5 Ways Not To Die Whilst Travelling

Originally posted on Travel Asia - Travel Europe| Bangkok to Krakow.com

In any adventure story, certain things have got to happen. Our hero has to set out on a quest, the road has to be fraught with dangers, and he’s got to get the girl in the end. Simple. But what about when the story is your own personal adventure? We all  want to get the girl (or guy) and live happily ever after, but do we really need to risk life and limb to get there? Not really. Whilst any trip you take has some risk inheritently present, it is possible to avoid having too many near death experiences on the road. Here’s just a sample of ways not to die when your travelling…

#1 Don’t jump out of a moving train

YOU ARE NOT DANIEL CRAIG (unless you are, in which case OMG James Bond is reading my blog). You are also not Indiana Jones. Or any other awesome action movie hero. If you jump out of a moving train, you probably will die. Or at least seriously hurt youself.

Even in countries like India, where the locals make it look as simple as a hop, skip and a jump, it’s way safer just not to try it. Large moving chunks of metal can gain speed much quicker than you anticipate, and there’s a knack to jumping with the motion of the train that most backpackers (and I write from experience here) just aren’t born with.

#2 Remember what side of the road traffic drives on

Left doesn’t always mean wrong. For a lot of people, left means right, and right means wrong. Confusing, yes. But if you pay attention, you should just about manage to avoid being squashed by a London Bus or a moto laden with a family, several suitcases and their pet pig. Notice what side of the road people are driving, and the way they drive, and think before you cross the road. This way, you can avoid being like a German friend of mine who almost got flattened by a busload of tourists when she first arrived in Edinburgh. There’s a photo-mo they won’t be forgetting in a hurry.

#3 Learn to swim before jumping into deep water

You’d think this was obvious, but take it from someone who has had to dive into Baywatch mode several times before, not everyone who jumps off a boat can actually swim. And it’s not just drunken tourists on party cruises who risk forgetting their own underwater abilities. On a recent snorkeling trip with some Cambodians, they nearly drowned because they decided to go swimming, when they couldn’t. Just don’t do it.

#4 Know the law and stick to it

The death penalty still exists in lots of places. In many Asian countries, been caught with drugs can cost you your life. Yes, you have to be really unlucky, but it does happen. And it’s not just drug-related penalties you need to watch out for. Take the girl who was so enamored with her new chap that she didn’t notice the flashlights getting closer and closer while she was getting more and more naked on a beach in a very conservative country. She managed to bribe her way out of a very awkward situation, but later discovered that she could have technically still been stoned to death…

#5 Don’t think you know better than the locals

So so many people are guilty of this. But the locals often actually do know best. If they aren’t swimming in a certain lake, why would you? There could be crocs or ‘gaters or all sorts of deadly creatures in there. If they aren’t drinking the tap water, your westerner stomach certainly won’t cope- and not just with bugs or bacteria. In Cambodia, for example, a lot of the tap water contains arsenic, which occurs naturally in the Mekong region. And according to the knowledgable folk over at wikipedia, Arsenic poisoning really isn’t a pleasant way to go.

On a more serious note, if you are travelling anywhere notably volatile, or planning on undertaking any really dangerous activities, make sure your insurance policy covers you fully. And if you have people depending on you back home, why not think about life insurance as well as travel insurance?

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