Japanese encephalitis is yet another mosquito borne illness. Confined to the limited geography of Southeast Asia and the Far East, Japanese encephalitis is rare in travelers, but it's certainly not an illness to take lightly. Acute clinical cases (roughly 1% of cases) of Japanese encephalitis have a fatality rate of 20-30% and among survivors, 30-50% [...]
Since gaining Independence from the British on March 6, 1957, Ghana has been a jumping off point for many people looking to travel West Africa. Whether you are looking for beautiful beaches, sobering and powerful historical slave trade castles/sites, lush rain forest, or a rich music and culture scene, Ghana has it all. When it [...]
This entertaining (and informative) guest post comes from Jade over at Our Oyster. I'm not sure who said it first, or how it came to define what it means to be a successful traveller, but for some reason, six years ago when I started travelling this motto became my personal mantra. Of course, as a [...]
This evening, I will be leaving for West Africa. It is a trip I have made several times before and I'd like to think I have the packing and preparation down to a science. Depending on your destination, pre-trip travel health planning may be as simple as packing a few band-aids. If you are planning [...]
Having just done this a few days ago, I can say without a doubt that flying while sick is a miserable experience. The slightest of head colds can lead to pure agony. While there is no silver bullet, here are some tips to mitigate the discomfort. For the purposes of this article, we are referring [...]
With all of our posts on beating the heat and freshening up, it was only a matter of time before we started talking about spas and saunas around here. The truth is, pampering yourself with a massage or a visit to a hot spring doesn't have to break the bank, and the possible health benefits [...]
Outside of the developed world, typhoid is found almost everywhere. Thankfully, it is rarely fatal if treated, and there are easy-to-take preventative measures like getting vaccinated. In addition to prevention, this post will also look at signs and symptoms and treatment. See the map below. Grey indicates little to no risk. Red indicates the highest [...]
There's been a lot of buzz this week about the promise of a malaria vaccine that is currently in clinical trials across Africa. While the news is encouraging, it will be some time before a vaccine is widely administered to travelers; the most recent vaccine trial has shown a 50% success rate - promising, but [...]
Last week, we posted our favorite ways to beat the heat on your travels. Today, Katrina from Tour Absurd shares some excellent tips for freshening up on the road. You might know the feeling: it's been a day or several without a shower, you're hot, sweaty and covered with a layer of dirt. Next time [...]
The following is our second post on skin infections (see the first one on cellulitis over here). This one comes from Alex at WanderlustandtheGirl.com. Enjoy her entertaining and somewhat intense tale of what it's like to get an infection in your armpit! In 2010, I took my first official round-the-world trip. I went surfing down [...]
