Doc Holiday: How to avoid methanol poisoning while travelling

What is the best way to protect yourself against methanol poisoning while drinking in countries where the service of alcohol is less regulated?

Escape's Doc Holiday, Dilvin Yasa, answers your travel-related questions.

Our sons are about to travel through Southeast Asia and we’re worried about the recent episodes of alcohol poisoning. What’s the best way to protect them?

This is a huge topic in our household at the moment and judging by the recent events in Fiji, we need to accept that alcohol production – not to mention cocktail creation – is far less regulated in many developing countries where products such as methanol are occasionally used to lower costs.

Generally speaking, the safest bet is to keep clear of any drinks that are prepared by a bartender, such as cocktails and mixed drinks, and stick to sealed pre-mixed drinks and well-known beers and wines that have been opened before your very eyes.

Smartraveller.gov.au also recommends avoiding any unusually cheap or discounted drinks claiming to use branded spirits as they may be counterfeit products with labels worthy of a Pulitzer for fiction.

Scored an invite to a local’s house? Although it may seem rude, I also advise a hard no to any homemade alcoholic drinks. Take your own travellers and share generously to offset the rejection of any refreshments they offer you.

Visitors to the US for less than 90 days need to apply for either an Electronic System for Travel Authorization or, if you’re not eligible, a visa.

My wife and I are heading to Hawaii and it’s our first time out of Australia. Is it difficult to obtain a visa for the States and how common is it to tip? That’s the part that really scares me.

How exciting. Your itinerary (Hawaii via New Zealand and Tahiti) is A1 for a first-timer and I have no doubt you’ll have an excellent time.

Visitors to the US for less than 90 days need to apply for either an Electronic System for Travel Authorization – the Visa Waiver Program most commonly used by Australians, or if you’re not eligible, a visa. You can apply for this on the US Customs and Border Protection ESTA site (esta.cbp.dhs.gov). It will indicate which you’re eligible for. The fee for an ESTA is $US21 (about$33) and you need to apply 72 hours before departing for the USA at the latest. Prepare yourself for an extraordinary level of security screening and questioning – the authorities make me so nervous I have to stop myself from confessing to crimes I haven’t even committed.

Tipping, unfortunately, remains the foundation American society is built on and it is far steeper than the 10 per cent we might give for exemplary service here. A gratuity of 20-25 per cent is standard (15 per cent is a bad tip in restaurants), and in many cases the tip will automatically be added to your bill – even if the service was lacklustre.

Expect to tip $1 per drink in bars and cafes, as well as per bag carried by porters. You also need to factor in $3 to $5 per day for housekeeping staff (I leave a fiver on the bed every morning), an extra 10 to 15 per cent on top of your taxi or Uber fare, and 10 to 20 per cent each for your tour guide and your driver on an organised tour. There’s no law that says you have to go by these figures or even tip at all if you feel the service has been rubbish, but the best thing to do here is speak to the manager and explain why you’ve arrived at your decision.

Outback Spirit’s 15-Day Longreach & Outback Queensland tour – which takes in Toowoomba – sounds perfect.

Can you recommend any Brisbane to Cairns tours via a couple of islands such as Fraser and Hamilton? We’d like to go in July or August.

It’s interesting how this particular itinerary caters to the younger backpacker crowd; there are plenty of tours for the 18s to 35s, but little for the mature travellers among us.

There’s nothing to stop you from travelling independently, but if you’re certain you’d prefer a tour, take a look at Intrepid’s eight-day Brisbane to Cairns Adventure, which takes in K’gari (Fraser Island).

Hayes & Jarvis is a UK company but it has a 15-day Brisbane to Cairns itinerary which could work, and what’s more, they’re willing to tailor the itinerary to suit your needs.

You also write that you’ve done this itinerary before, so may I recommend Outback Spirit’s 15-Day Longreach & Outback Queensland tour as a worthy alternative? I’m a huge fan of the Queensland outback, and this tour – which runs between Cairns and Brisbane between April and September and takes in Toowoomba, Longreach, Winton, Cloncurry and the Atherton Tablelands – sounds perfect. Just a suggestion.

Originally published as Doc Holiday: How to avoid methanol poisoning while travelling