Staying Safe on Your Adventure: A Personal Travel Safety Guide

Before you go

🌍 Make sure the trip is right for you

Read the trip page carefully before booking - especially the trip level and any dietary information. Every Much Better Adventure has a difficulty rating, and being honest with yourself about whether it matches your current fitness and experience will make the trip far more enjoyable. If you’re unsure, just ask us. We'd always rather help you find the right trip than have you second-guessing.

If you have a medical condition that could be affected by the activity, altitude, climate, remoteness or pace of the trip, speak to your doctor before booking. If you have allergies or specific dietary requirements, check the trip details and contact us before booking if anything is unclear.

Follow our Community Values to make sure you and the adventure are a good match.

📚 Research your destination

Before you travel, take some time to understand where you’re going. This is the most useful prep you can do. Your government’s official travel advice is also a good source for entry requirements and current advisories.

• UK: gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
• US: travel.state.gov
• Australia: smartraveller.gov.au
• Canada: travel.gc.ca

For health advice, TravelHealthPro and CDC’s Traveler’s Health are useful worldwide resources and the Safer Tourism Foundation is a useful independent resource for broader travel safety tips.

🛟 Get the right insurance

Travel insurance is essential and is one of the most important things to sort before you travel. Your insurance must cover overseas medical treatment, evacuation or repatriation, your baggage and equipment, and all the specific activities on your adventure. Standard policies often exclude adventure activities unless declared in advance, so check carefully before you buy. See our travel insurance guidance for exactly what to look for.

💡  What good coverage looks like: Check that your policy explicitly lists the activities on your trip itinerary, covers medical evacuation from remote areas, and includes any pre-existing conditions you’ve declared. When in doubt, call your insurer before you buy, not after.The Safer Tourism Foundation’s insurance essentials guide is also a useful independent reference.

If you have any pre-existing medical conditions, make sure these are declared to your insurer before you travel.

📃 Keep copies of important documents

Photograph or scan your passport, insurance documents and emergency contact details. Store copies separately from the originals and keep a secure copy online. If you’re travelling independently before or after the trip, share your rough plans with someone at home and make sure they have Much Better Adventures’ contact details.

🏥 Check your health

Make sure any pre-existing medical conditions are stable and well managed before you travel. Carry enough regular medication in your hand luggage as you may not be able to replace it easily abroad. If anything on the itinerary concerns you health-wise, contact your local host in advance.

During your trip

💬 You’ve got a great guide — use them

Your guide is one of the best resources you have throughout the trip. They’re a local expert who manages your transport, briefs you before activities, and will flag anything worth being aware of along the way. They’re also there to help if something goes wrong. You won’t be figuring things out alone. Ask them anything.

How we choose our guides: Every Much Better Adventures guide is carefully vetted by our local hosts, who have deep knowledge of their region. They’re not just safety-aware, they’re people who share our values around responsible, community-minded travel. Many of them have lifelong roots in the places you’ll visit, and choosing MBA means your trip directly supports local livelihoods and the communities that make these destinations worth travelling to. Their local knowledge is your biggest asset on the trip.

⏰ Free time and independent travel

Free time can be one of the best parts of the trip. Your guide can recommend the best areas to explore, trusted transport options and any spots that are better avoided, so you can make the most of it confidently. Most travellers head out in small groups in the evenings, which is half the fun.

A few practical tips:

• Use licensed taxis or ride-share apps - your guide will point you to the right ones
• We recommend avoiding mopeds, scooters and motorbike taxis, which are a leading cause of traveller injuries in many destinations
• If you’re driving, always wear a seatbelt and avoid travelling with anyone who’s been drinking
• If you’re swimming independently, check locally for safe spots and never swim alone

🚣 Optional activities: going further safely

Some of the best experiences on a trip come from things you discover along the way. If an activity isn’t part of the original itinerary, you’ll be booking it directly with the provider. Your guide & local host are the best people to ask. They know which local operators are genuinely good, and they’ll steer you towards the experiences worth having and away from the ones that aren’t.

MBA’s approach to optional activities reflects our broader values around responsible travel. We encourage you to think about not just safety, but the environmental and ethical standards of any activity you book independently.

A few categories where it’s worth pausing and checking before you book:

• Unethical wildlife encounters: look for operators aligned with wildlife conservation, not exploitation
• Environmentally irresponsible activities: ask your guide/host if you’re unsure
• Higher-risk activities (rock climbing, via ferrata, whitewater watersports): make sure you’re going with a qualified guide or instructor; your host can recommend the right operators
• Adrenaline activities (like ballooning, bungee jumping, zip-lining or paragliding): if you want to book these independently, ask your guide which operators meet proper safety standards; quality can vary significantly between providers in different destinations
• Motorised watersports (jet skis, speedboats): regulation can be poor in many destinations and injury rates are high; again, ask your host for guidance
• Motorbiking or quad biking: consistently one of the leading causes of serious injuries among travellers globally (Safer Tourism Foundation guidance)

Keeping yourself and your belongings safe

🚨 Petty crime and theft

Petty theft is one of the most common issues travellers encounter, and it’s easily managed with a bit of common sense. Your guide will flag anything specific to watch out for at your destination.

• Avoid displaying valuables and keep bags close in crowded places
• Use your accommodation safe for passports and spare cash
• Carry only what you need for the day
• Stay alert in busy tourist areas, on public transport and at airports
• Be mindful using your phone while walking

If someone tries to rob you, the safest response is to hand over your valuables rather than resist. For more on keeping money, cards and passports secure while travelling, see the Safer Tourism Foundation’s guidance on keeping valuables safe.

🛎️ Independent accommodation

If you’re staying in your own accommodation before or after the trip, do a quick check when you arrive: make sure doors and windows lock, locate the emergency exits and note the quickest route out. In properties using gas, oil, coal or wood for heating, be aware of carbon monoxide risk. A portable CO detector is a small thing to pack and worth having.

On MBA trips, your local host ensures accommodation meets appropriate safety standards. If anything concerns you, tell your guide straight away.

🐒 Wildlife and animal safety

Wildlife encounters are often a highlight of the trip. Just keep a respectful distance, don’t feed wild animals and follow your guide’s lead. In areas where snakes or scorpions are present, shake out shoes, clothing and sleeping bags before use. If you’re swimming or wading in natural water, ask locally about hazards first.

Some trips include working animals such as dogs, horses, mules or camels. Our animal welfare policy sets out the standards we expect from our local hosts and from travellers. It’s something we take seriously.

Avoid approaching stray dogs or cats, however friendly they seem. Rabies is present in parts of Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe and can be spread through bites or scratches. If you’re bitten or scratched, tell your guide immediately and get medical attention promptly. Speak to a health professional about pre-exposure vaccination before you travel if visiting remote areas.

For broader guidance on wildlife encounters, see the Safer Tourism Foundation’s wildlife safety tips.

Personal safety in social situations

🥂 Alcohol and substances

If you’re drinking, keep an eye on your drink and never leave it unattended. Drink spiking is an issue in some destinations. If you think your drink has been tampered with, tell your guide immediately and seek medical attention. Your guide will brief you on local laws around alcohol, which vary by destination.

Never use illegal drugs or carry them for anyone else. Penalties can be severe, even for substances that may be legal at home.

🍻 Evenings and free time

Your guide will let you know which areas are great to explore and which are better avoided after dark. Most people head out together in the evenings - it’s part of what makes group travel enjoyable. If you’re heading out independently, let someone in your group know your plans and use transport options recommended by your guide.

✋ Personal safety

Your guide is your first point of contact if you feel uncomfortable or unsafe at any point, whether that’s unwanted attention from anyone in the group, a staff member or a member of the public. Trust your instincts, and don’t hesitate to ask for help. You won’t be dealing with anything alone.

For further general personal safety advice, see the Safer Tourism Foundation's guidance.

🌈 Travelling as an LGBTQIA+ person

Attitudes towards LGBTQIA+ travellers vary widely across destinations. Before you travel, check your government’s official travel advice for local laws and cultural context. Your local host will share any relevant destination-specific guidance too. See our advice for LGBTQIA+ travellers.

If you experience discrimination, harassment or feel unsafe at any point, speak to your guide or contact your local host directly. You should not have to deal with that alone, and we take these things seriously.

💚 Travelling with additional needs

Everyone arrives on a trip with different needs, experiences and comfort levels. If you have a disability, medical condition, neurodivergence, mental health consideration or language barrier that could affect your experience, we encourage you to share this with your local host before the trip so they can support you properly. Anything you share will be treated with confidence and only passed on to those who need to know.

If you’re struggling at any point during the trip, tell your guide. That’s what they’re there for.

🆘 How to raise a concern

On a Much Better Adventures trip, your guide is your first point of contact for any safety or wellbeing concern. They’re experienced, approachable and there to help. Don’t hesitate to raise anything with them.

If you don’t feel comfortable going to your guide, contact your local host using the emergency number provided. If you’re still not satisfied, you can contact Much Better Adventures directly. If something doesn’t feel right, tell us - we’d always rather know.