Epic trips are unforgettable — but they can also be uncomfortable if you don’t prepare for the not-so-glamorous travel health & safety. From finding vaccines to surviving bug bites, tummy troubles, and too much sun, these are the little things that make or break your journey. Here’s how I survive the messy side of travel.
💉 Travel Vaccines: Navigating the Chaos
Vaccines aren’t the glamorous part of trip planning — but they’re the difference between an epic adventure and a trip ruined by something preventable. And here’s the part no one warns you about: actually getting them is not always simple, and it often takes longer (and costs more) than you expect.
Here are the main routes you can take:
- Primary Care Provider – Start here if you can. They’ll usually handle the basics (tetanus, Hep A, maybe typhoid) and give referrals for anything they don’t stock.
- Specialized Travel Clinics – These are fantastic if you want a one-stop shop. They carry harder-to-find vaccines (like yellow fever) and stay up-to-date on requirements. Passport Health has locations across the U.S. and can usually get you in quickly — but be prepared, their convenience comes with a higher price tag, and they will not submit anything to your health insurance company.
- Budget Tip – Use GoodRX to compare prices on vaccines in your area. Once you know what the CDC recommends for your destination, you can often save a ton by piecing vaccines together from different providers.
💡 Important Lesson Learned: You usually can’t “mix and match” clinics. In other words, the provider who does your travel health consultation will also be the one who administers your shots. You can’t just have a consultation at one clinic and then take the prescription elsewhere — so choose your provider with both availability and cost in mind.
🕒 Timing is Everything
- 2–3 months before departure – ideal. Lets you schedule, order specialty vaccines, and spread out multi-dose series.
- Plan for 1–2 weeks just to get that first appointment booked.
- At least 3 weeks before travel – your minimum buffer so vaccines have time to take effect.
- But don’t panic if you’re late. Even a last-minute jab offers more protection than skipping it altogether.
📎 Pro Tip
Keep your vaccine card tucked in with your passport. For countries that require proof (yellow fever, for example), it’s literally your ticket in. And even when it’s not required, it’s smart documentation to have.
🐝 Bite Back: Keeping the Bugs Away
One of the biggest dangers in jungle countries with lower vaccine rates (and thus less herd immunity) is the bugs. These little vampires basically become carriers of whatever illness one victim suffers, then spread it to the next animal — or person — they bite. And as someone who gets about 342 bug bites to the average person’s one, this is deeply alarming to me!
The goal isn’t to panic — it’s to layer your defenses. No single product is perfect, but together they’ll keep you safe and itch-free.
Repellents: DEET has long been considered the gold standard, but it now comes with growing concerns about long-term safety, including cancer links. If you want to play it safer, picaridin (the active ingredient in Ranger Ready Repellent) is nearly as effective, far less smelly, and much gentler on skin and clothing. Either way, think of repellent like sunscreen: reapply regularly, especially if you’re sweating or swimming.
Permethrin: This miracle-worker is for your clothes and gear, not your skin. Spray or soak clothing, hats, socks, and even your backpack with this Sawyer Product before you travel. Once it’s dry, it’s odorless and keeps working for at least 40 days or 5 washes.But be careful — permethrin is poisonous before it dries. Always apply it outdoors, wearing gloves and a mask if you can, and let items dry completely before packing.
Essential Oils & Natural Options: If you prefer an au naturel route, or just want extra backup, these citronella or essential-oil-infused bug bracelets can add another layer of defense. They’re not as reliable as chemical repellents, but they can help, especially in lower-risk areas or when you don’t want to douse yourself in spray.
Nets & Barriers: In some destinations, you’ll want to sleep under a mosquito net. Packable nets are light and cheap — but double-check whether your accommodations already provide them.
Cover Up & Skip Strong Scents: Lightweight, light-colored clothing does double duty: it makes you less attractive to mosquitoes and keeps you cooler in the sun. Skip dark colors, and skip strong perfumes or lotions too — they attract bugs and even drive away the fun wildlife you actually want to see.
If You Still Get Bit: Even with all the precautions in the world, some little vampire will still find you. Pack After-Bite, a soothing anti-itch cream, or antihistamine tablets for quick relief — because nothing ruins a sunrise safari faster than scratching yourself raw.
You don’t have to turn into a walking can of chemicals. A few smart steps — treated clothes, solid repellent, a net, and maybe a bug bracelet or two — will keep you safe and let you focus on the adventure, not the itching.
💩 Tummy Troubles: The Importance of Poop
Nothing ruins an adventure faster than stomach drama. I learned this the hard way in Cuba, when I literally pooped my pants in an airport — you can read the full chaos in my Cuba travel story. Traveler’s Tummy (AKA Montezuma’s Revenge, or Delhi Belly, or plain old Traveler’s Diarrhea), is practically a rite of passage, but it doesn’t have to wreck your whole trip.
🥭 Prevention
The #1 lesson I’ve learned: it’s more complicated than just “don’t drink the water.” Local water may carry pathogens, or just a totally different mix of microorganisms than your gut is used to. Either way, the result is the same — trouble.
- Skip the tap water completely. Don’t drink it, don’t brush your teeth with it, and try not to get it in your nose, eyes, or mouth when you shower.
- Beware of hidden water sources. Produce that’s been rinsed, fields irrigated with local water, ice cubes, and even the tops of soda cans or beer bottles can all be culprits.
- Safe foods: Anything cooked through and served piping hot. Fruit you peel yourself (bananas, oranges). Freshly cracked coconuts or melons.
- Unsafe foods: Uncooked produce (especially lettuce), unpeeled fruit, raw berries, anything washed but not cooked.
- Supplements: Travelan is one you’ll hear about often at Travel Health Clinics. It introduces e. coli antibodies into your gut before meals to neutralize potential contamination. I don’t take it all the time, but if I’m knowingly rolling the dice on street food, I’ll pop one as a safety net.
- Gear up:
- Reusable straw – so your lips never touch a questionable can or bottle top.
- Hand sanitizer – I normally avoid it, but when traveling I make an exception.
- Travel soap sheets – tiny, packable, and a lifesaver in under-equipped facilities.
- LifeStraw Filtered water bottle (or Travel Straw) – lets you safely drink from questionable taps, hotel sinks, or refill stations when bottled water isn’t an option.
- 📎 Pro Tip: Sanitize your bottle regularly – especially the straw or mouthpiece. A quick wipe with sanitizer or soap keeps it from becoming its own germ farm.
🚑 Recovery
Even the most cautious traveler gets hit sometimes. The key is to pack a little gut-support kit so a bad day doesn’t turn into a ruined trip.
- Probiotics – Start before you leave and keep taking them while traveling. Go shelf-stable so you don’t need a fridge.
- Electrolyte packets – My #1 must-pack. They make bottled water safer and help you recover faster.
- Rehydration salts – Different from electrolytes; these are for when you’re already sick and need fast fluid replacement.
- Anti-diarrheal meds (Imodium/loperamide) – Perfect for when you must stop things quickly (like long bus rides or border crossings). Don’t overuse, but don’t be afraid of them either.
- Pepto Bismol – Great for calming stomach upset, nausea, and mild diarrhea before it spirals out of control.
- DiaResQ – Another product clinics recommend, technically a “Food for Special Dietary Use.” It uses bovine colostrum to help restore normal intestinal function. I haven’t tried it yet myself, but it’s on my list to pack for the future.
- Antibiotics – Some doctors will prescribe a just-in-case course for traveler’s diarrhea. Worth asking about at your travel health consultation.
- Hand wipes/sanitizer – Not just prevention; they keep you from re-infecting yourself after you’ve been sick.
🧻 My Takeaway
Don’t skip the adventure food — that’s half the joy of travel. Just pack smart, eat wisely, and have your gut-friendly toolkit ready. That way, a bad tummy day stays just that: one day, not your whole story.
☀️ Sun Protection & Recovery: Avoiding the Lobster Look
Generally, jungly zones tend to hover near the equator — which means no matter the season, the sun is intense. Sun protection isn’t just slapping on the strongest sunscreen you can find in the morning and calling it good. It’s about daily habits, evening recovery routines, and having a plan for the worst-case scenario (aka tomato face).
As an ADD Monkey Brain traveler, I’ve had my fair share of burns — they’re miserable. Luckily, I grew up in a family of doctors, so the “how to prevent and treat sun damage” lecture has been drilled into me since birth… even if I sometimes forget to follow it.
Quick disclaimer: I’m not a doctor. This is not medical advice. Talk to your own provider about OTC meds or treatments — I’m just sharing what’s worked for me.
🧴 Protection & Prevention
- Chemical vs. Physical Sunscreen – Chemical formulas are easier to apply, less greasy, and leave no white cast, but can irritate skin and harm marine life. Mineral sunscreens (zinc/titanium) are reef-safe and better for sensitive skin but need reapplication more often. My rule: use whichever you’ll apply consistently on land, and go mineral in the sea.
- SPF Considerations – Anything broad spectrum SPF 30–50 does the job. SPF 100 sounds sexy, but it’s only about 1% more effective than SPF 50.
- Side Note: UVA = aging, UVB = burning. Broad spectrum = both.
- Application Tips:
- Apply 15 minutes before exposure and reapply every 2 hours (real talk: I re-do face/neck/shoulders, but the full-body thing only happens if Mom nags me or my skin feels hot).
- SPF facial mists are a great way to refresh on the go.
- Be generous — sunscreen doesn’t work if you don’t use enough.
- Apply butt naked to avoid those weird swimsuit-edge burns.
- With sprays, rub it in to avoid white-stripe zebra burns.
- Clothing as Armor: Hats with broad brims, UPF-rated shirts, and polarized sunglasses are worth their weight in gold. (See more in the clothing section below.)
- Don’t Forget Your Lips: Grab a lip balm with SPF, or rub a little sunscreen on them.
- Clouds & Shade Lie: Shade and overcast skies don’t block UV. Even jungle canopy days still include exposure walking to and from.
💆 Routine Skin Care for Repair
- Leave Retinol Behind: It makes skin more sun-sensitive, so not the best companion when your main goal is sun defense.
- Focus on Repairing & Nourishing Instead: Ingredients that hydrate (hyaluronic acid, ceramides, squalane), soothe (niacinamide, aloe, chamomile, tiger grass), or protect (vitamin C, E, resveratrol) are your friends.
- Skip Harsh Exfoliants: Avoid abrasive scrubs and peels. A gentle silicone face brush is all you need.
- Body Care: Even if you hate slathering moisturizer in humid climates, a light body lotion with hydrating/soothing ingredients can save you if you slip up.
- Pamper Yourself: Pack a small face mask with nourishing ingredients and have a little hotel-room spa night.
🌡️ Recovering from Sun-tastrophes
Step 1 – Cool Off: Take a cool shower to pull heat from your skin, then air dry in front of a fan.
Step 2 – Internal Relief: If approved by your doctor, an anti-inflammatory pain reliever plus extra water/electrolytes helps your body fight back.
Step 3 – External Relief:
- Look for aloe vera, shea/cocoa butters, hydrating oils, and antioxidants (vitamin E, hyaluronic acid).
- Sprays are gentler on tender skin; products with lidocaine can ease pain.
Step 4 – Double Down: Don’t hide indoors the rest of the trip, but do layer up — long sleeves, pants, and the most unflattering UPF hat you can find. Add sunscreen even under clothing if you’ll be outside long.
Optional Helpers: A cooling towel or portable fan can make hot recovery days bearable.
For bite-sized tips on staying safe and healthy, head to my Travel Tips.
Travel health and safety isn’t about perfection — it’s about being prepared enough that small problems don’t turn epic adventures into epic disasters. Pack smart, hydrate, and laugh off the rest. Want more packing hacks, long-haul survival tips, and recovery tricks? The full Epic Travel Guide is waiting for you →
Ready to Wander On?
Epic adventures don’t happen by accident — they start with the right prep, the right gear, and a little inspiration. Keep exploring here:
🧳 The Complete Epic Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know for Once-in-a-Lifetime Adventures
🌍 Sobriety Stuff: Fearless Stories, Powerful Resources, and Travel Advice
🛒 All the Travel Essentials I Own and Love
Set yourself up for smoother travels, smarter packing, and epic memories. Wherever you go, wander on. 🌟
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