In this article we address all of this, focusing on the stuff and choices in our control with the goal to mind the health and safety of others, as well as yourself. These lessons apply not only to travel but also to daily life, during the pandemic and beyond. We touch on decision-making, logistics, managing risk, flexibility, adapting to new information, managing expectations, gratitude and satisfaction. Oh, and how it's still possible to have fun and enjoy yourself even in the midst of pandemic challenges, risks and uncertainties.

When we traveled to Italy from Berlin, Germany to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary, we had plenty of reservations. We questioned whether we ought to travel at all given the pandemic.

We were not only concerned about our own enjoyment and safety, but we were also more attuned to the safety of others and the impact of our visit. Our decision-making process while planning and taking this trip was more deliberate and careful than usual. We considered all potential impacts — good and bad — as we researched, planned and executed the trip with Covid-19 still a reality.

As we responded to questions from friends, family and readers about how traveled during the pandemic, it occurred to us that it might be useful to turn our travel planning and on-the-road process during COVID-19 inside-out here.

Update January 2022: Even though the trip we mentioned occurred before vaccinations were available, many of the same precautions, planning factors and considerations are still relevant now given the new variants and low rates of vaccination in some places. We've updated this article to take into consideration vaccination certificates, country-specific passes and other considerations to be able to navigate requirements, manage risk and have a good trip. This update also includes specifics and experiences traveling to and within the United States and to several EU countries (e.g., France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Moldova and Cyprus).

CAVEATS:

• We understand Italy does not reflect travel realities across the rest of the world. Each destination is different based on their vaccination rate, Covid-19 case load, hospitalization rates, season, restrictions and many other things. However, we believe many of the travel planning, safety tips and recommendations that follow will resonate and apply on some level no matter where you live and where you wish to travel.
• To be clear, we are not advocating that everyone travel right now. There are ethical considerations and even with vaccination roll-outs gaining speed around the world, COVID-19 rates are again on the rise in many countries with new variants like Omicron (see our COVID-19 Travel Resource Guide for more details on relevant data and considerations). However, people will continue to travel now and in the future. Our suggestions are aimed to help travelers plan and execute travel more seamlessly and manage risks for themselves and the host communities they visit. One of the best ways to do this is to get vaccinated yourself and visit places with high vaccination rates so that local people are already protected.

Mindful Traveler Oath Basics

First, consider the following basic elements of the as-yet-unspoken Uncornered Market Mindful Traveler Oath:

1. Keep ourselves and others safe. And not necessarily in that order.
2. Act mindfully and responsibly, for positive (or to minimize potential negative) impact on the people and places we visit.
3. Have fun. Enjoy ourselves.

We did our best on this trip to accomplish all three.

“Good Grief, What a Headache” Caveat to the Mindful Traveler Oath

Some of our suggestions may elicit a response of, “Oh Dan and Audrey, what a headache. I just want to travel.”

In turn, we offer the following perspective: “What do we most remember about the trip?”

In this case, we recall the phenomenal hiking, dazzling food, beautiful towns, pleasant people, and lovely interactions. Also expressing disbelief, usually over a glass of the local vintage or beer, that we’d been married to one another for 20 years.

Last on the list of our memories: any inconvenience of wearing a mask or having to mind the impact of our actions on the health and safety of others.

Now to the list.

How To Travel Safely* During Covid: Research and Planning

Note: *safely in terms of doing full research to understand the risks associated with the place you want to visit and the type of travel you want to do. Unfortunately, there is no 100% safe guarantee when it comes to Covid or anything else in life. The idea is to be prepared with relevant data and information to make a decision on whether to travel in the first place given the risks, where you can travel based on border and other restrictions, and then where you want to travel based on the current Covid situation, requirements, and other associated costs and time.

1. Do your COVID-19 & travel restriction research

Prior to setting off, we took our own COVID travel advice when deciding where to visit. Our goal: to make sure the places we wanted to visit weren’t identified as COVID-19 hotspots, had high vaccination rates and that we wouldn’t be required to quarantine upon arrival or encounter problems upon our return home to Germany.

Covid-related research and considerations to choose where to travel now include:

• Country entry and stay requirements: Use tools like Sherpa, Reopen Europe, and country-specific government pages (always confirm information from secondary sources) to understand entry requirements. This includes not only whether proof of a negative test is needed to enter, but also whether testing is required upon arrival, quarantine times, and whether regular testing is required during the stay. Some countries also require you to fill in a government form in advance and upload your proof of vaccination or negative test as a sort of pre-approval process. You're usually required to show this — either in paper or app form — when you check in for your flight and upon arrival in the country. Many countries have different requirements for vaccinated vs. unvaccinated travelers, so be sure to double check the requirements not only for your vaccination status, but also for how old your vaccination is (e.g., whether you've gotten a booster).
• Country specific Covid data: Be sure you understand the current local Covid situation where you want to visit to ensure this fits within your desired risk level. This means not only Covid daily rates, but also hospitalizations and ICU availability, vaccination rate (high is good), and where the concentration of new infections is happening (e.g., maybe you stay away from the cities or outbreak areas).
• Re-entry requirements to your home country: Not only do you need to know what is needed to get into another country, but you also must be aware of what the requirements are to return home. Countries are constantly being evaluated based on their current Covid caseloads and put on low or high risk lists, with the latter having stricter re-entry testing and quarantine requirements. Be sure to check the status of the country where you want to visit so that you are prepared with what forms you need to fill out, if you need a negative PCR or antigen test, and whether you need to quarantine.
• Availability and cost of Covid tests: In addition to possibly needing to show a negative test to fly home, some countries require Covid tests upon arrival or every couple of days. Do your research to understand not only the testing requirements (antigen or PCR), but how much the tests cost and how difficult it is to schedule. For example, during our recent trip to Cyprus, a PCR test upon arrival was required of all passengers. However, this was done immediately at the airport when we disembarked the plane, cost €15 (very reasonable) and the results were sent in 3-6 hours. This made it easy, efficient and inexpensive to fulfill this requirement. However, we're heard stories in other countries of the required tests adding hundreds of dollars or Euros to the cost of the trip, plus they were difficult to find and schedule. That sounds less enjoyable.
• What happens if you get Covid on vacation – local requirements and restrictions: Imagine the worst case scenario and you test positive for Covid during your trip, either developing symptoms during your vacation or you get a surprise result when you do your Covid test to return home. What are the procedures and requirements where you are going in terms of where you are allowed to stay (e.g., some countries have quarantine-specific hotels or centers so you can't just stay in a regular hotel or apartment), quarantine length, required testing regime, access to medical care, and who pays for everything, etc.? We know this isn't a pleasant exercise, but it's better to be prepared for what could happen (e.g., we know several people who tested positive when fulfilling Covid requirements to return home). Then, you have all the information you need to decide if you still want to go to that destinations given the requirements and potential additional costs and time. For example, on our recent trip to Cyprus we researched that if we were to test positive then we would have to go an official government quarantine hotel for two weeks, but that the costs of this were paid by the government. Given that we mostly work remotely anyway, we decided that this was a risk we were willing to take.
• On-the-ground Covid safety requirements: We now actively look for destinations with strict mask mandates and where proof of vaccination is required to access restaurants, museums or other indoor areas. This provides us with a bit more peace of mind and security that people are taking the risks seriously and are trying to manage them the best they can given the current tools and knowledge that we have.

This, of course, is all in addition to all the usual travel logistics and destination planning we do for a normal vacation.

How it played out: Although our goal was to hike the Dolomites in northern Italy, we identified several alternative destinations in case COVID-19 rates or travel restrictions increased there. We also regularly checked official government (German and Italian) websites to ensure we had the latest information before making any decisions.

2. Plan. Remain flexible. Adapt. Expect to cancel during Covid.

I’m with Dwight Eisenhower on this one. “…[plans] are of no particular value, but [planning] is indispensable.” Eisenhower was quoting a military officer speaking about managing peace after World War II, but the premise applies also to the winds of change of travel.

Plan, yet remain flexible. Accept that you may be forced to change plans or cancel at any moment, either while planning or on the road. Adapt your expectations and decisions to the discovery of new information. Preparation opens the mind to possible outcomes; the resulting flexibility helps maximize satisfaction. The less surprised you are as scenarios arise, the more equipped you will be to respond. And the more resilient you'll become.

If you happen to be a fan of the saying, “It’s all about the journey, not the destination,” this ought to resonate.

How it played out:  We postponed our anniversary trip once. The possibility of last-minute cancellation hovered over us right up to the time of our departure. We deliberately chose to travel by train rather than fly to Italy, since it featured fewer bureaucratic hassles and was less expensive, particularly if we had to cancel.

We also chose a rental car option with flexible cancellation and refund policies and were willing to pay a little more for that flexibility. (Note: If terms and conditions regarding cancellation aren’t clearly articulated, do not hesitate to inquire before booking so as to avoid surprises.)

Changeable weather is a key factor, especially during the shoulder season. It determined where we stayed each night and from which Dolomite trailhead we set off each morning. We checked weather multiple times a day (Wunderground and various mountain forecast sites were our favorites) for various cities and towns within the region. We adjusted our route accordingly and often headed to an area which promised the most sunshine and the lowest chance of precipitation the following day. Weather and forecast variation was remarkable, even between towns no more than an hour or two from one another.

3. Take advantage of the shoulder and off-seasons

We’ve always been fans of traveling in the shoulder and off-seasons not only because of fewer crowds, but also because it benefits local businesses by helping to extend their season. Prices and availability of accommodation and transport tend to be better, too. With social distancing and crowd avoidance concerns, this approach makes even more sense.

How it played out: Although we considered taking this trip for a while, including possibly during the summer when weather is more reliable, we ended up blocking out the end of September and early October for it. This was not only in light of watching COVID-19 rates, but also in line with the idea that there we would encounter fewer travelers after the traditional high season. This worked out well in terms of fewer people on the trails and better prices at hotels and guest houses.

4. Lifelines: Ask a friend to send you important updates

For the sake of joy, sanity and time management, we cut off our attention from most news during the trip. After a few days, however, we realized our disengagement and wondered whether we'd miss a news item which might affect our trip. We asked a friend in Berlin to alert us of developments like border restrictions or closures that might impact our trip or return home.

How it played out:  The day before our return, our lifeline (you know who you are), sent a Whatsapp message with COVID-19 rate increases across Central Europe. The following day, as we traveled by train from Italy to Germany, slow and tense border crossings caused us to miss our connecting train. While we weren't particularly happy about that, at least we weren't caught off guard.

Had such information arrived at the start of our trip, we may have opted to cut the trip short.

5. Be OK following the local rules.

When you travel, you are essentially a guest in someone's else home. Accept that you’ll be expected to comply with the requirements of the destinations you visit. That’s as true now with COVID as it's ever been, only the stakes are higher.

If you aren’t willing to comply with local laws and requirements -– either as they are, or how they may develop in response to circumstances — don’t go. This also applies to any possible quarantine and testing rules back home. Otherwise, you'll make yourself and others miserable.

2022 Update on local Covid rules and requirements:

• Mask mandates and understanding which type of mask is required: Some places not only have a mask mandate for indoor (and sometimes outdoor) spaces, but they also have requirements related for what type of mask you need to wear. For example, in Berlin, Germany where we live it's required to wear either an KN95/FFP2 mask or medical mask as these are higher quality masks than cloth masks and offer more protection. This means that cloth masks are not allowed and you might be rejected from a grocery store or given a fine on public transport for not wearing the proper mask. Even outside of whatever the local requirements are, wearing a high quality KN95/FFP2 is just better for everyone's safety – yours and the people around you.
• Digital vaccination certificates: Many countries (or even sometimes cities like New York City) require you to show your proof of vaccination digitally, with an approved app. This allows restaurants, shops or other establishments to quickly scan your vaccination QR code to ensure that you meet the requirements to enter. Do your research to find out which apps are required in the place you want to visit and try to get yourself set up before you go by downloading the app and uploading your proof of vaccination. If that is not possible, then research what you need to do on the ground to get the approved digital certificate on your phone. For example, in Berlin some pharmacies will take the CDC vaccination card and provide an EU-approved vaccination QR code that can then be scanned and uploaded to approved EU app like CovPass.

How it played out. We followed the rules and did what was asked of us. We also self-quarantined when we returned to Berlin, even though it wasn't technically required. It felt good to do so and contributed to the feeling that we're all responsible and have a role to play in everyone’s well-being.

Choosing Safe(r) Activities and Alternative Destinations

6. Get Out(side)!

Outdoor activities are considered a much lower risk for COVID-19 exposure. We enjoy hiking, so it was an easy decision to make hitting the trails and spending as much time outside in nature a key focus of our trip.

To mitigate the risk of encountering crowds, we chose to hike at the end of the season. We also chose longer, more difficult hikes that were not as popular or well-known. As a result, we often shared the trail with very few people, or even had some entirely to ourselves. Social distancing was not an issue. Even in popular regions it’s possible to choose less trafficked trails and destinations (hint: choose the long hikes with a difficult rating).

All of the vacations we've taken during the pandemic — Côte d'Azur, Cyprus, Baltic Sea, Portugal, Bavarian Alps — have focused on hiking, cycling or some sort of outdoor activity. This isn't just good from a health perspective to limit exposure and risk, but walking in nature or hiking is also good for one's mind and body. Immersing in and reconnecting with nature, especially during such a stressful time like the pandemic, can be so beneficial.

How it played out: At Tre Cime Nature Park, home to the iconic and popular Tre Cime (Three Peaks), we chose the Comici Refuge trail, a longer, more challenging day hike passing the back side of these heavily Instagrammed peaks. While we encountered only a handful of others on the trail during our ascent (whose views were the best we'd see all day), we observed a line of people on the traditional trail headed for us at one of the mountain hut panoramas. We took a requisite photo or two of the actual Tre Cime, but then quickly continued on our path less-taken.

7. Go off the standard path, find alternative destinations.

COVID-19 underscores this essential and timeless piece of travel advice.

Whatever you think the ultimate goal or crown jewel of the place you are visiting ought to be, there is always something else. Alternative destinations are out there; do your research to uncover them. You'll typically find that the alternatives are just as good if not better than the snaps splashed all over Instagram and in travel magazines.

How it played out:  The Sexten-Brixen corridor of the Dolomites was our original goal. However, at the start of our trip, it was raining there. Weather forced us to expand our view. We discovered some mind-blowing hikes in the Dolomiti Paganella area, including the challenging Piz Galin (Galin Peak) trail outside of the town of Andalo. It turned out to be one of our favorite hikes of the trip.

8. Visit secondary cities and destinations.

We chose smaller towns or secondary cities to overnight in the mountains. The idea: avoid busy streets full of people bumping into each other. There’s plenty of surprising beauty in the less visited.

How it played out: Most of the small towns and villages we overnighted in had very few visitors. Streets were relatively quiet, humming with the pace of everyday local life. This allowed us to explore freely without having to dodge crowds. One exception to this was San Marino whose city center was surprisingly full. We outwalked the crowds to find more space.

Transportation During Pandemic Travel

9. Wear a mask on all public or shared transport.

Masks are typically a requirement on public or shared transport (e.g., flights, trains, buses, etc.). It makes sense since you are sharing the same confined space with others. When everyone wears a mask properly (yes, that means above the nose) it makes for a safer, less anxious ride for everyone.

Update 2022: We now know a bit more about masks and their efficiency in protecting against airborne Covid so it is highly recommended to wear an N95/FFP2 mask or a medical mask instead of a cloth mask. That extra layer of protection could make a difference when you're in a closed space for hours.

How it played out: We had to wear a mask for the entire 9-10 hour train journey from Berlin, Germany to Bolzano, Italy. Was this a delight? No. For collective health and safety, were we willing to wear a mask and grateful that most everyone else wore one properly, too? You bet.

10. Use private transport.

Our readers know that we sing the praises of public transportation. Especially now, it's a lifeline for many. However, private transportation (e.g., a rental car) makes some destinations more accessible. In Covid travel times, having our own car also reduces repeated exposure to groups of other people in shared transportation.

How it played out: We picked up a rental car in Bolzano, Italy. We appreciated having our own transport across the Dolomites and down to The Marche and San Marino. It not only provided us the flexibility to make plans on the fly as we responded to changing weather, but it also saved us from spending many hours on and waiting for local buses.

Choose Local Accommodation and Small Businesses

11. Choose locally-owned accommodation and shops.

Keeping your money local when you travel isn’t anything new, but it takes on increased importance now. Many communities have suffered from the loss of tourism business this year. And small, family-run businesses with limited resources have often been hit the hardest.

If possible, seek out businesses that align with your values regarding sustainability — caring for the environment, local community and economy. This could be efforts to reduce water and energy usage or a commitment to source food from local farmers.

We also now look for apartments or hotel rooms that have some self-catering options. This makes it easier to avoid busy breakfast buffets, restaurants or other shared indoor spaces.

How it played out: We deliberately looked for small, local B&Bs, restaurants and shops to ensure our money remained local to the benefit of the community. This also contributed to a more unique experience since we interacted with families in a more personal setting.

12. Book directly to keep your money local.

Online booking sites are convenient. We use them often, but we're also aware they take a sizable commission from local providers. This is understandable. Booking sites offer a valuable service which requires resources to operate. However, given that many local tourism businesses are really struggling right now — and we need them to be around in whatever post-COVID-19 equilibrium emerges — you can support them even more now by booking directly with them.

How it played out: As often as we could, we booked our accommodation directly either through the hotel’s own website or at their front door. Local accommodation providers were able to keep the entire amount of the booking, and we often received the same or lower prices and upgrades by negotiating directly. (Note to hotels: make it easy for travelers like us to book online through your website with a credit card!).

Covid Safety for Restaurants and Dining

13. Eat outside. Or maybe eat in.

Our preferred mode of restaurant dining these days is outdoors, even if it’s a bit chilly. As the weather turns colder in the Northern Hemisphere, many restaurants and shops now offer outdoor heaters or blankets. Take advantage of that. Alternatively, be prepared for a bit of chill with a hat and scarf.

If eating outside isn't an option because of weather or lack of tables outside, consider eating in. Order food from a restaurant and bring it back to your accommodation or pick up simple foods at the grocery store that can be like a picnic. Pair it with a bottle of local wine or beer and you've got a memorable meal.

How it played out: When a restaurant offered outdoor seating, we took it and came prepared with jackets and hats if needed.

14. Choose off hours to eat in restaurants.

If the outdoors aren’t possible and you must eat inside, choose odd hours (e.g., when restaurants first open for lunch or dinner). Although eating in an empty restaurant sometimes feels odd, restaurant owners and staff are happy for the business. We still enjoyed wonderful food and interaction with them. In the time of COVID-19, this approach also helps to avoid crowds of people confined indoors.

How it played out: Because we had early mornings and long days of hiking in the mountains, we were often the first people at restaurants when they opened in the evenings. The food tasted just as delicious and we sometimes got extra attention.

Hygiene and Health Safety for Travel During Covid

15. Focus on behaviors that limit close human contact.

Science tells us that COVID-19 is transmitted mainly through human contact and interaction, airborne droplets and human concentration indoors, rather than through transmission via surfaces. Mask-wearing and controlling traffic or crowds is what matters most when it comes to COVID-19 travel safety.

How it played out: We appreciated the constant signs and reminders at local accommodation and shops for travelers to wear their masks indoors, as well as behavioral cues and notices about maintaining distancing, minding elevator restrictions, and complying with limited seating. Signs aligned with behaviors not only help inform our immediate behavior, but they reinforce that we're in this together for the collective good.

16. Put hygiene theater in its place.

A lot of attention has been given to new COVID-19 hygiene measures, including the use of powerful disinfectants and the deployment of rigorous cleaning regimes. The urge to focus on what we feel is in our control — the cleanliness and disinfection of surfaces — is understandable. It makes us somehow feel safer, even if the science tells us that its effect may be marginal.

Cleanliness is crucial, but don’t get lulled into thinking that new COVID-19 hygiene certifications alone will protect you. Note: If you are unfamiliar with the term hygiene theater, check out this article from The Atlantic.

How it played out: To assess our potential risk of exposure in any establishment, we focused our attention more on how an establishment managed customer flow, numbers and crowds rather than how intensely or often it disinfected tables and surfaces after each customer.

17. As a default, wear a mask. And a high quality one.

If you think that maybe you should wear a mask, then just do it. Even when it's not legally or technically required, err on the side of yes. This is especially true anytime you are talking to or engaging with someone who is not in your immediate or family circle.

One of the safety campaigns said it best: “Für dich, für mich, für uns” (“For you, for me, for us”). We're in this together, all of us.

This includes keeping your mask on when you order and pay in a restaurant. Although we were typically allowed to take our masks off after being seated at a table, it occurred to us that we remained in close proximity to wait staff when ordering food or settling the bill. So we did as many others did in Italy, and kept our masks on (or put them back on) during these transactions.

How it played out: We always carried our masks with us. We put them on anytime we entered busy streets, walked outdoor fresh markets, entered into mountain huts, and, of course, anytime we were inside a shop, hotel or restaurant. Easy.

18. Do a Covid test when you return. Maybe self-quarantine.

Travel and the movement of people are one of the ways that COVID-19 spreads quickly from place to place. Since asymptomatic carriers can still be contagious and unknowingly spread the virus to others, it's important to try to protect your home community from infection that you might have picked up on your trip.

As a courtesy and for the safety and health of your own community, get tested when you return home from a trip, even if it's not required. If tests are not easily available, then consider self-quarantining for 10 days to eliminate person-to-person interactions.

Update 2022: As we have testing easily and freely available to us in Berlin we will now get tested several times in the week we return from a trip. If multiple rapid tests come back negative then we won't do a self-imposed quarantine. We also usually take several Covid self-tests with us when we travel in case we start to experience a runny nose or sore throat and want to be sure it's a cold or allergies vs. Covid.

How it played out: Since Italy was not a hot spot at the time, German regulations did not require us to either quarantine or get a COVID-19 test upon our return. However, since we'd traveled to several locations and encountered people as we ate inside restaurants and traveled by shared transport, we opted to self-quarantine for two weeks upon our return. We did so because we wanted to protect our friends and to minimize any risk to our neighborhood and community.

Mindset: Expectations and Satisfaction

19. Manage your expectations.

None of us is entitled to circumstances which make happiness seem the easier choice. Nor are we guaranteed conditions so that our photos match those of our social media heroes.

Understand that the best laid plans can all go to shit. Then, manage accordingly.

How it played out: Our expectations were half to all rain, and to be on the run from the Dolomites to southern Italy. Everything else, gravy. Though there was a bit of rain here and there in the Dolomites, the trip was generally incredible in the mountains as we navigated weather conditions and made choices in line with everything we mentioned above. Only when a wall of rain moved in, did we head south to Urbino in The Marche. It even rained a bit in the town of Urbino. Perhaps the rain is what made the town so dramatic and charming?

20. And if it turns to shit?

If things turn to shit, that’s all the more reason to be super-thrilled about the pre-shit moments and to reflect on what might be appreciated about the shit moment at hand.

How it played out: As we reached Pedrotti Refuge hut, the highest point of one of our hikes, fog accumulated and the wind picked up. It even began to sleet. Conditions were far from ideal in a spot where on a sunny day you might see for miles. Despite this, our ascent had been rewarding and dramatic. We felt like heroes for reaching the pass, especially since our muscles were recovering from our hike the day before.

At the top, we met a few other hikers — all very nice — including one who repeatedly referred to the “shit” conditions, especially in comparison to the sunny days he’d encountered in recent hikes elsewhere. On one hand, he had a point. The visibility was bad. On the other hand, I felt bad. For him. Disappointment seemed to define his moment.

We enjoyed a beautiful hike. Not only the morning’s crystal blue skies we all shared, but the same skies whose drama swirled the mountain peaks around us. We celebrated our accomplishment, ate our picnic sandwiches and reflected on the vastness and solitude engulfing that rugged little hut, a feat of human will which had no business being tucked away up there. Our minds were absorbed by the magnificence of the moment.

Only temporarily was our focus taken off-track by someone else’s preconceived notions and disappointments regarding the way life ought to be. That for us was a lesson re-affirmed. In travel as in life, one’s satisfaction has much to do with expectations and how those expectations influence one’s view of what is.

Spending your cycles atop a foggy mountain complaining about the weather condition: a waste. Things change. Witness the weather, especially in the mountains. And all of it out of your control. And yet, that changeable weather is part of the moment. Train yourself to see it, and that’s part of the beauty you’ll encounter. To us at least, that's what hiking in the mountains — and travel in general — is all about.

Life, too. You can play the hands you're dealt as best as you’re able. Or you can complain about what in poker is called a “bad beat” – where you did everything “right” and it didn’t work out. If things turn bad, recognize and maybe even celebrate that you did the best you could. And is it really so bad? If there’s no sun shining on you at the moment, don't forget the sun in your rear view. Celebrate that you carried yourself to the top of the mountain. Or just celebrate the mountain.

Stealing disappointment from the jaws of gratitude will only sour your travel experiences and your memories. With or without COVID-19.

The post Traveling Safely During Covid: Research, Planning and Managing Risk appeared first on Uncornered Market.

This is an ever-growing list of unusual, lesser-known or unconventional destinations that might not be on your travel radar — but maybe should be.

In travel marketing speak, one might call these emerging, recovery or even under-discovered destinations. But in our experience, they are simply fascinating places that travelers are either unaware of completely or sometimes actively avoid from a travel perspective because of certain stereotypes or fears.

They are the sort of destinations that push you emotionally, sometimes physically, and always challenge you mentally — all with the result of returning you from your trip with a different view of the world, and quite often with a different view of yourself.

Here's the caveat. These places are not for everyone; they are not a universal fit for everyone's travel goals and style. They are the sorts of destinations in which things may not always go as planned. Hotels, service and transport can even be a bit rough.

Much time is spent outside the proverbial comfort zone in attempts to immerse yourself in a new culture, comprehend challenging socio-economic circumstances and process the stimuli swirling about you. Some days can even feel difficult.

But there is a payoff.

If you were to sit down with us over a beer and ask: “I want to go somewhere different that might challenge me. Someplace not very well touristed, with a bit adventure and the unknown. Where would you suggest I go?“

Here's where we might suggest.

Note: This article was originally published on January 7, 2015, but was updated in January 2025 with even more offbeat destinations, travel recommendations and sustainable tourism advice.

Kyrgyzstan

Why: To experience a country that is over 90% mountainous and littered with stunning landscapes. Add to that a taste of traditional nomadic culture with a bit of a Soviet hangover, and you have the makings of a unique yet approachable destination. This makes Kyrgyzstan a great fit for trekkers and outdoor types, as well as those interested in culture and off-beat experiences.

Additionally, there is a terrific community-based tourism (CBT) network throughout the country and Destination Management Organizations (DMO) in Karakol, South Shore of Issyk-Kul, Osh, and Jyrgalan that offer local experiences, guides and homestays that make it easy to connect and interact with locals. They can also organize and provide support for trekking and horseback riding in the mountains, including gear rental, yurt stays, and local mountain guides.

Even after visiting Kyrgyzstan nine times over a decade, both as regular travelers and as consultants on a regional tourism development project, it remains one of our favorite countries that we look forward to exploring even further.

Moldova

Why: This little known and least visited country in Europe packs in a lot for its small size — from some truly excellent wines and winery experiences to delicious food to beautiful monasteries and natural landscapes. However, and you'll notice a theme here in this post, what really gives Moldova a place in our hearts are its people and genuine hospitality. This is a much overused word in tourism marketing, but it does accurately describe the experience you'll have exploring Moldova, especially when staying at one of its family-run rural guest houses.

Chisinau is a fun and quirky capital city that is a perfect high value European City Break with its increasing number of hip wine bars serving local vintages, higher end fusion dining experiences, world class performing arts at reasonable prices (top seats at the opera was €15-20), funky Soviet architecture, and large parks great for people watching and relaxing.

Nearby Orheiul Vechi with its medieval cave church and dramatic river gorge is home to DescOpera, the annual outdoor classical music and opera festival held each June. In the south, Lake Beleu provides a home for migrating birds with different hiking and cycling routes to explore the region. No matter where you go, stay in a family-run guest house where you'll enjoy home-cooked traditional dishes with ingredients straight from the garden or nearby farms.

Moldovan wine will also likely surprise you, as will the winery experience. Recommended wineries to visit for wine tasting, eating and spending the night include Purcari (ask for the wine barrel room on the rooftop), Crama Mircesti and Asconi wineries. Our recommendation is to ask to taste the local grape varietals like Rara Neagra, Viorica, Feteasca Alba or Feteasca Neagra. They pair perfectly with local dishes.

And you get to enjoy all this without the crowds of many parts of Europe. (Note: Some of you may be wondering about safety as Moldova is located next to Ukraine. I have visited Moldova five times since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and have always felt safe and without any fear of the war.)

Republic of Georgia

Why: Despite all the history and remarkable mountain landscapes, the Republic of Georgia, at its very best, comes back to the Georgian people. Cross hospitality-obsessed with crazy gregarious and you’ve got a sense of the Georgian people. Add to this beautiful mountain ranges, a culturally and architecturally eclectic capital city, some of the most spiritual churches we’ve experienced, and incredible food.

Then you'll understand why Georgia is one of our favorite places in the world. We joke that in Georgia, one doesn’t need to make plans as the people you meet seem to create the adventures for you.

Bolivia

Why: Stunning and often surreal landscapes blended with a strong indigenous culture. For various reasons, travelers often skip Bolivia in favor of its neighbors — Peru, Argentina, Chile — when making their way through South America.

For Americans, some say it’s because of the visa fees and paperwork, but Bolivia is more than worth the extra spend and brief bit of bureaucracy. The Salar de Uyuni and in particular the journey from Tupiza features some of the world’s most beautiful and otherworldly landscapes with green lakes, Dali-esque rock formations and the mind-bending salt flats. And although you'll see tourists around the Salar, you see much less throughout the rest of the country.

We recommend stopping by Lake Titicaca and taking a hike around Isla del Sol, Tarija in the south for a taste of the Bolivian wine scene, Potosi to understand the realities of mining on people and communities, Sucre for a beautiful colonial city and La Paz for the capital with the most dramatic mountain backdrop.

Ethiopia

Why: Ancient rock-hewn churches carved from below ground, remarkable mountain landscapes, castles, ridiculously large plates of delicious local food. Need we say more?

Ethiopia surprised us in so many ways, especially with its depth of history and culture dating back over 2,000 years to the Aksumite civilization and the adoption of Christianity in 330 A.D. (the 2nd Christian nation in the world). One could feel a direct connection between Ethiopia's past and present through its adherence to ritual. We also weren't expecting to be awed by its mountains and trekking options available in the Simien and Gheralta Mountains.

Bangladesh

Why: To truly get off the tourist path and immerse yourself in a sea of humanity. We're certain there are more tourists now, but during our five-week visit there a couple of years ago, we saw a total of five tourists. Yes, five.

Bangladesh is funky. It’s intense. It’s Bangladesh. And the country actually offers more diversity in sights and experiences that you might first expect, from UNESCO pre-Moghul mosques and cycling through tea estates to tracking tigers in mangrove forests and visiting ethnic minority areas.

But it's the human interactions — and boy, are there a lot of them — that make visiting Bangladesh such a unique and fun experience.

Pamir Highway and Mountains (Tajikistan/Kyrgyzstan)

Why: To enjoy a road trip adventure in a mountainous region that not only stands out for the severity and beauty of its landscape, but also shines for the colorful, hospitable and fascinating Pamiri people who live there.

The Pamir Highway, roughly speaking, begins in southern Kyrgyzstan and winds its way through Tajikistan, passing by and through some of the most spectacular scenery we’ve seen on our around the world journey thus far. If you have time, stop off in the Alay Region and Alay Mountains of southern Kyrgyzstan for a few days of spectacular trekking on your way to the Tajik border.

Once you get into Tajikistan tourism infrastructure in this area ranges from little to none so you'll likely stay and eat with Pamiri families most of the time, one of the great joys of this journey.

How to organize a Pamir Highway trip: Our friend at Visit Alay has been running Pamir Highway tours for years that incorporate a well-maintained 4×4 vehicle, driver/guide, local homestays, optional hikes and more. You can start either on the Kyrgyz side (e.g., from Osh or Bishkek) or on the Tajik side (from Dushanbe or Khorog).

Book a private tour to have the vehicle all to yourself or join a group trip where you share the cost of the vehicle and driver with several people. When we did our Pamir Highway trip years ago, we opted for the group trip and met some fun travelers along the way. I mean, usually people interested in a place like the Pamir Highway have some things in common 🙂

Albania

Why: Whether you are a beach buff or want to immerse yourself in dramatic mountains, Albania has some incredible landscapes and experiences for both types of travelers. Or, you can combine both into one trip as we did.

For decades this southern European country was closed off to the rest of the world, but no longer. In fact, it may now be firmly on the “discovered” list.

If you enjoy trekking and the outdoors, Albania offers some challenging climbs and stunning views through the Accursed Mountains (also known as the Albanian Alps) through the villages of Theth and Valbona. Mt Talijanka and the granite peaks of the Karanfil Mountains on the border with Montenegro offer even more incredible panoramas. Our modified Peaks of the Balkan Trek took us through these mountains while staying with local families and shepherds along the way.

When you've had your fill of the mountains then head south on Albania's Adriatic Coast for blue waters and relatively empty beaches at Sarandë, Vlora or nearby. The impressive UNESCO site of Butrint with Greek and Roman ruins reminds us of the layers of civilizations in this region over millennia.

Colombia

Why: To enjoy three branches of the Andean Mountain Range and the Sierra Nevadas, the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, with rain forests, indigenous ruins, coffee plantations and colonial cities along the way.

Not too long ago Colombia was known for drugs, FARC rebels, Pablo Escobar, and violence. But, the country has been experiencing stability these last years and more areas have opened up to travelers to explore. The size and diversity of experiences in Colombia are far beyond what you may have ever imagined (or, at least what we had known about).

And then there are the Colombian people – friendly, fun and open – are also remarkably diverse from one corner of the country to the other. We visited for a month and left with an even longer wish list of places we'd like to visit.

RECOMMENDED TOURS TO COLOMBIA: Lost City Trek and Colombia Journey

Madagascar

Why: To get up close to playful lemurs and colorful chameleons while trying to get your head around the incredible diversity and uniqueness of Madagascar's nature, history and peoples. Often travelers think of traveling in Africa as going on safari to see the “Big 5” animals in the southern and eastern part of the content.

And although Madagascar doesn't have any of these “Big 5” safari animals, it does have something even more unique and fascinating: an estimated 80-90% of Madagascar's wildlife and fauna considered endemic to the island, meaning that it can be found nowhere else in the world.

Yes, the 110 species of lemurs are only the beginning. And, by deliberately choosing tours and activities engaged in conservation travelers can help support protecting Madagascar's endangered lemurs and other wildlife.

In addition, Madagascar's layers of history and blend of cultures are also surprisingly diverse. The first inhabitants arrived about 2,000 years ago from Austronesia (near Malaysia-Indonesia). This influenced not only the Malagasy language spoken today, but also the development of terraced rice fields across the country that are still used in present day. Layers of migration from Africa, the Middle East, East Asia, and Europe since then have all blended into what you see in Madagascar's people, cultures and cuisines today.

Then, you also have beautiful beaches to relax and process all that you've experienced.

RECOMMENDED TOUR TO MADAGASCAR: Highlights of Madagascar

Bahia, Brazil

Why: To immerse yourself in Afro-Brazilian culture, music, cuisine and diversity. Although Brazil is not an off-the-beaten path destination, the Bahia region is much less known than the country’s popular southern coastal areas between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo. From the moment we arrived in Salvador de Bahia, the region’s colorful and vibrant capital city, we knew this place was special. You could just feel it.

Wander the bright streets of Salvador’s old town (Pelourinho), one of the oldest colonial cities in South America going back to the 16th century, and seek out city’s vibrant Afro-Brazilian music and cuisine. During our visit just before Carnival the city was literally filled with music as “blocks” (groups of musicians and performers) practiced throughout the city.

Then, when you’ve had a bit of sensory overload head out to one of Bahia’s famous white-sand beaches for a bit of quiet.

Offbeat Destinations To Keep In Mind for Later

The following destinations are ones that were fascinating places to visit where we learned so much and had so many assumptions challenged and overturned. We're keeping them on the list as they are incredible places to visit that will surprise you, including the welcome from local people. However, now may not be the best time to visit because of political or safety concerns so we caution you to do research first and get in touch with people on the ground or local tour companies to determine when would be a good time to visit for the safety and benefit of all parties involved.

Ukraine

Ukraine is sadly suffering from the invasion of Russia right now, but we encourage you to keep this surprisingly rich and diverse country in mind for when it is safe to visit. Our train journey around Ukraine was in the autumn of 2019 and we look forward to returning to explore more of the country when we can.

Why: Kyiv, the country’s capital, had its heyday in the 10th-12th century as the center of the Kievan Rus empire and the city still has several impressive 11th – 12th century cathedrals like Saint Sophia and Kiev Pechersk Lavra (Kiev Monastery of the Caves) that remain (through several renovations) to this day.

But the city also has an impressive street art and design scene with a young feel to its streets. Add to this the country’s Soviet past and brutalist architecture. It’s this contrast that makes the city so interesting. 

Then there is Odessa on the Black Sea, once a vibrant cultural and literary hub in the 19th century, and streets lined with a mix of Art Nouveau and Renaissance styles with both an old Russia and Mediterranean feel. Still considered a hub for Russian culture it’s likely you’ll hear more Russian here than Ukrainian. But not so when in Lviv near the western border with Poland, known for its Ukrainian nationalism and culture. Dating back to the 13th century its colorful old town squares and cobblestoned streets have more a Polish and Austro-Hungarian feel. 

Of course, these three cities are just the tip of the Ukrainian iceberg. But, they will give you a taste of the diversity and rich history throughout the country.

Iran

With the current heated situation in the Middle East and elevated safety warnings from governments (they are always high for Iran, this can also impact travel insurance), we recommend getting a local perspective before planning a visit.

Why: To travel to a country where the on-the-ground travel experience couldn't be more different than impressions left by the news. Iran also features some of the most impressive historical sites we've ever seen (including 19 UNESCO sites).

Visiting 2500-year-old Persepolis, once the capital of ancient Persia, is a lesson not only in the strength of the Persian Empire, but a perspective regarding how civilizations and power come and go. Eyeball-bending Persian design and architecture that holds the gaze can't be missed either.

In addition to Iran's Big Three (Shiraz, Esfahan and Yazd), expand your sense of the country with a visit to the northwestern part of Iran for even more surprises like fairy chimney villages, Armenian monasteries and the world's largest covered market in Tabriz. Then, close out your adventure by taking the train from Iran to Istanbul.

And again, it comes down to people. That's what may surprise you most about Iran.

Note: Obtaining a tourist visa for citizens from the United States, Canada and United Kingdom can be tricky, but it's not impossible if you know what you need and how to do it. Be sure to check out this article on how to get an Iranian visa (including the vast comment thread) for all you need to know.

Haiti

Haiti is sadly going through some challenging times with intense gang violence that is leading to increased instability and security problems.

Why: Because Haiti is surprising, complicated and fascinating. Sure, the country has some beautiful white-sand beaches, but it's the artists, musicians, waterfalls, hilltop fortresses, cave networks and the mysteries of Vodou that will likely leave the most lasting impressions on you.

Although Haiti is only 1.5 hours away from Miami by air and shares the same island landmass as popular vacation destination Dominican Republic, it only sees a relative handful of travelers each year. At least for now.

Responsible Travel and Sustainable Tourism Tips

We always advocate for and encourage travelers to try and travel in a way that benefits the local communities — through their decisions on where to go, which activities or tours to choose, and how to spend their tourism money. This is even more important to many of the countries listed above as they are still developing their tourism infrastructure.

And here are a few ways you can help and support this through your travels:

• When you break down the jargon around sustainable travel it really is all about respect — for the local environment, culture/people and economy. Here are 20 tips on how to travel more sustainably, responsibly and with respect.
• Although many of the destinations above are far from experiencing overtourism, they may still feel the pressure of many visitors at certain times all wanting to see the same things. Read more on how your travel decisions can help combat overtourism while providing better travel experiences. And, how you can use social media to help be part of the overtourism solution.
• Seek out travel related social enterprises that provide quality tourism services (e.g., food, lodging, tours, handicrafts, etc.), but invest their profits back into community projects and social impact projects. You can also choose tours that incorporate a social enterprise experience like Planeterra Foundation and their partnership with G Adventures.
• Try to spread your money around and keep it local through deliberate spending. This means choosing to stay in locally owned accommodation, eating at local restaurants, buying from different local shops, and working with local guides.
• Poverty is a reality in several of the countries above where you might encounter children begging or selling souvenirs during the daytime. Read up and become aware of the issues around child welfare in travel situations to ensure that your actions benefit local children rather than doing unintended harm. The same goes for evaluating and questioning voluntourism experiences.

So, what did we miss? Which destination(s) would you add to the list?

The post Our Offbeat Travel List: 13 Destinations You Are Not Considering…But Should appeared first on Uncornered Market.

Our passports are the most important thing we have with us when we travel. So how do we we keep our passports safe during all our travels, even to a wide range of countries with varying levels of safety and police corruption?

Read on for our top passport safety tips for traveling abroad, including what you should do before you travel and how to keep your passport safe and avoid scams when you are on your trip. It really doesn't take a lot of work or expense to take these few steps towards passport safety and peace of mind when you travel abroad.

Update August 2018: After a run-in with some police at a road stop in the Comoros Islands we've updated the article with a few more passport safety and general travel tips connected.

For more travel safety tips read: Stay Open, Stay Safe: 5 Unconventional Safety Tips

How to Protect Your Passport When Traveling Abroad

1. Use a passport cover

Not only does a cover keep your passport in good shape, but a passport cover from another country can be used to keep things low key and to keep people guessing.

My passport cover is from the Czech Republic; Dan’s is from Turkmenistan.

Confusion can also be fun. On several occasions, we’ve been complimented on our language skills as we’ve waited in passport lines.

“You are from Turkmenistan?! But your English is so good.“

2. Keep your passport in a RFID blocking sleeve or cover

Using a RFID blocking sleeve for our passports is something that we've started doing the last few years as hacker technology has improved. Same goes for protecting your debit and credit cards. It's just better not to take any risks.

And, the RFID blocking sleeve also serves the purpose of providing an additional level of physical protection for the passport.

The RFID blocking passport and credit card sleeves we use came with our Clothing Arts Adventure Travel Pants. However, it's inexpensive and easy to buy a set of RFID blocking sleeves for passports and credit cards or to buy a passport cover that already includes RFID blocking technology.

3. Go beyond making a copy of your passport: laminate it.

This is our top passport safety tip: laminate a credit card-sized copy of the main page of your passport and carry it in your wallet or money belt. Think of this as the updated version of “carry a photocopy of your passport” as it not only looks more official, but it won't break down easily like a paper copy of your passport. And it's easy to make at the neighborhood copy shop.

While it’s necessary to hand over your actual passport to a border guard or immigration officer, there are countless other situations (e.g., hotel desks, credit card ID, local transport booking) that may require nothing more than something with your name, photo, and passport number on it.

That's where this credit card-sized laminated passport copy that fits easily in your wallet comes in handy. And, it won't disintegrate as rapidly as a regular paper photocopy. You'll be surprised how often this official, yet not-at-all-official, piece of plastic works. Even with local police who might be looking for a bribe.

And here's the big advantage of this laminated passport copy — it's one more opportunity to keep your passport in your money belt (or wherever you happen to store it), locked away at the hotel, and one less opportunity to accidentally leave it somewhere. Be sure to keep the copy handy (we keep ours in our passport), but away from your passport original.

Note for U.S. citizens: It's also possible to apply for a U.S. Passport Card that is essentially an official version of the laminated copy. The cost is $65 for 10 years, the same length of time as your passport. It can also be used as an official identification if you are traveling to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

4. Keep an electronic copy of the visa to the country you're traveling in on your phone.

Every time you enter a new country take a photo of your visa from that country and keep it handy on your phone. This will show the date you entered, the date the visa expires, and that you are in the country legally.

This was one that we learned on a recent trip to the Comoros Islands. Not only did the police during a road stop in a random village want to see our passports (and we used our laminated passport copies for that), but they also wanted to see our visa for the Comoros Islands.

The supposed reason they gave: to be sure we hadn't overstayed our visa and were in the country illegally. The real reason is that the police were looking for another reason to fine us (i.e., get a bribe).

We managed to talk our way out of that situation without paying any bribes. Our driver was very impressed, calling all police in the Comoros Islands “Voleurs!” or “Thieves!” However, we learned the lesson to keep a photo of our visa on our phone just to avoid giving police any excuse to harass you.

Alternatively, you can make a photocopy of the visa and carry that with you.

5. Mind your passport.

If you’re at home, keep your passport in a secure, dry place. (And no, running your passport through the laundry does not qualify as “minding it.”)

On the road, keep it in your money belt or some other place that is zipped or locked up, out of sight and hard to get to.

The worst place to keep your passport? Stuffed in the back pocket of your jeans or an exposed pocket of your backpack. It screams, “Please lose me!” or “Please steal me!”

We're astounded by how often we see this on the road.

Passport Safety Tips for Before You Leave Home

Sometimes, no matter what you do sh*t happens and your passport disappears. Losing a passport or having one stolen is terrible and inconvenient, but there are a few things you can do before you leave home to expedite the passport replacement process. In this case, the objective is to quickly and easily prove your identity so you can obtain a new passport at the local embassy.

1. Keep a scanned version of your passport online.

Scan the first page with your name, passport number and all important information. You should be able to access this from anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection. For example, the scan could be in your DropBox account or Google Docs or in your online email account. Be sure to include key long-term visas in case you wish to re-apply for or replace those.

2. Tuck a paper photocopy of your passport away in your main backpack.

Just in case internet access isn't so reliable where your passport disappears.

3. Leave a scanned version of your passport with someone you trust.

Although #1 should be sufficient, leave a scanned copy of your passport with a trusted person (parents, friend, lawyer — you do trust your lawyer, don't you?) who can be counted on to respond and act quickly to your call for help. (You know, just in case you get amnesia and forget all the passwords to online accounts.)

Or, if there is a serious emergency (e.g., you've gone missing) and someone needs to get in touch with your country's embassy where you are traveling this is an easy way to send all relevant and important details at once.

4. For U.S. citizens, enroll in the STEP by the State Department

STEP (or Smart Traveler Enrollment Program) is a free service that allows American citizens to enroll with U.S. embassies and consulates where they are traveling. One benefits is that since all of your passport information is already entered, STEP is supposed to make it faster for embassies to issue an emergency passport if yours gets lost or stolen.

In addition, if there is a natural disaster or terrorist event then you will receive security updates and information on what you should do. If there is an evacuation for some reason this will help the embassy communicate with you and what you need to do. Additionally, if a family member or friend needs to get in touch with you then the embassy will more easily be able to relay messages to you.

How to Handle Passport Scams and Corrupt Police

Although you will likely be humbled many times by the kindness of strangers when you travel, the truth is that not everyone you meet has your best interests in mind. Corrupt and fake police officers trying to separate you from your passport and money are a reality in some parts of the world.

(Note: We shared this information with an earnest German guy recently and he was just shocked that this could happen. “Really? But they are police. They are there to protect you,” he repeated. In an ideal world, perhaps. But this is the real world where it's better to be safe than sorry.)

If someone who appears to be official (i.e., in a police uniform or some other official-looking outfit) stops you on the street for no reason and asks for your passport, do whatever you can to not to hand it over.

Use one or a combination of the strategies below to talk your way out of passport scams or police looking for bribes.

1. Pretend not to speak the local language.

Even if I do speak the local language, I usually pretend not to and I play stupid if the situation warrants it. If you are indeed facing a fake cop, “Huh? I don't understand” in loud, annoying English with shoulder shrugs will cause frustration. The reaction to this will help you further sort out whether you're dealing with a real police officer or a fake.

Our Experience: In the Tashkent (Uzbekistan) metro, we were stopped by a policeman who asked for our documents. I pretended not to understand Russian. I spoke English and added a “dumb blonde” head bob. Instead of pressing, the policeman apologized for disturbing us and went on his way.

Was his intent malicious? Who knows, but my approach helped sort his transaction with me to the bottom of the pile.

2. Hand over a passport copy only.

If the official-looking person you've been approached by insists on seeing some sort of documentation hand over a passport copy – the laminated passport copy is better than a photocopy as it somehow looks more official — and explain that your passport is back at your hotel.

Why? Two reasons.

1. Fake police officers: Scam police officers – people dressed in a police uniform – are common in some parts of the world. Once your real passport is in scammers' hands, they may play you further and extort money from you in order to give it back.

Our Experience: When we were in Cochabamba, Bolivia looking for the police station (to report a stolen phone), a concerned police officer gave us a long lecture about fake policeman roaming the streets asking tourists for their passports and then extorting money. It’s never happened to us, but we know other travelers who've fallen prey to this scam.

2. Corrupt police officers
Another unfortunate reality is that corrupt police officers can play a game similar to the one played by fake police officers. Once a corrupt officer has your passport, he can use his authority to intimidate you and ask for money to return your passport.

Lonely Planet Central Asia used to burst with stories of corrupt police playing games like this. While we didn’t have any problems during our travels in the region, we spoke to a few travelers who did. Single guys be on alert here — it seems as if corrupt police especially enjoyed targeting solo male travelers to solo females or couples.

3. Do not pull out your passport until you are in a public place and feel absolutely safe.

The truth is that if you encounter a real police officer with a real reason to see your passport, he shouldn’t have a problem taking you to a nearby police station and walking with you to your hotel to retrieve it. In both locations, if you can manage it, pull your passport out only when you are in sight of a group of people. There is safety in numbers.

Our Experience: In the Pamir Mountains on the Tajik-Afghan border, a group of armed Tajik soldiers ran at us and asked for our documents. I lied straight through my teeth in my best Russian that our passports were in our jeep. In truth, our passports were in our money belts around our waists. But I didn't feel comfortable pulling them out because our driver couldn't see us.

So we returned to our jeep, out in the open. Once we got there, we pretended to shuffle through our bags to “find” our documents. Then we showed them to the soldiers as our driver looked on, the soldiers were happy that our paperwork was in order, and then invited us to view the ancient fort where their border station was located.

4. Call hotel where you are staying or your local host.

This usually works better if you're staying in a smaller guesthouse or using Airbnb (or similar) since your host will likely know and remember you. The idea is for you to explain to your host what is happening and get advice from a person who knows the local context well and can recommend what you should do next.

Alternatively, ask the police to talk with your host so that your host can possibly explain your situation better in the local language.

This means that you should try to always get the phone number of your host or keep a business card from the hotel with you.

5. Best behaviors for dealing with questions about your passport

The key: don’t instantly crumble to intimidation. Hold your ground. If you are dealing with a fake cop or a corrupt one, he will usually leave you alone once he realizes you are not a pushover when it comes to your passport.

If the request for your passport is a legitimate one from a legitimate officer, he should be OK with waiting at your hotel, your jeep or some other safe place to see your documents.

OK travel folks, do you have any passport tips to share? What about passport disaster stories?

The post Protect Thy Passport: Safety Tips for Your Passport When Traveling Abroad appeared first on Uncornered Market.

What do you do?

When I consider this question, I’m reminded of a conversation with a passenger on a tour we took recently. The conversation with Miranda (I changed her name) went roughly like this:

“I don’t really feel like I’m engaging with [this place] on this tour. I don’t feel like I’ve done [this place],” she said with a look of disappointment. Clearly, Miranda wasn’t getting the depth of engagement she wanted from the trip.

“So what would you like to change?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” she responded. “It would be great if maybe we visited a local market or somewhere where we can talk with more local people.”

“Funny you mention that,” I said. “It’s not on the itinerary, but we just heard about a weekly market tomorrow morning that's a short walk. Come with us.”

She never came with us, she never visited the market. And this was one of several opportunities she missed that would have tuned her into the sort of experience she claimed she wanted.

It’s our experience that tours are often subject to the implicit assumption: everything is taken care of, so you should sit back and passively check off the elements of your itinerary as they’re delivered to you.

Not so. If you really wish to make the most of any travel experience, whether you travel independently or in a group, you must take ultimate responsibility for your own satisfaction. Sure, once you’ve booked a group tour, there are certain elements that are out of your hands — the guide, itinerary, and fellow passengers. Beyond that, however, it’s up to you to take control within those constraints. (Note: We've already discussed the various reasons why people choose to take small group tours here.)

“Ugh, Dan. You mean I pay this money for someone else to organize my holiday and it’s still up to me?”

Kind of. During the last few years, as independent travelers who’ve also taken small group tours to places like Iran, Ethiopia and Japan, we’ve discovered that the value we derived from the experience was due in one part to the organization of the tour, and another part to how proactive and engaged we were. If you want to have a great vacation, you must make an effort. You must invest a piece of yourself — to engage and participate in the tour and be a part of the experience. After all, you are ultimate arbiter of your own holiday happiness.

“OK, you’re making a great argument, Dan. But how do I do actually this?“

So glad you asked. Here are ten pieces of practical, actionable advice you can implement straight away to make the most of any organized tour. The upshot: consider the tour itinerary as a foundation, a basis for you to create ad hoc experiences in the in-between space.

1) Proactively communicate your specific interests to your guide.

Fact: it’s impossible for your guide to read your mind and to know everything about you and your interests. When it comes to travel, passivity does not pay. This goes for independent travel and tours alike.

If you have a specific interest – ancient history, sports, local foods, markets, weaving, ceramics, music, whatever – share that interest with your guide at the beginning of your tour. Then ask your guide nicely if he can direct you to places, experiences or people that will help you learn more about your interest.

This may sound obvious, but we’re surprised by how often it does not happen.

A couple things to keep in mind when applying this approach. Understand that you are a guest – a guest in a place that is likely the guide’s home. It’s best to express your interest in the form of questions, rather than in the form of demands. If you come at your guide combatively with an “I paid for this” attitude, forget it. Instead, show your interest and humble curiosity to provide your guide with a platform to share more of his knowledge of his home country and culture with you.

Finally, understand that other people's needs are at work, too. The trick: make your desires known in a good-hearted way, and position it to see if the experiences you seek may also meet the interests of others on your tour. If they don’t, then try to schedule these experiences during your free time.

We’re reminded of: We told our guide on the first day of our Ethiopia tour about our deep interest in learning about Ethiopian food. Over the course of the week he took us to a rural village preparing food for a 500-person wedding, organized an impromptu cooking course at a lodge, introduced us to restaurant owners who explained their cuisine to us, and found food markets along the way that were not on the itinerary. This not only added to our experience, but to that of our fellow passengers and our guide.

2) Perform your own research.

The first time we saw a person on a tour with a guidebook we thought it a bit odd. I mean, you’re paying for the tour and a guide who is a local expert so why bother?

We soon saw the light.

The more research you perform on the place you are visiting – by reading a guidebook, asking friends, doing internet research – the better prepared you’ll be to ask informed questions and go off-itinerary for a bit, either by yourself or with your group. At the very least, this research can help source new restaurants or cafes to explore outside of your hotel (see #6 below).

We’re reminded of: During our visit to Iran, our questions — prompted by advice from an Iranian-American friend — led to an unscheduled visit to the Tomb of Esther and Mordecai in the town of Hamadan. Our thirty-minute visit there was not only interesting for the tombs, including of the fabled Jewish Queen Esther, but for our meeting with the Iranian rabbi caretaker who told us about the lives of the Jewish community (surprising!) still living in town.

3) Ask questions, channel your curiosity.

Unleash your curiosity and leverage your tour guide as the resource he is — or should be — to learn as much as you can about the place you are visiting. This will not only benefit your understanding of the local context and history, but it will also jump-start your guide’s energy and direct his knowledge and explanations more to your interests.

This is especially important to break what I call “tour monotony” where it’s clear that the guide is giving an explanation on auto-pilot. This can get boring for everyone very quickly, the guide included. Asking questions changes the pace and energy and often surfaces stories that you'll take home and remember forever.

We’re reminded of: During our tour to Antarctica we passed a pod of killer whales. Audrey took a bunch of photos and later approached the cetacean expert (i.e., whale and dolphin specialist) with her photos to ask more information about the whales and their behaviors. He was excited — because he was always excited by passengers’ interest in wildlife — but this time he was really excited. It turns out that we’d come across a previously unidentified sub-species called Type D Orcas, and Audrey's photos were just the proof he needed. The photo later appeared in a scientific journal.

4) Take advantage of your free time.

Many tours incorporate free time into the itinerary — either entirely free days or chunks of time before or after scheduled visits to sites. Be sure to use these bits of free time deliberately to go off on your own and explore – perhaps to a café, market, or new street you haven’t walked down. Most often, it’s the ad hoc, unexpected experiences that not only provide real, authentic culture and context, but leave us with the “you wouldn’t believe what happened to us…!” stories that we tell our friends back home.

We’re reminded of: During our Japan tour, we visited the Nishiki market in Kyoto on a free afternoon. We took one of the people on our tour with us, walked through a market flush with local students and sought out freshly-made takoyaki (octopus balls!) from one of the food stalls. It was a simple yet resonant experience. The traveler who came with us told us it was one of her best memories from an already memorable trip to Japan.

5) Realize that you don’t have to do everything.

This is one that I struggle with. When I’m on a tour, I often feel compelled to do everything that’s offered. But sometimes the best decision is to strategically skip an optional activity or do something different so long as my choice doesn’t disrupt the group or their schedule.

We’re reminded of: While in Uganda, most of the group went off on all-day optional tour in the Lake Bunyonyi area. The itinerary sounded a bit hurried to us, and we were at the point where we needed a break. We woke up late, took a walk up the mountain and enjoyed a beautiful plate of crayfish curry at a restaurant with an incredible view. Rather than packing our heads with even more experiences, we needed a sprinkling of reflection. This was exactly what the doctor ordered.

6) Get outside the hotel.

As tempting as it is to stay in your hotel — it’s easy and close — push yourself to get outside to take care of basic necessities like eating, drinking and shopping. And use those journeys to find local restaurants, cafes, bars or shops. This approach forces you to engage with more local people, thereby expanding the nature of your impressions and experiences in a place.

These outings will also allow you to spread your tourism dollars to different businesses and families. Family-run businesses – particularly if you interact with the people that run them – will often provide you with a sense of connection and a handful of stories to take back home.

We’re reminded of: Finding small restaurants and street food stalls in Bali that were much cheaper and served tastier food than the shiny restaurants at the hotel. It took more effort to get out and find these places, but we were rewarded for it with beautiful local food and conversations off the most heavily traveled bits of the tourist trail.

7) Experience the beginning of the day.

Sleep is a precious thing, and it is especially important while traveling. But as much as a good lie-in helps sometimes, so does waking up early. In fact, it's almost always always worth the effort.

Many towns and villages around the world come to life in the early hours of the morning as vendors carry their goods to market. Morning is also a great time to see children going to school and watch the day unfold as cafes and restaurants set up for the day. This time is often less stressful for everyone, so you are more likely to have friendly, focused interactions. For example, you’re more likely to get an answer to your question of a vendor when they are just getting set up than when they are in full swing dealing with a handful of customers.

After getting your fill of activity, you can return to the hotel for breakfast or a coffee to meet the group for the rest of the day.

We’re reminded of: Going to the weekly market at Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda before breakfast. Within a short walk from our campsite we found the market and saw dugout wooden boats transporting sacks of charcoal, fish, bananas, and vegetables from other islands in the lake and even from neighboring Rwanda. Nothing like sensory overload to kick off the day.

8) Extend your time in the country.

A tour is a great way to introduce you to a destination. It can allow you to get your bearings, find your feet, and build confidence traveling around a new country with a different language and culture. Spending some extra time after your tour allows you to explore cities or regions more deeply than might have been allowed by your tour itinerary. Alternatively, you can further explore new areas of the country.

We’re reminded of: Spending an extra week in Iran to see the lesser-visited northwestern part of the country and to take a 60-hour train to Istanbul. As American citizens we were required to have a guide with us, but we were able to ad hoc visit towns where we had Iranian friends and see sites like the Armenian monastery of St. Stephanos and the ancient Tabriz covered market and carpet bazaar.

9) Understand that alone time is OK.

The concept of a tour may make some introverts cringe and wish to crawl into a hole. So much people time! Even if you are extroverted like Audrey, you may still find yourself feeling something similar as your holiday progresses.

Understand that you don’t have to spend all your time with the group; be sure to take care of your needs, including the need to reflect. Don’t feel bad about getting dinner on your own or going solo for your free time or tuning out when the bus is moving. It’s your holiday, after all.

Having said that, you may want to let others know that you are not shunning them, but instead are taking some time to yourself to refresh. Reasonable people will understand and most will nod in approval. In fact, some may realize they need a bit of that themselves.

We’re reminded of: One evening on the safari portion of our Tanzania tour, I left the group early for some quiet time to reflect, take notes and read a book while the rest gathered around the campfire. After all, Audrey and I had only recently summited Mt. Kilimanjaro and had just finished an afternoon of tracking cheetahs. This is a lot to recuperate from and to process. The following morning, I rejoined the group refreshed and rested, and all the better for it.

10) Don’t let negative thoughts simmer to a boil.

Stuff happens. If something bothers you, tell your guide in private. Have an open conversation. His job is to try and make the trip as enjoyable as possible for everyone, within limits. It may be that he can’t solve the problem immediately, but at least he can begin to address the issue. Be sure to also give feedback to your tour provider after the tour is over so they can address issues on future trips.

What you shouldn’t do: Keep it bottled up inside so you’re outwardly angry (yet no one understands exactly why), complain publicly, particularly to everyone on the tour except your guide. There’s nothing that ruins a trip — yours and others — like shared misery.

We’re reminded of: Our tour in New Zealand was (at the time) a very new tour, so there were some inconsistencies between the accommodation description from travel agents and the reality on the tour. The tour leader couldn't change where we were staying, but once he was aware of the concerns, he addressed them as best as he could. And, the trip was pretty remarkable.

The bonus nugget of travel wisdom: Even when we’ve paid for an experience and someone else is responsible for facilitating it, we and our actions help form the bridge to our own travel satisfaction.

The bad news: It takes effort.

The good news: That effort is often rewarded.

The post 10 Ways to Make the Most of Any Tour, Anywhere in the World appeared first on Uncornered Market.

The U.S. State Department Travel warnings are shaking the news once again. Apparently, many people are wondering whether to cancel their travel plans. We’re getting notes from family and friends asking us to be careful. And we’re currently in Berlin.

And while we could not finesse our way to safety if we happened to be right on top of the next terrorist attack, there are all those other times — whether we find ourselves at home or on the road — when a few safety approaches and techniques come in handy. Some are natural, but most are acquired and honed from our years on the road in places like Guatemala and Uzbekistan, Egypt and Myanmar. These approaches not only enable us to travel more safely, but they also give us the freedom to open ourselves up to more people and better experiences.

So when we’re asked, “Is there a way to stay open and stay safe?” the answer notwithstanding that there are absolutely no guarantees in life is yes.

Reader note: This piece is long. If prose bores you, you can head straight to the tips here. The reason I include a long pre-ramble is that readers often ask, “How do you do it?” And a travel safety tip list alone, no matter how well articulated and supported, will not get you into my head and explain my approach. I also invite you to read our piece on evaluating travel warnings: The Danger Map of the World: Fear vs. Awareness.

Safety vs. Engagement

But wait. Isn’t personal safety at odds with engagement? The more I put myself out there, the less safe I will be?

It only appears that way. When you step back, you’ll find it depends on your orientation.

Safety is crucial. I grant that first. In the hierarchy of needs, safety is among the most basic. If not addressed properly it will ruin your vacation. On the other hand, it’s also not the factor that’s going to make your vacation. We never return home with stories of what a wonderful experience we had with all the safety precautions we took.

The trick is to keep safety in perspective and realize that through balance, you can use safety as a lever to open your engagement and indirectly yield stories of the “you can tell your grandkids” variety.

The Foundation: Awareness and Observation

Most guidebooks and top ten lists will give you the basics of personal safety when traveling – dress conservatively, try not to stand out (i.e., no white sneakers), don’t wave your money and camera around, put your valuables in zippered pockets or money belts, don’t walk down dark alleys at night (especially after you’ve tied one on at the bar).

The best general foundational advice one can give: remain aware.

But what does that mean? At this point, we must stress: “remain aware” does not imply, “Be suspicious of everything around you and cower.”

Instead, it means observing from time to time your surroundings. Awareness is an art, one that can be mastered with a little practice and patience. It involves filtering a lot of noise from signal and separating what is perfectly normal and safe (e.g., hundreds of people hanging around a street corner in Mumbai looking for construction work) from something that could cause harm (e.g., a crowd gathering for a violent protest).

5 Unconventional Travel Safety Tips

1) Be most aware in tourist areas.

Sounds counterintuitive, doesn’t it? What are “tourist areas” you ask? These are places with concentrations of popular sites, restaurants with pretty menus in multiple foreign languages, buildings with new coats of paint, cute shops that line the streets. The whole atmosphere is built to feel “nice” and “comfortable.” It’s easy to relax, almost to the point of complacency, which, it turns out is exactly what petty thieves like pickpockets are hoping will deaden the senses of their next target.

Thieves also understand that a high concentration of tourists usually comes paired with high concentrations of spending money, cameras, phones, and other gadgets.

Obviously, we’re not suggesting you avoid these areas completely. However, we do suggest turning the vigilance meter up a notch when it comes to securing your personal belongings.

We’re reminded of: Granada, Nicaragua. Very pretty old town center, almost mesmerizingly so. From the moment we stepped in the shadow of the newly painted buildings on Plaza Colon, we could feel eyes following us and see movements of people working together. We kept our belongings close each time we found ourselves on the main square, particularly when the streets were at their busiest. Remain vigilant on transport as well (read the sad story of our friends who weren’t).

Contrast this to the town of Leon, Granada’s more run down – but to many, more charming – neighbor to the north.

2) If you feel you are being cased, stop and look at your watch.

Ever have that horrible feeling in your gut when you’re certain someone is following you in the I want to fleece you of all your stuff type of way? If you feel you are being scoped or cased, choose as safe a spot as possible and pull off to the side as if you are checking the time on your watch (Note smarty pants: this is not the time to pull out your fancy smartphone to check the time.)

If you don’t have a watch, just contrive the motions of something else that you need to do. You can easily note the behavior of the person in question out of the corner of your eye. If he continues to walk by at the same pace and doesn’t notice you, it’s likely that everything was only in your imagination.

If the person you believe is scoping you changes pace and starts to hang around, does some itinerant turns and changes behavior, then your gut was likely right on. Get yourself to safety — into a shop, café, hotel, etc. to wait him out, get help or call for a secure taxi to take you the rest of your way.

In either case, the cost of being certain: cheap as chips.

If you are traveling with a partner, agree in advance that a certain phrase will indicate that this is what one of you is doing. Otherwise, one will check his watch and the other will be halfway down the block!

We’re reminded of: Just before arriving in Kathmandu, Nepal we met an Australian traveler who’d been robbed of his camera and money coming home from a bar in the tourist ghetto of Thamel. So each night we were on our way back to our guesthouse(coincidentally not in Thamel) we were on alert, stopping several times to check for the time. Fortunately, it was all in our heads.

Having said that, we’ve watched the itinerant spins dozens of times, from Kazakhstan to Kokomo. It’s rather satisfying to see the frustrated look when they realize we’re on to them.

3) Make eye contact, smile, and say hello.

Another tactical entry from the counter-intuitive travel handbook. If someone in passing makes or you feel uncomfortable and that he's up to no good, consider looking the person straight in the eye, smiling and saying hello.

On the one hand, I find that this immediately breaks down the distance and fear, often resulting in a surprising smile in return (I love this!). On the other hand, if the person has actually been scoping me out, I’ve just let him know that I’m watching him and know exactly what he looks like if I ever have to describe or identify him. Fortunately, I’ve never had to cross this path.

Cultural caveat: In some traditional countries (Muslim countries, also India) women should exercise caution in making direct eye contact with men as it can be seen as flirtatious or taken as an invitation. In this case, I usually nod slightly to show that I’ve acknowledged the person.

We’re reminded of: Santa Ana, El Salvador. On a walk from our guesthouse to the main market, several local people approached us (including a cool guy in an old Ford Mustang) and told us to be careful. When this happened half a dozen times, I was on alert. I greeted everyone on the street and at the market in a form of self-defense. In the end, we had a great time and met some people we otherwise wouldn’t because of all the hellos and smiles I gave that day.

4) Ask what type of danger.

The thing I love about the vast majority of people we’ve met around the world: they are protective of us. They look at us as guests, some of them look at us as kids (I love that, Dan adores it) and they see it as their charge to protect us. But sometimes that protection risks going overboard to the point of keeping us from experiences that are within our safety zone.

When someone tells you “It’s dangerous,” it’s worth asking, “What kind of danger? What sort of harm will I face? Will my stuff get stolen, or could I face physical harm (e.g., gun or knife)?”

With that information, you can make a decision on what level of “danger” you’re willing to face and how you might prepare for it.

We’re reminded of: In Guatemala, we stayed with a host family to learn Spanish. They were a very nice family and our personal safety was of primary concern.

But it seemed that everything we wanted to do was peligroso (dangerous), so we began asking “What type of peligroso? Pickpockets? Or will we face people with guns and knives?” More often than not, the peligroso referred to pickpockets. We can handle that type of peligroso and take precautions. Guns and knives, that’s another set of risks we'd prefer not to encounter. We made our decisions accordingly.

5) Find the grandma.

If the world is ever saved from itself, the grandmas will likely be the ones responsible.

Grandmothers are often a traveler’s guardian angel, particularly for women, and especially for single women traveling solo. On public buses, not only will grandmas often take you under their wing to be sure you get off at the right spot and have some fruit or snacks to go with you, but they will also protect you from drunks and unwanted advances. They often have no qualms about chewing out people who are bothering you; they’ve lived long enough to do what they want without traditional social pressures.

We’re reminded of: A grandma in Kyrgyzstan who nearly threw from a bus a drunk guy who insisted on leaning aggressively into me. (Note: Dan had challenges of his own on the other side of the bus. That’s for another story.)

Also, in Nicaragua a group of older women came to our rescue when a thief scammed us by pretending to be a bus ticket salesman. After figuring out what happened, they yelled after him, forced the real bus ticket guy to track him down. We eventually got our money back. Go team grandma!!

—–

So be safe, but don’t let it strangle the life out of your holiday. Be aware and be open to what travel is really all about.

What would you add to the list? What are some unconventional approaches you've used to keep yourself safe?

The post Stay Open, Stay Safe: 5 Unconventional Travel Safety Tips appeared first on Uncornered Market.

Our travels have taken us through places perceived – often inappropriately — as dangerous: Central Asia, the Caucasus, Burma (Myanmar), Jordan, Bangladesh. Add to that our recent travels to Iran, and to Egypt and Greece amidst protests. And now we're in Mexico for a few months, another place high on the perceived danger meter.

Do we proceed blindly? No.

Are we adrenaline junkies, danger seekers? Not really.

We do our research, connect with locals and expats on the ground, and read reports from recent travelers. Then we go and enjoy ourselves.

We also know to take what we see on the news with a generous pinch of salt.

Why? Because our experiences on the ground have made us aware of a few reporting techniques that spice up the story of the moment while dropping a bit of the larger reality along the way.

Here are just a few.

Media Fear Techniques

Broad Brush (Egypt)

When there are protests or a natural disaster strikes, events are often portrayed in a way that implies that an entire region has been consumed, even if the impact is limited.

To recognize this is not to take away from the severity of the issue at hand. However, other facts – like the relative peace and safety of unaffected areas – gets lost along the way. This not only harms the image of the country and its people, but it can affect the economy, particularly when that economy depends on tourism and investment.

To look at it another way: If an earthquake or demonstration happened in San Francisco, does it make sense not to travel to New York?

Next time you consume news, be sure to have a map handy to understand the true scope and effect of the event.

Our experience: When we visited Cairo, Egypt in December 2011 during the country’s second wave of demonstrations of the year, news reports seemed to imply that the entire city was engulfed in chaos.

Yes, there was violence on Tahrir Square. But the affected area was tiny in comparison to a sprawling city of over 15 million people, a country of over 80 million. As we made our way in Cairo (including around Tahrir Square) and around northern Egypt, we witnessed much of life carrying on as normal – people going to work, kids going to school, roads full of traffic.

This is the bit that's conveniently missed in a typical news cycle.

Not All Protests Are Created Equal (Greece)

Not all protests are violent. Violence just sells better.

Our experience: Our visit to the Greek island of Crete in the fall of 2011 happened amidst a wave of demonstrations and protests against austerity measures in Greece. The images coming out of Athens at the time were flame-ridden, smoke-filled and ominous. We witnessed another set of protests in Heraklion, Crete’s largest city.

Protests were lively and featured thousands of protesters who, as a rule, were hardly violent or dangerous. There may have been a few incidents, but when the protests were over, most participants retired to local cafes to hang out with friends and enjoy a frappé.

Focus on the Fringe (Iran)

“Events you see here may be staged or represent a small portion of the population.” A disclaimer we'll never see.

To understand the real story of a country, you need to understand its ordinary people. But let’s face it — ordinary people and their viewpoints don’t sell, they aren’t flush with juicy sound bites, and they don’t make for good theater. But if you speak to them, you’re likely to realize that the issues of the day are more complex than the prevailing narrative.

And when you do that, your fear – of other people and other countries – can come into perspective.

Our experience: Our visit to Iran happened to coincide with the anniversary of the hostage taking at the American embassy in 1979. On the day of the anniversary, we wandered through the streets and markets of the town of Shiraz. We were besieged — by friendly locals offering invitations to go to the movies and for ice cream, tea and dinner.

When we turned on the TV at our hotel that night both local and international coverage focused on the anti-American demonstrations. While we wouldn’t expect media coverage of our ice cream dates in the market, a little coverage of life on the streets outside of those protests might have told a broader, more accurate story – one that made viewers think, rather than one that cemented their beliefs and fears.

When we asked a few Iranians about the demonstrations, they explained that they’re more a function of government orchestration, stacked with government employees who are required to participate for fear of losing their jobs. Sure, some people do participate voluntarily, but the government stages the rest to demonstrate “support.”

The Zoom Lens (Jordan)

“With every zoom, give me the wide angle.”

You’ve seen the images of protestors on the streets, zoomed in to illustrate anger and volume. But sometimes if the lens were to taken to a wide-angle view, you might see that only a handful of people are there. At least, you would see the context. Instead, the zoom lens makes great theater – the crowd is compressed, the protest is heating up.

Our experience: When we visited Jordan last February, the international press had covered Friday demonstrations as if they constituted the next Arab Spring uprising. For friends of ours living near the square, the protests were as they always were — not much more, not much less.

Good News Is No News (Bangladesh)

Woe the developing world. It seems as though we only hear about it when natural disaster strikes, when political upheaval is at hand.

The prevailing image of these places is that the countries are permanently suspended in calamity, in struggle. Sure those stories are relevant, but what happens in these countries before and after? What is the wider view?

Our experience: We wanted to visit Bangladesh because we suspected there was more to the country and its story than the famine, floods, and natural disasters we usually heard about. During our visit, we found a country with a youthful spirit and 150 million very curious people.

Yes, Bangladesh is a very densely populated country facing many challenges, particularly of the environmental and political varieties. But it still manages to implement initiatives like a plastic bag ban (imagine accomplishing that in your hometown, much less a country the size of Bangladesh), electric rickshaws, and all buses and trucks using CNG (compressed natural gas). These stories rarely ever make it out and they certainly aren’t theatrical enough to control the prevailing narrative. It's a shame since stories like this could serve as inspiration and instruction for those willing to listen.

—–
Perhaps you’re thinking, “OK, Dan and Audrey. So what?”

The upshot is that the world for the most part is not a scary place – at least not for the reasons you see on TV.

Next time you consume a news story, sit back for a moment and ask yourself: Is this the whole story? What‘s the bigger context? What are the truths, half-truths and full-on fibs?

And most importantly, “What might I be missing?”

Your answer just might influence what you think about the rest of the world. And perhaps it will make you want to travel to find out for yourself.

Have your travels ever turned the news on its head?

The post How Travel Beats the Media Fear Machine appeared first on Uncornered Market.

During my first journey outside of North America in 1997, I flew from India to Australia. On that flight, courtesy of some of Mumbai’s most phenomenal street food, my bowels turned to liquid, so much so that the flight attendants officially changed my seat from 24G to Lavatory Aft.

When I arrived in Sydney, I was totally unprepared to enjoy such a beautiful city. All I could do was poop. Actually, it was more akin to peeing, but out of the wrong orifice. And it wouldn’t stop. So I called one of the travel doctors listed in the Lonely Planet who promptly paid a house call to my hotel and charged me $90 to issue me this phenomenal bit of insight: “Oh, you just have a tummy ache.”

He grabbed his doctor bag and whistled out the door without dispensing any advice, medication, or course of action. And I whistled back to the toilet.

At best, this “travel doctor” was totally unprepared for a traveler from India. At worst, he was a hack who had somehow lucked his way into the Lonely Planet.

This guy didn’t know sh** — quite literally.

So what?

After you’ve traveled all over the creation, battling and dodging a few bugs, you come to know a few things. Or at least you think you know a few things. Or your readers think you know a few things. And they send you emails asking some very good questions over and over again about how to travel the world and avoid and treat various common illnesses.

Then finally one day, you write down the answers to their questions and you put it in one place.

This is that place.

So here goes. A list of common travel sickness scenarios, where they are likely to occur based on our limited experience, how you might want to treat what is going on, and some secrets on how to acquire medicines inexpensively.

Disclaimer: We do not advocate unyielding doctor avoidance and rampant self-medication. Sometimes there can be something seriously wrong, but quite often, there are some simple ways to treat what ails you without spending a lot of cash on piles of medicine at home or an overpriced doctor abroad.

Travel Health: Basic Travel Sicknesses and What To Do

1. Traveler's diarrhea: I'm pooping too much! (or, It's coming out of both ends!)

What it is: Difficult to diagnose over the internet, but most traveler’s diarrhea or vomiting comes from an intestinal bacteria or viral infection. You could pick this up from food, water, dirty glass, anything really.
Where and when it happens: Everywhere, actually. But, in countries throughout Asia, Latin America and Africa it tends to happen more often. Do your best to prevent getting sick from food with these simple tips.
What to do: But if you do get sick, the answer comes in several stages:

a) Treat the urgent: Here's the scenario – you board an overnight bus in Kazakhstan with a queasy stomach (and it just so happens to be your birthday) and you know the toilet stops will be few and far between. From your money belt, you take a Lomotil (a tiny pill that in most cases turns your insides to concrete) or an Immodium to stop you up for the ride. Disaster averted for a few hours. But, this is not a cure for what's ailing you so move on to b) below.

b) Address the root cause: If you’ve got it bad or your traveler’s diarrhea doesn’t go away in a day or two, it’s likely you’ve got a bacterial or viral infection. We carry a supply of azithromycin (affectionately known as “z-pack”) Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) (update: the FDA has released information on more severe side effects for cipro and other fluoroquinolones, recommending taking it only for severe bacterial infections) — an antibiotic easily found almost anywhere in the world — as our first line of treatment. Often, you’ll see your body recovering almost immediately, in a day or two. Once you begin taking an antibiotic, you MUST take the full course to kill the bacteria. Never stop after you begin to feel good.

If you have a virus, antibiotics will not help you. Period. If what you have lasts more than a couple of days without reprieve or improvement, a doctor is in order. In some countries, pharmacists are highly trained and can also provide helpful advice and treatments.

If your body won’t let you keep anything down, including medication, focus on (c) below until you can.

c) Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate: Don’t just drink plain water, but find yourself some packets of hydration salts (they taste gross, but are good for you) or buy some Gatorade and cut it with water. This will help replenish your system with salts, sugars and minerals that your body has purged in response to the bacteria. And don’t take this advice lightly; it’s all too easy to end up in the hospital from dehydration.

2. Giardia: My burps smell like eggs.

What it is: When you’ve got a case of burps that smell and taste like eggs, rotten eggs or sulfur, there’s a good chance you are dealing with a water-borne parasite like giardia.
Where and when it happens: Latin America, Asia, Africa.
What to do: Take a full dose of Tinidazole (4 tablets at the same time). If you can’t get tinidazole, try flagyl. If you in fact have this particular parasite, the burps will go away and you’ll feel better pretty quickly. If they don’t, get yourself to a doctor.

3. Constipation: I can't poop!

What it is: Con-sti-pa-tion. You know that unpleasant feeling.

Where and when it happens: This is usually never a problem in places like India or Thailand where there are ample servings of vegetables in most dishes. But, it can slow you down when you hit the pasta, bread and dumpling belt of Central, Eastern and Mediterranean Europe.

What to do: What can we tell you? We don't carry pills for this one. Back off the pasta, dumplings, bread, and cheese. Down as much fruit, greens and water as you possibly can. If that doesn't work, bring out the big guns and eat a bag of Chinese salted prunes (with another few liters of water). And if that still doesn't work, find your way to a pharmacy and have fun charading your problem.

4. Mosquito borne diseases: I don't want to get malaria

What it is: A parasitic disease transmitted by the bites of infected mosquitos.

Where it happens: Africa, parts of Asia, select parts of Latin America

What to do: Once you have a rough itinerary, consult the Center for Disease Control (CDC) malaria map of the country you are visiting to determine malaria risk for the regions where you are traveling.

Two things will matter most: where you are going and in what season. In some countries malaria is only present in certain regions and during the rainy season or at certain times of year. So, if you are traveling outside that region or period then you can avoid taking malaria prophylaxis.

Also, not all malaria is created equal. In some parts of the world mosquitos and the malaria parasite they carry have mutated to become immune to some common malaria prophylaxis. You’ll need different malaria medication for different parts of the world.

Note that depending upon the medication you choose to take you'll need to continue taking it for weeks after you return home as the malaria parasite can usually live in your system for up to 4-6 weeks.

It's also important to mention that the best protection is not getting bitten at all. This means wearing long sleeves and pants with ample bug spray, especially at dusk when malaria mosquitos are most active.

Doxycycline: Usually good for places like India, Bangladesh, Madagascar. Insanely cheap when purchased locally and this is usually what we take when our research tells us it is effective in that country. Two things to note: doxycycline tends to make people more sun-sensitive. It can also conflict with some birth control pills.

Malarone: We've used this in certain areas of Africa that are Doxycycline resistant and have particularly strong strains of malaria. It’s outrageously expensive, but its chemistry messes with your mind and body less than larium or mefloquin, some of the other traditional malaria prophylactics used for Africa.

Artemisia: On the cutting edge of malaria remedies is the Chinese artemisia plant (or qing hao, “sweet wormwood” or “sweet annie”). This now is commercially available from Novartis as the drug Coartem (Artemether 20 mg, lumefantrine 120 mg) and we were able to pick up a pack in Tanzania on a recent visit in case one of us caught malaria. This is not a prophylactic (meaning, you don't take it to prevent malaria), but instead it is used to treat malaria once you have it. The pharmacist told us it works almost immediately and it's apparently now on the WHO essential medical list.

What about dengue fever? Unfortunately, there is no prophylactic medicine for dengue. The best thing you can do is avoid being bitten — particularly during the day, as dengue mosquitos are usually day-biters. And if you do think that you've come down with dengue, get yourself to a doctor or hospital as soon as possible.

5. Motion Sickness: I'm going to puke on this bus/boat.

What it is: Motion sickness

Where and when it happens: On windy buses in the mountains of Bolivia, Peru, Myanmar, and Laos. Or crossing the Drake Passage on the way to Antarctica.

What to do: If you’re prone to motion sickness, keep a stash of Dramomine or similar in your money belt and take it 30 minutes before departure. If you take it once you’re on the road, it’s too late. As a side benefit, Dramomine will usually knock you out so you don’t have to watch the death defying acts of the bus.

Purchase a pair of pressure point wrist bands (usually go by the name of Sea Bands). Not sure if their effect is psychosomatic or real, but I've found them helpful in the past.

We also find that not having an empty stomach helps. As does drinking a fizzy soda (e.g., Coke or Sprit). This is something we usually avoid because of all the sugar, but it can do wonders for your stomach on a crazy bus ride.

6. Altitude Sickness: I’ve gone too high. My head is going to explode.

What it is: Altitude sickness.

When and where it happens: Hiking or walking anywhere above 2500 meters, particularly if you’ve just arrived by air, train, or bus. The worst we’ve ever experienced was taking the bus from sea level in Lima to Huancavelica, Peru over South America’s highest pass. Flying into Lhasa, Tibet from Kathmandu was also bad. Cold sweats and a feeling like our heads were going to blow right off.

What to do: If you can, take altitude slowly: acclimatize for several days, drink tons of water, move around calmly. Outside of that, we prefer local remedies like garlic soup (recommended in the Nepali Himalayas to thin the blood) or coca leaves (recommended in the Andes, chewed or in served in coca tea) before resorting to traditional altitude sickness drugs like Diamoxx.

If you do decide to take Diamoxx, follow the instructions carefully and drink tons of water.

7. Sinus Infection: My snot is green.

What it is: When that cold or cough starts producing thick mucous, then yellow mucous, then green, it’s possible you’ve probably developed a sinus infection.
Where it often happens: After a lot of hand-shaking or holding onto stuff in public, not washing your hands. In heavily polluted cities where air quality is poor and there is lots of stuff floating around the air. Dhaka, Bangladesh and Beijing, China come to mind.
What to do: After around 7 days with no improvement, go for a round of an antibiotic like Amoxicillan. It seems like Amoxicillin has fallen out of fashion in the U.S. (probably because it’s been overprescribed and is no longer terribly effective), but it is easily found around the world and has worked well for us.

A note on antibiotics of any kind: We try to avoid taking antibiotics if we can because they kill all the bacteria in your body, including the good bacteria in your gut (yes, there is such a thing and it helps keep you alive). Additionally, over-prescription of antibiotics in recent years has helped lead to drug-resistant supergerms.

8. Headaches or Migraines: There is a little man pounding inside my skull.

What it is: Depending upon the intensity and location of said little man, you could be experiencing a garden-variety headache or a migraine.

Where and when it happens: After a series of overnight buses with blaring music (especially Tibetan music) and jerky stops. Sleeping in cheap hotels with oversized pillows and people yelling outside your room during the night.

What to do: For regular headaches, Tylenol or Advil will usually do the trick.

Audrey experiences debilitating migraines with such intensity that it makes her stomach turn and she feels as though her head is no longer connected to her body. For these, she uses Saridon (Paracetamol 250 mg, Propyphenazone 150 mg, Caffeine 50 mg), an over-the-counter medication (in Czech Republic, that is).

9. Cuts or Scrapes: Help! I've got blood oozing from my arm/leg.

What it is: Scrape, cut, road rash.
Where it happens: While riding motorbikes around Koh Samui, Thailand or juggling knives. Or an Italian porcupine quill stabs you from the depth of your backpack. Or scratching your knee against a protruding rock or branch while hiking.

What to do: Until recently, we had only used band-aids for topical cuts and blisters. We carry a basic anti-bacterial cream for cuts and we also find that tea tree oil can also do wonders for cuts to be sure they don't get infected and dry quickly.

Then, I wiped out on a motorbike and we had to dig a bit deeper into the medical kit.
a) Saline solution – for disinfecting and cleaning wounds
b) Povidine – anti-infective
c) Antibiotic cream (polysporin) – after cleaning, put on top to fight infection
d) Cortisone cream – for bad bites and skin rashes

Note: After my motorbike incident in Thailand, my first instinct was to take a shower and scrub the wounds with antibiotic soap. We later learned that this was unwise. Water in Thailand is full of bacteria (as it is in many places). I could actually have made my situation worse by infecting my open wounds.

10. Blisters: My feet hurt too much to walk!

What it is: Blisters can take many forms, shapes and sizes. While they often appear on one's feet, they can appear anywhere that you've had something rubbing against your skin for a long period of time. For example, when we walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain I developed blisters all over my feet after a week of heavy walking while my nephew developed them on his hips as the waist strap on his backpack wasn't properly sized and it rubbed against his skin.

Where it happens: Anywhere in the world, really. Usually from doing a lot of walking or hiking, especially in shoes that are not properly broken in.

What to do: When I first feel a hotspot the first thing I do is put duct tape on it. Sounds weird, but it can work well to prevent that hotspot from becoming a full on blister. Once you've gone into blister mode, however, then skip the bandaids and go straight to Compeed. This is magical stuff. It essentially protects your blister and will absorb the ooze into the bandage. Leave it on until it falls off on its own as a new layer of skin will grow underneath it.

11. Boosting Immune System: I really don't want to get a cold.

What it is: When your immune system gets low (e.g., from lack of sleep, stress, exposure to bugs) and you are susceptible to picking up a cold or similar.

Where it happens: Everywhere, but often your body is more sensitive when you're on the go a lot on a trip with limited sleep and exposure to new germs.

What to do: None of this is scientifically proven, but it works for us. The moment I begin to feel that my body is compromised or weak I take zinc (always on a full stomach) combined with massive dose of vitamin C (we usually travel with Emergen-C packets). In addition, I'm a big fan of Umckaloabo drops to help give my immune system an extra boost (Audrey thinks I'm crazy).

In addition, if we're in a place where we can swing it, we'll drink a big glass of water first thing each morning with half of a lemon squeezed in it. Another natural vitamin C boost and keeps you well hydrated.

12. Birth Control: I don't want to get pregnant (umm, that’s Audrey writing here)

What it is and where it happens: Me hopes you should be able to figure this one out on your own.
What to do: Contraception options are many, but if you choose to take birth control pills, here’s some advice:

Before you leave home, ask your doctor to put you on a pill with a hormone formula that is more universally known (i.e., you do not want cutting edge technology). Drugs are known by different names around the world, so write down the commercial name of the drug as well as its chemical and hormone structure.

In our experience, many countries outside of North America and Europe (and I assume Australia) will sell birth control pills without a prescription. Along your journey drop into pharmacies and ask if they carry your particular pill. Birth control pills were rather expensive (especially by local standards) and choice was limited in many Central and South American countries. However, they were relatively inexpensive and easy to find in Argentina. Same goes for Thailand. So, when you find yourself in a country that carries what you need for a good price, stock up.

How do you buy medicines on the road?

We’ll let you in on a little secret. Most pharmacies outside Europe, North America and Australia will sell you whatever you need without a prescription and at a much lower cost than you’ll find at home. Our advice: if you’re going on a long journey, travel first to a country where prescriptions are not required for basic medications.

For example, when we arrived in Thailand in December 2006, in anticipation of a trip to Central Asia, we took the recommended medications page from our Lonely Planet Central Asia guidebook to a pharmacy in Bangkok. Within a few minutes we had a counter covered with everything we needed.

The pharmacist spoke English well and reviewed indications and dosage for everything we bought. We were good to go. Thus, our portable pharmacy was born.

Advice on Buying and Restocking Medicines Abroad

• Write down the chemicals (and percentages) that go into the medication you need instead of just the commercial or generic name of it. The chemical names translate roughly the same in all languages even if the medication is called by another name in that country.
• If you fear purchasing fake or sub-par medicine, find yourself a major pharmacy chain (e.g., Boots or Watsons in Thailand), ask locals where they buy their medication or go directly to a reputable hospital to buy from the onsite pharmacy.
• Be aware that if you require highly specialized or newly released medication, you may not be able to find it on the road. In that case, you should purchase a supply for the length of your trip from your pharmacy at home. Also ask your doctor if there is a similar medication or formulation which might be more widely available around the world and switch to it instead.

Travel Vaccinations: How do I find out which vaccinations I need for my trip?

The first place we always go to research vaccinations is the CDC Destinations page. Select the country (or countries) where you are traveling and you'll find a list of required and recommended vaccinations for that country. Then, visit a travel clinic to double check and confirm which vaccinations you should get. This is also important to review whether you need to a booster or a new round if it's been a long time since your last vaccination.

Here are some of the basic travel vaccinations that are useful in many parts of the world: Hepatitis A & B, tetanus, typhoid, MMR (measles-mumps-rubella), polio.

Some countries will require you to show proof of a Yellow Fever vaccination to enter (e.g., Bolivia), especially if you are traveling from countries that are known to have yellow fever (usually, countries will post this list as part of their visa entry requirement). This vaccine needs to be administered at least 10 days prior to departure and often lasts for life.

Travel Health and Medical Evacuation Insurance: Do I really need it?

Short answer: yes. Really, why take the risk to save a few dollars? Just like at home, sometimes freak things happen when you're traveling and you want to get the best medical care you can without worrying about the cost. We've been fortunate to have only needed to use our travel health insurance for emergency dental work, and we were thankful we had it for peace of mind and to mitigate costs.

In addition, be sure that your coverage include medical evacuation protection in case you have to be moved to another place or country to get the medical care you need. If you don't believe us, then read this medevac experience by our friend, Dave, who broke two vertebrae in the Amazon and needed to be medically evacuated to Canada for surgery, treatment and physical therapy.

We currently use German travel health insurance as it comes with our basic plan, but previously we used World Nomads Travel Insurance for basic health and equipment insurance for over six years. World Nomads covered us everywhere except if we were within 150 miles of our home base (i.e., address used on application). We only two dental claims to replace a broken crown and one camera theft claim, but they were easy to work with for reimbursement and the coverage is relatively inexpensive.

So, that’s the low down on our travel health tips and a few of medications we carry with us on our travels. What do you do to stay healthy on the road and treat basic travel illnesses?

The post Travel Health Tips from 10+ Years Traveling the World appeared first on Uncornered Market.

“Sometimes, we don’t know either.” — Us

On Valentine’s Day, couples around the world are thinking of ways to spend more time together. Then there’s us: almost not possible.

Traveling with your partner is terrifically satisfying. Shared experiences are fulfilling; your relationship can find itself strengthening in new ways.

However, stress and challenges are a reality in all relationships, and especially so when traveling full time.

Many people have asked how we manage our relationship on the road considering that we are not only life partners but traveling and business partners as well.

We gave this question some thought and reverse-engineered our approach. Here’s what we came up with. We imagine many of these will resonate with you — whether you plan to take them around the world or just around the block.

1. Ditch the “perfection narrative”

“What’s the perfection narrative?” you ask. It’s the storyline you see in books or on TV that implies marriages are supposed to be perfect. Anything less and you’ve failed.

We counter with this: manage your expectations. No relationship is 100% perfect; each of us is human. Marriage (any committed long-term relationship) is hard work. Sometimes it thrives, sometimes it falters and sometimes it inches along toward shared goals. Recognize that you are not perfect and neither is he; perhaps you can accept your partner’s faults and he can love you for all of yours.

2. Communicate actively

After all this time together, it’s easy to believe you can read one another without having to speak.

Danger, Will Robinson.

Active and honest verbal communication should never go out of style. Ask questions and share, particularly if something is bothering you.

3. Keep checking in

Before you begin any journey (travel, life, business, etc.), it is crucial that you align your individual and shared goals.

This is often obvious. What’s less obvious: don’t assume this alignment will remain forever. People change over time; goals change.

Check in with your partner periodically to confirm that your goals are still aligned. Keep in mind that you don’t need to wait for occasions like anniversaries and the new year to do this.

4. Create mental space

When physical space is limited, learn to create mental space.

Some find it surprising that we can be in each other's company for hours on end without speaking. It’s perfectly acceptable not to talk with one another all the time when you’re together. Silence is not only golden, it’s healthy too.

This is especially important if one or both of you is an introvert (i.e., someone who derives energy from time alone).

5. Recognize strengths and weaknesses

Maybe you are proficient in all things. If – like the rest of us — you are not, leverage the strengths (yours and your partner’s) and manage the weaknesses.

Then of course there’s the case when you both share a weakness. In this case, do the best you can. For example, neither of us has a particularly good sense of direction. Even with a map we sometimes get turned around. Instead of becoming frustrated with each another, we accept that we’ll likely get lost…like, all the time.

6. Share the burden

There will likely be tasks that neither of you wants to do. Be honest about which tasks these are and divide them up. Otherwise, one of you may feel unduly burdened and taken advantage of.

Given that we’ve been traveling for over three years, it may surprise you that neither of us especially enjoys the logistical planning associated with travel. Once we get on the ground, we’re great. But transport and accommodation planning is something we often consider a necessary evil. We divide these responsibilities by divvying up countries or regions, and on a daily basis we sometimes resort to “My Day, Your Day” as a management technique.

7. Ride the ups and downs

Ideally, your individual ups and down will occur in opposite cycles so that when one person is feeling down, the other can compensate by taking on more responsibilities. The important thing is to recognize is that “downs” do occur; this is natural and not cause for a freak-out when it happens.

After traveling through Central America for fours month, I hit the culture shock wall one day in El Salvador. Dan stepped up and took care of everything the rest of the day so all I had to do was follow him and deal with my emotions.

8. Realize it's not all mental

Are there times when your partner turns into a demon for no apparent reason?

Recognize the signs of when your partner is suffering from physiological impairments (e.g., low blood sugar, extreme fatigue, or hormones).

Address the issue quickly if you can: “Why don’t we get something to eat?” or “Why don’t we take an afternoon nap?” If you’re in a bind (e.g., on a bus with no food), then put your armor on and realize that your partner’s behavior is connected to something physical. In other words, don’t take it personally.

The first time we traveled together long term (Europe in 2000 for five months), there were moments when Dan wondered whether he had just married someone with Jekyll-Hyde complex. I turned into an incoherent mess when my blood sugar became low. Nowadays we both actively manage this for one another.

9. Do something goofy

Humor and laughter are great stress relievers. When things get heavy and tough, crack a bad joke, break into song and dance in the middle of the street, resort to childhood tactics or do whatever you need to do in order to break the serious mood. You’ll both feel better after a good laugh and the situation won’t feel quite so overwhelming anymore.

10. Don’t take your partner for granted

When you spend so much time with someone, it’s dangerously easy to take him for granted and to forget to actively appreciate your time together. Unfortunately, life circumstances can change that in an instant.

Even if you believe your partner knows it already, make it a practice to tell him how much he means to you.

We've shared our approach, but know we have much to learn. What are your tips for keeping a healthy relationship on the road or at home?

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

He/Him/She/Her note: I use the male personal pronoun throughout. However, we believe these principles apply equally to men and women.

The post How to Travel the World Together Without Killing Each Other appeared first on Uncornered Market.

As I emptied myself from both ends for the better part of 36 hours in the hills of northern Ecuador recently (a bad batch of cevichochos, I suspect), I was reminded that we owe our readers an accounting of how we usually manage to stay healthy while we travel.

“You ate on the streets in Burma and never got sick? All that food in China and never sick? India even?”

Yes. That's correct.

If you follow us, you know that we rarely deny ourselves the joys of exploring local street food and meals in hole-in-the-wall restaurants. And although it appears that we eat with reckless abandon, we do tend to follow some basic guidelines. These are not hard and fast rules (we do break them sometimes) but a philosophy and approach that seem to work for us. The idea is to sharpen our ability to size up eating situations while balancing the reward of authentic local dining with the risks of becoming ill.

Tips for Staying Healthy, in no particular order

1. Wash your hands often.

Then wash them again. Not to sound obsessive-compulsive, but get into the habit of washing your hands before a meal, after a meal and any time you think of it, particularly if you have been holding railings on public transportation or shaking hands at the local market. And don't skimp on the soap. Carry a tube of anti-bacterial gel for those rare moments when no soap or sink is available.

2. Beware of tempting fruit shakes and drinks made with unpurified water.

Those stands may look so good in India, but don't risk buying a fruit shake off the street unless you are certain the water (or ice!) has been purified. There's no need to completely deny yourself this pleasure, but just ask first or order it from a tourist-oriented restaurant that has purified water clearly marked on the menu.

During my first visit to India, an Indian-American friend asked his father why he cautioned against drinking sugar cane juice from a street stall. “There!” his father pointed to a giant block of ice being wheeled down the street on a cow cart lined with poop-stained burlap.

3. Cooked is more reliable than fresh.

If you have questions about the hygiene of what and where you're eating, make sure everything is properly cooked. Fried, boiled, or baked, high temperatures kill germs.

Same goes for mayonnaise toppings. Assume no refrigeration.

4. When in doubt, take it easy on the meat.

Meat insidiously turns faster and meaner than vegetables ever will. You never know how meat has been handled or how long it has stood before it lands in your mouth…and your stomach.

We are certain that leaning vegetarian helped us stay healthy in India and China. Did we eat meat in both countries? Yes, but only when the signs were favorable. In India, we usually reserved meat for spiffy-looking street stalls and formal restaurants that were certain to have refrigeration.

5. Spice is your friend.

I have no scientific proof that chili sauce kills bacteria, but I'm inclined to believe that our copious use of hot sauces have served our stomachs well prophylactically. Although the argument continues, some say that good ‘ol black pepper was traditionally used as a preservative.

6a. A little bacteria is a good thing.

We're big believers in maintaining a healthy layer of good bacteria in our stomachs. Experiment a little bit when you travel so that you build up some resistance. If you are a first-time traveler and are accustomed to everything antibacterial and antiseptic, the world overseas will find a way to shock your system. You are likely to experience an adjustment.

So consider keeping things clean, but don't sanitize everything you touch – living in an anti-bacterial world can put you at risk when you leave the bubble.

6b. Learn to like yogurt.

When fighting bad bacteria, make sure you have enough “good” bacteria inside of you. Some people carry probiotics or acidophilus pills to balance and replenish good bacteria. I just like to eat yogurt, particularly the fresh, unpasteurized stuff. The top of the yogurt hierarchy is the homemade stuff (matsoni) from the mountains of Georgia. It just felt healthy.

7. Look for high turnover and low fly-count.

Seek out street stalls and restaurants with a high turnover of food. Freshly cooked is better than something that's been sitting around on a tray for a while. The longer food sits, the more likely it will play host to bacteria. High turnover also implies high traffic, which itself suggests that the food being served is probably pretty good.

Eye the fly-count. Flies are excellent carriers of disease.

8. Check your glass and silverware.

Don't obsess, but give it the once-over. It may be better to drink your soda or beer directly out of the bottle than from a glass (or wipe the glass if you must). Or ask for a straw to drink fruit juices or sodas. Run a napkin over your utensils or ask for a new set if they look unappetizing. Or consider heading somewhere else where the silver is, um, a bit cleaner.

9. Peel your fruits and vegetables.

When everything you eat is cooked, you will crave fresh fruits and vegetables. Buy the kind you can peel – bananas, cucumbers, carrots, papayas, avocados, etc. Avoid lettuce or anything with a skin you eat (e.g., tomatoes). If you do, wash them in purified (and slightly chlorinated water).

10. Don't let your guard down on organized tours.

Ironically, half of our stomach episodes have occurred on organized treks, once in Vietnam and again in Guatemala. Having assumed the organizers had taken all the necessary precautions, we ate fresh vegetables we would have otherwise avoided. Likely a dirty knife in one case and a dirty mango skin in the other. And we paid for our lapse in judgment.

Honorable Mention: Good old-fashioned luck of the draw.

Although we do not recommend relying on pure luck, it bears mentioning that you could throw caution to the wind while traveling, eat on the street 24-7 and never get sick. Likewise, you can follow every healthy travel eating guideline and spend more than your fair share of time in the toilet.

Basically, it's a crapshoot.

Pin for later:

The post How to Travel Without Hugging the Bowl: 10 Tips for Staying Healthy on the Road appeared first on Uncornered Market.

Do you pay for your photographs? Do you ask permission? Have you had any problems taking photographs of people on the street?

We field these sorts of questions often. Several readers also recently requested that we write a post about how we take our people portraits in street and market settings.

In response, we share ten tips for taking engaging photos of the humanity that colors our planet.

Rather than focus on camera settings and technical tips already enumerated on 1000s of photography websites, we'll characterize our approach to subject-seeking, shooting, and presentation.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, you'll find that it closely resembles our approach to travel.

1. Go where the people are.

Elaboration of the obvious perhaps, but so many travelers don't do it. If you want people shots, you have to go where the locals go. Seek out the places where they work, where they walk, and where they hang out — and you’ll likely get your best shots. And don't just wait outside the door of that funky cafeteria or pool hall. Go inside, make some friends and get into the action.

One of our first stops in any new location is the local fresh market. It's the way we orient ourselves. With a few exceptions, markets are loaded with real people who are friendly, photo-worthy and informative. Parks, street food stall areas and bus stations also provide endless subjects.

The places you're least likely to see large numbers of ordinary people going about their day? Museums, tourist sights and tourist ghettos.

2. Make a personal connection.

Show an interest in a person as a fellow human first, and a photographic subject second. For example, ask a market vendor what that exotic fruit or vegetable is called. Ask a mother about the age of the child she’s holding and whether she has other children. These simple questions will usually lead to other conversations. And more than likely, to the photo you are seeking.

Once you have developed a level of trust, ask to take the person’s photo. For parents with children, ask permission from the parent before photographing the children.

Note: Sometimes people will ask why you want to take his/her photo, which is a fair question. We explain that we are interested in showing people back home (the United States for us) about life and people in that country. Also, if we are in a market or other setting that is different than home we explain that we don't have this at home and we want to show what it is like. Usually, people are proud to represent their country or region and agree to the photo. If not, no hard feelings and we thank them for the conversation.

Of course, speaking the local language helps. But even if you don’t share a common verbal language, positive body language – smiles, respectful nods – goes a long way in greeting someone and establishing a connection. Once you've made the link, you’ll have an easier time requesting photos by motioning with your camera or performing other charades.

When our train in Toungoo, Burma was delayed by an hour, we used the opportunity to engage with vendors and fellow passengers. Most were unaccustomed to foreigners and virtually no one spoke English. But we started with the kids and turned the delay into one of our most enjoyable photo sessions yet. Everyone had a good time and the photos reflect this.

And shouldn't the point of any exercise be that everyone enjoy the experience?

Note: If someone does not want his/her photo taken, respect those wishes. And don't take the rejection personally. There are lots of interesting subjects out there.

Speaking of interesting subjects, we've never paid for a photo. If someone asks us for money to take his photo, we don't take the photo; we move on. Other photographers feel differently and pay. It's a personal choice.

3. Ignore the first shot.

Sometimes the most charismatic person in the market will turn serious – reminiscent of turn-of-the-century set shots of the royal family- when the camera is obviously turned on her. Go ahead, take the photo – serious expression and all – even though it’s not the one you want.

When the person realizes that the photo is taken (i.e., the ordeal is over) – she will relax and get back to business. That’s when you turn around and take the second or third photo. These are the images you want.

4. Don't ask people to pose

Don't ask people to do what they normally wouldn't do. Shoot them in their natural environment.

We once witnessed a professional photographer (two cameras around his neck, obscenely huge telephoto lenses) in a market in Burma coercing a vendor to pose with her scales. He poked at her like she was a doll, ignoring the fact that she was human. The look on her face said it all; she was disgusted with the process (and rightly so).

We peeked over the photographer's shoulder as he was reviewing his shots in the LCD screen: as awful as the look on his subject's face.

5. Talk and shoot. If you are two, employ tag-team photography.

Many people are understandably uncomfortable with having their photo taken. Distract them from the presence of the camera by talking with them and you are more likely get a natural shot. Chat, ask questions, tell a joke, use self-deprecating humor. Use your inner clown to elicit laughter or your inner psychologist an emotional response.

This works even better if you are two people: one photographs while the other carries on the conversation.

This technique came in handy with microfinance borrowers in India and Guatemala. In both cases, many of the women we photographed were unaccustomed to having their photographs taken. Some became visibly intimidated by the sight of our DSLR camera. But one of us asked questions while the other took photos. For the most part, our subjects forgot about the camera and relaxed. And we got the chance to hear their stories.

See the results here and here.

6. Take a step back. Stop and wait.

Once you’ve found where all the people are (#1), you might just be overwhelmed by it all. A sea of humanity – the activity, colors, sounds and smells – can do that. At this point, take a step back from the action and find a corner, bench or outdoor café to observe it all from a distance.

Temporarily retreating to the sidelines helps make you and your camera a little less conspicuous. It also affords a broader perspective. This is where you take your overview shots.

7. Know your white balance.

We know. We promised something other than technical tips. The tip is this: if you seek to understand any technical bit about your camera, understand its white balance settings.

You may have the most amazing subject and composition in the world, but if the mood and color temperature are off – an unintended bluish tint, washed out or over-saturated colors – you still have a bad photo. Yes, post-processing can help a bit, but it's best to get the color temperature right in the original image.

Even most hand-held cameras allow you to adjust white balance. Play around in advance with these settings so you know which to use in heavily shaded market stalls, under fluorescent lights, in fog, in bright daylight, etc. We tend to use cloudy and shade white balance settings most to yield warmer colors.

8. Get close.

Many of the best people shots are close-ups. Sure, you can always crop an image afterward, but try to get in close for the original shot.

If you’ve made a connection with someone (see #2), use that mutual trust to get closer. Or, make use of that telephoto lens…respectfully.

We’ve seen photographers armed with foot-long telephoto lenses almost poke their subjects in the eye with the lens. (True story of Cambodian children at Angkor Wat.) This is rude and disrespectful. There's also a good chance your shots will reflect this.

9. Use your LCD screen to show the result.

People all over the world are curious about what they look like, especially in developing and transitional countries where many people do not have access to a camera…or possibly even a mirror.

Showing the image you have taken will usually evoke a response that in itself is worth photographing (if you have a second photographer, this can be another great shot). The whole process builds trust. The hub-bub and laughter can also help recruit other people nearby to have their photos taken.

And, it’s just plain fun. This is one of our favorite parts of taking photos of people. Children go nuts. And older people are often pleasantly surprised by the result. Belly laughs are common. And the smiles and reactions are priceless…even if we don't always record them on film.

10. Edit, edit, edit.

We're not talking about post-processing, but about developing a critical eye to select and display your best photographs. While you might think that all 300 photos from your recent trip are worthy of the Ansel Adams award, consider perhaps uploading and sharing a smaller batch.

Select a variety of images (e.g., people, landscapes, food) from a place that together tell a story. If you can, provide a few titles and descriptions so that viewers can understand the photographic context and learn something along the way.

If you have your own street or people photography tips, please share them in the comments section below.

The post Capturing Humanity: 10 Tips for Great People Photos appeared first on Uncornered Market.