Land travel

Mind your diet

What you eat or drink after you arrive at your destination can make or break your vacation. Diarrhea, the most common illness among travelers, strikes from 30 to 70 percent of visitors to underdeveloped countries. In those areas, avoid unpasteurized dairy products, tap water, ice cubes made with tap water, and raw produce unless you peel it. Choose foods that are served steaming hot. If you're at a sunny destination, it's a good idea to avoid eating food that has been reheated or left standing without refrigeration.

Be safe in the sun

Avoid sitting out too long under the sun's potent rays. And when you're out there, shield your eyes with sunglasses, wear a wide-brimmed hat, and protect your skin by using a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. For the best coverage, apply sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before you go out in the sun and reapply it every 2 hours and after you've been swimming or sweating heavily. Getting burned can ruin your fun and also place you at increased risk for developing skin cancer. If you do get a sunburn, a topical pain reliever containing benzocaine, benzyl alcohol, dibucaine, or pramoxine (Caladryl Clear, Dermoplast, Lanacane, and generic versions) can help ease the pain. Applying aloe vera gel can also help relieve some of the discomfort of a sunburn.