Don't Worry, Go Traveling

 What card should you never leave home without? It's not the one you think. 

 It's the new Triple-A card-Attitude, Awareness and Attention tips, offered by authors Sheila Swan & Peter Laufer in their new book Safety & Security for Women Who Travel. Wherever you go, whatever you do, whoever you're with, no matter how far you stray from home, carry this card to remind you to stay alert in your surroundings. Trust your intuition and instincts. 

 Swan and Laufer, world travelers, help lay to rest fears as well as provide guidance for women to travel confidently anywhere in the world. Safety & Security for Women Who Travel offers specific and tested tactics and techniques to help women travel safely and securely. 

 This book covers the basics and so much more. Find practical information on what to do: 

Before you leave: pack a destination-specific medicine cabinet;

En route: remember the buddy system, find a companion on the plane or at the train station; 

Driving: lock your doors when you get in the car as well as when you get out of the car ;

Lodging: conceal your gender by registering at hotels with your last name and first initial only ;

Also find details about more complicated issues, such as: 

Money and scams: guard your PIN carefully as phone card thieves use binoculars ;

Dealing with officials: do not carry things that can be interpreted as illegal or threatening; 

When a threat is real: noise is effective; practice screaming before you leave home ;

 In all aspects of travel there is an element of risk which can be reduced with attention, attitude and awareness. Safety & Security for Women Who Travel contains memorable anecdotes as well as tips and wisdom. It will empower the most timid and most seasoned woman traveler. 

By Sheila S. Laufer

About the Author

Sheila Swan Laufer has been traveling the world for fun and business since the 1960's. From camping in Latin America to luxury resorts in the Old World, from long-distance buses across the American South to first-class airliner seats five miles high, from quaint pensions on the Iberian Peninsula to five-star hotels in Oceana, she has experienced the extremes travel offers-taking notes all along the way. 

Have a Mosquito Free Vacation

Your wardrobe is planned, suitcases are ready, and your flight leaves tomorrow for your next vacation. Have you remembered everything? Not if you haven’t packed mosquito repellant. No matter where you are going, mosquitoes are there! They are found on every continent, except Antarctica. In many tropical places, they are year round pests. Yet there are some things you can do to protect yourself and have a safe and comfortable trip (airline seats excluded). Some useful traveler’s tips are: If there is a vaccination for a mosquito borne disease, like malaria, consult your doctor about getting one. Some malaria parasites are resistant to the vaccines so be sure to get medical advice. Pack plenty of a really good mosquito repellant. You have no way of knowing if you can buy the kind you like at your destination. And, in some less developed areas, you may not be able to buy any at all. Bring light colored clothing. Mosquitoes are attracted to dark clothing. Bring some long sleeved shirts and long pants. The less skin area exposed the better. If appropriate, wear boots and socks and tuck pant legs into them. Try to stay indoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active. Stay in climate controlled hotels and inns when possible. Air-conditioned lodgings afford better mosquito protection. If you can’t get enclosed lodging (or you are camping or roughing it), be sure to pack some mosquito nets. There are some good ones made for individual use that don’t take up much room. If you use nets, be sure they are tucked under the mattress. Treat all fabric articles with repellant. Using it on shoes, clothes, bedding, nets and other personal objects can help keep mosquitoes away. If you are going to be near a beach, stay close to the ocean breezes. Mosquitoes are poor flyers and will avoid windy areas. Many mosquito diseases are seasonal. Try to plan to travel to heavily infested areas during the mosquito “off season”. With just a little advance planning, and some common sense, you can avoid being plagued by mosquitoes in your travels. Take these few steps before you go and then get back to the important thing: having a pleasurable trip.  by: Scottie Johnson