- The first precaution: Eat carefully! Traveler's diarrhea can easily ruin a holiday! Steaming-hot, well-cooked food is usually the safest. Avoid eating foods from street vendors, unpasteurized dairy products, and raw or uncooked seafood. Peel the fruits yourself.
- Drink water only from commercially sealed bottles or else go in for carbonated beverages. Avoid using ice. Brush your teeth with bottled water.
- If you're going to a place where you could face an increased risk of mosquito-borne diseases, protect yourself well. Insect repellents that contain DEET(N, N-diethyl-metatoluamide) work the best. If possible, wear permethrin-coated clothing and use nets while you sleep.
- Sunburn can be hazard if you plan to spend a lot of time in the hot sun. Use a sun block with a sun protection factor (SPF) greater than 15 and reapply this lotion after swimming or sweating.
- If you are going trekking in the mountains, you should be aware of the risk of developing acute mountain sickness, which is caused by a lack of oxygen when travelling to higher elevations. This form of sickness usually occurs at an altitude: headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, poor appetite and inability to sleep. It can be prevented by gradually ascending over several days to give your body a chance to acclimatize to the higher altitudes.
