Tips to prevent motion sickness

Travel shold be a happy and unforgettable experience. When travelling, it is unavoidable for us to taking car, air plane or ferry in order to reach our destination. Here is the problem, some of travellers may encounter motion sickness which will spoil their good moods for travel. Let's understand what is motion sickness and get rid of it.

Motion sickness , sometimes referred to as sea sickness or car sickness, is a very common disturbance of the inner ear that is caused by repeated motion. In addition to sea travel, motion sickness can develop from the movement of a car or from turbulence in an airplane. The symptoms of motion sickness are nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sweating, and a sense of feeling unwell. These symptoms arise from the inner ear (labyrinth) due to changes in one's sense of balance and equilibrium.
While it may be impossible to prevent all cases of motion sickness, here is the tips that can help you prevent or lessen the severity of motion sickness:

1. Watch your consumption of foods, drinks, and alcohol before and during travel. Avoid excessive alcohol and foods or liquids that "do not agree with you" or make you feel unusually full. Heavy, spicy, or fat-rich foods may worsen motion sickness in some people.

2. Avoiding strong food odors may also help prevent nausea.

3. Try to choose a seat where you will experience the least motion. The middle of an airplane over the wing is the calmest area of an airplane. On a ship, those in lower level cabins near the center of a ship generally experience less motion than passengers in higher or outer cabins.

4. Do not sit facing backwards from your direction of travel.

5. Sit in the front seat of a car.

6. Do not read while traveling if you are prone to motion sickness.

7. When traveling by car or boat, it can sometimes help to keep your gaze fixed on the horizon or on a fixed point.

8. Open a vent or source of fresh air if possible.

9. Isolate yourself from others who may be suffering from motion sickness. Hearing others talk about motion sickness or seeing others becoming ill can sometimes make you feel ill yourself.

10. The over-the-counter medication meclizine (Bonine, Antivert, Dramamine) can be a very effective preventive measure for short trips or for mild cases of motion sickness. Your doctor also may choose to prescribe medications for longer trips or if you repeatedly develop severe motion sickness. One example of a prescription medication is a patch containing scopolamine (Transderm-Scop) that often is effective in preventing motion sickness. Remember that scopolamine can cause drowsiness and has other side effects, and its use should be discussed with your physician prior to your trip

Source: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=59876

How to organise your back pack

By Chai Chew Yeh
Photo by Chai Chew Yeh

Backpack is the the must things and accomapany travellers on their journey. It migh be hard for a petite girl to carry the heavy backpack and the same things happen to a man. However, here is tips you should learned how to organised you backpack so that you got easily carry it.

Firstly, Pack larger, heavier, an unused objects first. Pack your clothes and things you do not use until you stop during the journey in the bottom. The heavy things such as the shoes and sleeping bag should be put in the bottom of the bag. you should make sure that the weight of your bag are balance from left and right. 

In short, your bag should be diveded into 3 parts which are top, middle and bottom part. In the middle part you can put some can food, and certain traveling tools. Some important things such as compass, map, emergency box should put at the top or places that you could easily find them.

The climbing stick should put outside your bag (some of the bag had a design place for it). Your water bottle should hang at somewhere you can take it easily.
The things that you often use such as umbrealla, tent and electronic torch should put at the top.  It is easy for you to take it when you need it anywhere.

Besides, choosing a back which is comfortable and suitable for you is important. You should be able to wear your pack and walk around for at least 2 hours without getting mad. While travelling, you can save money if you willing to walk from bus and train stations that is usually located not far from town area.  You need to carry your back wear while working for a long distance or stading at a place for long time whether it is under hot sun or rain. A good and perfect packing will make you feel secure, and weight balance, so that you can move like a normal. 

Do not choose a backpack that taller than you. While organising your things nicely, you should also choose and brings the things that you really need. Don't brings everything likes you are moving to a new house. 

Keeping your backpack's weight and practicing correct packing habits is inportant for travellers. An heavy back will burden your journey and decrease your eager to travel. Contradict, if you pack your bag in a correct way, it will help you to improve your journey.

Travel Tips to Malaysia

Once you have overcome your jet-lag fatigue, step into the real heart of Malaysia--the citizens of the country. You would be pleasantly surprised at the warmth of Malaysians. For deeply entrenched within each of the different races is the engaging charm and traditional hospitality for which Malaysia is renowned.

Malaysians enjoy meeting people from other lands. So, do go right ahead and strike up a conversation. After all, the whole point of travelling is to know other cultures.

When greeting a Muslim, offer your right hand then bring it towards you, fingertips lightly touching your heart. This is the traditional Salam or 'greeting of acceptance'. Hindus greet with a Namaste (in Hindi) or Vanakam (Tamil). Both palms are brought together as in prayer at mid-chest level. With a Chinese, you may shake hands. If you are really unsure about all the different forms of greetings, just smile and nod your head slightly when introduced.

Article Retrieved from: www.geographia.com/malaysia/traveltips.htm

Entry Formalities

Passport/Travel Documents

Visitors to Malaysia must be in possession of valid passport/travel documents with a minimum validity of six months beyond the period of intended stay. In the case of a national passport not recognised by the Malaysian Government, the holder must be in possession of a document in lieu of passport obtainable at the nearest Malaysian Mission abroad. The national passport must also ensure his re-entry into the country of his citizenship.

Every visitor to Malaysia has to fill in a Disembarkation Card (IMM. 26). The card has to be handed over to the Immigration Officer on arrival together with the national passport or other internationally recognized travel document endorsed for travel into Malaysia. A passport/travel document is also necessary for travel between Sabah and Sarawak.

·  Visitor passes issued for entry into Peninsular Malaysia are not valid for entry into Sarawak. Fresh visit passes must be obtained on arrival at the point of entry in Sarawak. However, subject to conditions stipulated, visit passes issued by the Immigration Authorities in Sabah and Sarawak are valid for any part of Malaysia

 

Visa Requirements:

• Commonwealth Citizens (except Bangladesh/India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka), British Protected Persons or Citizens of the Republic of Ireland and Citizens of Switzerland, Netherlands, San Marino and Liechtenstein do not need a visa to enter Malaysia.
• Citizens of Albania, Austria, Algeria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Republic of Slovakia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Italy, United States of America, Bahrin, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, North Yemen, Oman, Saudi Arabia,Qatar United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Tunisia do not require a visa for a Social and Business visit not exceeding three months.
• Nationals of ASEAN Countries do not require a visa for a Social and Business visit not exceeding one month.
• Citizens of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, South Yemen do not require visa for a Social and Business visit not exceeding 14 days.
• Citizens of Bulgaria, Romania and Russia do not require a visa for a Social and Business visit not exceeding one week.
• Nationals of the Republic of China, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cuba, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, North Korea, Nepal, Myanmar, Taiwan, Vietnam and all Certificate of Identity (CI) holders must obtain a visa before entering Malaysia.
• Citizens of nations other than those stated above (except Serbia Montenegro and Israel) are allowed to enter Malaysia for a Social and Business visit not exceeding one month without having a Visa.
• A visitor intending to visit any part of Malaysia is required to be in possession of only one visa to travel direct from one part of the nation to another.

Visas are issued by Malaysian Diplomatic Missions abroad or British Consulates which act for Malaysia in countries where no diplomatic representation of Malaysia is established. All visitors to Malaysia should inquire at the nearest Malaysian Diplomatic
Mission for the latest entry procedures and requirements.

---

Tourist Police
Lost your way? Need help? Look for a tourist police officer. Tourist police officers are recognized by their checkered hat bands, dark blue shirts and trousers, and the letter "I" (for information) on a red and blue badge on their breast pocket.

Public Holidays
With its multi-ethnic population, it is not surprising that almost every month sees a different festival. Some of these are declared as Public Holidays. As festivals vary from year to year, it is best to check the dates with the nearest Tourism Malaysia Office before you plan your trip.

School Holidays
There are five term breaks in the year for schools throughout Malaysia. The term breaks vary slightly from state to state. However, they fall roughly during the later part of the months of January (1 week), March (2 week), May (3 weeks), August (1 week), October (4 weeks).

Water
It is generally safe to drink water straight from the tap. Bottled mineral water, however, is easily available in shops and supermarkets.

Electrical Supply
Electric supply is on a 240-volt 50-cycle system.

Newspapers
English Language newspapers are available i.e. The New Straits Times, The Star, Business Times, Malay Mail, Daily Express, Sabah Daily News and Sarawak Tribune. International newspapers can be obtained at most bookshops and newsstands. Several dailies in other languages include Utusan Melayu, Berita Harian, Nanyang Siang Pan, Sin Chew Wit Poh and Tamil Nesan. There are also weeklies, such as the Leader and Straits Shipper.

Radio
Radio services are in Bahasa Melayu, English, Chinese, and Tamil.

Television
There are 4 television stations with TV 1 and TV 2 being government networks while the other two are privately run.

Health Services
In the event you need medical care, there are private clinics in most towns. It is a good idea to take out a medical insurance before you travel as Malaysia does not have reciprocal health service agreements with other nations. For over-the-counter prescriptions, there are pharmacies and 'Chinese medical halls'.

Health Regulations
No vaccination is required for cholera and smallpox.

Climate
With a temperature that fluctuates little throughout the year, travel in Malaysia is a pleasure. Average temperature is between 21 C and 32 C. Humidity is high. Rain tends to occur between November to February on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, on western Sarawak, and north-eastern Sabah. On the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia the rainy season is April to May and October to November. Click here for the current four-day weather forecast in Kuala Lumpur.

Clothing
As Malaysia's climate is sunny almost year round, light clothing is ideal. It is advisable for ladies, when entering mosques and temples, to wear long sleeves and loose pants or long skirts.

Time
Malaysia is 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and 16 hours ahead of United States Pacific Standard Time.

Etiquette
To avoid "cultural offenses," here are some tips:

• Remove shoes when entering homes and places of worship.
• Dress neatly in a suitable attire which covers arms and legs when visiting places of worship.
• Handle food with your right hand.
• Do not point your foot at someone.
• When giving or receiving money gifts to/from a Malaysian, do so with your right hand

Tips when you bring your pets to travel

As everyone get ready to travel on holiday and gathering with familiy, those who will bring pets are , it is important for you to reminded to protect your own health and safety.

Don't forget to pack a copy of all vaccination records so that you can quickly access information in case of emergency. You'll also need those records if you board your pet while going on an excursion where animals are not allowed, according to Fido Friendly magazine.

When traveling in the car, dogs should wear a safety harness and be placed in the back seat in order to avoid front seat airbag deployment in the event of an accident. Remember to bring your dog's collar and leash and use them when stopping for a roadside washroom break.

Among the other tips offered by the magazine:

• Your pet should be wearing up-to-date tags that include a contact phone number.
• Pack a first-aid kit for your pet that includes: tweezers to remove ticks, eye wash to flush wounds, antiseptic moist wipes, gauze, adhesive tape, and scissors.
• Bring water and your pet's regular food in order to avoid stomach upset.
• Don't forget your pet's crate or favorite bed or blanket. It's also a good idea to bring some favorite toys.

• Before you leave home, call your hotel(s) to confirm your reservation and that they know you are traveling with your pet

Source from: http://www.mountcarmelhealth.com/education-and-support/health-news.html?task=category&sectionid=10&articleid=646478+