Exotic Locations - Do we need to worry?

[filmbufs]

I'm glad I started this thread. It's great to see wonderful advice from people who have traveled to these wonderful, exotic locations. I have to admit I don't know much about these locations other than what I've seen in films or read in books. Those films about giant anacondas, piranhas and creatures from black lagoons can play tricks with your mind. LOL.

 

Seriously though, while it is prudent to take precautions while visiting far away places, it is terrific that those of you have already traveled can provide words of wisdom. I'm bringing some citronella bug spray, some good walking shoes, plenty of water and a bunch of common sense.

 

Keep the tips coming. :)

[kitty9]

Yikes what area has Tarantulas? :eek: I HATE spiders!

 

They freak the heck out of me. We used to live in Arizona, and one night my sister was sitting on the commode, and happened to look up. Well, there were a few hairy legs dangling down from the ceiling fan---can you imagine if it had fallen on her head. I swear the scream could be heard 20 miles away.

 

I had problems with scorpions in my house. I hate them more than tarantulas. Got at least three to four a month, despite monthly spraying.

 

Now to get serious, I've been on 64 cruises, to some really exotic locations including Cambodia, Kenya, Namibia, Brazil, Vietnam, and even India. The only preventative I've ever taken the Hep A and B shots. The only required shot I had to get was a Yellow Fever because our cruise left Africa and went to Brazil and it was the Brazilian government that demanded the YF vaccine.

 

Unless you're going to be hiking in jungles, or will be spending more than 24 hours in an endemic area, you really don't have to worry so much, UNLESS you have a compromised immune system. Then, all bets are off on that one.

[Cuizer2]

Yikes what area has Tarantulas? :eek: I HATE spiders!

 

The United States. I've seen several in that country.

[FINTUCKYFARMS]

One thing we did was wear water shoes that we got at Costco. Next I suggest that if you are going diving or snorkling, make sure any sun screen or bug repellant is made specifically for sensitive environments. We were not allowed to go into the water in Cozumel with sun screen because it would hurt the reef. They told us next time to buy one that was sold locally and would not hurt the environment. Sorry, I can't remember the exact name of it. They also told us to bring some dryer sheets and keep them in our pockets, they repel mosquitoes.

[crusingcouple]

We did the "rainforest" zipline in Belize and had a blast! Highly recommened! We got the Sportsman Off (has a slightly higher concentration of DEET) and we were just fine. Just be sure to bring something...you could tell which people used bug spray and which ones didn't. We reapplied about halfway through. We found the biting flies to be far more annoying than the malaria mosquitos ;).