Adventure Travel Tips

The annual Running with the Bulls in Pamplona is on the bucket list of many adventure travelers. As you may have seen in the news this week, four participants were hospitalized (one gored and three trampled) during this year’s run. This reminded me that it is time to share some adventure travel tips.

How can you keep safe and healthy during an adventure?

I did a great show sharing more than two dozen important adventure travel tips earlier this year, Über Adventures: 25 Tips for Staying Safe, Healthy, and Happy on Any Adventure. Click here to hear this important podcast!

It’s important to remember that you can easily get ill or injured during any adventure, even if it is a soft adventure. You want to take every precaution to avoid getting sick or hurt while traveling, especially in developing countries and remote destinations. I highly recommend listening to my show to learn all I have to share on this topic, but here are my top five suggestions, as well:

Buy travel insurance. Read the fine print. Make sure it includes medical and air evacuations.
Do your research. Make sure you know what you’re signing up for. Be clear about what’s involved.
Get ready. If you are tackling a physically demanding activity, such as mountain climbing or jungle trekking, make sure you are fit. Spend weeks or months prior to your trip training and getting your body in optimal shape. This may involve using a stair master set at maximum incline or long walks carrying a backpack. Talk to your doctor about your conditioning and medications and/or vaccinations that may be required or recommended.
Be sure to choose a reputable outfitter. You want a highly skilled, competent guide if you are rafting the Zambezi River, trekking in the Amazonian Rainforest, or scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef. Verify how long the company has been in business, check for complaints, etc.
Get the right gear. Make sure you have the right clothing and equipment for your adventure or that the outfitter will have what you need, such as a snowsuit, waders, all-weather coat, insulated sleeping bag, good hiking boots, etc.

Adventure travel is the greatest type of travel there is, but you need to be prepared. There is always a chance of getting sick or injured on any trip, but it is far less likely if you are prepped and ready for your big adventure.