'Remember to pack some common sense'

Like most backpackers on a tight budget, when I signed up for a kayaking adventure in Laos last year, checking the qualifications of my guides was not the top priority. I did not even balk when I was told I did not need a life jacket.

I survived to tell the tale that day, but I did not realize how lucky I was until last month, when I read how a British tourist had drowned on the same stretch of river after setting off with only an inflatable tube.

Supervision and laws are all well and good, but tourists must remember to pack some common sense when they head off on their holidays.

"People on holiday often let common sense go out of the window and think they are invincible," said Simon Lewis, 38, a seasoned traveler and author of a Rough Guide to China. "People try to adapt to unsafe norms, but just because the locals don't wear seat belts or helmets or drive drunk doesn't mean you should, too."

"Don't do anything even vaguely adventurous before assessing the risks, or do anything risky alone, particularly trekking. Also, check the small print in your travel insurance - you may not be covered for some activities, and you don't want to be struck with a massive hospital bill as well as a broken leg," said the London-based author, who has also penned two travel crime novels, Go and Bad Traffic, which was nominated for the 2008 LA Times Book of the Year award.

A tourist has the final say, and if there is any doubt the equipment is unsuitable or the guides are untrained, it is always wise to err on the side of caution. As the old maxim goes: it is better to be safe than sorry.

Simon Lewis will be speaking about his life as a travel writer at Books & Tea in Nan Luo Gu Xiang, Beijing, on Friday, from 7 pm.

(China Daily 10/28/2009 page7)