Smartraveller: Your Guide to Safe and Joyful Overseas Travel

Travel is always exciting – helping you unwind, discover unfamiliar places and visit family and friends. But many Indian travellers, particularly when visiting their home country, assume they’ll be fine because their destination is familiar. However, travel environments can change quickly due to security, health risks or natural disasters.

Things can get even more tricky when travelling to a completely new destination. That’s where Smartraveller.gov.au – the Australian Government’s official travel advice website steps in as your trusted companion.

Why Smartraveller matters

Whether it’s your parents’ golden wedding anniversary in Ludhiana or a cousin’s wedding in Dubai, your journey deserves to be memorable, for all the right reasons. Smartraveller is like your traveller friend who’s been there before, equipping you with practical, reliable and straightforward information and advice on over 175 destinations.

Smartraveller advice includes:

• Information on local laws and customs to help travellers act respectfully when visiting other countries, along with guidance on visa requirements and travel insurance.
• Practical safety tips to protect travellers from common risks such as scams and theft, water safety, and partying safely when overseas. It provides details of what to do and who to contact in an emergency, such as contact details for Australian embassies and consulates.
• Navigating crowded public areas and festivals.
• Areas within a destination that should either be avoided or require special preparation, such as visiting the northeast of India.
• Up-to-date information on medications, vaccinations and health risks at a destination.

It isn’t just general advice; it is advice tailored to the specific risks and laws you might encounter in different countries, so that you can travel with ease, wherever your travels may take you.

Understanding travel advice levels

Smartraveller’s travel advice is regularly updated using credible sources. Based on the assessed risk for the average Australian traveller, it assigns every destination a travel advice level:

1. Level 1 – Exercise normal safety precautions
2. Level 2 – Exercise a high degree of caution
3. Level 3 – Reconsider your need to travel
4. Level 4 – Do not travel

Currently, India is level 2 or an “exercise a high degree of caution” advice level – this doesn’t mean don’t travel to India but rather highlights the need to be aware of certain risks and avoiding high-alert areas.

Reading and understanding the advice level for each country you travel to or through is essential. The advice level can affect your safety and your travel insurance.

Subscribing is free and helpful

With things around the world constantly evolving, situations in your chosen destinations can change, affecting your travel plans. That’s why subscribing to Smartraveller is crucial. Smartraveller offers a free email subscription service, with flexibility to subscribe to either the full website or a destination of your choice. By subscribing to travel advice updates, you’ll receive the latest information straight to your inbox, especially if you’re overseas and need fast, verified information.

Things to do before your next travel

Every overseas trip is an opportunity to reconnect, relax, celebrate, or discover. Preparation is key to ensuring this experience is stress-free. So, check the Smartraveller website, subscribe to updates, and know what to expect. You can also check Smartraveller’s Indian community page to find information specific to Indian-Australians travelling overseas.

Here’s to staying informed, safe and making every journey memorable.

Disclaimer
The article is written in partnership with the Australian Government’s Smartraveller- the trusted travel advice service.