*This is a guest post*

Family holidays are a time for bonding, spending time with your loved ones and a general time to relax and unwind from your full time commitments. Many families travel overseas for a holiday. This is generally a great idea as it educates your family on new cultures and allows you to explore the diversity of a different country. Especially for the kids, this is a great learning curve as they get to experience another country’s way of living. In many instances, when travelling to less fortunate countries, this would be beneficial as it allows them to be grateful for what they have and it really opens their eyes to see the poverty and struggle some nations encounter. If you are considering a family trip to India, a third-world country, there are a few things to consider prior. Take note of these 5 survival tips for your Indian travels:

Take out Travel Insurance

If travelling to a third-world country, such as India, travel insurance is a MUST. To ensure the safety and security of your family, taking out insurance will ensure any unexpected injuries or illnesses will be financed through your provider. Travel insurance also protects your personal belongings. In a less fortunate country, there are many ‘pick pockets’ that may steal your wallet or other personal possessions. Acquiring insurance prior to your travels is a necessity and will protect you from unexpected, costly problems.

Speak to Your Doctor

It is highly beneficial to visit your doctor prior to departing your home country. Especially when travelling to Asian countries, you may require injections to become immune from infectious diseases . India is prone to diseases such a polio, typhoid, hepatitis and meningitis. Therefore there may be a few immunizations required to protect you and your family from these harmful diseases. Be sure to check these prior.

Check Government Websites for Latest Information

There are some government websites that supply insightful information for people considering travelling to any country. The Smart Traveler website provides advice on local travel laws, health, security and entry and exit information. This will give you quality understanding of what to expect and prepare for prior to even confirming your initial travel plans. The site also provides handy information on locations and overall summaries of countries, such as India.

Pic Up a Multi-Currency Card

There are providers that supply handy and safe currency cards, such as a ‘Cash Passport’ card. This is very convenient and ensures the security of your personal cash. You can simply upload cash to the card online, prior to your travels, and avoid carrying your credit cards. The convenience of your Cash Passport card allows you to withdrawal money from most ATM’s and it converts the currency exchange automatically. It is also pin-protected for added security. It is essentially a debit card that is not linked to your personal bank account.

Extra Research – Travel Tips & Hints

In conjunction to sourcing information from government sites, do some extra research through blog posts and traveler reviews to try and pick up some handy hints and tips on India. People that have been there have obviously experienced the country first hand, therefore will provide you with some quality insight. It will be beneficial to gain some of this valuable information from experienced travelers.

Some of these tips are a necessity prior to travelling to India, some are a mere suggestion. Nonetheless, be sure to prepare your family before departure to ensure your holiday is as safe and memorable as possible.

Written by Marni Atkins
Marni has been travelling around India for 12 months with her 2 year old boy. Their next destination is Cambodia and Laos.

*This is a guest post*

On April 22, 2013, there will be 474 cities though out the world holding official Earth Day celebrations. In addition, most public schools and many organizations will strive to raise awareness on the problems facing our planet. Even as we celebrate our affection for our life sustaining world, one of only a few in the known universe even remotely capable of such a feat, we have to acknowledge how fragile her balance might be.

Mother Earth has already endured quite a lot from her human passengers. Her water supply is threatened by pharmaceuticals, fracking, and even nuclear waste. Her atmosphere is becoming clouded by factory waste and auto emissions. Even her body has been littered with hundreds of tons of plastic bottles, aluminum cans and sandwich wrappers. Her natural oils are being drained to fuel even more of this pollution. Her minerals are being ripped from her mountainous breasts with strip mining.

Huge and uncaring corporations are ravaging, even raping our earth, and profiteering shamelessly from her bounty. They penetrate her surface and steal her riches. They are mining resources that are finite with reckless abandon, and we are consuming it, not just for necessity, but also for selfish whims of fancy. 

Isn’t it time to consider her beloved face, on which we must live, breathe, eat, drink and rely on? Is it really smart to just keep taking and taking and never give? We as children of the earth should appreciate our mother, the source of our life. Without her we are nothing, so it only makes sense to protect her in every way possible.

Earth Day celebrations should be respectful. This is no occasion for scattering plastic cups, discarded shopping bags and waste paper. It’s also no occasion to celebrate for only one day and then walk away and forget it all. We must learn to use those reusable and custom recycled bags from www.CustomEarthPromos.com every day, not just on Earth Day.

We need to take our message of defending and protecting our Earth to the streets. Each day we should be thankful for her continued survival in the face of an all out attack. It is time to show our support for her cause. We should wear our all renewable materials custom made lanyards, commemorating Earth Day, every day. See more on them here. We should remind others of the importance of the Earth. We must support our planet each and every day.