Evading the Itch & Elusive Laos

Hop to it, Travellers!

Happy Easter to those of you celebrating—may your eggs be vibrant, chocolatey, dippy, rolling down a hill, or however you want them, really. If, like me, you're spending this one at home, this Reddit thread will help you pick where to spend the weekend next year. Just watch out for those flying bells in France...

This past week also brought out the usual April Fool's japes, and the travel industry was not immune. From WestJet's barefoot ban to Frontier's onboard beanbags and Dublin Airport's "Park and Slide," there were actually some pretty great ideas. I'll take one toe-free flight, please!

Wishing you security lines that aren't a joke and turbulence-free skies this holiday weekend,

Like many avid travellers, mosquitoes are the bane of any trip to warmer climates. Although we have them here in Scotland, they still don’t seem to have learnt how to bite (unlike our demon midges), so I’m always underprepared. And apparently very tasty.

When you’re travelling to an area with virus-carrying mosquitoes, you don’t want to mess around. And even if an itch is the worst risk, one really annoying bite can make a trip pretty miserable. 

An established repellent containing DEET is my go-to. However, I know there are alternatives and extras out there that can boost my mosquito-repelling powers, of which I wish to have many.

That’s why I asked our worldly-wise Jack’s Flight Club Community for tips on how to stop mosquitoes from biting me. Here’s what they had to say:

Sprays & Oils

Avon Skin So Soft is a popular anti-midge solution here in Scotland. While not sold as a repellent, studies have indicated that it can be around 85% as effective as repellents containing DEET. 

Mosquito wipes, on the other hand, contain chemicals like DEET or Picaridin, which is similarly effective to DEET and less likely to cause skin irritation.

Natural remedies

In particular, it’s the fatty acids derived from coconuts that are good at making you less attractive to mozzies. So while there’s no harm in washing with all the coconut-scented products under the sun and smelling like a piña colada for your whole trip, double up with reliable mosquito sprays containing coconut compounds.

It’s probably worth stating clearly that coconut oil alone could be a recipe for disaster in sunnier climates, offering little to no protection against UV rays.

Citronella is well-established as a repellent; however, its effects are not so long-lasting as DEET and other sprays. You’ll likely need to reapply every couple of hours to ensure you’re well protected, which isn’t ideal when you’re out and about. Lime juice has a similar effect, acting more as a short-term deterrent. 

Combined, these seem to make for fairly effective options for short-term natural repellents when you’re in a low-stakes environment.

Marmite & Vitamin B

A couple of our esteemed community suggested vitamin B, or its (very British) proxy foodstuff Marmite, as an effective solution for warding off mosquitoes:

As someone who mosquitoes find especially tasty, I tried the B complex tablet solution myself when I went to Cuba in 2017. Unfortunately, it made little to no difference for me, even when combined with repellent—I still remember the bite I got square in the middle of my forehead nine years on.

Taking vitamin B complex or eating a bucketload of Marmite (which is full of yeast and loaded with B vitamins) is not scientifically supported as a method of warding off bugs. Scientists have debunked the approach as little more than a myth, indicating that oral insect repellents simply don’t work. 

So if you need a few extra B vitamins in your life or you're a fan of Marmite, it won’t hurt you. But definitely don’t rely on it!

Clothing

For going out in nature in mosquito-infested areas, covering up is a must. As a bonus, spray your clothes with repellent to ward off any hitchhiking nibblers who might lie in wait until you strip.

Keep reading for mosquito-free destinations and bite-relief tips...

Sharing the place we unexpectedly loved, rating our passport stamps, and breaking down duty-free discounts—you can’t beat the community-sourced wisdom over on our Facebook group! (If you aren’t yet a member, why?!)

But one question that caught my attention this week was from member Bernadine:

How would you spend 10 days in Laos, wanting culture, city, beach, shopping, and chilling?

If you’re a traveler, you’ll know that a country can haunt you. It begins with a mention in passing from a backpacker. Then, you spot a postcard in a café. Next thing you know, the person who works at your bank turns out to be a native from there. A not-so-subtle sign from the universe.

And that’s how Laos appears to many travelers. Beckoning us to feel its pulse, promising a quiet serenity of saffron-robed monks collecting alms at sunrise. It’s jungle, intensely alive, hot, and humid, calling to some of us with an irresistible pull toward adventure. 

At the ITB trade show in Berlin, Editor Katy was greeted at the Laotian stand by warm smiles, selfies, and several free sachets of Laotian coffee. That hospitality and enthusiasm radiated as they shared tales of deserted temples, hidden caves, cascading pools, and adventure travel opportunities. And now all of us at Jack's are obsessed.

And that's where you all come in. Travel bloggers are writing manifestos about the waterfalls, yet it appears that our Facebook group is under a collective vow of silence—as if mentioning them out loud might make them disappear. 

Just a reminder, we’re Jack’s Flight Club, not that other club! The first rule here is you absolutely DO talk about your trips. 

So tell us, where should Bernadine get lost in Laos? What should or shouldn’t she skip? Let us know in the comments so we can piece together all the clues in the elusive Laotian puzzle. 

Warning: Katy is on standby. If the intel is solid, she reserves the right to declare a “research emergency” and bolt for the airport immediately.

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across the web this week.

• It's been quite the week in the international chocolate industry, as 12 tons of KitKats were stolen en route from Italy to Poland. So, before you bite into that bar you got half price the other day, you might want to scan it to see where it came from...
  
  
• If fruit is more your speed than KitKats, you might want to stop by Orkney, where bananas currently outnumber humans.
  
  
• A little PSA for all you generous travelers: when crossing borders with copious quantities of sweet treats, you really should declare them. 
  
  
• And finally, our last piece of advice following a week of international food fiascos: don't leave your 40,000 lbs of tofu lying around too long, otherwise you'll end up smelling like the small town of Jerome in Missouri.