| A journey of a thousand miles begins with one small step.. A little advance planning can go a long way to ensure that you have an enjoyable and hassle-free trip. By keeping in mind some simple travel tips, you can avoid or minimise unexpected problems whilst abroad.
Consider Travel Insurance
No one ever plans for the unexpected to occur while travelling. Whether you are a holidaymaker or a business traveller, you should always consider buying travel insurance, to be better prepared for such unforeseen situations. Most travel insurance services includes 24 hour worldwide assistance hotline for you to dial in any case of emergency.
Travel insurance offers a wide range of plans and can cover a variety of circumstances. The price for each plan varies according to the coverage that you select. Do not hesitate to call our customer service team at +65 65380318 should you require further information on travel insurance.
Prepare a Medical Kit
Ask your doctor to help you put together a first aid kit to bring with you. Depending on your needs and travel plans, you may wish to include the following items:
Medication :
Bring along your personal medications.
Items for External Use :
- Antiseptic solution or cream – for cuts and grazes
- Calamine lotion – for skin rashes and insect bites
- Cotton wool/cotton buds – for applying medicine
- Gauze – for cleaning wounds
- Plasters, adhesive dressings – for dressing small wounds
- Adhesive tape – for holding dressings
- Forceps – for removing splinters or stings
- Scissors – for cutting gauze
- Thermometer – for measuring body temperature
Do not forget to include an insect repellent and a sunscreen or sunblock lotion with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 if you are going to spend a lot of time outdoors.
Prevent Common Travel Problems
Motion Sickness :
Motion sickness occurs when your brain receives too many mixed signals from your eyes and the balance organs in your ears.
To prevent or minimise motion sickness:
Ask your doctor to prescribe anti-motion sickness tablets or skin patches.
These usually need to be taken or applied one to several hours before departure. While travelling in a vehicle, aircraft or ship, take slow, deep breaths.
Try to face forward and look at a distant stationary object.
Avoid concentrating on nearby objects such as reading a book.
Avoid physical discomfort e.g. Cold draughts or unpleasant smells.
Keep your mind occupied by doing something (e.g. Chatting with the person next to you) or just sleep it off.
Jet Lag :
When you travel to a vastly different time zone, you may find it difficult to stay awake in the daytime but have trouble sleeping at night. This is called jet lag and results from a change to your body's normal sleep-wake cycle when you travel across time zones.
To minimise the effects of jet lag:
- Try to eat and sleep according to the local time at your destination as soon as you can.
- If you are travelling when it would be night at your destination, try to spend as much time as possible asleep. Take a mild sleeping pill to help you sleep.
- If you are flying during what would be daylight at your destination, try to remain awake. Get up and walk around the cabin or do stretching exercises in your seat.
- Drink plenty of water or fruit juice to prevent dehydration, which can worsen jet lag
- Avoid alcoholic and caffeinated drinks. Do not overeat or smoke during your journey
- Do not plan too many activities on your first day of arrival
- If you arrive in the day, 1.) Take a walk outdoors in the sun. This will help reset your biological clock more quickly. 2) Continue your exercise programme. This will help you keep awake in the day and tire you out for a more restful sleep at night.
- Avoid napping, as this will delay your body's adjustment to the new time zone. If you must, limit your nap to no more than one hour.
Prevent Travel Diseases
Food and Water Borne Diseases :
Eating food or drinking water contaminated with germs can cause:
- Traveller's diarrhoea
- Typhoid
- Cholera
- Hepatitis A
What You Can Do :
Avoid undercooked meat and seafood especially shellfish Eat only food that has been properly cooked and is still hot when served Drink only bottled water or water that has been boiled or disinfected with chlorine Avoid salads, peeled fruits, unpasteurised milk, ice crem and ice cubes
Flu Prevention :
- If you are travelling to countries affected by avian flu, avoid contact with poultry and refrain from visiting commercial or backyard poultry farms and markets selling live birds.
- Avoid handling or consuming raw or uncooked poultry or foods containing uncooked poultry (including eggs)
- Avoid close contact with anyone who appears unwell
- Stay in well-ventilated places and avoid crowded areas
For more information on travellers health, please go to www.hpb.gov.sg
Source: Health Promotion Board (Singapore)
Protection Guide
- Protect your true essentials: passports, air tickets, Traveler's Cheque, credit cards, keep them in the money-belt
- Be particularly alert during potentially dangerous times and places.
- Divide your money and keep at separate places. Do not flaunt your money.
Budget
Be prepared and start saving. To work out a realistic budget, you need to do a bit of research. Talk to someone who have been there and done that. That way, you would get a better picture of how much you need on a daily basis: food, transportation, accommodation and activities. It is often better to over budget so you will have adequate funds in case of emergencies. We would strongly suggest to take with you at least two forms of payment: a mixture of cash, Travelers Cheque and credit cards and don't keep them together in one place.
Cash
Always carry a bit of cash when you arrive in another country and only carry as much as you need for the day. Keep your money in a money belt or neck pouch instead of you purse or back pocket to avoid any unwanted attention. In poorer countries, it's best to always carry small denominations and make sure that you keep it safe.
Travelers Cheque
A safe and handy way of carrying your money when you are travelling, and usually it is hassle free. Your two matching signatures and identification which are required when cashing, offer an increased level of security over cash.
Credit Cards
Credit cards are flexible, indispensable and come in handy during emergencies and making that unexpected big purchases. They can be used to withdraw local currency from cash machines worldwide: which is a safe way to carry money.
Debit or Bank Cards
You can use your debit or bank card to withdraw local currency from ATM's around the world if your card has a Cirrus or Plus sign on the back of it. This way, you won't have to carry all the cash with you all the time and more importantly, to avoid problems of running up a huge bill as you will be drawing money from your current account. |
