First holiday away with your mates this summer? Before you head off, here are our top tips to staying safe in the sun.
Stay with the Group
Rule number one when you’re on holiday with friends – don’t get lost! It’s bad enough losing your pals on a night out when you’re at home but when you’re abroad, it can quickly take a turn for the worst. Make sure you spend a day getting to know your surroundings so that in the case of losing your friends, you’ll have a better idea how to get to a designated taxi rank or how to get to your hotel. It’s also a good idea to avoid dodgy areas in general, especially at night time. Stick to well lit, tourist friendly areas you know to be safe.
First Aid Kit
You might not feel like the coolest person in Ibiza when you whip out your first aid kit during the unpacking process, but you’ll thank us later! A little pouch with some plasters, paracetamol, antiseptic wipes, some sun stroke tablets and sun cream will come in extremely handy when you’re partying it up in the sun.
Guard Your Drinks
Drinks can be easily spiked with unwanted substances, and it’s a common misconception that it’s only girls who have their drinks spiked – it can happen to guys too. The best way to avoid having your drink spiked is to guard your drinks at all time, and by that we mean don’t put them down, walk away from them and come back to them later. If someone offers to buy you a drink, it’s a good idea to go with them to the bar to ensure your drink is safe from the moment it’s poured to you drinking it. Also, although there will be many offers on cheap drinks, know your limits. None of us want to be the guy throwing up in the street!
Safe in the Sun
Sunstroke is sure to bring an end to any holiday fun, so to avoid it make sure you apply a high factor sun screen and make sure you drink plenty of fluids – preferably water when you can! You can use cooling sprays when the sun gets too hot for our peely wally Scots skin. If you come back to the hotel from a long day of chilling on the beach and are feeling a little pink and tender, slap on some after sun cream. After sun contains ingredients like Aloe Vera which help to reduce redness and stinging.
Cash and Paperwork
You won’t get very far without it so it’s important you keep your cash safe. Leave cash in the safe in your hotel room and only take with you what you need. Places like Ibiza and Zante have low crime rates but pickpockets still operate in tourist areas so keep as little on you as you can just to be on the safe side. In terms of your paperwork and passport, keep them in a safe place in the hotel where they aren’t going to get lost. They last thing you need is to lose your passport when you’re getting ready to head home.
Balcony Safety
We’ve all seen the horrible stories on the news of young people falling to their deaths whilst using the balconies in their hotels. Shockingly, three people die each year in Magaluf alone with many more injured from nasty falls. No matter how tipsy you are, avoid leaning over balconies, trying to jump from one balcony to the other or using the balcony as a platform from which to jump into the pool below. Use them instead to pose for pictures on with the Spanish sunset in the background; it’s far safer this way!
Extreme Sports
Banana boats, quad biking and wakeboarding – all amazing fun when you’re on holiday. Before you leave though, make sure your insurance covers any extreme or water sports you might want to do while you’re away. It’s also important to note that cheap doesn’t always mean best. Pay a little more to ensure you’re doing these activities under the supervision of a legitimate company. Also, it probably isn’t a good idea to drink alcohol before any of these activities!
Happy holidays!
