Beware, be warned

The hazards of travel are well worth writing about, says Patrick Forsyth

When it comes to flying, I am a nervous passenger but a confident drinker and valium-swallower. This was said by the novelist Martin Amis, and though many people fear flying it is, in fact, statistically one of the safest ways to travel. Indeed, all travelling, by whatever means, is not without its dangers. Hazards can be many and various and range from the need to avoid drinking the water in some countries to keeping your valuables safe in hotels and avoiding being scammed by everything from time-share salespeople in Spain to tuk-tuk drivers in Thailand. The consequences of falling foul of some danger may range from mild upset (literally in terms of eating the wrong thing) to taxing your travel insurance to the limit as you have to take an emergency flight home with a serious injury. That said, while writing to warn people of potential dangers may not be as satisfying in some ways as pointing out the joys of travel, helping people avoid dangers is useful. And there are many different dangers to warn about. Perhaps to create interesting writing you need to find unusual dangers. For example, I recently experienced one I’d not considered before when my credit card stopped working. Phoning the bank, I found an inefficient and unhelpful procedure, totally unsuited to dealing across the world, which resulted in me running up a bill of more than £300 in phone calls before my card was made to work again. That was not the end of it as, when I complained, I was then told that ‘we have a maximum of eight weeks’ to reply, and already I have had two messages saying it will take ‘longer than expected’. So far, thanks for nothing Virgin Money (which incidentally refused to comment on the reason for the delay for this article; one assumes they must be overburdened with complaints). The point is that this is a hazard that I had not previously experienced and thus one about which other people might appreciate being forewarned. So too with many a potential hazard. Dangers may lurk in the business of travelling itself, in particular locations (from countries to hotels) or holiday activities from eating to extreme sports. You may find examples anywhere, either yourself or though other peoples’ experience. Perhaps more likely in far-flung places, there are doubtless things people would want to avoid that also occur closer to home – consider how many people are apparently unaware of the real danger of walking close to the edge of chalk cliffs. This is another rich seam for the travel writer and perhaps less likely to come to mind than more positive topics.