Showing posts with label Travellers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travellers. Show all posts

Friday, December 7, 2012

Traveller?s Diarrhoea Traveller?s Enemy

The place is ideal for your preference, all the things you need are packed and with you, camera is full-charged and so ready to capture special moments and other important events, and the whole vibe is great, but the only factor in bad shape is YOU. Travelling is a great experience for anyone; it can be a venture to be audacious and discover new things, get in touch with new environment and people, a very important affair, or anything that is worth spending your time for, but in the event that there a big wall of hindrance blocks your productivity and enjoyment, it will surely ruin everything.

Say for an example, the traveller’s diarrhoea, it is the most common illness attacking backpackers from developed countries spending a matter of days or weeks in developing parts of the world, and regarded as every traveller’s enemy, thinking that the risk is very high (estimates vary from 30 to 80% of travelers).

So, what is diarrhoea or traveller’s diarrhoea in the first place? Well basically, this condition is characterized by increased frequency of loose bowel movements or stools in 24-hour period matched with abdominal cramps, bloating, toilet urgencies, nausea, vomiting, mild fever and even blood in stools for some serious cases (or dysentery). It is acquired through ingestion of contaminated food or drinks that is spread by poor hygiene. The microorganisms responsible for traveller’s diarrhoea range from bacteria to viruses to parasites, and they are the following: Escherichia coli (E. coli)—which is the primary cause of this illness approximates 40% of all cases, Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, Rotavirus, Norovirus and Giardia.

The reason why travelers from industrialized or developed countries are more prone to this illness is because of the drastic and rapid change in the type of organisms in their gastrointestinal tract, wherein these organisms responsible for TD is basically alien to them since they are not present in the environment they are used to. Meanwhile, developing countries, which are the high-risk areas, such as Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Central and Southern America find these organisms harmless, which can be presumably because they have gained immunity on them.

Because of this kind of case, remember that prevention is your best weapon. Equip yourself with enough knowledge you’ll need to protect yourself, practice the basics yet important principle of good hygiene, and see to it to cook your food properly especially the meats, poultry and seafood, handle and prepare the foods properly, and avoid risky foods and risky areas to eat. It is also important that you pack antimotility medications, oral rehydration solutions and antibiotics along with you just to prepare when the sudden onset of traveller’s diarrhoea occurs.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Multi Trip Travel Insurance for Frequent Travellers

That “travel insurance is an absolute must have” has been emphasised upon many times by travel experts. But if you travel frequently buying insurance every single time is time consuming, expensive and cumbersome. For such frequent travellers there is annual multi-trip travel insurance. So if you travel abroad at least twice a year, you can take annual multi trip travel insurance. The purpose of travel can be any, business or holiday.

Multi trip travel insurance is when you buy travel insurance for more than one trip during a year. The number of days of travel covered is mentioned in the policy. In this case you travel is covered for a specific number of days. You don’t need to specify travel dates at the time of buying the policy.

It can be bought for individual as well as family.

  Why buy multi trip insurance

• You don’t have to insure every time you book a trip.  If you travel frequently getting travel insurance every time can be very time consuming and inconvenient. With multi trip travel insurance you are covered for multiple trips in one go. It becomes very convenient if you have to travel more than once during the year.
 
• Your travelling days can be flexible.  You do not have to declare the dates on which you have to travel. So, you have the flexibility of booking your trip on any day suitable within the year. Though number of days of travel will be fixed during the year but not the dates.

•   You are free to take as many trips during the year.  There is no limitation on the number of trips you make during the year. Your trip will be insured. The limitation though is for the total number of days for which the cover is available as per the insurance policy guidelines. So, you can split the travel cover into as many trips as you want.
 
• Multi trip travel insurance is much cheaper than single trip travel insurance bought separately for each trip.  Even with the single trip travel insurance there will be a minimum fixed amount for minimum number of days. This put together for multiple trips costs more.

Features covered in annual multi trip travel insurance are almost same as that offered in single trip travel insurance but the cover is ideal for those who have to take frequent short trips abroad and not for occasional travellers.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

How Can Traveller?s Diarrhoea Affect Your Travel


Each travel is important, it can be a vacation trip you have planned for months, a very important business affair, something you need to do to accomplish an important task or you are representing your country for a special event. But when a sudden onset of various inconvenience brought by traveller’s diarrhoea gets into the way, you only have two choices: let it ruin your trip and everything you have traded for that, or strike back and prevent things before it breaks you. And for most cases, everyone will definitely choose the latter option.

Diarrhoea or traveller’s diarrhoea (TD) is considered the most common enemy of travelers from industrialized or developed countries spending days or weeks in developing countries, as the sudden change in their gastrointestinal environment is attacked by microorganisms generally found in these countries, which includes, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. This condition is also known as bali belly, delhi belly, Montezuma’s revenge and Rangoon runs, among other names, is basically caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with traveller’s diarrhoea causing microorganisms. Even though it is a self-limiting condition and usually clears up after 3 to 4 days, the inconveniences of this illness is just an utter nuisance of your trip (or right after you went home). The symptoms of diarrhea or diarrhoea in UK, includes the following:
• Frequent loose bowel movements in 24-hour period
• Abdominal cramps
• Abdominal bloating
• Urgency to go to the toilet
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Mild fever
• Blood in stools (in some cases)

Because of these said symptoms, that may occur 1 or 2 weeks after the arrival to the developing country, getting paralyzed all throughout your travel is a great hindrance from you accomplishing all your tasks or enjoying the vacation. Luckily if these occur when you got home, but the case is just downright hassling at any point you look at it. Since traveller’s diarrhoea is characterized by frequent bowel movements and vomiting, lots of fluid gets off your body, and as most people know, dehydration can be fatal once ignored. The feeling of lack of energy due to dehydration caused by diarrhea or diarrhoea can stop you from accomplishing tasks. Aside from that, when dysentery occurs, which is marked as bloody diarrhoea with fever that occurs to 10% of all cases of this illness, there is a high risk that you might get confined to bed or be advised to curtail your activities until your condition improve.

With these simple facts alone, there is no question that traveller’s diarrhoea should not be disregarded, as it can strip off every ounce of enjoyment and productivity in you during your travel. Be informed, be safe and be responsible for yourself.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Traveller's Paradise

SWITZERLAND


With every passing phase our plans to visit various destinations change, but there is a place which still resumes No.1 position in everyone's heart. And that is Switzerland. A dream destination for one and all. It's an ideal place to discover each other while falling for the panoramic beauty of the Alps. The beautiful landscapes, fills you with the joys and happiness and gives you the zest of motivation.


You are totally filled with awe and surprise visiting the beautiful and worthy places. The drives are breathtaking. The landscapes are perfect to view as if God himself took some time to make this place. The people are also very warm and welcoming. You never feel lonely or out of place. It has some or the other place for everyone. Like if you want some loneliness or some quiet place you can go for trekking on Mount Rigi or you can go to the lake, take a boat ride and also sit besides the banks of the lake.

If you are young, you can go for casinos or Mount Titlis for some adventure sports.

Places like Mount Titlis and Mount Rigi when covered with snow show the most serene and picturesque view. Whereas, in summers it is all green, the clouds come down to your side as if becoming companions of you for the moment. One can sit there for hours and absorb the beauty of the nature. And yes! don't forget to gobble down the Desi food like Pav Bhaji and Vada Pav while coming down from Mount Titlis. It would seem as the best food around.


The lake and even the small villages like Interlaken are more than enough to take your breath away. If you are more into shopping than you can enjoy the pleasure by shopping in branded stores like Cartier, Armani, Gucci etc. There are also various markets (like Coop stores) where you can find stuff totally matching your style and comfort, and at very reasonable prices.


Believing that whatever expenses you incur while planning your trip to Switzerland is totally worth it. You can definitely count on my words.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Travel Insurance Travellers Trust

The second hurdle in planning a trip, after deciding where to go, is what travel insurance fits best. Exploring new lands comes with its dangers, and it is important to be covered by it. It eases fears experienced during an accident, medical emergency, or even in cases of delayed trips or lost baggage.

Shopping for the right policy can become tiring, with all the offerings and providers to choose from. Reading its reviews helps you get a feel of what is available, and you can narrow your choices. With these reviews, you virtually eliminate information asymmetry and can make the most optimal decision based on data on hand.

When it comes to the people who are in charge of reviewing its policies, it will be wise for you to consider those who are travelers themselves. This will give you a feel for good and bad policies. Learning from other people's lessons saves a lot of heartache and time.

Oftentimes, the first offer is not the best one. See how different options stack up against each other and get help from other customers. Do consider the providers, the cost of the premium, and of course the extent of the coverage.

You will not always find the best policy features with the most expensive packages. Anyone can find the right package, with extensive policy options, within his means. These advantages only come with travel insurance reviews.

In conducting your review, narrow it down to three to five companies. The second step is to browse their products and consumer feedback pages. To avoid the nightmare situation of being stuck abroad with no one to turn to, make sure you contract a good, respectable insurance provider.

The next and most natural step is to inquire about prices. It is acceptable to look for affordable policies, but it is absolutely not acceptable to compromise in terms of coverage. Lower prices do not necessarily mean less coverage or quality.

Therefore, you should scrutinize the extent of coverage offered by every provider. Its review is like a model showing you the fit of a policy as she walks down the runway. True to form, there are pricey policies with wide coverage and cheaper options that cost less.

Focus first on the features you want before jumping into the travel insurance review. Know how much of your financial resources you can dedicate to insurance. Once you've decided on these two matters, the rest is easy.

To ease the selection process, its review is there to help. Its reviews help you make the best, smartest choice. Never be fooled again into spending beyond your needs.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

What Cause Traveller?s Diarrhoea?

Just so you think your most-awaited, important-than-nothing-else travel abroad is perfect, you then experience along your vacation some sort of inconvenience—abdominal bloating and cramps, urgency to go to the toilet, frequent loose or unformed bowel movements (stools), nausea, vomiting, and mild fever—in an instant you became a victim of Traveller’s Diarrhoea. This condition or illness is regarded the most common nemesis of every backpackers from developed countries—a whopping 50% of traveller’s have their rips ruined—spending 2 to 3 weeks to developing parts of the globe.

Traveller’s Diarrhoea is generally acquired by consumption or ingestion of faecally contaminated food or water, or both. These food or drinks contaminated with microorganisms that spread to the body when ingested. These microorganisms that can cause diarrhoea or traveller’s diarrhoea range from bacteria, viruses, parasites and even some unidentified causes.

As for bacteria-causing diarrhoea (80-85% of cases), the Enterotoxigenic (ETEC) forming Escherichia coli (E. coli) is one of the most common reasons of this illness; studies shown that approximately 40-75% of all cases are blamed to this, and they can be found in undercooked beef and unpasteurized milk. Meanwhile, other bacterial causes of traveller’s diarrhoea are Campylobacter jejuni, found in raw meat and poultry, unclean water and unpasteurized milk; Salmonella species, bacteria found in raw meat and poultry and dairy products; Shigella species, bacteria spread through poor hygiene and found in undercooked or raw food.

While bacterial cause is the top reason of acquiring diarrhoea, or more particularly traveller’s diarrhoea, viral infection has been found the reason in every one in every three cases (or 10-15% of all cases), notably rotavirus and Norwalk, which are passed between humans due to poor hygiene. On the other hand, Giardia intestinalis, found in contaminated water and spread through poor hygiene; Cryptosporidium parvum and Cyclospora, both parasites found in contaminated food and water; and Entamoeba hystolytica, are the parasitic infections (2-10% of all cases) that cause traveller’s diarrhoea. Although TD can be caused by either bacteria, virus or parasites, there is 1/5 to ½ of all diarrhoea cases that is unknown and thought to be gastrointestinal response to basically unfamiliar microorganisms transmitted inside the individual’s system.

So once and for all, where can travelers possibly acquire these micro organisms responsible for diarrhoea? The answer is, those totally risky foods which include the following:
• Undercooked, raw or rare meats and seafood
• Raw and peeled fruits and vegetables (most especially if the travelers did not peel them personally)
• Green leafy vegetables such as spinach and lettuce (because of possible harmful pesticides and/ or fertilizers used on them)
• Unpasteurized milk and other dairy products
• Sauces and mayonnaise
• Foods bought from street vendors
• Food buffets
• Any hot food that has been left long enough at room temperature and has already cooled, and;
• Contaminated water and other drinks

In essence, traveller’s diarrhoea can be acquired in any country but the regarded high-risk areas for people from developed countries are the most places in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Central and Southern part of America, where 50% of attack rates have been reported.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Intrepid Travellers

If you are an intrepid traveller then it will be the unreachable that draws you to new destinations and things to visit when you are travelling. Most people just plan their next holiday, but the diehard traveller will be looking to better their last trip and really make something remarkable.


Why not think about these?


Using all the pages in your passport: what a pride point to achieve! It might seem like a pain to a normal person to apply for new pages, but it's such a badge of honour to have all the stamps of the countries that you have visited on display.


Climbing to the highest point of the countries you have visited: its amazing to see a country from its highest peak, so why not get to the top and be in the rare few that have seen the terrain from that angle.


Seeing one hundred countries: if you want membership in the traveller's century club then collect passage into one hundred countries and be one of the elite few allowed to attend.


Acquiring rare passport stamps: there are some countries that are rare and unusual, and the acquisition of one if these stamps is like gold dust.

Take Lichtenstein for example. How many people do you know with that stamp?

Seeing the world in eighty days: might sound easy, but the real trick is to do it without using aeroplanes. You might have to board a boat, or get on a bus with the locals, but it means that you will get out there and live like the locals.


Visiting all seven of the continents: this would be much easier if Antarctica was easier to get to, but it means taking on Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Antarctica and Australasia in the quest to be well travelled.


Getting your kicks on route 66: renting a car and driving the iconic route 66 is a Mecca for travellers, so get it done and get one of the most amazing trips for travellers.


If you are looking to take a trip this summer then book Travel Insurance Direct

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Treatment for Traveller?s Diarrhoea

When the going gets tough, and when Traveller’s Diarrhoea already attacked your system, which is marked by increased frequency of loose bowel movements, abdominal pain, urgency to go to the toilet, nausea and vomiting, there is no place for disregard, instead immediate treatment must be done to ease the inconveniences and see to it that your trip—whether it’s a casual vacation or an important travel affair—would not be ruined.

Keep in mind that there is no vaccine intended for traveller’s diarrhoea or diarrhoea available today, but there are measures that you can take when you acquire it. Basically, people suffering from traveller’s diarrhoea (TD) have two major complaints which are abdominal cramps and diarrhoea, and diarrhoea treatment aims to kill the agents of infection, ease some symptoms that bring inconveniences and prevent serious case of dehydration, which is very dangerous to human’s system especially to young children, elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions. Since traveller’s diarrhoea is self-limiting and generally clears up after few days, here are the things that you must do while experiencing this condition:

AVOID DEHYDRATION

Because of too many fluid lost due to frequent bowel movements and events of vomiting, it is vital that those must be replaced. It is best to drink plenty of water (at least 3 to 4 liters a day), fruit juices such as apple and carrot, and soups. There is actually a formula recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent dehydration: 1 teaspoon salt combined with 8 teaspoons of sugar in 1 liter of potable water. for fluid replacement, WHO also recommend this simple formulation for fluid replacement: In glass A: 200 ml of orange, apple or other fruit juice + ½ teaspoon of honey + 1 pinch of salt; in glass B: 200 ml of water + ¼ teaspoon of baking soda. Then alternately drink from each glass until thirst is already quenched. They are good since they combine the goodness of potassium, glucose/ sugar, sodium and bicarbonate which are lost and needed to prevent dehydration.

Oral Rehydration Solutions or ORS are good supplements to replace lost salts and minerals in the body. ORS are important to children, elderly and those with cholera-like diarrhoea case because of their electrolytes and sterility. However, adults usually don’t get the benefits of the solution and have little influence on them, so soups and juices rich with salt and sugar are recommended. ORS such as Electolade, Dioralyte and Rehidrat are available in sachets and can be purchased at stores and pharmacies in almost all countries around the world. But, bear in mind that oral rehydration are not diarrhoea treatment, instead, they are just helping to get the fluid back into the body, replace salt, glucose and other important minerals lost.

TAKE ANTIMOTILITY OR ANTI-DIARRHOEAL MEDICATION

Taking antimotility drugs such as loperamide or codeine for initial treatment diarrhoea as it provides immediate symptomatic but temporary relief of traveller’s diarrhoea by inhibiting intestinal movements. These anti-diarrhoeal medications are deem helpful in long journey or embarrassing situations, by diminishing diarrhoea and cut down its duration thus reducing fluid loss, and also increasing fluid absorption by normalizing the transit through the gut and restoring normal stools.

However, it should not be used by person with active ulcerative colitis, bloody diarrhoea and fever (as it prevent the passage of bowel movements that will only keep bacterial infection and its toxic inside the body for longer period). Also, this diarrhoea treatment should be used with extreme precaution and not recommended for young children under the age of 12. In essence, antimotility agents are best used for people over 12 and under 75 years old and were previously in good health condition and not suffering from any grave illness.

ANTIBIOTICS

For serious cases of traveller’s diarrhoea, one can depend on anti-microbial or antibiotics. When the TD case is associated with nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, fever, and/ or blood in the stools, antibiotic treatment is best applied. In addition, those people who have serious medical condition and does not need any disruption during the travel (say, business trip or an athlete) will benefit from antibiotics are diarrhoea treatment since they kill bacterial or even protozoan infection immediately.

However, it is advised to consult a doctor first before taking antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin (best for bacterial infection) and metronidazole (effective for protozoan infection). And if you want rapid improvement for moderate traveller’s diarrhoea, combining antimotility (loperamide) with antibiotic is the answer.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Rajasthan: A Traveller?s Dream

Lying on the north western part of the Indian hemisphere Rajasthan shares its borders with Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Pakistan. Encompassing within its territory the Thar Desert and Aravalli ranges it is the largest state within western Rajasthan.

Rajasthan the land of colours and ethnicity, the land which is a picture of heritage and tradition is also a land which ranks among the top most travel destinations for both the domestic and foreign travellers. The deserts, forts, hawellies, palaces, wildlife sanctuaries, bazaars, textiles, folk dances and the easy communication facilities all welcome people from distant places.

The deeply etched culture and its embellishments in the day to day life of the Rajasthan tours. The royal histories related with the whole of Rajasthan builds a background behind all the monuments and various palaces found here.

In pre modern times, when Rajasthan was not a state, the area was distributed among various royal families like the Rathores, Kachwahas etc. With time they aligned with the Mughals and in the modern era the Indian government etched out a unified state in this territory .The Rajput and Mughal style of architecture both are found in this region. The Mughals adopted the Rajasthani architecture in their palaces and forts in areas other than Rajasthan like in Fatehpur sikri and Agra. A number of temples and pilgrim places not only have a lot of religious importance but also behold interesting architectural magnificence.

The most beautiful architectural specimen can be seen in the form of the city of Udaipur. Founded by Maharana Udaising II it was the first city of Marwar kingdom. The Lake palace which is the most soothing structure for the eyes covers an entire island in the Pinchola Lake. Many of the palaces here have been converted into luxury hotels. The experience of enjoying the beautiful scenery of the lake city can be taken through the Rajasthan tours.

Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan was founded by raja Sawai Jai Singh. The main tourist attractions are the Jantarmantar, Hawa Mahal, Amer Palace, the Albert hall museum and Lakshmi Narayan Temple.

Jodhpur is another famous city in Rajasthan and is also known as Sun City. It is also referred to as Blue city due to the blue painted houses around the Mehargarh fort. It was founded by Roa Jodha. Most visited destinations are Kalyan Lake and garden, Balsamand Lake, Masooria hill etc.

Mount Abu which is the highest peak in the Aravalli Range is another popular tourist destination also called ‘oasis in the desert’ as there are a number of rivers, waterfalls and lakes here. It is the only hill station in Rajasthan housing the Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary. The famous Jain temple Dilwara is also located here .The Dilwara temples are a complex of temples carved of white marble. A number of Hindu temples are also found here like the Adhar Devi temple and Sri Raghunathji temple.

Every corner of Rajasthan is loaded with a variety of cultural and architectural dimensions which forms a traveller’s delight.