Travel Dangers: Myth vs. Truth
If you have experienced travelling on holiday with your family or friends, you know that it’s always an enjoyable experience, filled with bonding moments and lifetime memories. As much as travelling is mainly a great event, there are certain travel dangers you may have heard of or have experienced firsthand.
One way of protecting yourself and your family while travelling is getting travel insurance. Comprehensive travel insurance will protect you and your family from unprecedented events that may occur while travelling.
There are still a lot of misconceptions about the dangers of travelling. How do you separate the truths from the myths? Here is a list of some of the most common travel myths and the truth behind them all:
Myth #1: Regular health insurance plan will cover you abroad
Regular insurance plans will only give coverage when you travel within your home country. However, when you are abroad, most countries will not honor your private health insurance. If you get sick abroad and you don’t have comprehensive travel insurance that covers medical needs, then you will be paying for medical bills out of your pocket.
Myth #2: Couchsurfing is not safe
Many people view the concept of “couchsurfing” as unsafe because you are virtually staying in a complete stranger’s home. However, people around the world who offer the use of their couches can be kind and helpful. In this case, you can rely on the kindness of strangers.
Myth #3: Avoid street food at all costs
Many travellers prefer to sit down inside a restaurant for a lovely meal rather than buy food on the street. This is because of the notion that food is healthier and safer if prepared in a “proper” kitchen. With street food, proper cooking techniques are important. They are safe if you can actually see the ingredients being prepared in front of you. Lastly, street food is usually stir-fried, barbecued, or deep-fried over high heat, ensuring that any dubious ingredient has been thoroughly seared.
Myth #4: Don’t travel to countries with travel advisories
When you look at the travel advisory map that the government provides for citizens who wish to travel abroad, they have marked over half of the globe with “exercise a degree of caution.” While it is very wise to heed your government’s advice, especially in war-torn countries or places where there is extreme civil unrest, there are several places on the map that you can go to and leave unscathed. The government just exercises a “better safe than sorry” approach. For instance, there are cautionary warnings against travelling to Brazil, Mexico, Thailand, and India. However, millions of tourists still visit these countries year in and year out.
These are just some of the travel myths that we debunked in this article. When travelling, it is always useful to remember to err on the side of caution. Getting comprehensive travel insurance ensures that you and your family will be covered in case of untoward incidents. As they say, it is always better to be safe than sorry.
