It recently dawned on me that every trip I have taken these past few years has required me to manage some or other crises. 

I have had to deal with a small-scale crisis like forgetting my facewash/facecloth or lotion at home; middle-scale and fairly manageable like flight delays or tyre punctures amidst a desert, and the frightening situations where I find myself without a passport in a foreign country or perhaps having contracted Covid-19, making it difficult, lengthier and more expensive to get back home. 

Can you imagine the trauma? The unplanned added expenses? The pure fear?

This is an area I have perhaps neglected to shed light on in the past, but that changes today.

Travel, more so international travel, can be a very frightening and intimidating experience. 

Namibia, beautiful and majestic as she is, has also done a decent enough job of shielding me from just how big and wide the world is. 

There are so many people who exist out there.

 The airports in some countries feel bigger than the entire Windhoek, the language barriers can make communication tricky, and cultural differences and so many processes and procedures to follow – many of which can and sometimes go wrong.  

Here is an example.

As a way to save some pocket change, a cultural thing we have adopted to our travels is to always use a car rental instead of e-taxis when we visit Cape Town. 

We not only find that experience more economical, but the flexibility it allows us also significantly enhances our travel experience. 

We can take long-distance drives without breaking the bank, and an unplanned turn-off does not inconvenience us or anyone else, as it would in public transportation. 

Not to mention safety issues. You can never be too safe in a foreign country.

During one such travel, we found ourselves with a punctured tyre on a car that did not belong to us. 

At face value, this probably seems like a fairly manageable situation. 

It is just a tyre, right? But it is truly not. It is a number of heightened emotions all happening at once. 

Panic, fear, helplessness, disappointment, anger and even some sympathy for yourself – and you have to fight through all of that to not only remain calm, but also level-headed enough to figure out a solution in this place where everyone and everything is unknown to you.

We eventually managed to sort out the situation. Of course, having had to spend unplanned funds and the ordeal did taint our experience a little bit, but a win is a win – as the young kids say.

So, what are some ways to prepare for such and more incidents during one’s travels?

Always have funding provisions for travel emergencies

This does not have to be large amounts of money. It will likely also differ according to your destination, but a fund just in case will definitely help cushion the blow should something come up.

Research and note down key emergency numbers 

We often forget the unthinkable can happen because of how excited we get to travel, but it does not hurt to look up the police line or medical emergency toll-free number for whatever destination you will be travelling to. A simple case of food poisoning could require emergency medical attention.

Have extra, certified and updated copies of your identification, travel and health documents 

With technology, we do not even need to carry hard copies. It could however come in handy to always have these copies on your email. One just never knows.

Have an emergency contact

Make sure at least two people know where you are going, how long you will be gone, where you will be staying, and who you will be going with. It is a very key safety measure.

Research your destination

 Start by researching the most likely issues associated with your travel destination. Consider common emergencies, dangers, etc. 

Travel is beautiful, and while I definitely encourage us all to do it, safety will always come first.

Should you need any travel advice, consultation or planning, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I also curate travel and lifestyle content for Namibian brands. 

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