There’s nothing worse than getting sick on vacation. Last year, I got food poisoning on the third day of an eight-day trip. And it wasn’t just mild food poisoning. I broke out into a cold sweat and had to run to the bathroom twice an hour. And it was so disheartening because there was nothing to do but find some electrolytes and burrow into the plush hotel bedding. It’s impossible to completely protect yourself from illness, but you can arm yourself with information.
A recent study by Forbes Advisor combined 2.4 million posts from TripAdvisor forums with official travel advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Health Service to identify the top 25 travel hotspots around the world. You can use this data to plan your pre-trip preparations.
1. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
2. Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt
3. Sal, Cape Verde
4. Playa del Carmen, Mexico
5. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
6. Bali, Indonesia
7. Hurghada, Egypt
8. Tulum, Mexico
9. Boa Vista, Cape Verde
10. Cancun, Mexico
11. Cairo, Egypt
12. Marrakech, Morocco
13. Hanoi, Vietnam
14. Orlando, USA
15. Havana, Cuba
16. Bangkok, Thailand
17. Benidorm, Spain
18. Buenos Aires, Argentina
19. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
20. Marmaris, Turkey
21. London, UK
22. Sunny Beach, Bulgaria
23. Dubai, United Arab Emirates
24. Paris, France
25. Tenerife, Spain
“A stomach ailment may not seem like a big deal, but if you’ve waited a year to go on vacation and then end up spending the whole time alone in a hotel room feeling awful, it could actually be devastating,” says Forbes Advisor travel expert Kevin Pratt. “Prevention is better than cure, so take every possible step to avoid getting sick while traveling in the first place. But if you do get sick and have to give up some or all of your vacation, having a good travel insurance policy can at least soften the blow.”
If you do get sick, make sure you keep all supporting documentation so you can provide it as evidence when you submit a claim.
How to avoid getting sick on vacation
The first and most widely recommended advice from medical experts is to make sure that, no matter what kind of travel you’re taking, you keep all recommended and required vaccinations up to date and take any medications prescribed for travel. Next, assess your own health to determine the level of precautions you should take.
“First and foremost, it’s a personal risk assessment,” Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, founding director of the Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases at Boston University, explained to Thrillist. Though she told Thrillist about how to avoid getting sick on a cruise, her advice is pretty much universal for any kind of travel.
“I think people who have weakened immune systems, people who are at risk of becoming seriously ill, or people who have infectious diseases should consult with their doctor before traveling.”
Another important factor is to check your tap water. The CDC recommends not drinking the tap water in all 25 locations listed above. Instead, buy bottled water to stay hydrated. Forbes Advisor recommends avoiding high-risk foods, drinking bottled water, avoiding foods that have been left out hot for long periods of time, washing your hands, and checking restaurant reviews beforehand.
If you’re traveling to a location with a documented outbreak of a particular disease, you should ensure that you take all recommended precautions before setting foot in that location. For example, the measles outbreak in Florida poses a significant risk to young children and those with compromised immune systems.
You can also review all of the CDC’s most recent travel health notices and get location-specific health guidance for areas the agency has notified.
