Nothing ruins a trip faster than getting sick, and you're more prone to getting sick when you travel than staying home, depending on where you go.

It's a good idea, especially when traveling to third-world countries, to seek a doctor's advice before you go. There are variations in health precautions everywhere (such as unpasteurized cheeses in France and non-potable water in many countries), but most developed nations don't typically pose a threat.

In traveling to India, I went under the impression that I would be sick at some point. That notion was reinforced when I arrived in Mumbai and read an article in one of the newspapers that said a study had proven 98 percent of Mumbai's water is contaminated.
Call it what you want - Montezuma's Revenge, Delhi Belly - but it's not something you need to experience.

Most hospitals and HMOs have a travel clinic in some form. If you have health insurance, it's a great resource for pre-trip health advice. Before I went to India, it turned out that I needed five shots - hepatitis B, tetanus, a polio booster and two others. In addition to the sore upper arm, they gave me a prescription for malaria pills and extra-strength diarrhea medication and a helpful printout showing where malaria is present and what other types of things I should watch out for.

Malaria pills are necessary in many of the countries where the disease has not been eradicated. Though international organizations are hard at work to destroy the malady once and for all, it still keeps a strong presence in many undeveloped countries with tropical climes.

If you have medical needs, be they pills, syringes of insulin or anything like that, you should bring a note from your doctor on official letterhead explaining what they are and why you need them. Photocopies of prescription forms are a good idea as well. Getting locked up on drug charges for something benign would also ruin a trip.

There are also "safe drinks." Anything that has been boiled is OK. The chai (tea) that street vendors carry around in thermoses in India, for example, not only tastes good, but is perfectly safe, as the water is hot enough to kill the bacteria.

When traveling, sampling the local cuisine is part of the experience. That experience should not be ruined by a few concerns over what bacteria may or may not be present. The reality is that if you take basic precautions and don't eat anything suspect, you will most likely be fine.