First Aid Kit Must-haves for Your Travels

Photo source: DLG Images

Whenever you go traveling, you need to make sure that you're going to be safe. Even if you're going to a safe country, where you don't need to worry about disease or dangerous animals, you should still think about how to stay healthy. You might only be walking around a safe city, but you could still fall over or get sunburn. There are lots of useful things you could pack into a first aid kit, but you don't need to take too much with you. Even if you only want to take a small bag, you can fit a range of handy medications and supplies in it. You can start off by buying a ready-made first aid kit, but you might need to add some of the following things.

Supplies for Treating Injuries

There are lots of ways you can hurt yourself when you're traveling, from sunburn to cuts, bruises and even sprains. Having a few basic supplies makes it easy to take care of simple things without having to search for someone to help you. For example, antiseptic wipes and band-aids will help you clean out a cut and keep it clean. A couple of different types of bandages can help with bigger wounds or perhaps with strains to joints or muscles. Remember to also pack a pair of small scissors so that you can cut things to size.

Preventative Medications

There are some important medications you might need to take to stop yourself getting sick. In some places, you might need to get a prescription for Malarone malaria tablets so you can reduce the risk of getting malaria. Destinations where there might be a risk include a number of countries, including some in South America, Asia and Africa. Another preventative medication you could need in some places is altitude sickness tablets. If you're planning to climb any mountains, they can help to prevent the symptoms of altitude sickness by making it easier for your body to absorb oxygen. Don't forget to take any usual medications you take too, such as asthma inhalers. Also, remember that anything that protects you from the sun (or the cold) will help to prevent illness and injury too.

Photo source: ParentingPatch

Painkillers

A headache might not be the end of the world, but it can put a damper on your travels. If you want to treat aches and pains, it's always useful to have painkillers on you. While you can pick them up in a pharmacy when you get to your destination, it's easier to have them on you. Plus, you might be going somewhere more remote. Blister packs will keep each pill separate so that they're less affected by moisture. Be careful in some Arab countries, as any painkillers containing codeine could get you in trouble with the law.

Digestive Medications

All kinds of things can go wrong with your digestion, especially when you're traveling and eating unfamiliar foods. Whether you're feeling nervous or you've eaten something you shouldn't have, some handy medications to treat your tummy can help you feel better. Medicines for diarrhea and constipation are useful, as are medicines for heartburn and indigestion. It's also a good idea to have something to help replace electrolytes if you lose fluids through vomiting or diarrhea.

Practising Safe Personal Intimacy

Traveling can mean meeting new people or perhaps traveling with your partner. Even if you're not expecting to have intimacy with anyone on your travels, it pays to be cautious. You should take whatever precautions you do at home, from continuing the use of birth control medications to using condoms. It's often a good idea to buy condoms at home so that you know they're good quality. Condoms are the best way to prevent both pregnancy and STD, so make sure you pack some.

Photo source: ronymichaud

Water Purification Tablets

In many places around the world, the water in homes and other buildings is perfectly safe to drink. However, there are some places where you need to exercise more caution. You might decide to stick to drinking purchased bottled water. However, it's also useful to have a water purification system or tablets with you. These can also be used if you're camping or out in the wilderness and need to purify fresh water before drinking it. You can find them in pharmacies as well as outdoor stores. You can use iodine tablets, special filter devices, or chlorine tablets.

Taking your own first aid kit on your travels helps you to be more self-sufficient. You can take care of a range of problems on your own and help others too.

Getting Super Visa For Your Parents and Grandparents to Enter Canada

It is vacation time once again. Many of you may have planned to get your parents or grandparents to visit Canada for a spring or summer vacation or even a year-long stay to enjoy family time with you and your family.

Having your relatives around during vacation is a wonderful experience to be had as many families in Canada have relatives living abroad who cannot visit regularly due to many reasons such as visa requirements, and the cost of flying overseas.

Getting your family to come over will require thorough planning, budgeting,  and execution. You just do not let them apply for a visa, if they need it. They need to complete documentations as well to proceed with the visa application.  Aside from filling up forms, having photos taken, securing bank statements and other documents required in the visa application, a super visa insurance is also a necessity to ensure their safety, and coverage while staying with you in Canada.


What is a Super Visa?

Many wonder what a Super Visa is. To simply put it, a Super Visa is an option for parents and grandparents of permanent residents and Canadian citizens to visit their family in Canada and they are also eligible to say for 2 years without having to change their status of stay while in Canada.


What do you need to get a Super Visa?

Applicants must prepare proper documentations to apply for a Super Visa for their parents and grandparents.  Applicants who are parents or grandparents of a permanent resident or Canadian citizen must also meet several criteria to become eligible as applicants for the Super Visa category of entry to Canada.

Here are just some of the criteria you have to meet if you are considering to apply for a Super Visa:

• Be the parent or grandparent of a permanent resident or Canadian Citizen in Canada
• Be able to prove your ties to your home country
• Be able to prove your purpose of visit
• Your family member who is a permanent resident or Canadian citizen must meet the income threshold to be eligible to sponsor you to come to Canada
• You must have a super visa insurance coverage issued by a Canadian insurance company for at least a year and that coverage must include hospitalization, repatriation, and healthcare

To read more in-depth information on Super Visa requirements, you may also visit the Government of Canada Immigration and Citizenship page.

(Photo credit: Nathan Anderson/unsplash.com)

How to apply for this type of visa?

There are 2 ways to apply for this type of visa when entering Canada. You can either submit your application online or submit all your documents' hard copies to the Canadian Embassy of Consulate in your country.

The Government of Canada's official website will all have the specific details of both of these ways when applying for the Super Visa. I will highly recommend that you check all the information provided in their official site for other requirements which have to be fulfilled alongside the application of the super visa.


(Photo credit: Canada flag photo from Jonathan Denny/unsplash.com)

Your April Travel Guide Is Here!

Yes, we have entered spring and yes, the weather is still a bit crazy but that shouldn't dampen our mood for some great Spring Break plans!

I am happy to offer you the April Travel Guide filled with plenty of ideas for places to go to and tours to take with up to 25% off.

Save big time on your vacation and check out the Savings on Europe Tour Packages here in Tours4Fun. So, take advantage of the fabulous deals this April and enjoy your vacation!

 

Driving Safety Tips for Teen Drivers

Teen Drivers: One of the Most Dangerous Times of their Lives

One of the markers that confirm a teenager’s path to adulthood is almost complete is when they get their driver’s license and are able to head out onto the highway.

It is also a point in their life when they are most vulnerable and likely to be involved in an accident that is caused by lack of experience, irresponsible driving behavior, or both. Young drivers who are still inexperienced may be driving out of their adrenalin rush without being responsible and safe not only to themselves but to the other motorists and pedestrians.

This resource looks at the statistics relating to teen drivers and offers some useful insights and tips aimed at teens and their parents that could help them to stay safer behind the wheel. And here are some tips to help young teens who are just starting to get behind the wheel and still building up their confidence in driving.

Drive with an adult supervision

For the young teen driver, this may defeat the purpose of having a driver's license when you cannot drive on your own yet. The adult supervision is only temporary until such time that the young teen is ready to drive more responsibly and maturely on his own.

Avoid distractions

Having a license is not a go-signal for the young driver to be multi-tasking and getting distracted on the road while driving. Avoid checking the mobile phone, talking or texting, or even chatting with your passengers. The primary responsibility of the teen driver is to be safe to himself and to other motorists and pedestrians. There is no room for getting distracted with trivial things. It pays to be alert at all times. 

Buckle up

This is the universal rule for drivers and driving in general. Whether you are already an experience young driver or just starting out, no one is exempted to this rule. Everyone needs to wear their seat belts while inside the vehicle and under no circumstance that this should be disregarded for everyone's safety.

Do not speed up

Follow the speed rules on the road. The license is not to be used to drive a fast car much as a teen's adrenalin calls for it.  It is advisable for the adults to set example so that the young driver will pick it up and practice himself.

Kolbice - Affordable Tasty Sausages in Budapest

When my colleague and I traveled to Budapest last September, we didn't know what their staple was except for their love for paprika. I did some digging and found out that there are many food to taste in Budapest. And one of them are the tasty sausages in a cone they call Kolbice.

Our hotel is just a stone's throw away from this small food outlet that sells tasty sausages. The sausages are small like a cocktail sausage served in a cone bread with sesame seed and some seasoning of your choice like . The food kiosk is called Kolbice. They serve nice Hungarian street food and the sausages are really nice!

I ordered a Classic as I am not sure about having spicy sauce to go with it so I just asked for a mayonnaise. My colleague and I loved the cone bread with sausages. The sausages aren't so salty. The mayonnaise added a nice flavour to the whole meal. I wish I ordered more! The price is also very affordable considering it is filling. I paid 990 HUF which is around US$3.30. Not bad if you're eating several sausages served in a cone.

So, if you're visiting Budapest for the first time, check out the Kolbice and order the nice cone bread with sausages.

This is the shop just near the entrance of the Arany Janos Metro Station in Budapest.