Aside from the hoopla over contaminated water and passport confusion, traveling beyond your hometown, particularly South-and-beyond the Mexican border is an act that requires no extra consideration other than SPF 40 or 45, hotel or hostel, cerveca or margarita.

There are, however, some obvious differences between Mexico and other countries that might come across as a bit uncouth, unfamiliar or strange. But recognizing and abiding by them can increase the chance that you thwart any sickness and remain the fine specimen for health that you already are.

Medical experts will ramble off a scary list of precautions and what-if scenarios, but of them, only a handful is still relevant and worth glancing over.

Before you leave…

• Look over your health insurance police to see how your provider will cover you outside the country.
• Visit travel.state.gov to make sure you're up to date with your vaccines—chance's are strong that you are, but who wants to be that 1-in-a-million statistic?

Consider bringing…

• Laxatives in case, you know, you accidentally "drink the water".
• Hand sanitizer
• Sunscreen
• Bandaids, for good measure

Additionally…

• Pack your prescription meds in their original containers with your name on it.
• Continue abstaining from any water that is not bottled, icecubes included. Luxury Cancun hotels can be the exception.
• Avoid uncooked meats, vegetables, and fruits.
• Keep an arsenal of identification on your person at all times—drivers licenses, passports, insurance cards, etc.

Enid Glasgow is a travel writer who enjoys traveling in the Americas and Caribbean. When visiting Cancun, she stays at luxury Cancun resorts like Gran Melia Cancun.