Skin disease is one of the common causes of illness in most tropical countries and tropical skin diseases are often regarded as exotic. Most patients presenting with lesions acquired abroad however have either developed a condition common in their own environment or one that has been aggravated by the climatic conditions. Sun exposure in particular is a major source of skin damage. Specific disorders seen in visitors to the tropics are often infective in aetiology. They include specific fungal infections as well as parasitic disease, such as leishmaniasis and onchocerciasis. In many of such cases the infections are more readily acquired by those visiting rural areas but this is not always the case.