If you’re wondering how to avoid mosquito bites when travelling, especially in high-risk destinations, this is what actually works.

There’s a very specific kind of regret that hits at 2am.

You’re in a hot room. The fan is doing absolutely nothing. You’ve just drifted off… and then…

Bzzzzzzzz.

You slap your arm. Miss.

Another buzz. This time near your ear. You sit up, aggressively scanning the room like you’re in a low-budget horror film.

Welcome to one of travel’s least glamorous realities: mosquitoes.

If you ever think you weren’t big enough to make a difference, try spending a night with a mosquito!

And here’s the thing no one really tells you properly: most travellers are getting this completely wrong.

Not just a little bit wrong. Fundamentally misunderstanding how to protect themselves.

After time in places like Sierra Leone, Senegal, Uganda, and Tanzania, where mosquito bites aren’t just annoying but potentially dangerous, I’ve learned (sometimes the hard way) what actually works… and what really doesn’t.

Let’s talk about the mistakes first.

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Mistake #0: Attracting Mosquitoes Without Realising It

This is the one nobody talks about.

You can do everything “right” (apply repellent, cover up, sleep under a net) and still get bitten more than the person next to you.

Why?

Because of what you used in the shower.

A lot of heavily scented:

• Shower gels
• Shampoos
• Lotions

…actually make you more attractive to insects.

So you’re essentially:
👉 Applying repellent with one hand
👉 Attracting them with the other

I didn’t think much of this until spending time in places like Uganda and Sierra Leone, where the difference between “a few bites” and “why am I being personally targeted?” suddenly becomes very noticeable.

What actually works:

• Strip things back in high-risk areas
• Avoid overly perfumed products
• Use neutral or purpose-designed washes

This is something incognito® have built their whole system around: the idea that protection doesn’t start with repellent, but with not attracting mosquitoes in the first place.

If you want to simplify this, this is the system I personally use when I’m travelling in high-risk destinations → The incognito® Simple Step System
Use code BEATOURS15 for 15% off.

Mistake #1: Thinking Mosquitoes Are Just a “Sunset Problem”

This is probably the most common, and most dangerous, assumption.

Yes, mosquitoes are worse at dawn and dusk.

But in humid, tropical environments? They don’t exactly clock off during the day.

I’ve been bitten:

• Mid-hike in the jungle
• While sweating through a market in West Africa
• Sitting in the shade thinking I was “safe”

The reality is: if you’re in a high-risk destination, you should assume exposure all day, not just in the evening.

What actually works:
Make repellent part of your daily routine, not an afterthought when the sun goes down.

Mistake #2: Applying Repellent Once… and Calling It a Day

Ah yes. The classic.

You apply mosquito repellent in the morning, feel smug about it… and then proceed to sweat it off within the hour.

Between heat, humidity, sunscreen, and general movement, most repellents don’t last nearly as long as people think.

And yet, people rarely reapply.

What actually works:

• Reapply regularly (especially after sweating or swimming)
• Keep a small bottle in your day bag (not buried in your suitcase)
• Treat it like sunscreen, not a one-and-done situation

This is where I’ve found products like incognito® genuinely useful, not because they’re “magic,” but because they’re light enough that you’ll actually reapply them without feeling like you’ve coated yourself in chemicals.

And if you want to make life even easier, their suncream and repellent combo is a bit of a game changer, especially in places where you’re juggling heat, sweat, and sun exposure all at once.

You can think of it as layers: don’t attract them, protect your skin properly, and then reinforce it throughout the day.

To read a full review of my experience with incognito while in Africa read this!

Mistake #3: Only Protecting Exposed Skin

This one’s sneaky.

People focus on arms and legs… but forget:

• Ankles (mosquitoes LOVE ankles)
• The back of the neck
• Behind the knees
• Through thin clothing

I learned this the hard way in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, where I thought I was well covered, only to come out looking like I’d personally offended an entire mosquito community.

What actually works:

• Apply repellent to all exposed areas
• Lightly spray clothing (especially around cuffs and ankles)
• Don’t forget those “in-between” zones

Mistake #4: Relying on “Strong = Better”

There’s a belief that the harsher the product, the better the protection.

And yes, some strong chemical repellents can be effective.

But here’s the trade-off no one talks about:

• They can feel heavy and unpleasant
• People use less of them because of that
• Or avoid reapplying altogether

Which ultimately makes them… less effective in real life.

There’s also a growing awareness around what we’re putting on our skin, and into environments that are already under pressure.

What actually works:
Use something you’re actually willing to:

• Apply properly
• Reapply consistently
• Use day after day
• Will not melt your skin

That’s where more natural formulations, like incognito®, have a genuine advantage. Not because they’re trendy, but because they’re realistic for how people actually behave while travelling.

Mistake #5: Forgetting About Where You Sleep

You can do everything right during the day… and undo it all at night.

I’ve stayed in:

• Beautiful lodges with open-air designs
• Budget guesthouses with questionable mosquito nets
• Rooms where the “window” was more of a suggestion

And mosquitoes? They will find a way in.

What actually works:

• Always check your mosquito net (holes, gaps, how it’s tucked in)
• Spray your room before bed if needed
• Apply repellent before sleeping if you’re in a high-risk area

I’ve got into the habit of using the incognito® air freshener, which has become a bit of a non-negotiable for me. It sits on my bedtime table (abroad and at home). It’s quick, it works, and it means I’m not lying there at night waiting for that all-too-familiar buzzing sound to start.

It’s part of a bigger approach I’ve learned over time: not just protecting your skin, but your environment too.

Mistake #6: Thinking It’s Just About Comfort

This is the one I wish more people took seriously.

In parts of the world, mosquito bites aren’t just irritating. They’re linked to diseases like:

• Malaria
• Dengue
• Yellow Fever

And while the risk varies massively depending on where you are, the point is this:

This isn’t just about avoiding itchy legs.

It’s about reducing risk in environments where prevention actually matters.

In many of these places, prevention is your first and most important line of defence.

So… What Actually Works?

After years of trial, error, and a few very itchy nights, here’s the simple version:

1. Start before you even leave the bathroom
What you use in the shower matters. Heavily scented products can attract mosquitoes, so strip things back or use purpose-designed washes.

2. Consistency beats intensity
It’s better to use something regularly than something “strong” once.

3. Reapplication is everything
Heat, sweat, and movement change everything.

4. Coverage matters more than you think
Miss your ankles and you’ll know about it.

5. Your environment matters
Daytime, nighttime, indoors, outdoors, it all counts.

6. Choose products you’ll actually use properly
This is where incognito® quietly shines. It’s not about hype, it’s about the fact that it fits into real travel behaviour.

Final Thoughts: Travel Smart, Not Just Adventurous

I’m all for embracing the chaos of travel.

Missed buses, questionable food choices, getting lost in places you can’t pronounce, I’m in.

But mosquitoes?

That’s one area where being “laid back” just doesn’t pay off.

Because the difference between a great trip and a miserable one can sometimes come down to something as simple as…

Whether you remembered to reapply your mosquito repellent.

If you want to simplify it, think of it in four layers:

• Don’t attract them in the first place
• Protect your skin properly
• Reinforce it throughout the day
• Control your environment where you can

That’s ultimately what works in high-risk destinations, not one miracle product, but a system that actually fits how you travel.

If you’re heading somewhere high-risk, this is exactly what I use and recommend after years of trial and error → The incognito® Simple Step System
Use code BEATOURS15 for 15% off.