• insurance and buying a ticket (RTW or regular)

• immunizations and malaria prophylaxis

• daily travel costs and how to take funds

• visas and general safety

• travelling alone and guidebooks in the planning stage

• travel photography and general destination planning advice

• volunteering and 'voluntourism'

Making a claim

The most important thing is to take your policy details away with you. If anything goes wrong on your trip do everything by the book, including contacting the company immediately (they will give you a hotline number). In addition make a list of anything you buy for your trip and keep the receipts. The same goes for ATM slips and currency conversion receipts while you are away. In most cases no receipt means no claim. Remember there is no substitution for suitable precautions against petty crime. Read them here.

Never assume all costs (replacement/medical) will be covered. Reclaiming 100% of costs/lost these days is more and more likely, especially on cheaper policies. As the industry became more competitive, insurance companies have really tightened up over the past years and a claim is now almost impossible unless you have followed their guidelines to the letter which normally means dealing with serious red tape in the country of any incident. Check what you can claim for on your household insurance and don't do anything silly like travelling against medical advice. Also don't forget extensions for expensive items and dangerous activities such as diving, rafting and climbing.

As for making wholly spurious claims, insurance companies will probably pay up, but the local police in most popular destinations are very wise to this sort of thing and it can end you in serious trouble, as it is fair to say it really pisses them off for wasting their time.

If you would like a quote directly through this site and for details of the key features you should be looking for in a policy, then see the insurance resources section.

On a separate note, even if you have no interest in their insurance, World Nomads have a selection of language guides which are free to download in MP3 format. It's not just Spanish and French, you can find Lao, Thai, Hindi, Vietnamese and the like. There are free to all and a helpful introduction.

Lost credit/bank cards

For those who worry or just want a little bit of extra peace of mind, a credit card protection policy such as the one provided by CPP (and loads of other companies), is a good idea. For about US$30 a year you register all your credit and bank card details with them. Then if lost, you can make one free call (they pay reverse charges) to cancel all your cards or whichever ones you have lost and automatically order replacements. If you are the victim of theft it is vital that you cancel the cards you have lost immediately and have all the relevant numbers at hand to do so.

The first is Star Alliance ( Air Canada, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian Airlines, BMI, Ethiopian, LOT, Lufthansa, Mexicana, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Swiss, TAP, Thai Airways International, Tyrolean Airways, United Airlines, US and VARIG) whose members have really increased over the years, is based on miles and handy if you are heading for SE Asia as Thai Air is a members so you can get some good little hops (although budget flights in SEA aren't a problem any more). Other recent members South African and Ethiopian really open Africa to round the worlders.

The other is One World (Aer Lingus, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, JAL, Iberia, LAN Chile and Qantas), Global explorer and oneworld explorer (better) based on continents with varying conditions. This is often the ticket to get for a trip including South America, since LAN Chile has an excellent South American network and can get you to Easter Island as a stop off.

A third option is the SkyTeam Alliance RTW (Aeromexico, Air France, Alitalia, CSA Czech Airlines, KLM, Delta and Korean Air).

And finally The Great Escapade (Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic).

The Great Escapade is mileage based (29,000 miles, one Atlantic crossing, one Pacific crossing allowed) with unlimited stopovers (except in New Zealand). South America is not included and South Africa is the only African stop. But if that's not a problem for you and you want a basic ticketing flying from/to London/Manchester, then this option has been recommended.

Please confirm all of this with a travel agent. Things change quickly in this industry.

London - Tel Aviv or Dubai - Mumbai - Bangkok (surface) Singapore - Sydney - Auckland - Santiago (surface) Rio - London. See how it is necessary to on the whole stick to major hubs. Say you want to see Nepal from India, that means you have to head all the way back to Mumbai (Bombay) for your next leg - when in fact it would be easier just to fly yourself to Bangkok from Kathmandu. The same goes with exploring the Middle East from Tel Aviv (you have to back track and miss out Syria/Lebanon due to your Israeli passport stamp).

Total cost: £1400 (€1550/US$2300). This ticket would be much cheaper if you just focused on Asia, Australia and the USA (skipping S.America/Africa) and is when it becomes too good a deal to miss - sometimes less than £800 (originating in Europe in low season). In this case the price is greatly increased by including South America; the same is true when including Africa.

Remember One World price by continent and many example fares are shown on their website.

Destinations are suggestions, huge scope exists. London - Athens £80 (easy on the internet, could also fly to Rome); (surface) Cairo - Mumbai £180 (easy); (surface) Kathmandu/Calcutta - Bangkok £100-200 (very easy, but cheap flights fill up at the end of the trekking season, this flight would be cheaper out from India or Bangladesh); Bangkok/Hong Kong - Los Angeles £300 (or overland to Bali where you can pick up a budget flight to Australia and fly to LA from Sydney - however many RTWers would like to travel on to NZ and then Chile.

RTW tickets can be bought in Bangkok for okay prices and are an excellent way of continuing your trip. Regional South East Asian flights are however cheap and easy (see links) and connecting from Singapore or Bali to Darwin is great value. Oz to NZ is easy enough, but getting on to South America is pricey and a flight via LA or heading south on an epic overland is the most effective means.

If heading for the USA buying a return ticket might be wise and you will probably be able to have a third of the price refunded to your credit card for not using the return bit.); LA/ Las Vegas - Lima £200-300 (like most countries Peru makes noises about requiring a return ticket, but here as in most developing countries there is rarely a problem on a one way ticket, especially if you have a credit card.); (surface) Rio - London £400-£750! (getting home from somewhere like South America will always be expensive and you would be better to finish your trip in North America. Buenos Aires or Sao Paulo to Madrid/Milan or similar will be a bit cheaper. Much cheaper will be a flight from Quito or Bogotá (£250) to Spain. With this flight and all of them you might need to book a few weeks in advance and not during European summer and avoid all travel during peak holiday periods.

Total: around £1500 (€1650/US$2450 - this prices about the same starting and finishing in New York) to as little as £1200. See RTW alternatives below.

Remember not all trips have to be RTW trips. Regional or bi-regional trips for a few months are much more practical, cheaper and just as good (if not better). It's the feelings of more than a few, that a year is too long to travel for unless working en route, and that a few weeks or one, two, three, four month individual trips are more profitable and practical.

Getting a good deal and the cheapest flight possible normally means picking up a promotional fair or special offer - this means booking early. While it's lovely to believe you can leave it to the last moment and snap up a bargain hours/days/weeks before you leave, this is just not the reality. Generally speaking there are two basic types of fares: published/standard fares which are an airlines 'list price' for set numbers of seats at each price tier and unpublished and/or promotional fares.

Young person's discounts

If you are a full time student or under 26 , you may not realise it but you are already getting a great deal as these tickets are heavily discounted. Not only is the price reduced, but so are restrictions on tickets. At age 25 and 11 months you could fly London - México City - OVERLAND - Panama - London with American Airlines off-season for £425 with a $25 date change charge.

At age 26 the same ticket would cost £550 with a date change four times inflated. STA and other agencies specialise in these discounted fares. Under 26 is also the magic age for many discounted rail (particularly European) and flight passes. So what better reason have you to travel before you turn 26?

An open-jaw ticket as you probably know is flying into one destination and out of another. This of course has huge advantages in saving back-tracking and allowing you to see more. These type of tickets work in two ways. The first, most common is with the same airline, i.e. Delta for Central America, BA/Qatar for Asia or KLM for Africa. The second way is when one-way tickets are available at the right price and you simply just strap two good fares (different airlines - normally code sharing) together.

Locating these flights (the one-way type and 50% of return) is tricky as internet searches are generally not geared up for finding them. A knowledgeable travel agent is the biggest help (normally they will try and sell you a package with the same airline or alliance airlines - since they know they cover that route and it's easiest for them to look up). Return flights are almost always better value. The best tip is to find a cheap airline (i.e. Gulf state carrier or developing nation's national carrier) and find which destinations they serve within the region you are looking at, then search sites like Expedia or Opodo on the multi-stop search option for these destinations - trying as many combinations of dates as you can.

It's not really appropriate to recommend places to buy tickets, only to say that the general feeling is some bad experiences with the call centre type agencies and good experiences/advice with student agencies like STA and web only based discounters like Opodo. STA (walk-in) and Opodo (web) rated highly. You might experience phoning around for flights and been quoted say US$1000 and told 'you must fly with American..' etc. Then upon phoning an agency back the following day, spoken to a different operator and had he/she work out a totally different ticket at a totally different price. It all depends who you get on the end of the phone or in the agency and how rushed/knowledgeable they are. Either way shop around!

Better still, do the work yourself on the web. Take an established discounting agent (e.g. Expedia or Opodo). Such web agents can send you out news of promotions on routes you are interested in. Don't be put off if the first prices you get back are high. Book early (take advantage of limited promotional fares) and be very flexible with your dates (avoid Friday/Saturday/Sunday, stay over weekend and keep trying different options) and try searching destinations/dates served by cheaper airlines such as Qatar Air and routes that perhaps aren't direct but you can make the connection easily yourself (see budget flights, right). Kayak Buzz (UK, US, DE) comes recommended for finding the cheapest way to any given region.

All this takes time, but is your best for finding low prices. Promotional fares, flights originating in London (or other major hubs) or non-direct flights on lesser known airlines or new low-cost start-ups, individually or in a combination, will normally give the best deal. Remember away from the big international carriers there are many airlines that operate regional that these guys can't sell tickets for. Equally always bear in mind that logic generally doesn't apply to ticket pricing and a route from say London to Entebbe via Amsterdam can come out cheaper than direct Amsterdam - Entebbe (even those the distance is less and there is no connection).

Charter flights

Charter flights are almost always return, returning normally 7 or 14 days after arrival and always from the same place. Charter flights generally fly from destinations in Europe to other European destinations. Long haul charter destinations are: Kenya, Cancún, The Gambia (good value and unusually on offer one-way), Israel, Turkey, Egypt, Greece, Thailand (Islands), Sri Lanka, Goa, the Caribbean (sometimes Cuba) and sometimes Brazil, UAE and Canada.

These are useful to look into especially if you want a cheap short independent break, although prices are never that wonderful unless you are leaving at very short notice (cheap last minute fights to Goa or Cancun are particularly famous) and in low season. If travelling from the UK, take a look at www.charterflights.co.uk for some ideas about prices and destinations. If you are looking to head to West Africa, charter flights will probably be one of your cheapest options. See the excellent www.point-afrique.com for schedules (all flights fly in and out of Paris to Francophile West African nations; site en Français).

Internal, regional and budget flights

Don't think for a second that your initial ticket need be the main focus of your trip: with a boom in budget airline networks flying regionally, making a big round trip is really quite easy. Just remember that flights are always cheapest in their originating country. Most agents and internet search engines can't sell tickets for smaller cheap regional carriers and only offer tickets from (expensive) larger carriers. This can make planning quite frustrating, but unless on a really tight schedule, visiting during a national holiday period (e.g. Christmas, Easter, New Year), don't feel pressured into booking before you go via an agency in your home country if you can't do so on the airlines site or haven't time when travelling to 'play it by ear'.

A cheap return flight to say India could let you take in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia in a big easy to book (see Sri Lanka summary) loop, for a much better price that if booked in one block with major carriers and with all the flexibility of booking 'as you go'. For full details on which airlines fly which region see the links section and for more information on getting around by air including a budget airline low-down by region see 'moving around' in the 'On the Road' section.

Equally it is worth noting that there are some start-up low cost carriers flying international routes (generally out of London) with Hong Kong and North America being a focus - pricing is per flight, not return (perfect) and using these and their best promotional fairs, you could probably piece together a very basic RTW flight for very little compared to conventional means (although it should be noted many of these new - low cost- start ups (Zoom/Oasis) did not last long and few are left of their nature). Air Ninja is quite useful for hunting some of these budget airline flights out.

Average costs per day including everything you are likely to do (transport, food, accommodation, important trips, etc):

• Asia

  general - (Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, China) US$30-50,

  cheap - (India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Indochina) US$25-40,

  expensive - HK, Eastern China, South Korea, Singapore) US$40-70,

  (v. expensive - Japan) US$50-100 (inc. rail pass)

• Australia and New Zealand

  US$50-80 (NZ little cheaper)

• Americas

  Central America (cheap - Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras) US$30-50,

  Central America (general - México (expensive transportation), Belize (most expensive), Costa Rica) US$35-55,

  South America (general - Brazil (most expensive), Peru, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela) US$35-50,

  South America (cheap - Bolivia, Ecuador) US$30-40,

  North America (hard to generalise) US$50-70

  Caribbean US$50-100 (no island hopping, varies dramatically)

• Europe

  Western Europe (capitals expensive, more with transportation) US$50-80,

  Eastern Europe US$40-60

• Africa

  West Africa (costs vary enormously between countries like Ghana (very cheap), and CFA (ex-French) countries) US$30-60,

  East Africa (general - Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda) US$25-40 (excluding tours and safaris - allow US$100-200 per day for safaris),

  Southern Africa (cheap - Malawi, Mozambique (Northern areas more expensive), Zimbabwe) US$25-40,

  Southern Africa (general - South Africa, Namibia) US$40-50 (excluding tours and safaris)

• Middle East

  US$30-50 (Israel US$50-80, Iran US$35), Gulf States US$50-100 (lack of budget accommodation)

Author's note:

The 'how much will it cost?' question is a bit like 'how long is a piece of string?' So assumptions are made based on typical backpacker experiences in a wide range of destinations. If anything, costs are over-estimated. Very few travellers really watch every cent to a pedantic degree - especially with prices in less developed countries being such a bargain.

In reality it is better to over-estimate since some 'must-do' activities will set you back quite considerably. Saving a bit longer at home rather than having to forfeit treats like a fan in your room, a beer at sunset or more/other amazing experiences makes a lot of sense. It's important to remember that while you can live for next to nothing, you probably won't, and when undertaking a long trip even in a destination that's cheap to live and travel in, you'll probably find that backpacking is not as cheap as is commonly believed.

Just to keep things in perspective: after you have looked at this section and probably moaned after finding a calculator - take a look at 'the value of your money' bit in the on the road section.

---

A rough guide (click for actual):

US$25 = €19/ £16/ AU$23;

US$35 = €26/ £22/ AU$33;

US$45 = €34/ £28/ AU$40;

US$50 = €38/ £32/ AU$47;

These rates are updated often, but change daily.

Please note that exchange rate factors can and do make a significant difference in how 'affordable' a trip can be. Traveling on a strong currency somewhere with a weak one is bliss, the converse is often very painful. So the strength of your home (spending) currency will have a considerable effect on how cheap you can travel.


So what's the bottom line? Check out the Travel Budget Calculator - which this site has updated with many of the above costs as a guideline (although note, with loss in value of GBP, figures needs some updating). Another great resource to get an idea of daily costs and record your own is: budgetyourtrip.com

The best way to get money almost anywhere is through an ATM, either with a MasterCard Cirrus or Visa Plus card - that is using your bank or credit card from home to draw out of your home account. This offers numerous pros such as getting favourable daily exchange rates, running no risk of being ripped off, having the security of a PIN code, keeping track of your rates and balance on-line and having the option to specify exactly how much money you want to change. There are even occasions where you can pull dual currencies out of machines (local and US$/EU€).

Okay in some countries outside of big towns you're not going to find plentiful ATMs, but you will almost certainly in larger cities that you will use as transport hubs and always in capital cities. There are very few exceptions to this, with every country covered on this site (Iran and Burma aside) and practically every country in the world having at least one international ATM, with new sites coming into use everyday. Worth noting is that much of the information posted on the internet about where has an ATM and where does not, is out-dated and false. You can check exactly where you can get money from on either Visa, Amex or Mastercard's website.

Generally you will be charged a fee by your bank for making withdrawals abroad: about 2% (normally set within a minimum and maximum) or with a credit card around 3% (+ about a $3 access charge). If you have and use a Citibank account, and find a branch abroad, there is no commission. This is not the case with HSBC, Barclays or ABN AMRO. Nationwide in the UK once upon a time did not charge any commission for overseas withdrawals, but not since 2009. Their commission rates are however low and other banks can have commission as low as 0.5-1% - it pays to shop around and check before heading off. You may also find (now more common) extra charges from the dispensing bank. You could also use a credit card to withdraw money, although the fees are going to be much higher.

In Australia Wizard Clear Advantage offered a credit card with fee free overseas ATM use and NAB Gold Banking offers the same in a debit card for a small monthly banking fee. Any recommendations of American and European banks that don't charge commission or have good rates are very welcome. This link has details for USA users.

If you don't have such a bank card or fees are too high for your liking then a new option to surface in the past few years is Visa Travel Money which works pretty much in the same way as a bank card only you don't need a bank account. You can have up to 3 cards, preloading them with cash before use. American Express also have their own version.

ATMs really are everywhere in major cities and always have an English language option. Not all ATMs you find abroad can access international networks, but this varies widely from country to country. For example, in Pakistan you will find tonnes of ATMs, but only a few international ones in each big city, as opposed to India or Sri Lanka where you can't walk 500metres in many a town centre without finding one. Simply look for the Visa Plus symbol (pictured) you see on your card. Generally speaking ATMs work on both networks, but this is not always the case and every now and then you find Cirrus or Visa Plus only machines. Therefore, if on a long trip it is handy to have (say your partner's card or credit card) on an alternative network as a back-up. If you had to pick only one, go with Visa Plus which is more common in Latin America and West Africa. And remember when somewhere exotic never panic if your chosen ATM does not work, simply find another [bank/provider] and try again.

Money on arrival

You will normally find an ATM at the airport if arriving at a major international one, but just in case you don't or the ATM is empty, always carry some hard currency cash. The same goes for borders where there are rarely ATMs, but nearly always change places or money changers for some 'see-you-over' cash until you reach a bigger city with better rates.

It's a good idea to make sure you know what the exchange rate is before you reach a country, preventing you getting ripped off and generally letting you know how much the room you are checking into or taxi you hail is costing. This exchange rate can be found on the Internet with ease and noted before you leave. The FX Cheat Sheet is a great tool. It's wise to calculate costs with plus a few % to reflect normal tourist rates.

When changing money, whether on the black market or not, always re-count and check your money carefully. Small private exchange booths, that are common in most cities, will normally give much better rates than banks. Changing on the street is only worthwhile in a few situations: see the guidebook of the country you are in for details.

Traveller's Cheques

Traveller's cheques are, as you will no doubt know, a safer option compared to cash, but with a number of drawbacks. Firstly the commission required to buy and sell them and secondly that in some places they can be somewhat of a pain to change restricting you to bank opening times and long drawn out procedures. This is not always the case, but can often be when you need the cash the most and are in a hurry. Nevertheless, if on a long trip in countries you aren't familiar with, it's wise to have a few travellers cheques as back up to your ATM card. The irony is where it's easy to cash cheques you are going to find numerous international ATMs (and vice verse). Any international brand of travellers cheques will be fine (Visa or American Express). It's worth knowing that commission can be minimised if buying from an Amex centre (1%) and selling at one, if you can find it, abroad (0%). Don't forget to carry your purchase record/receipt with you - you may need it to cash your cheques and very importantly keep it in a safe place away from your cheques and make a note of the claim phone number(s) and cheque number(s) in case of theft. Best write these numbers, along with your insurance details, on the back of a photocopy of your passport that you always keep on your person. Travellers cheques do have a place where ATMs can't be found and as a good backup, but can also be costly and a pain - a pain in less developed countries not so much in developed ones - ATM use - if possible - is generally much more practical and the way to go.

Emergency Funds

Of course keep your cash, debit and credit cards separate to reduce the risk of losing access to all funds, but disasters do happen or you just run out of money. Money wires, such as those from Western Union then save the day. There are many ways to send cash - best to check online and give the details to a friend or family back home. They charge fees, but paying $20 to get an emergency $200 to the middle of nowhere within minutes is bargain. They often have offices in remote locations, even where there is no bank.

With both traveller's cheques and cash don't get hung up on taking all US$ if your home currency is 'hard' (€uro, ¥en, GB£, CHF, AU$ etc.) except in Latin America where the dollar rules and in other very less developed or untouristy countries and outside big cities or right off the beaten track. Although when not carrying US$/€uro or a regional 'hard' currency, remember that you may be resisted to changing in business centres. Certainly when buying a lot of traveller's cheques or taking cash to start off, if you can help it there is little point changing your money twice paying commission each time.

Euros have very quickly become a fine currency to take to any major city worldwide. If heading anywhere in Europe (including the far eastern Europe and the Balkans) or West Africa, forget US$ and go with Euros. Everywhere else 'undeveloped' US$ are the currency of choice. Green backs are always accepted with open arms even in places like Iran.

Changing money from a hard currency rarely is a problem and Euro or US$ can often be used to pay for larger value items which are commonly priced in dollars and sometimes Euros. Don't forget to keep an emergency stash (say a $100 or €100 bill) which you should keep separate from your main money supply. It's also worth taking a few lower value - US$10/20 bills (make sure all clean and crisp and not the old style) for unforeseen situations.

Money changing tricks

Be warned about old style dollar bills which won't be welcomed and other money changing tricks you might come across when changing in shady circumstances. Money changing tricks are the easiest way to get burnt whilst abroad. Two things to be aware of:

Firstly, your original money being returned to you as a fake or lower domination note when the deal is voided by the changer. If you are worried you could make a note of serial numbers of larger bills before you pass them over to make sure you get back the original. When you are handed back your money, do not return theirs until (no matter how much they try to fluster you) you establish that the carefully folded $100 bill is not a $1 bill - it's easily done (and normally when changing on the black market).

The second thing to be wary of is a successful change when the money you receive is no longer bank recognised or carefully folded to deceive. Only change money on the street where you can see it is day-to-day practice of locals and not in large amounts. Private exchange booths are your best bet to change money and always easy enough to find along with banks. Changing cash is on the whole the easiest thing to do whilst away.

If you are heading somewhere exotic and developing you will of course need to head down to a clinic and get a variety of jabs before disappearing. Most of the important ones will be boosters of shots you probably had as a child. There are several others, but it is worth thinking twice about being sold on having the 'whole package' - it all depends on where you are going and how you feel about the risk.

Many a traveller goes to a clinic and says they're going to somewhere like Brazil or Thailand (or equally mainstream), the nurse types 'Thailand' into a computer (experience suggests not all health professionals have first-hand experience or knowledge of travel health or pragmatism) and next thing they know they have a bill for $100s, a very painful arm, 10s of very expensive pills and coverage for some very bizarre diseases of which the risk of are small compared to other risks.

Nevertheless, it is important to warn against the foolhardy approach and 'I'll take the risk' attitude you might find travellers on the road with (normally regarding Malaria). You'll also note things have tried to be kept as simple and concise as possible tackling a very big subject.

A word to the wise... the following information is taken from various sources, some medical, some not, most third party. No one connected with this site is a doctor and therefore the information in this section should be taken with that consideration in mind. However, this is a good place to start and is evidence of how we have slowly unraveled the mystery of travel health and especially Malaria medication.

As for malaria

As for malaria, there's little point getting too into the subject as it's a minefield. The thing is, you ask a doctor and no matter where you are going you seem to get prescribed Larium or similar at great cost. Most of the time, in hindsight, it seems and is unnecessary.

Chloroquine and Proguanil combined are fine for many common destinations and anti-malarial drugs such as Doxycycline are available at low cost in larger Asia and African cities (obviously buy from a reputable looking pharmacy - Boots in Bangkok price Doxycycline (6months worth) at about US$60).

Both Mefloquine (Larium) and Doxycycline (Vibramycin) are good medicines to protect against malaria (and especially Chloroquine-resistant malaria). Both have good and bad points. A third option to protect against Quinine-resistant malaria (most malaria) is Malarone - more on that newer drug further down.

No Malaria medication protects you 100%, and the best thing you can and should always do is not get bitten, which is a different topic.

Remember of the 3500 types of mosquito (20 more are discovered every year) only a few carry killer diseases such as Malaria. The female (it would have to be!) Anopheles malarial mosquito bites mainly between 2300 and 0400 at night. This is when it is particularly important not to get bitten. Also worth mentioning is the Aedes mosquito (spreading dengue and yellow fever) bites during the day. Both feed at ground level so cover up your ankles with a little repellent.

It is really worth mentioning that there is a ton of misinformation floating around on the net and among backpackers on the road.

It needs to be emphasised that any medication listed in this section is vastly superior to not taking anything, and hoping for the best. Some Malaria strains are deadly and kill fast (90% of malaria deaths are children under the age of five, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa) - especially when you haven't been exposed to malaria since birth.

So in what areas am I at risk from Malaria? The blanket answer is that a 'risk' exists in almost all countries in Asia (below Mongolia/Kazakhstan), Africa and Latin America with the notable exceptions of Libya, Chile, Tunisia and Uruguay. If you want to see 'the map' take a look at the somewhat paranoid CDC Malaria page. However, this 'risk' really does vary and to colour an entire country red due to a sometimes localised and seasonal risk is kind of missing the mark. Whereas a serious risk may exist in a pocket of a country (say Thailand), there are many, many other regions where very little or no risk exists. So research carefully.

Take for example Nepal; Kathmandu and a normal trekking circuit poses no risk from malaria, but due to a risk in the lower lying parts of the country the whole country often gets a warning. The same can be said for Latin America outside of the Amazon basin, which is often bypassed by travellers or visited for only a few days.

Travel to rural areas always involves more potential exposure to malaria than in the larger cities. For example, the capital cities of the Manila, Bangkok and Colombo are essentially malaria-free. However, as noted, malaria is present in many other places (especially rural areas) of these countries. By contrast in West Africa, Ghana and Nigeria have malaria throughout the entire country. However, the risk will always be lower in the larger cities where independent travellers tend to focus their travels since these act as the main transport hubs.

Both of the following prophylaxis regimes are recommended if entering a serious Malaria risk area with Chloroquine-resistant malaria, typically East/West Africa and jungle regions of Asia/L.America. Individuals respond differently: the vast majority have only very minor side effects. [You must seek medical advice before starting either programme as there are complications for certain people, such as children, those who are pregnant, or have the potential of becoming pregnant while on these meds.]

» Mefloquine (aka. Larium) - 1 tab (250mg) each week, starting one week before travel and continuing 4 weeks after exiting malarial zone.

» Doxycycline - 1 tab (100mg) each day, starting 2 days before travel and ending 4 weeks after leaving malarial zone.

Also keep an eye out for Malarone (aka, the mouthful: atovaquone proguanil hydrochloride) a fairly new drug with limited side effects. Dosage is 1 pill a day and then only 1 (not 4 as is common) week after. When it was originally licensed in the EU in 2001 the maximum prescription was only 28 days, however this has now been extended to 90 days - including the 1 week after.

Malarone has proven to be safe and lacks the nasty side-effects; although is much more expensive than alternatives. Also note in certain areas (Eastern Africa for one) there are now several locations where mozzies have become resistant to all forms of prophylaxis other than Malarone. Malarone would be the drug of choice (if suitable and affordable) for many.

Keep in mind that many of the reported problems with Mefloquine occur at dosages used for the treatment of active malaria, and not the prevention of malaria. The treatment dosage is 1250mg once, which is 5 times the weekly prophylactic dosage! This is where a lot of the Mefloquine confusions and scary rumours originate.

The most common side effect of Mefloquine is vivid dreams. These tend to occur the night the tablet is taken, and are not necessarily nightmares, just vivid dreams. For Doxycycline it is photosensitivity (increased sensitivity of skin to sunlight) and an upset stomach. Make sure you are taking the right medication for the region you are travelling in. Again... you may not need either Mefloquine or Doxycycline - it is quite possible to visit a country with a malarial risk and never get anywhere near an that risk area (Cambodia, Bolivia, Thailand, South Africa, Iran, Namibia, China, Burma, Nepal - there are loads of them!).

Why bother going to all this hassle/cost?

Once in a while, you will meet travellers who refuse to take prophylactics, either because they want to acquire resistance to malaria or else because they believe there is a homeopathic cure for this killer disease. Unfortunately (especially in Africa), they think they are being very clever.

For the record, travellers can't acquire effective resistance to malaria and if anyone knows of a homeopathic cure, please let us [and the medical profession] know. It is personal choice what you do but, especially in East/West Africa not using a prophylactic drug when in a high risk areas for long periods is risking your life in a manner both unnecessarily (the drugs are cheap in Africa/Asia) and foolishly. Equally pills aside the most important thing is to always sleep under a treated net in very high risk regions.

Always try to obtain up-to-date visa information, which can be hard to come across unless on the ground in the area. Guidebooks and websites are often out of date (i.e. the requirement to state exit and entry points for a Vietnam visa changed in the early '00s, but is still commonly referenced) and other situations are always changing (e.g. Serbia only recently started issuing visas on the border and Bulgarian/Romania have relaxed tight and expensive visa requirements).

The most difficult visas to obtain are those for Russia, former members of the Soviet Republic (e.g. Belarus, Tajikistan), strict Islamic countries (e.g. Iran, Saudi Arabia) and countries isolated from the west (e.g. North Korea, Turkmenistan, Libya). To obtain these visas an invitation letter (LOI) or voucher of sorts is normally required (this can be provided by a hotel, friend in the country, travel agent or tour) as well as a whole load of red tape. If you have no means to get these, transit visas can normally be obtained for a fee and with a valid visa for a neighbouring country.

A word to the wise

Remember when picking up visas en route to be flexible - things don't always go the way you expect and you certainly can't go anywhere you want, when you want. Visas maybe available next day in many embassies, but if you apply on Friday, you won't be able to pick it up for three days. In addition be very wary of festivals that bring everything to a halt and unexplained rejections or transit/shorter visas being issued when a full one was requested.

Patience really is needed to deal with a lot of pointless bureaucracy in some places. Luckily this seems to be in decline (apart from the former Soviet Republics) as governments discover the potential of tourism and the world becomes more open. Lastly, do yourself a favour and don't put down 'photographer', 'journalist', 'author' or anything similar on a visa application.

» Asia : Only more developed nations issue free visas on arrival (Japan, S. Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore). Generally visas are best obtained in a major city in a neighbouring country, most effectively Bangkok, Delhi or Hong Kong for China. More and more nations (Nepal, Laos, Sri Lanka and Cambodia) have started offering visas for a fee when you arrive. This facility may however only exist if you fly in or enter at a major crossing. Almost everyone will need a visa before arrival for entry to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Independent travellers cannot visit North Korea or Bhutan. A tour must be booked - this is technically the same for travel in Tibet.

Central Asia, is always a pain and as with Russia, letters of invitation (LOI) are required for the most part (Kazakhstan & Kyrgyzstan notable exceptions, but many others falling fast). Without using an agency or other method get one, visas applications are tricky to impossible. With the LOI, sometimes you can collect on arrival (airport). At embassies, visas take a while to issue and are best in Turkey/Beijing or within the region. If on a tight schedule an embassy at home (or nearest to you, as some countries have few worldwide embassies) is the safest bet. From eastern China the nearest issuing embassies for those 'Stan' visas are Islamabad or Beijing (note some new consulates in Urumqi)- a hell of a backtrack.

» Australia and the Pacific : You do need a visa for Australia that is electronically stamped in your passport. This is generally free from the Australian embassy in your home country or about $US10 at a travel agent. If you wait until you are abroad, in say Bangkok, it will be more expensive. NZ and most of the rest of the Pacific is visa free in order to encourage tourism.

» Africa : (see North Africa left) Visa requirements vary dramatically for different passport holders. Generally visas are required for countries in East Africa , however these are normally obtained at the border (have $$ ready) with limited hassles (Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia) or in a neighbouring country's embassy for more off-the-beaten-track destinations (Mozambique, Ethiopia).

West Africa is a difficult place for visas and visa fees are a little expensive. Unless you are French or African you'll need a visa for most countries. However, you can pick these up as you travel with relative ease. They go for about US$20-50 a pop. Some are issued on the border, many are not and take 24hours in a neighbouring country (note a Ghana visa in Côte d'Ivoire can be problematic).

Even a visa for Nigeria or Cameroon, both of which have a reputation for being difficult to obtain on the road is possible without too much fuss somewhere like Ghana. The real standout however is Angola, for which even a transit visa is real challenge and is currently one of Africa's most needlessly most painful.



Comment: If you ever get frustrated by the delays and mounting costs of visas, take a look at how much a national of the country you are trying to visit would pay for his/her visa to your home country. According to a consultancy called Henley & Partners, Britons actually face the fewest visa restrictions of all being able to visit 166 countries without one, other rich countries like Germany, Japan, USA, Canada are not far behind. Only 38 countries will let a Chinese citizen in visa free and for those from war-torn countries it is much worse. So despite the costs many of us have it pretty good. Ref

» The Americas are visa hassle free for most (Australians and Kiwis have a few problems in South America). Visas are almost always free on the border and for a nice long period. Do check, there are some funny scenarios - for example: some EU countries may need a visa for Bolivia and US/Australian citizens will in some case have to pay a fee. For US citizens things are tightening up in Latin America with this reciprocity tax/fee causing visa costs to really mount up for USA citizens (see comment) not just in Brazil, but in many other of the regions countries (Bolivia/Chile), making country hopping expensive. Central America is free of most visa hassle.

» Europe is visa fee for most developed nations with the exceptions of a few ex-USSR countries.

Western Europe is visa hassle free for most and with Serbia finally dropping their visa requirement, most can crisscross Europe at leisure.

Eastern Europe is now visa free for most. Some like Albania require on the border fees. Moldavia and the Ukraine have recently dropped visa requirements for most (EU, Swiss, Japan, USA/Canada) and the EU has extended to include the likes of Romania and Bulgaria, but with some Eastern European countries Ozzies, Kiwis and Yanks will require a visa (Baltic's, Poland & Bulgaria now don't).

Azerbaijan, Belarus and Russia will require expensive and sometimes difficult visas (a letter of invitation will be required issued by an agency that makes you a real (or in the case of Russia, usually 'theoretical') hotel booking.

» Middle East and North Africa : An Iranian visa is best achieved with an 'authorisation code' letter. For an easier ride, it's best to contact an agency such as Key2persia and get them to send a visa authorisation code to your embassy of choice. Many travellers settle for a transit visa (5 days), however they can no longer be extended. For more details see the Iran summary. Syria is another tricky one - when the country is safe to visit - the rule is unless you have no Syrian consulate or embassy in your home nation you'll technically need to get your visa in your home country or you may need an expensive letter of recommendation from your national embassy. See Syria country summary. At least Syria doesn't mind independent travellers which isn't the norm. Traditionally Libyan authorities will not granted a visa without a tour, but there are tour agencies who will get you a visa, having to meet you at the airport/border (forget the embassies or the lottery with the Tunis consulate). Despite widely reported information to the contrary, independent travel is possible in the country (at least along the coast). If you still run into red-tape some agencies can provide a guide rather than a tour. Still Libya is very tough to get a visa for (even with regime change) without a pre-booked tour.

Also worth mentioning here is that for all Middle Eastern and North African countries (except Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Oman, Morocco, Mauritania, and Tunisia) you must have no evidence of a trip to Israel in your passport - see Israel country summary for details on avoiding that stamp you don't want. The rest, apart from Saudi Arabia and Iraq - which are almost impossible unless you are a Muslim or aid worker - are normally easy enough. However, visas can be complicated for nations like Sudan and Djibouti where tourists rarely stray.

A degree of discrimination and caution is appropriate when you travel, but only a degree. Bear in mind that people with a criminal intent make up a tiny fraction of 1% of the population, so that an attitude of indiscriminate paranoia, wherever you are, can only divert your attention away from genuinely suspicious characters. Experience suggests that the vast majority of crimes against tourists occur in one of a few specific places and/or in reasonably predictable circumstances.

Also see avoiding theft in the on the road section.

To generalise, follow these three rules for general safety: 1) Make sure you have clothes with secure pockets or means carry your cash/docs and keep everything well organised - only take out what you need for the day. 2) Be extra aware in large cities, bus and train stations, especially those with a reputation: treat anyone who tries to talk to you or distract you as suspicious. 3) Remember the vast amount of crime happens at night. Don't stray too far, get too drunk/stoned and return via taxi if necessary.

Travelling alone, whether male or female you are going to have to be generally more on your guard (read this). In less travelled countries (like Central Asia or West Africa) unless you are outgoing, travelling alone can be miserable with fewer creature comforts, possible language barriers and less travellers to meet. To summarise: your feelings regarding the outcome of your trip are probably going to be mixed. Guaranteed will be some great experiences and a sense of fulfilment and confidence, but you are probably going to also recall a day or two when you were down in the dumps... all in all you're going to remember the good bits.

For those contemplating travelling alone just remember the advice above... alone is always better than not at all. What's more, it beats the pants off taking a totally organised tour and more often than not it opens doors to the very best experiences travel has to offer. Let's not forget there can be many negative issues when travelling with friends, partners or relatives!

Easy talk:

When travelling to a new country it's useful to learn who the country's leading football players, movie stars or cricketers are. It's a great way to start a conversation in any bar and if you have some knowledge of their sporting stars, it will endear you to the locals.


Comment: 'I did an 18 month world trip in 2006-2007 and, until now, had yet to find a site so in sync with my take on travel. Wish I had found you before I left. By the way, I turned 60 while on my trip, so anyone thinking this kind of travel is just for the young, should think again.'

   Travel photography

   Where to go and what to see - the planning stage

Where do you start? See camera details and advice in the what to pack section. In addition, there are many good links to sites dedicated to this subject in the links section. For that reason this huge area is being left somewhat empty, since it is worthy of a whole site itself. Recommended however is the great LP published book (pictured right) for literally everything you would need to know on the subject and some top advice.

See the where to go section for some tips and ideas, or any of the titles recommended in the 'planning books' section of the site.

Another very useful resource for answering specific questions in the planning stage are travel newsgroups such as rec.travel.asia or Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree.