So, there was a recent earthquake on the Myanmar-India border. It was not terrible, but it reminded me that safety should be a concern when traveling. No matter how safe your destination is, there is the possibility of natural disasters. No one can prepare for every possibility, and it would be a bad life to be afraid of everything, but it is important to understand the potential dangers and consider them. The best and most important tip is to make sure people know where you are and where you are going, and when to expect you back. Post your itinerary, and changes. Let your hotel know. Make sure your family can contact you. What other tips do you recommend?
It's also very important to know what to do during a natural disaster, specifically tsuninamis and earthquakes are most common in India. Actually, India has been the place of many very notiable natural disasters like, Nepal and the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami... which was the deadlist natural disaster in our lifetimes. Before travelling to India it's very smart to look into these and prepare yourself.
I've never encountered earthquakes or tsunamis on my trips so I guess I'm lucky but I also look into the weather or season the country is going through so I'm prepared for natural disasters. For earthquakes keep safe by hiding under triangular structures and the like while when encountering a tsunami get to a high place as fast as you can, preferably a strong cemented structure. Make sure your embassy knows where you are as well as your family.
Just for the sake of everyone's safety I have to point out the the "Triangle of Life Theory" (getting in a triangular corner during an earthquake to avoid being crushed) isn't very effective. It's recommended that people get underneath a sturdy object such as a table or desk in the event of a strong earthquake. It's also recommended that people DO NOT get in a doorway they have proved to be just as strudy as the rest of the dwelling and WILL NOT protect you during an earthquake. But, you're absolutely right about tsunamis... Get someplace high and hey there fast! Because there are almost always 2 or 3 and maybe more waves that occur during a tsunami... not just one big wave, as people tend to think. Also, it's important to note that if you can see the wave it's too late to outrun it... just grab onto the sturdiest thing you can and prepare to be hit. Remember; many people survive being hit by a tsunami wave... yes, it's deadly but it's not too unsurvivable.
The most important thing to do, since natural disasters sometimes strike without warning, is to keep your family members updated with your itinerary. Having constant updates on your social media accounts with details of your whereabouts can be a lifesaver too.
I was once stuck for almost one and a half days on a mountain road dur to a landslide. It was then I learnt the importance of keeping dry, long lasting food with you. In the event of a disaster, all food becomes very expensive and difficult to obtain. So keep some with you!
One of the biggest things I would say is to be aware of where the consulate is for your country. It's always good to have a point of reference if you do need assistance, so any time I visit somewhere new I have the address and contact details (phone and email if possible) of my consulate. Thankfully I've never had to use it so far, but it's a peace of mind thing. And yes - absolutely let people know where you're going. I keep in touch with people via social media when I'm away, but my close loved ones always have a rough idea of my itinerary before I go away.
Having a bit of food on you is a great idea. As a parent, it is important to keep something with you at all times, not just for emergencies. Making sure your kids have something to eat, even just to calm them down and keep them out of trouble, is great.
I think it's also important to have a mini first aid kit with you if you go travelling to distant places or even trekking. A first aid kit with the necessities like tweezers, scissors, alcohol, antiseptic cream and some medicines. It's important in case anyone is involved in a minor injury or accident so you can implement first aid on the person. Aside from that, for minor headaches, stomach aches or coughs, you would need medicines as well. If you can, bring a cellphone with you. Even a non-techie cellphone, where it's only for texting and calling. Make sure it has the sim card from the country you're in and it has load as well. So in case you're stranded in a far away place, you can call for help from the authorities. If you can, bring at least a bottle of water, the bigger the container, the better. I keep rewinding this scene from 127 hours and it always frightens me. I hope this helps!
Hey all, while travelling no one like to get in conflict with nature and its dangerous persona so before commencing your journey "Hope for the best and prepare for the worst". First thing give your itinerary detail to your family members and friends, always pack dry and instant food and health drinks, keep your medicines and first aid box always prepare and checked, check your account for good. And if you are travelling in a foreign country then make photocopies of your identification document and mailed it to every responsible person you know and also leave that at your accommodation , inform your hotel in charge about your where about. And if you are planning for a road trip then make sure your rental car must be loaded with GPS, fuels, and other safety features. Thats it. Do some research about the destination regarding the weather or climate, keep close eyes on news (weather, political). But its nature you never ever predict about its nature. So best of luck while travelling. Thanks.................
Before travelling, I make sure that I make a thorough research of the place or area that I will explore. And I always tell someone where I'm going. I give them all the information like where I'll be staying as well as the list of activities that I will be doing. It also helps to have contingency plans just in case I run into some trouble or meet an accident. I also bring with me a first aid kit (which is always in my little bag which I always carry with me), as well as a whistle, a rechargeable flashlight, and a bottle of water. It's also important to have a power bank (preferably solar powered) so that you can still charge your phones or gadgets even if there are power outages in the area.
That part of the world is not known as the safest place for many reasons not only the natural causes. But the earthquakes are a serious problem really. I guess you need some basic stuff for those kind of situations and you could ask what it is in some centre for this kind of problems. The power bank somebody suggested is a very good thing actually. I always like to carry my pocket knife with me and it came in handy several times.
For a lot of people, we'll live in a part of the world that doesn't have any natural disasters and we don't know how to deal with things like this, simply because we've never had to. We can read about what we should do all we want, but until we're affected by it then we'll never know what it's going to be like. All we can do is try and be as prepared as we possibly can, but at the same time make sure the fear of what could happen , not spoil our trip.
Yes, there are a lot of unexpected things that may happen while you are abroad. From unforeseen natural disasters, to pickpockets and muggers, you definitely should do a ton of research about what to do in case these things happen. For example, make sure to keep in touch with someone back home, just in case. Make sure to look after your belongings, especially your wallet and passport. Try to familiarize yourself with the local diseases that you may get. Tropical countries have Malaria and Dengue fever for example. Make sure you know the nearest hospital and police station where you are staying, and always have speed dials on your significant others.
Before we even set off to any country, we should check out our own countries government website, just to see if there's any advice or warnings regarding the destination we're heading to. If you've booked through a travel agent, they will also have advice on how to keep safe and watch out for dangers, and will also usually have a list if important phone numbers, so they're worth making a note of aswell.
