Graduate Advice - 10 Gap Year Safety Tips
10 Gap Year Safety Tips:
Get legal: You'll need a passport that's valid for at least six months after you're due home. And fill in the next of kin bit. You may need visas and they can take months to come through, so get in there early.
Get vaccinated: Visit the doc at least six weeks before travelling to get any shots you need. Keep prescribed medicines to hand and have details of any conditions you have, ideally in the local language.
Get covered: Get insurance which covers travel plans, medical care, flying you home in an emergency, and includes any special activities you might be trying (bungee jumping, white water rafting).
Get connected: Set up an email account you can access on the go. Email yourself copies of your travel documents, itinerary, insurance, and emergency phone numbers in case they get lost or stolen.
Get intelligence: Get local knowledge of where you're going, its customs and laws - a travel guide would be a good start.
Get a friend: Find someone you trust back home. Give them photocopies of all your documents and access to your email. Even give them power of attorney over your bank
account while you're away, in case bills need paying or money needs to be transferred. Stay in touch while you travel.
Get money: Take either enough money in a secure form, or take a means to get it (e.g.
credit card or traveller's cheques). 'Enough' means having a realistic budget of what you'll need to live on. Don't assume there'll be an ATM on every corner in the jungle.
Get a room: Even if you never book another room in advance, book at least your first
night's accommodation before you go. When you arrive, you'll be whacked out, a bit unsure, and your passport may be worth a year's salary to scamsters.
Get aware: Stay alert to your surroundings, especially at night, and act on feelings of uneasiness to do what's needed to avoid those situations.
Get sober: Being drunk or drugged up makes you more vulnerable to accidents or getting ripped off. And it may provide a get-out for your insurance. So know your limits and the local law.
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