A few years ago I took the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu in Peru. The trek lasts five days and covers mountainous terrain, especially in the early going. Still not fully acclimatized, I made the mistake of hiking too fast on the first day. When we reached the camp (altitude of 4000m or so), I [...]
If you have travel plans for South America or Sub-Saharan Africa, you have probably heard about Yellow Fever. Yet another in the long line of mosquito transmitted diseases, yellow fever is a disease which can truly mess you up if you don't take the necessary steps for prevention. Named for the yellowing of the skin [...]
One of the easiest ways to get sick when traveling is through contaminated water. Whether it's a simple case of traveler's diarrhea or something worse, like amoebic dysentery, it's hard to enjoy yourself when you're spending most of your time on the toilet. You may find yourself in a rural area without access to clean [...]
Cipro is used to treat a laundry list of bacterial infections, including anthrax, a number of bone and joint infections, and most relevant for travelers, bacterial diarrhea. It is the atomic bomb of antibiotics. Widely prescribed for a variety of infections, cipro has lost its potency over recent years. Some strains of bacteria have become [...]
There are many illnesses that a traveler can encounter while on the road. Most people are familiar with malaria, hepatitis, and yellow fever, a vaccination for which is required to travel in many countries. Lesser known are some truly terrifying (and disgusting) organisms that give travel health disaster a whole new meaning. You are unlikely [...]
While traveling Northern Mali in the fall of 2010, I came down with a horrific case of amoebic dysentery. When the symptoms began, I assumed I had traveler's diarrhea, which would last a day or two - uncomfortable and inconvenient, but nothing serious. When I started shitting blood, I realized something more sinister was at [...]
Many people have heard of Hepatitis, but it seems like most do not know much about the disease and its different strains. Below I've constructed a table that will provide simple, straightforward information that is useful for travelers in regards to the virus. Hepatitis is a disease which can be easily avoided as long as [...]
Hepatitis C is the most dangerous strain of the hepatitis virus that a traveler could encounter out in the world. It is not vaccine preventable, but luckily there are some easy tips to help you stay free and clear of this deadly virus. Hepatitis is a disease which causes inflammation of the liver. Many people [...]
While not as prevalent as hepatitis A, hepatitis B is a disease which can easily be encountered on your travels. This article will discuss the dangers of hepatitis B and the tips and methods to ensure that a traveler stays free of this disease on their travels. Hepatitis is a disease which causes inflammation of [...]
Before selecting travel insurance for my last trip to West Africa, I did online research and I polled friends who traveled frequently. In my quest to find the best travel insurance, World Nomads was repeatedly suggested. After doing some additional research, I saw that they were also recommended by many travel companies, including Lonely Planet. [...]
