Accept that things might take longer than usual and may not always go so well. This is the time to wind down.
Reconnect with your family and friends This is the time to engage with your partner/friends and spend time with your children doing fun things. If you're travelling alone why not go and introduce yourself to other travellers? I've back packed solo, many times around the world and have always been welcomed by other like-minded individuals.
Immerse yourself with a local culture and people – Take time to learn at least a few words of the local language, they'll love you for it!
Practice yoga and meditation -Your holidays are a fantastic opportunity for you to unwind and rediscover yourself. It's a great time to reset, and by making a start you might even develop lifelong habits that continue to heal your soul, long after returning from your holidays.
14.Tips on staying calm during travel disruptions or unfamiliar situations
On your travels, you might miss that crucial connecting bus to your next destination. Then the taxi driver wants to charge you an extortionate fare. It’s easy to get angry and frustrated. In such situations you might have to accept that you might not be able to stick to your usual schedule. While you're waiting, why not practice the new language with the locals? Don't be afraid to joke about your linguistic blunders, it helps to establish rapport! This always worked on my backpacking adventures.
If all else fails, find a quiet café, relax and enjoy that book you couldn't put down earlier. Most of all have a sense of humour! – it will carry you through the difficult times.
In summary, plan your travel well in advance. Make sure you book your consultation at your local travel clinic early because as we’ve discussed already, some of those travel vaccination schedules can take several weeks to complete.
Remember – Have fun!
Sources and References:
Travel Health Pro - Travel Health advice
Foreign Travel Advice - UK Govt
Travellers’ Diarrhoea - Centres for Disease Control
Written and Approved by:
Dr Ravi Gowda
Consultant Physician in Infectious Diseases
MBBS, MRCP(UK), MRCGP, DTM&H, DCH, DRCOG, DFFP
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