Water
Always buy water from regular stores and check the seal! Buying bottled water off the street can leave you feeling very ill, as sometimes it’s just re-sealed by enterprising children looking to boost their income!
Tap water in developing countries (and some developed!) isn’t generally up to our standards, so avoid drinking it at all costs unless you are 100% sure it’s safe. Sure, brush your teeth using it, but keep some bottled water to one side to gargle with at the end.
Ice – the number one cause for travel sickness. Unless you’re in a very flashy hotel, always avoid ice in your drinks.
Alcohol
Well, again ice is the main thing to watch out for. But also, if there’s a strange store on your travels which is selling Gin or Tequila at an amazingly “too good to be true” price, there’s only one reason for that. Yes, it’s too good to be true. Avoid it totally. Beer though; usually very good, and really no one puts ice in their beer so that’s a good safe bet.
Refrigeration
In parts of Asia, Africa, and South America, it hardly exists. So, if you’re really in the wilds, think about going vegan for a while; and that means pure vegan as well, so no dairy! Fruit is also always ok, with one proviso. If you can peel it, you can eat it!
Tinned food is always safe, as is boiled rice and bread.
Street Food
Generally, this is an excellent way of feeding yourself, as it’s cheap. But our advice would be to study the seller for a short while before diving in there. Is the raw food kept separate from the cooked food? Do their hands look clean? And, the real giveaway, are they busy cooking lots of street food for the locals?
Wash your hands
Yup, always wash your hands before and after eating, either with hot water and soap or with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
If you do get sick
If you've been ill for a few days and have been taking lots of fluids (avoid fruit juices and dairy… bottled water is the only way to go) but still feel ill, go to a Doctor or a Clinic. It’s better to do this than not go and then get admitted to hospital a week later.
Ask your hotel/hostel for the name of a local Doctor or medical clinic. True Traveller will pay for the costs if you have your insurance with us, as to be honest it’s cheaper to pay $200 for your Doctor, than maybe $5000 or more to a hospital a week later!
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