Travel Health and Safety

When choosing a bag (a handbag, travel purse, daypack, or backpack) for travel or city use most people will give some thought to security. It makes sense to buy a bag that makes a bag snatcher’s or pickpocket’s life as hard as possible. We’ve taken a look at the best anti theft travel bags for …

So here’s the thing, Tibet is way, way high. Crazy high. Everyone knows that to trek in the Himalayas you’ll have altitude issues and probably need to take diamox and have acclimatisation days and such like, but before we set off to Tibet last week I hadn’t actually thought much about the altitude of the …

We’ve been on the road well over 5 years now and finally we decided to get our rabies vaccinations. When we first set out for South East Asia with a 6 year old and 8 year old, we decided that rabies jabs for travel weren’t necessary, so why, after 50 or so countries including India, …

I’m a biologist, my degree is in Physionlogy, I worked in hospital medical science for 20 years, I know a bit about science. I also have kids, kids that have been to Everest Base Camp. Together, we wrote this simple explanation to altitude sickness and acclimatisation, with links to videos and further resources. We hope …

It may surprise you to know that you don’t need to be Ironman fit (as I am) to trek in the Himalayas. Most people will require minimal preparation for a Himalayan trek, be that in Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, India, even Pakistan. You won’t want to be a couch potato for these high altitude treks, but …

Fit and healthy, two things people generally want to be, but does travel help you get fitter, or is the opposite true? It can be a challenge maintaining fitness, healthy eating and living when you’re on the road but it’s possible as many of the travellers below can prove. The key lies in maintaining intention. …

Around Christmas time, at home in Romania, we borrowed a friend’s hacksaw to try to cut my engagement ring off. Drastic measures to resolve a simple problem. I’d put on so much weight that my rings were wedged on causing me pain. The hacksaw plan didn’t work so I decided to lose the weight instead, …

It happens, I can’t deny that. People get robbed when they travel. People also get robbed at home so is the occurrence more likely on the road? I don’t think so. I’ve visited 50+ countries over too many years and have suffered two thefts and one attempted theft, that’s not so bad. This blog is …

Have you heard of smart luggage? I hadn’t until very recently, but it’s a ” thing” a mind-blowingly amazing thing. The future is here and people are buying it. Smart luggage is the latest buzz word for the tech aware traveller thirsting for the latest innovations. If you need you luggage to have built-in tracking, …

Thailand is one of the more tricky countries for travellers to handle their travel money at minimum cost. We normally tell our readers just to get money out at ATM s or cash points, but in Thailand, that costs a lot. Just withdrawing cash from an ATM in Thailand can cost you half a day’s budget, …

Many travellers encounter mosquitoes or mosquitos (both spellings are correct) as they travel in warm and tropical climates. We have travelled for years, and our home base is full of mosquitos. This is what really works in avoiding mosquitos and their bites. Mosquitoes carry diseases that you really want to avoid. If you thought too …

There are ways to save money on travel that are great, a good idea, the best ways. But trying to save money and travel on a tight budget isn’t so good sometimes. Best ways to save money on travel, and when not to cut travel costs. We’ve just completed one year of family travel on …

Perimenopause has been a roller-coaster ride for sure. When we left home in 2013 I already knew that I was in the midst of this interesting time of life, but I didn’t expect my symptoms to get progressively worse and to cause us a few problems as we travel. I’m tough, really tough, not a delicate flower …

Monkeys are everywhere here in Sri Lanka. I’m sitting outside our room watching them right now. You may not see them at first, but they’re there, leaping through the trees. On the coast and in the hill country. The Garrison Cemetery in Kandy has its own monkey trap. A police officer has to hide behind …

If you read my last post about Chef’s hospitalisation, you’ll know that I wasn’t feeling too good. I’d even asked at the pharmacy for Xanax, I felt that bad. I was experiencing palpitations, shortness of breath ( probably through anxiety), headaches, hot flushes and a few other things that I didn’t mention. All these symptoms …

This morning, 4 months into our trip, my husband is having emergency hernia repair surgery on Ko Samui. I’ve always said medical care is great in Thailand, but I wasn’t expecting to test it out! My fit, healthy, Iron Man husband was absolutely fine on Saturday afternoon. He was playing around with the kids. We got a taxi …

Travel makes you wise, we all know that, and wisdom makes you sexier and cooler, but on a totally shallow level, travel also makes you thinner, or it can. It works for me. You may have noticed that we love our food here at World Travel Family, it’s a big part of travel for us. …

We’ve been travelling full-time for over 4 years now and, yes, we’ve all had minor health problems, the travel medical kit has had a work-out. Boo and The Chef have been what my mum would call “proper poorly” in Laos. Poorly is only proper if you have a fever and/or vomiting that keeps you in bed …

This is for anyone out there, like me, who is stressing about travel vaccinations. The crazy cost of them in Australia and wondering what it’s like to get them in Malaysia or Kuala Lumpur specifically. If that’s not you, don’t worry, you can go and read something else like our guide to Kuala Lumpur with …

I went to see my GP to talk travel vaccinations yesterday. I wish I hadn’t! I came away with a sinking feeling, convinced we’re all going to be sick or even die, either from terrible tropical disease or from the toxic vaccinations themselves. I can also feel a big financial headache coming on, probably a migraine. …

We live in the tropics, Far North Queensland, we get horrible tropical diseases, more so, because we have children, adorable little germ factories that they are.  Today’s disease is impetigo or school sores. It’s so bad I’m going to add it to my list of travel horror stories, I didn’t even have to leave home for this one! …

We’ve fed our travelling children in some incredible travel destinations, in over 50 countries now. They’re still alive, still healthy and one, at 12, is now dwarfing his mum. We’re doing OK. Do you want to know a few tricks and tips for finding food for kids while travelling? You need food they will eat …