Ultimate Vacation Spots

posted by Travel Cat on Jun 15

Want to avoid the nasty side of your vacation spot? 

Wherever you travel to there are going to be local illness that your body is not used to. Some are temporary with mild symptoms, others have terrible symptoms but not long lasting, but unfortunately some are permanent, crippling or fatal! Many of these are transmitted by animals including mosquitoes, so it doesn’t matter if you are used to them or not, you can still succumb to them unless you are protected and travel sensibly.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, and there are many precautions you can take before arriving at your destination (including vaccinations and prophylaxis) and when actually there to help lower your chances of contracting these, and to reduce the symptoms if you get them.

I have just covered some basic facts here about 4 of the most common health complaints of the traveller, although there are many many more you need to be aware of if you are travelling to more remote areas or where you may come into close contact with local people or local wildlife.

There are no vaccines for any of the following infections or diseases, and prevention is the only way to limit your chances of being affected.

Diarrhea
I know you can get this without travelling, but if it is accompanied by a fever, bloody stools or mucus, it could be a bacterial or parasitic infection. Whatever the cause, re-hydration is essential.

Dysentery is characterised by the fact that it doesn’t go away until treated, and giardiasis needs treating too as the stomach cramps, watery foul-smelling stools and frequent gas will come and go over several weeks.

Cholera is the worst of the watery diarrhea’s, and can cause serious dehydration if not treated in a hospital. An outbreak of the latter illness is usually widely reported so you can avoid it or identify it depending on when you hear the report!!

Bilharzia
Also known as schistosomiasis, this disease is gotten from minute worms that live in fresh water. They burrow their way into the skin and travel to the intestines or bladder where they latch on.

Symptoms can include fever, abdominal pain and blood in the urine, but there may be no such signs early on. It could be several months or even years down the line that you get the symptoms, but by then any damage to the internal organs is irreversible.

Check known locations of this ‘worm’ before travelling to endemic countries as it can be avoided, or your risk greatly reduced with basic precautions like drying yourself thoroughly immediately after leaving rivers and streams.

Dengue Fever
This mosquito-borne virus is only found in South America and the Aedes mosquitoes that transmit this usually bite during the day - not the normal dusk till dawn critters!

Infection results in flu-like symptoms along with the usual aches and pains, fever and vomiting - but you may also find a rash appears. The terrible body aches that can come with this usually pass within a few days but do not require medical assistance in nearly all cases.

Most cases just require normal medications and analgesics - but you must remember to rehydrate and stay hydrated as the few cases of this that end up in the hospital are usually due to the effects of dehydration.

See below for tips to reduce mosquito bites in general.

Malaria
Every-one’s nightmare disease when travelling. Whenever people plan to book a vacation, the first thing they normally check is whether it’s malarial - and because of this disease many people just won’t book the trip at all.

Yes, there is always a risk, and many people do contract malaria every year and many more die of it, but more people worldwide die each year from diarrhea alone than all the other diseases in this article put together so don’t panic yourself into a frenzy. But, most travellers still fear this one the most - many even fear the side-effects of the malaria tablets used to help prevent the symptoms (malarial prophylaxis do not stop you getting malaria, they just prevent the body reacting to seriously to the infection)

Take the following examples - would you take the medication?

• Difficulty in breathing, skin rash, swollen facial features…
• Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, peptic ulcer, bleeding in the stomach…..
• Changes in skin colour, tremors, palpitations, or even gout….

Well, these are just some of the side effects you can get from Anadin!  Bet you don’t think twice about taking that though?? 

Mosquito Bite Avoidance
This disease and Dengue fever can only be transmitted by mosquito bites from an infected insect, and as they strike anything at any time, you must take all available precautions when travelling in endemic areas, even if taking preventative medication. You are always advised to wear light coloured clothing, preferrebly long-sleeved and long-legged and avoid shallow water and overgrown areas in the morning and evenings.

Use a DEET containing repellent at all times on exposed skin and avoid highly scented toiletries which tend to attract insects. Always use a well maintained mosquito net while you sleep, preferably impregnated in permethrin, and make sure you take your own net if you want to be really safe. In addition - don’t forget that the net only stops the whole mosquito so never let your skin rest against the net as mosquitoes will stick their faces through one of the holes and feed on you as though it wasn’t there.

Don’t Worry….. 
You can still enjoy your vacations if you travel prepared and research health issue before you leave for the country you are visiting. WHO’s website will give health updates as will plenty of government run online information sites (www.cdc.gov in the US and www.fco.gov in the UK) and travel sites such as The Lonely Planet will have links to these sites as well as their own current information on health and travel diseases.

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posted by Travel Cat on May 31

This guide is all about Laguna Miramar and what you can see there. It may seem to be in reverse because I want to tell you all about all the beautiful things that are there, amazing things you can see and do - then tell you the less interesting facts about getting there and accommodation.

So, lets get started with the laguna itself and the wildlife in the surrounding Lancandon Jungle.

Laguna Miramar:
The name of the lake means ‘to sight or to look at the sea’ - basically ’sea-view’ which is what the first people to stumble across it’s shores must have thought - it is huge, and as blue as a tropical ocean!

Laguna Miramar is a remote lake, protected inside the Montes Azules biosphere reserve and is surrounded by miles of hills and valleys and covered in rain-forest canopy - one of the largest areas of rain-forest in the whole of the America’s! Just to get to the lake, you have to walk from the small village of Emilio Zapata through 7 kilometers of this lush jungle, listening to howler monkeys and watching dozens of different butterflies lazily pass you by.

It really is one of the last truly remote corners of Mexico, which is why it has remained so pristine - and believe me, you’ll understand why after you have made the journey there. Oh, it will all be worth it 10 times over, but your will never forget getting there!

Four local tribes owning the lands bordering the lake are part of a co-operative, and have all signed an agreement to preserve the lakes boundaries with no development allowed within 1km of it’s shores - this includes roads so walking is a must. These communities have also agreed that there will be no motor boats on the lake at all - travel across the lake is by canoe only!

The lake itself is 16sq km, a good all year round temperature and as near as you will ever get to pollution-free. It takes 45 minutes to canoe to the main island on the lake, where you will find ruins of a local tribe where they made their last stand against the Spanish. Many other ruins are in the area, including the famous and vast city of Palenque to the north of this reserve and Tonina closer to the lake, but it’s not as big.

The Lancandon Jungle:
This extensive rain-forested region almost touching the Guatemala border, is home to a vast number of species including some very popular ‘big names’ such as jaguar, toucan, tapir, harpy eagle and red macaw. There are also crocodiles around the lake, but apparently they are harmless according to the local guides!

The ‘Selve Lancandona’ (the Lancandon Jungle) is home to:
4300 plant species - including orchids and huge epiphytes
800 butterfly species - including the great Morpho and Glasswings
345 bird species - including toucans and tanagers
114 land mammals - including ocelot and jaguar (reportedly)

It’s best to avoid this whole region between June and October as there is a lot of heavy rain here, turning all the paths and tracks into quagmires. You can still arrange your visit during this time, but there will probably be severe delays and I’m sure it won’t be that pleasant for you overall!

How To Get There: 
You can travel into the jungle and around the lake alone, in personal groups or with a guide, and there are many companies offering 2/4day tours of the area - increasing your chances of seeing everything you want to see as they will be able to show you the best routes and wildlife.

Guided tours range from $120-$330/£60-£165 depending on their length, and many need to be booked before you get there as many include the flight from Ocosingo (the nearest main city) to San Quentin the nearest large town. These and other tours also supply all equipment, food, porters and other park fees as part of the deal.

If you want to travel there independently, you need to be aware that you cannot book accommodation in advance, you have to turn up and ask there. Travel by road is the most popular (and cheapest) route, so be prepared to stand in the back of an open truck for at least 5 hours during the dry season. You do get to stop for breaks on the way!

From Ocosinga, you will drive to San Quentin, passing through at least 1 army checkpoint where you will need all your paperwork handy, there could be more than this.

When You Get There:
When you finally arrive there, you need to walk the short distance to the village of Emilio Zapata where you need to locate the comisario ejidal (the mayor) who will take your payments for entry to the lake ($3), your payment for an overnight stay ($3). To preserve the area and to make the most of your trip, he will expect you to take a guide ($10) and/or hire a canoe ($10).

After this little ceremony, you will then need to walk the remaining 7km to the lake - usually about another hour and a half walk - down a path that can only be described as an adventure in itself! When you arrive on the lake-shore you will be amazed. It is beautiful, making you temporarily forget the journey here (and the fact you have to do the same again to get back to Ocosinga!!!)

What Else Is There:
You can take a ride into a cave on the kayak to see some incredible volcanic rock formations that looked giant drips of melted wax.   You will be overwhelmed (if your lucky) by a noisy cloud of bats inside. A little further around the lake there’s a little rocky island where there are many Mayan wall paintings.  All the other Mayan remains in the area have been excavated, fenced off and sheltered from the elements to preserve them - but not here. These are just sitting there, in the jungle, in their original form.

There are more ruins on another island, but this is ‘owned’ by another community, so you need to get their permission and their guides to visit - but they have untouched ruins of some Mayan temples waiting for you to discover.

The swimming is also some of the best you will find in Central America and the few divers who have sampled Laguna Miramar’s depths can get downright poetic about it in all it’s glory.   And at a thousand feet deep in places, Laguna Miramar sustains enough aquatic life to entertain any hardened diver or brave snorkeller; including turtles, crocs, and a crypto-zoological creature the Indians say resembles a manatee!

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posted by Travel Cat on Mar 29

I have seen dolphins off the coasts of the UK many times, but they were never ‘planned’ sightings. By this I mean that I just happened to be looking out over the sea wherever I was and there they were - particularly at Brighton around the piers on the south coast of England.

In addition, while I was in the area, had paid a visit to see Fungi, the dolphin who lives in Dingle bay, just off the south-west tip of The Republic of Ireland. And it’s always amazing, even if you just about see a fin.

But I wanted to do it properly this time, I wanted to search for wild dolphins and whales in UK waters, rather than just catch a glimpse. I began researching the most likely places to see resident dolphin populations and the best time of year to see whales breaching, etc, and then go on a vacation specifically for this.

How To Do It
Now, you can either do this off the coast or you can hire boats, either yourself or as part of a guided tour - the latter being closer to them and more likely of a sighting, so I wanted to look at a combination of both. I’m not too keen on the sea myself - and it’s so cold in the UK - so if I can see them from dry land, I would prefer it. Below are the some places I found for both types of sightings and what species you might see, starting with the southern-most locations (as they are that bit warmer):

Around Lands End - Cornwall: Bottle-nose dolphins are very common here, but it’s also possible to see sperm whales off to the west, but they tend to stay away from the rocky shore.

Around Cardigan Bay - Wales: Common porpoises and minke whale are frequently seen in these waters, along with the long-finned pilot whale out at sea.

West coast of Scotland: It is possible to sea orca here (killer whales) between the mainland and the Hebrides, along with minke whales and common porpoises. Slightly more to the south you may catch a glimpse of sperm whales and pilot whales.

East coast of Scotland: Moray Firth is well known for it’s dolphin populations including bottle-nose, white-beaked and common porpoises. Slightly south of here at sea, you may find minke and ling-finned pilot whales.

Northern Scotland and the Shetland Isles: Orca and Risso’s dolphin are common here, as well as some others found elsewhere in Scotland, and around the Orkney’s a sighting from land of orcas is becoming more frequent.

Further Tips
It would be worthwhile watching or studying pictures of breaching whales and dolphins before you go you you are aware of what you are likely to see, as without a guide you are on your own. Make yourself familiar with their activities, like dolphins ‘bow riding’ at the front of a passing boat, to maximise your chances of seeing them. Which species will be alone and which will be in groups? What shape are their dorsal fins? Are there any other aquatic species I could mistake them for?

It goes without saying to take some binoculars and a water-proof jacket!

posted by Travel Cat on Mar 28

Panama’s Pacific coast line is perfect for surfing, but the northern Caribbean coast also has some favoured spots - and is probably warmer water! Early travellers found these perfect locations and kept returning time after time, passing on the word to others for generations who you can find surfing off Chirique, Panama.

There are now a whole lot of people wanting to come to Panama to learn to surf, and due to the rise in demand for these Panamanian waves, a small industry has appeared to take care of hoards of feisty arrivals. As a result there are now many areas along the pacific coast and one well known Caribbean resort where you can lodge safely and cheaply and learn to surf or improve your existing skills!

They are called ’surf camps’ and are available all over the world, but there are a lot of people asking me about surfing camps in Panama. So, what I’ve done is selected 3 of these well known surf camps in Panama that offer a good deal, and have detailed them below for you.

Bocas Surf School - Bocas del Toro - Caribbean Coast
Price: $89/£45 for 1 day up to $369/£185 for 5 days tuition.

This surf camp offers daytime lessons only for both new surfers and experienced and can either be for 1,3 or 5 days. It includes some equipment and several boat rides around the area. It doesn’t include accommodation or food, but the area is well developed with many local hotels to choose from (around $6/£3 to $60/£30 pppn) and nearly all residents speak English here, you’ll find them trying to sell you equipment from surf board racks and accessories as well.  You can even take your non-surfing friend along with you!

Panama Surf Camp - Morro Negrito - Pacific Coast
Price: $650/£325 per person per week inclusive.

This surf camp is based on 2 islands off the coast of the Chiquiri province.  It offers full week long surfing packages for all abilities, and includes pick up from the airport, all accommodation and 3 meals a day as part of the package. They also offer a whole host of other activities from horseback riding to spear fishing payable as extras. 

Punta Brava Lodge - Santa Catalina - Pacific Coast
Price: from $625/£312 based on 3 or more sharing to $1150/£575 for singles

This lodge offers excellent surfing tuition on one of Panama’s best beaches. The price includes airport transfers, 3 meals a day and accommodation for 7 nights, as well as offering fishing and diving around the area off of their boats.  Their website shows some great photos of the accommodation - it looks amazing!

I haven’t tried any of these myself, but if you do - or you have already - let me know about your favourite and let other readers know of any different surf camps in Panama, or elsewhere that you would recommend.

Finally, with the budget for staying in Panama is only around $20-$30/£10-£15 per day, so why not stay after surf camp and enjoy everything else Panama has to offer - you don’t need a visa if travelling from the US, Canada or the UK, you just need your passport and your sense of adventure…..

posted by Travel Cat on Feb 18

There are many vaccines available to the traveller from your doctors surgery and there are some additional ones you can pay for if your travel is beyond the normal ‘package deal’ vacations, where you never really leave the resort.

The standard vaccines recommended for travel are listed below, many of which are actually just boosters of childhood vaccines which you should continue to have as standard:

Polio - childhood with booster every 10 years

Tetanus - childhood with booster every 10 years (after 5 jabs - lifetime cover)

Diphtheria - childhood with booster every 10 years

Hepatitis A - childhood (U.S. only) with initial booster after 1 year, then every 10 years

Meningitis - some are childhood (usually only C) , with 3-5 year boosters

Tuberculosis - childhood (BCG in the UK only), lifetime cover.

You will find that most destinations will be covered by these few, including most of the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Europe, as well as just the resort areas of many other popular countries including Beijing, Kuala Lumpur and Rio de Janeiro, which may have prevalent diseases in other areas.

Additional vaccines which are available for those who travel for longer periods, travel to more remote areas or those working closely with local people and local wildlife include:

Typhoid Fever

A serious infection which can be caught from contaminated water or food, generally in areas of poor sanitation, so unless you intend to not eat outside of your hotel, it is wise to keep this up-to-date. Although not generally fatal, the symptoms of this infection can be very unpleasant as it is a type of salmonella, so extreme symptoms of sickness and diarrhea occur and of course the fever! Serious consequences can occur, including intestinal bleeding and (quite rarely thank goodness) coma.

Vaccine program: This is a requested vaccine that you would not have had in childhood, with an initial injection, with booster every 3 years.

Hepatitis B (In the U.S. this vaccine is given in childhood)

This disease is passed on through contamination with blood or other bodily fluids, so can be passed on through sexual intercourse. As a result it is highly recommended for avid travellers who stay longer, work in or travel to more remote areas.

Vaccine program: This has 3 initial injections, which vary in time, depending on the type of vaccine being used and a booster every 5 years after.

Rabies

This disease is potentially fatal to humans if treatment is not administered within a short space of time, therefore vaccination is highly recommended for travellers to remote areas where rabies is endemic. It is also an essential vaccine for people who will be coming into contact or working closely with local wildlife, including feral dogs and cats as it is passed on by scratches and bites, but even a lick onto broken or grazed skin could pass this virus on, so avoid contact with any animals if possible.

The UK is rabies free, as is Hawaii; but there is always the potential for a bat to arrive in either place carrying the virus (bats don’t show symptoms of being infected) so never touch a bat, always call a professional! The U.S itself has endemic rabies, with most recent human cases being contracted from bats.

Vaccine Program: This has 3 initial injections and then 2-5 yearly boosters depending on the likelihood of exposure.

Are travel vaccinations a legal requirement?

Not for the standard vaccines, no, they are just ‘highly recommended’ for your own safety and to reduce the chances of you bringing something home and infecting your local town!

There are a few like Yellow Fever that are 100% required if you are coming from certain countries where Yellow Fever is endemic into countries that are Yellow Fever ‘free’, mainly in Africa, but also around the Amazon basin in South America. These countries will not let you in if you can not show them a valid Yellow Fever Certificate approved by WHO. Due to this, the vaccine can only be given by an approved Yellow Fever Vaccination center.

Yellow Fever:

A mosquito spread disease which can be fatal. It’s early stages are similar to many conditions, but if you enter the second stage of infection, over half the cases are fatal. There is no treatment for this virus, only supportive care. Protecting yourself against insect bites and vaccination are the only ways to prevent this.

Vaccine Program: 1 initial injection by an approved center will last for 10 years. You will be issued with a yellow certificate following this vaccine which you must carry with you when travelling between countries that require this vaccination.

There are many disease out there that cannot yet be vaccinated for - including malaria - so make sure you always find out about the risks in the country you are going to visit and take all the recommended precautions possible.