Malaria is passed on by mosquitoes that bite between dusk and dawn, and the most dangerous form can make you seriously unwell within days. Hundreds of travellers return to the UK with it every year, and most of them had taken nothing at all — or had stopped their tablets too early. Protection isn't one thing, it's three: avoiding bites, taking the right tablets properly, and knowing that any fever after you get home needs checking urgently. Which tablets suit you depends on exactly where you're going, since resistance varies by region, and on your own health and medication. That's a conversation, not a shelf pick.