HOLIDAY ADVICE ON TRAVELLING ABROAD

Many foreign countries have completely different laws, regulations and customs from ours. Since we can only count on ourselves, on our knowledge about the country of our holiday and on what we have in our wallet and suitcase, we should be well-prepared before setting off on a journey abroad.

To start with, we must be aware of the differences in the customs procedures which are often bothersome, irritating, surprising or absurd. Even if we have a valid passport and visa, we may not cross the border. When we go to Libya or Sudan, for example, we are not allowed to import any alcohol, even a can of beer. We must also declare all our money, or otherwise it may be confiscated. We mustn't bring in any pornographic materials to Indonesia and Pakistan, video cameras to Ethiopia, chewing gum to Singapore, razor blades to Guyana, or pork to Kuwait.

We can expect some equally strange formalities when leaving. In Vietnam, for instance, the customs officer may question the photos we’ve made. In India and Tanzania there is export ban on all goods made of ivory and leather. We cannot export any wooden products from Angola, and even ordinary sea shells from Kenya.

Even if we are not exporting or importing anything, we may still face some problems if we do not have a vaccination certificate. Most African countries require an inoculation against yellow fever. In Iraq tourists must have a special doctor's certificate confirming that they are not HIV carriers. Although in some exotic countries showing a vaccination certificate is not obligatory, we should anyway be inoculated against diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis and polio. If we are going to visit any country in Africa, Asia and Latin America, we should also provide ourselves with some medicines, bandages, disposable syringes, anti-mosquito medications and sun-block. Above all, we must remember never to drink tap water in tropical countries otherwise we may fall ill with amoeba.

Most of us will probably agree that an understanding of cultural differences is essential when going abroad. Since the differences in views, religious beliefs, behaviour patterns, body language and dress codes can vary enormously from country to country, we should take them into account if we want to avoid serious problems. In most Arab countries, for example, women mustn't wear sleeveless mini dresses or open-toed shoes. In Iran both young girls and women must put on scarves to cover their hair, and long coats to cover their legs. A bareheaded tourist can even end up in prison. If we visit any Islamic country during Ramadan, for instance, we mustn't drink, eat or smoke in public places. In Sudan we mustn't take any pictures, and if we try to import any drugs, we can be sentenced to death. The above examples show what may happen if we fail to do our homework before setting off on a journey abroad.

To sum up, our dream holidays may become a nightmare if we do not prepare ourselves well. Therefore, we should not only take some safety precautions but also learn as much as possible about the country we are going to spend our holiday in. If we fail to do so, we may have a bad time instead of the time of our life.

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