Traveling around the world has always seemed a great idea, right? Still, people often seem to forget about their health when they pick up a destination and that's why you should read further and be increasingly aware of the effects of your decisions:
It seemed like a good idea at the time. After an inspiring day at Angkor Wat in Cambodia, I returned to my guesthouse to find locals sharing stories — and homemade rice wine. My instinct told me to stick with bottled beer, but their insistence wore me down. The wine tasted good and complemented their tales of Siem Reap. Feeling in tune with local life, I went to bed happy.
Later in my trip, however, happiness turned to violent illness (I’ll spare you the details). I had contracted giardia, an intestinal parasite — probably from the wine. It took three rounds of antibiotics to get rid of it.
My situation was hardly unique. “In our efforts to have fun while traveling, we often leave our common sense at home,” says Shelly Diaz, traveler’s health spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control. But finding that balance between experience and safety isn’t always easy. Wrap yourself in a bubble and you can miss out on unforgettable events. Take risks and you can end up with unwelcome surprises like giardia — or worse.
