the Must-have guide to a safe and healthy journey
Written by one of Australia’s leading Travel Doctors, drawing on 37+ years of hands-on expertise.
In Your Suitcase: The Ultimate Travel Medicine & Vaccination Guide
Getting sick overseas can ruin even the best planned trip.
Nearly half of all travellers face a health hiccup, from food poisoning to heatstroke, altitude sickness, or worse.
I’m Dr Deb, The Travel Doctor. I’ve spent decades helping people stay well while they explore the world.
Travelling Well was first published in 1989. Now in its 22nd edition (2025), it’s become Australia’s most trusted travel health guide, with over 235,000 copies in print worldwide.
It’s full of practical, no-nonsense advice to help you stay healthy- before, during and after your trip.
To make things even easier, I’ve created the Travel Health Guide App, so you’ve got access to expert advice where ever you go.
It’s like having an experienced travel doctor in your pocket, offering simple, step-by-step advice on how to manage common health problems when they happen.
From recognising heat stress to fixing food poisoning fast, the app puts practical solutions right at your fingertips.
Whether you prefer the depth of a book or the convenience of an app, both Travelling Well Book and the Travel Health Guide App give you the tools to travel with confidence, so you can spend less time worrying about illness and more time enjoying your journey.
Wishing you safe & healthy travels,
Dr Deb The Travel Doctor
Travelling Well 2025 – now in its 22nd Edition
I’m excited to share that the 22nd edition of Travelling Well is here — now available as both ebook and paperback.
Every few years I update Travelling Well because travel medicine never sits still. Vaccines change, new illnesses pop up, and fresh research means better advice for travellers like you.
So, what’s new this time?
- Information on new vaccines for Covid, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Mpox, Papilloma virus and Shingles
- Updated recommendations on malaria prevention, gastro treatment, and tick bite management.
- A refreshed travel health kit list with modern essentials like N95 masks, Covid test kits, pulse oximeters, and improved dressings.
- Updated guidelines on altitude sickness, accident risks, scooters, water safety, and even selfie hazards.
- A fully revised section on responsible tourism for today’s traveller.
The book may have a fresh cover, but its heart is the same: practical, doctor-tested tips to keep you healthy on the road.
After 35 years, Travelling Well is still Australia’s most trusted travel health guide. Whether you’re trekking in the Andes, diving in Asia, or wandering through Europe, it’s like having a travel doctor in your suitcase.
Travelling Well : Helping Travellers Stay Safe Since 1989
“Doctor Google” Can’t Help When You’re Out of Wi-Fi Range
When the internet drops out and Google won’t load, you’ll be glad you packed Travelling Well : Australia’s trusted travel health and vaccination guide for overseas trips.
Whether you’re heading to Asia, Africa, South America, or the Pacific Islands, this travel medicine handbook gives you practical advice on common travel illnesses, food safety, vaccinations, malaria prevention, altitude sickness, and first aid for travellers.
Available in paperback and digital download, it’s expert advice you can keep in your pocket or on your phone, so you’re never without reliable guidance on staying healthy while travelling overseas.
Travelling Well is packed with crucial information
From vaccinations and disease prevention to staying safe on the road, this guide covers the essentials every traveller needs for a healthy journey. INCLUDING:
Vaccinations: How they are given, why you need them, side effects, and how long your protection lasts
Culture Shock: What it is, who is at risk and how it can adversely affect your health.
Mosquito-Borne Diseases: Real world tips to keep hungry mozzies at bay, wherever you go
Sexual Health: Global travellers are a high-risk group; know how to protect yourself
Jet Lag: Prevention, trip planning, in-flight strategies and medications that can help.
Motion Sickness: Medications, natural remedies and some tricks and tips for prevention.
Heat, Cold and Altitude: How to keep your body healthy in extreme environments.
Food Dangers: Safe and unsafe eating practices when you’re sampling local cuisine.
When Creepy Crawlies Attack:Sensible and effective protection from harmful insect pests.
Keeping You & Your Gear Safe: Practical tips for personal security overseas.
Fevers:Their assorted causes and how to treat them.
The 8 keys for treating any illness.
Sniffle Alert:How to prevent and treat colds, coughs, chest infections and flu.
An A-Z list: Outlining the most prevalent
medical concerns for travellers.
Tap Water Safety: Advice for safe water consumption and efficient purification methods.
Travelling Well’s handy Fast-Find Index
for symptoms.
Adventure Travel: Tips for trekkers, divers, snowboarders, surfers and more.
And a whole lot more!
get medical help while travelling
When you’re overseas and need medical help fast, knowing where to turn is vital. Travelling Well shows you how to find a reliable doctor abroad and includes a Drug Reference Table — a quick A–Z of common travel medications with details on names, doses, uses, and precautions.
This compact but comprehensive guide (available in print or on your phone) prepares you for every trip. Learn essential health tips for travelling with children, navigating pregnancy or mature-age travel, and the authorisations you’ll need when carrying medications across borders.
With expert, doctor-written advice at your fingertips, you’ll be ready to handle whatever your journey brings.
How To Use the Travelling Well Book
It is not surprising that travellers are not familiar with the local hazards in places remote from their home. This book is designed to give you the information you need to minimise any health risks of travel, the easy way and without pain and suffering. Travel is about new experiences, but sickness or accidents are experiences we can really do without. Travelling Well is divided into sections for easy reference.
Do you travel with a medical kit?
Maybe you should ! Research shows that 50% of travellers experience medical concerns on their trip.
Having a decent medical kit is vital, especially if you’re travelling independently or venturing off the beaten track.
Travelling Well’s extensive list of kit items for a range of travel scenarios is indispensable, whether you’re planning to surf in Ecuador, take the kids to Disneyland or trek through Romania.
Make an appointment with your local travel doctor to purchase a personalised medical kit, equipped with everything you need for your travels.
What Fellow Travellers Say
Dr Deb The Travel Doctor (MBBS MPHTM)
I’m Dr Deb, The Travel Doctor.
Since 1988 I’ve dedicated my career to helping Australians travel safely and stay healthy overseas. My book Travelling Well is now in its 22nd edition with more than 235,000 copies in print — proof that good health advice never goes out of style.
I’ve trekked all seven continents and combined those experiences with decades of medical expertise, so you get practical, trustworthy guidance you can actually use on the road.
My clinic, Dr Deb’s The Travel Doctor, has been trusted by Brisbane locals since 1988, providing expert travel medicine in the heart of the city.