Package tourists

Advice for package tourists

Vaccinations take time. Consult your doctor or nurse as soon as possible, ideally at least four weeks before travelling. Late bookings can leave insufficient time for vaccinations to become fully effective.

Sunburn is preventable.

Accidents when swimming or on the roads are common and are also often avoidable.

Stomach upsets and diarrhoea are very common. Contaminated food and water is a major cause of illness and care is especially important when eating out and in countries where local hygiene is poor. More spices or oil in food as well as alcohol can also lead to stomach upsets.

Unsafe sex, particularly with professional sex workers puts you at risk of serious infections including HIV.

Culture shock can be real even for short-term visitors perhaps made worse by family problems at home, illness or unaccustomed alcohol consumption.
Time differences may make communication with friends at home difficult. Other problems may include adjusting to a different climate and language, unfamiliar social amenities, coming to terms with poverty, begging, and movement restrictions for safety or political reasons.
It is usually helpful to be patient rather than critical when difficulties arise.