Travel advice pop quiz time: It’s fun to get sick while on vacation. True or false? If you answered in the affirmative, we suggest a Pacific scuba outing in the region of the deadly venomous “reef stone fish,” a critter rumored to have ended the lives of numerous islanders over the years. It’s highly toxic venom ought to give your immune system a good workout. The rest of us prefer to stay at the peak of health at all times, especially when traveling. Here are some critical issues. Know Your Allergies If you have allergies and are traveling out of the country, learn how to say the name of the offending food in the local language. This might also apply to the Deep South in the United States if you’re from New York or California, and vice versa, of course. Dental If you even have a suspicion you might need dental work done, why not get it before you go? Ever seen the movie Cast Away? Bet Tom Hanks wishes he had seen a dentist before he crashed on that desert island and had to perform his own root canal with a rock and (shudder)…never mind. Indigenous Diseases If you’re going somewhere known for funky diseases, and every place has at least a few funky diseases, our travel advice to you is research first and know how to prevent exposure. Failing that, at least figure out what to do if you contract a disease. It’s also a good idea to stock up on prescriptions and get vaccinations if needed. Schedule your vaccines early enough that you’ll have time to recover in the event of an allergic reaction. Trying to do all this the day before departure – not a good idea. What’s the point of even giving you travel advice if you’re not going to use it properly? Go ahead. Have a tooth pulled, half a dozen vaccines, and tease a reef stone fish the day before you leave on your African safari if you must, but don’t say we didn’t warn you.