I just got back from a trip to the Dominican Republic, and I wanted to save you from one of the most common mistakes I see people make when planning their own travel.
As Americans, we have grown accustomed to certain comforts, like drinkable tap water. Well I’m here to tellyou that in other countries (even major tourist destinations) such a luxury does NOT exist! For example, did you know that in Fiji, which by the way has one of the most popular brands of bottled water named after it, drinking the tap water will actually make you sick?
It’s so important to know what to expect before you head to your destination. So here are 5 of the most popular vacation destinations where you should NEVER drink the tap water:
1. Bahamas
Before heading to the Bahamas on vacation, the CDC recommends getting vaccinated for hepatitis A and typhoid that are easily contracted by drinking Bahamian tap water. Don’t worry though, most resorts offer bottled water free of charge and I highly recommend you take them up on that offer!
2. Mexico:
This beautiful vacation destination offers delicious food, stunning beaches and perfect weather to enjoy them. Unfortunately drinking the tap water here can make you sick. The crisis is so bad that Mexico has become the third largest consumer of bottled water at 8.23 billion gallons. I highly recommend you stick to only drinking bottled water to avoid getting sick while on vacation.
3. Dominican Republic
The tap water is contaminated in the Dominican Republic. I not only recommend you drink bottled water, but I urge you to brush your teeth and wash your face with bottled water as well. This will help keep you healthy so you can enjoy your hard earned vacation!
4. Fiji
Despite what the popular bottled water brand may have you believe, drinking tap water in Fiji is not safe. Some resorts here do have their own water filtration system for their tap water. However, it’s always best to double check with the resort before you drink the tap water.
5.Costa Rica
If you stray from the resort towns and highly-populated areas you’ll find that the water situation isn’t so great. Bodies of water in Costa Rica are polluted by toxic industrial waste that hurt both the drinking water and agricultural life. As long as you aren’t traveling to remote areas of the country, you should be fine.
The good news is that bottled water is everywhere, so fear of water quality should never stop you from traveling to any of these destinations. You just have to be smart. If you are at a resort, ask management if the water is OK to drink. If you’re off the resort, just purchase bottled water.
I don’t want YOU to miss out on your vacation simply because you didn’t know! And if you’d like to avoid making even MORE mistakes that could jeopardize your vacation, I’d love to help you.